Ludwigshafen am Rhein
Ludwigshafen
Coat of arms	Location
Administration
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
District	Urban district
City subdivisions	10 districts
Lord Mayor	Eva Lohse (CDU)
Basic statistics
Area	77.68 km² (30 sq mi)
Elevation	96 m  (315 ft)
Population	163,560  (31/12/2006)
- Density	2,106 /km² (5,453 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	LU
Postal codes	67059 - 67071
Area codes	0621, 06237
Website	www.ludwigshafen.de Coordinates: 49°28′52″N 8°26′07″E / 49.48111, 8.43528 Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 467 pixelsFull resolution (1200 × 701 pixel, file size: 552 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Karte_Deutschland. ... Image File history File links Red_pog2. ... This list of countries, arranged alphabetically, gives an overview of countries of the world. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Germany is a Federal Republic made up of 16 States, known in German as Länder (singular Land). ... The Rhenish Palatinate (Rheinpfalz, sometimes Lower Palatinate or Niederpfalz) occupies rather more than a quarter of the German Bundesland (federal state) of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) and contains the towns of Ludwigshafen, Kaiserslautern, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Pirmasens, Landau and Speyer. ... There are 439 German districts (Kreise), administrative units in Germany. ... This is a list of urban districts in Germany. ... Councillor Patrick (Pat) John Stannard, Lord Mayor of Oxford (2004). ... The Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU — Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands) is the second largest political party in Germany. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Elevation histogram of the surface of the Earth – approximately 71% of the Earths surface is covered with water. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... Time zones of Europe: Light colours indicate countries that do not observe summer time Central European Time (CET) is one of the names of the time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. ... Time zones of Europe: Light colours indicate countries that do not observe summer time Central European Summer Time (CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. ... Central European Time West Africa Time British Summer Time* Irish Summer Time* Western European Summer Time* Category: ... Eastern European Time Central Africa Time Israel Standard Time South Africa Standard Time Central European Summer Time West Africa Summer Time Category: ... German car number plates (Kfz-Kennzeichen) show the place where the car carrying them is registered. ... German Postleitzahl map of the first two digits Postal codes in Germany, Postleitzahl (plural Postleitzahlen, abbreviated to PLZ), consist of five digits, which indicate the wider area (first two digits), and the postal district (last three digits). ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos and other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Ludwigshafen am Rhein is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Ludwigshafen is located on the Rhine opposite Mannheim. Together with Mannheim, Heidelberg and the surrounding region, it forms the Rhine Neckar Area. Look up city, City in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Rhenish Palatinate (Rheinpfalz, sometimes Lower Palatinate or Niederpfalz) occupies rather more than a quarter of the German Bundesland (federal state) of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) and contains the towns of Ludwigshafen, Kaiserslautern, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Pirmasens, Landau and Speyer. ... It has been suggested that River Rhine Pollution: November 1986 be merged into this article or section. ... Mannheim is a city in Germany. ... Heidelberg is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ... Region Logo of the Rhein-Neckar-Triangle initiative The Rhine Neckar Region, often referred to as Rhein-Neckar-Triangle is a metropolitan area located in south western Germany, between Frankfurt and Stuttgart. ...

Ludwigshafen is known for its chemical industry (BASF). Among its cultural facilities rank the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz and the renowned Wilhelm-Hack-Museum with its ceramic wall that is now filthy from the city smog, which was arranged by the Catalan artist Joan Miró. Ludwigshafen is the birthplace of the former German chancellor Helmut Kohl, the philosopher Ernst Bloch and the German rock-climber Wolfgang Güllich. This article is about the German chemical company. ... Fixed Partial Denture, or Bridge The word ceramic is derived from the Greek word κεραμικός (keramikos). ... The Catalans are an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is Catalonia, or the Principality of Catalonia (Catalan: Catalunya, or Principat de Catalunya), which is a historical region in southern Europe, embracing a territory situated in the north-east of Spain and an adjoining portion of southern France. ... Joan Miró photo taken by Carl Van Vechten, June, 1935 Joan Miró i Ferrà (April 20, 1893 – December 25, 1983) was a Catalan painter, sculptor, and ceramist born in Catalonia, Spain. ... For other uses, see Chancellor (disambiguation). ... Helmut Josef Michael Kohl (born April 3, 1930) is a German conservative politician and statesman. ... Ernst Simon Bloch (IPA: , July 8, 1885 – August 4, 1977) was a German Marxist philosopher and atheist theologian. ... Wolfgang Güllich (24 October 1960 - 31 August 1992), was born in Ludwigshafen, Germany. ...

townhall Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 397 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (526 × 793 pixel, file size: 104 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Rathaus-Center, Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Rheinland-Pfalz (Germany) Source: own photography Date: September 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 10:36, 23 September 2005 (UTC) Other...

