Hanau
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Hanau is a town in Hesse, Germany with 89,000 inhabitants. It is located 10 km east of Frankfurt am Main.
History
Hanau was first mentioned in 1143 and became a city in 1303.At the end of the 16th century, Count Philipp Ludwig II allowed Protestant refugees from the Netherlands to found their own settlement near Hanau, to which these Walloons brought their knowledge of jewellery production. For this reason goldsmiths are still educated there. In the 19th century the Neustadt (New Town), as it was called, was merged with Hanau.
In the 19th century Hanau was a centre of the German democratic movement and contributed significantly both in 1830 and in the Revolution of 1848. Also in 1848 the German Gymnastic League (Turnerbund) was founded here.
During World War II Hanau was almost completely destroyed by British airstrikes in March 1945 a few days before it was taken by the US Army anyhow. Thus the alleged logistical importance of the city seems to have been a mere pretext.
Nowadays many inhabitants work in the technological industry (VAC, Heraeus) or commute to Frankfurt. Frankfurt International Airport is only 30km away.
Facts
- Hanau, with about 89,000 inhabitants, is the 6th largest town in Hessen. Having recently lost its status as administrative centre of the Main-Kinzig-Kreis (Main-Kinzig district), proposals have been appearing about Hanau forming its own administrative district.
- The population density is 1166 inhabitants/km². More than 20% of the inhabitants are foreign nationals.
- Governing mayor: Claus Kaminsky (SPD), since 17 November 2003
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Associated Towns:
| Waltershausen, Germany (Thuringia) since 1990 | |
| Pays de Hanau, France | |
Sights
- The German House of Goldsmiths (Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus)
- Philippsruhe Castle
- Health Establishment at Hanau-Wilhelmsbad
- St Mary's Church (Marienkirche)
- Dutch-Walloon Church (Niederländisch-Wallonische Kirche)
Famous persons
- The Brüder Grimm (Grimm Brothers) collected many German fairy tales and started work on the German Glossary.
- Tayfur Havutçu, Turkish footballer
- Paul Hindemith: composer
- Rudi Völler: football/soccer world champion 1990 and coach of the German national team, when it was runner-up in 2002.
- Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Designer (1900-1990)
Sports
- Turngemeinde 1837 Hanau e.V. (TGH), one of the oldest of Germany's sports clubs
- Hanauer Rudergesellschaft 1879 e.V. (HRG), one of Germany's oldest rowing clubs
- 1.Hanauer FC 1893 e.V. (Hanau '93), Hesse's oldest football/soccer club
Districts
- Innenstadt
- Lamboy
- Kesselstadt
- Grossauheim
- Klein-Auheim
- Mittelbuchen
- Steinheim
- Wolfgang
- Hohe Tanne
- Wilhelmsbad
External links
- [HanauOnline Webzine]
- [Hanau Site]
- [U.S. Army in Hanau]
- [Staatliche Zeichenakademie Hanau (Hanau State Academy)]
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