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• About Karlsruhe

Karlsruhe, once the capital of Baden, lies in the south west of Germany, on the northern flank of Baden-Württemberg. Situated adjacent to the mighty river Rhine, the city reaches north west where it meets the border of the Rhineland-Palatinate, and west to France. The climate is very pleasant - its location in the Rhine plain makes Karlsruhe Germany's second warmest city. In 1715 Margrave Karl Wilhem of Baden-Durlach built the Karlsruhe palace, then founded the city of Karlsruhe. The name "Karlsruhe" was chosen to suggest the place to be restful after wars against France. Until today the tomb of the founder which is shaped like a pyramid is preserved on the market place. The market place, stamped by the architecture of Weinbrenner, forms the center of the cityscape. Today's Karlsruhe has a rich tradition as a city of science, research and high-tech.

The University of Karlsruhe was founded 1825 as a polytechnical school, modeled after the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris. 1967 the university was renamed to "Universität Fridericiana Karlsruhe (TH)" in commemoration of its patron Grand Duke Friedrich von Baden. The university holds 11 departments with a total staff of 3969 persons and about 2000 research assistants. Over 18000 students took advantage of the offerings at the university in 2006.

The Black Forest, or Schwarzwald to give it its German name, is famous the world over. Deeply rooted in its traditional culture and possibly best known as the home of the cuckoo clock, the Black Forest is an area of mountains and forest 200 kilometres long and up to 60 kilometres wide, which borders France in the west, Switzerland in the south, the Swabian Alb and Lake Constance in the east, and the Kraichgau region in the north.

With its glorious natural setting, the harmonious ensemble consisting of castle, old town and river set in the midst of hills, Heidelberg is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. Every year millions of tourists are drawn to experience Heidelberg's mystique. Heidelberg was included in the preliminary German list for registration as a UNESCO World Heritage site.