BASF Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 625 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1644 × 1576 pixel, file size: 466 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: BASF company in Ludwigshafen in Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany) Source: own photography Date: September 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 07:45, 18 October 2005 (UTC) Other... This article is about the German chemical company. ...

Living in Ludwigshafen Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 759 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1592 × 1258 pixel, file size: 505 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: view of Ludwigshafen, Germany (July 2006) Source: own photography --Immanuel Giel 09:15, 14 July 2006 (UTC) File historyClick on a date/time to...

East Asia Institute Image File history File links Size of this preview: 480 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (657 × 821 pixel, file size: 128 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: entrance of the East Asia Institute in Ludwigshafen Photographer: self Uploaded by: --Zhou Yi 10:06, 15 July 2005 (UTC) Other versions: none File historyClick... See also East Asia Institute (Cambridge University) East Asia Institute at the Rhine River in Ludwigshafen logo: five peonies The East Asia Institute (German: Ostasieninstitut) founded in 1989, as part of the Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences. ...

History

Early History

The area of modern Ludwigshafen was inhabited in prehistoric times.

In antiquity, Celtic and Germanic tribes settled here and during the last century B.C., the Romans conquered the region and a Roman auxiliary fort was constructed near the present suburb of Rheingönheim. “Ancient” redirects here. ... This article is about the European people. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... Auxiliary may mean: a backup system an auxiliary verb In sailing, the term is used for the motor, if a sailboat has one, or can be used to describe a motorized sailboat, as in an auxiliary sailboat. Auxiliary police Armed Forces auxiliary This is a disambiguation page, a list of...

In the Middle Ages, some of the later suburbs of Ludwigshafen were founded, for example Oggersheim, Maudach, Oppau and Mundenheim, but most of the area was still swampland. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

The Rheinschanze

Rheinschanze c. 1750

All the region belonged to the territory of the Prince-elector of the Kurpfalz, or Electoral Palatinate, one of the larger states within the Holy Roman Empire, and the foundation of the new capital of the Kurpfalz, Mannheim, had decisive influence on the further development of the area on the opposite bank of the Rhine. Parallel to the foundation of Mannheim in 1606, a fortress (die Rheinschanze) was built by Frederick IV, Elector Palatine, on the other side of the River Rhine to protect the City of Mannheim, thus forming the nucleus of the city of Ludwigshafen itself. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 492 pixelsFull resolution (1154 × 709 pixel, file size: 201 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) // Originally uploaded on de. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 492 pixelsFull resolution (1154 × 709 pixel, file size: 201 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) // Originally uploaded on de. ... The prince-electors or electoral princes of the Holy Roman Empire — German: Kurfürst (singular) Kurfürsten (plural) — were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Emperors of Germany. ... A palatinate is a territory administered by a count palatine, originally the direct representative of the sovereign, but later the hereditary ruler of the territory subject to the crowns overlordship. ... This article is about the medieval empire. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

But the region had a hard time in the 17th century, it was devastated and depopulated during the Thirty Years' War and also in King Louis XIV of France´s wars of conquest in the later part of the century. Combatants Sweden  Bohemia Denmark-Norway (Until 1643) Dutch Republic France Scotland England Saxony  Holy Roman Empire ( Catholic League) Spain Austria Bavaria Commanders Frederick V Buckingham Leven Gustav II Adolf â€  Johan Baner Cardinal Richelieu Louis II de Bourbon Turenne Christian IV of Denmark Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar Johann Georg I of... “Sun King” redirects here. ...

It was only in the 18th century that the settlements around the Rheinschanze began to prosper and they profited from the proximity of the capital Mannheim. Especially Oggersheim gained some importance: There was a small palace serving as secondary residence for the Elector, the famous pilgrimage church Wallfahrtskirche was built and for some weeks in 1782, even the great German writer and playwright Friedrich Schiller lived in Oggersheim (admittedly, he was on flight from his native Württemberg). Friedrich Schiller “Schiller” redirects here. ... Arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg The title of this article contains the character ü. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Wuerttemberg. ...

War came back to the Ludwigshafen area with the armies of the French Revolution. The palace at Oggersheim was burned down, Mannheim besieged several times and all the area left of the Rhine was annexed by France from 1798 to 1813. The Kurpfalz was split up, the eastern bank of the Rhine with Mannheim and Heidelberg was given to Baden, the western bank (including the Ludwigshafen area) was granted to Bavaria after the Wars of Liberation 1813-1815, in which the French were expelled. So the Rhine had become a frontier and the Rheinschanze was cut off politically from Mannheim and lost its function as the neighbouring city's military bulwark. The French Revolution (1789–1815) was a period of political and social upheaval in the political history of France and Europe as a whole, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on... Heidelberg is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ... Baden is a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the right bank of the Rhine. ... For other uses, see Bavaria (disambiguation). ...

Foundation of Ludwigshafen

Ludwig I of Bavaria

Already in 1808, during the French occupation, Carl Hornig from Mannheim had purchased the fortress from the French authorities and turned it into a resting place for French sailors that needed to pass from that area of the Rhine River. Later, the Rheinschanze with its winter-proof harbour basin (created by a flood in 1824) was used as trading post. Hornig died in 1819, but Johann Heinrich Scharpff, the businessman from Speyer, continued Hornig's plans, which were then turned over to his son-in-law, Philipp Markus Lichtenberger, in 1830. Their activities marked the beginning of the civilian use of the Rheinschanze. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 430 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (551 × 768 pixel, file size: 101 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Ludwig I. von Bayern Painted by Joseph Karl Stieler (1781-1858) Engraving by Albert Reindel (1784-1853) Public Domain, da bloße Reproduktion eines Gem... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 430 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (551 × 768 pixel, file size: 101 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Ludwig I. von Bayern Painted by Joseph Karl Stieler (1781-1858) Engraving by Albert Reindel (1784-1853) Public Domain, da bloße Reproduktion eines Gem... Ludwig I (or Louis I, which is the French form of his name, his godfather was Louis XVI of France) (Strasbourg, August 25, 1786 – February 29, 1868 in Nice) was king of Bavaria from 1825 until the 1848 revolutions in the German states. ... Speyer (English formerly Spires) is a city in Germany (Rhineland-Palatinate) with approx. ...

The year 1843 was the official birth of Ludwigshafen, when Lichtenberger sold this property to the state of Bavaria (Bayern), and the military title of the fortress was finally removed. The Bavarian king, Ludwig I set forth plans to rename the settlement after himself and to start construction of an urban area as a Bavarian rival to Mannheim on the opposite bank. Ludwig I (or Louis I, which is the French form of his name) (August 25, 1786 – February 29, 1868) was king of Bavaria from 1825 until 1848. ...

During the failed German revolution of 1848, rebels took young Ludwigshafen, but they were bombarded from Mannheim (rumours said the Mannheimers didn't aim at the revolutionaries, but on the rival harbour's infrastructure) and Prussian troops quickly expelled the revolutionaries. On December 27, 1852, King Maximilian II granted Ludwigshafen am Rhein political freedom and as soon as November 8, 1859, the settlement gained town status. Anthem Preußenlied, Heil dir im Siegerkranz (both unofficial) The Kingdom of Prussia at its greatest extent, at the time of the formation of the German Empire, 1871 Capital Berlin Government Monarchy King  - 1701 — 1713 Frederick I (first)  - 1888 — 1918 William II (last) Prime minister  - 1848 Adolf Heinrich von Arnim... Maximilian II of Bavaria (November 28, 1811 – March 10, 1864) was king of Bavaria from 1848 until 1864. ...

Industry and growth of population

BASF, 1866

But this “town” was still a very modest settlement with just 1.500 inhabitants. The real growth began with industrialization, which gained enormous momentum in Ludwigshafen because of its ideal transport facilities: The perfect Rhine harbour has already been mentioned and in 1849 the railway connecting Ludwigshafen with the Saar coalfields was finished. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... With an area of 2570 km² and 1. ...

The year 1865 was an important date in the history of independent Ludwigshafen. After several discussions, BASF decides to move its factories from Mannheim to the Hemshof district, which belonged to Ludwigshafen. From now on, the city's rapid growth and wealth was linked to the BASF's success and the company's expansion to one of the world's most important chemical companies. With more jobs available, the population of Ludwigshafen started to increase very rapidly, so that in 1899 the city was governing more than 62,000 residents (Compared to 1,500 in 1852). This article is about the German chemical company. ... Hemshof is one of the oldest city districts of Ludwigshafen Am Rhein, Germany. ...

This rapid population explosion looked quite “American” to contemporaries, it determined Ludwigshafen's character as a “worker's town” and created problematic shortages of housing and real estates. The solution was the expansion of the municipal area and the incorporation of the two nearest villages, Friesenheim and Mundenheim, in the years 1892 and 1899. In the area between the town centre and those two suburbs new quarters (“North” and “South”) were built after (then) modern urban development plans. Because the ground was marshy and too low to be protected from Rhine floods, all the new houses were built on raised ground, sometimes as high as 5 meters above the original ground. You can see the original ground level in many backyards of Ludwigshafen, which are sometimes two floors below street level. Friesenheim is a municipality in the Ortenaukreis, in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ...

World War I and Inter-War Years

When World War I broke out in 1914, Ludwigshafen's industry plants played a key role in Germany's war economy. Many chemical ingredients of explosives and gunpowder for the forces, as well as much of the gas used on the Western Front, were fabricated in Ludwigshafen. This contributed to the fact that, on May 27, 1915, Ludwigshafen had the dubious honour of being the world's first civilian settlement behind the lines to be bombed by air. French aircraft attacked the BASF plants, thereby killing twelve people and setting a precedent for the years to come. “The Great War ” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Gas (disambiguation). ... Western Front was a term used during the First and Second World Wars to describe the contested armed frontier between lands controlled by Germany to the East and the Allies to the West. ...

When the war was lost for Germany in 1918, the left bank of the Rhine was occupied by French troops, according to the peace terms. The French occupation lasted until 1930, and some of Ludwigshafen's most elegant houses were erected for the officers of the French garrison.

The economic recovery during the 1920s was thrown back by the worst explosion ever in a German industrial complex when, in 1921, a BASF factory blew up, killing more than 500, injuring a further 2000 and destroying countless buildings.

Nevertheless, Ludwigshafen reached the population number of 100,000 in 1922, thus gaining “City” status and it prospered until the worldwide economic crisis of 1929 caused unemployment, trouble and the final rise of the Nazis. The Nazi party used a right-facing swastika as their symbol and the red and black colors were said to represent Blut und Boden (blood and soil). ...

Initially, the Nazi party had few followers and votes in working-class-dominated Ludwigshafen. But after 1933, when they had come to power in Germany, the Nazis succeeded in getting their ideas through in Ludwigshafen. The Ludwigshafen synagogue was destroyed in 1938 and its Jewish population deported in 1940. A synagogue (from ancient Greek: , transliterated synagogÄ“, assembly; ‎ beit knesset, house of assembly; Yiddish: or Template:Lanh-he beit tefila, house of prayer, shul; Ladino: , esnoga) is a Jewish house of worship. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination...

But the Nazis also interfered with Ludwigshafen's development as city. According to their ideology, many small houses with gardens were built, especially in the Gartenstadt. Further, similar to Nazi plans in other Cities (e.g. Hamburg), they aimed at creating a ”Greater Ludwigshafen” by assimilating smaller towns and villages in the vicinity. Thus Oggersheim, Oppau, Edigheim, Rheingönheim and Maudach became suburbs of Ludwigshafen and raised its population number to 135,000. This article is about the city in Germany. ...

World War II

During World War II, the city was a prime target for strategic bombing because its two giant I.G. Farben plants, covering 1200 acres and employing 40,000 workers, produced much of Germany's ammonia, synthetic rubber, synthetic oil and other vital chemicals. The city's railroad yards were important targets too, and hundreds of small shops and factories produced war materials, such as diesel engines for submarines. Because the junction of Rhine and Neckar at Mannheim was visible by night; blackout was inneffective in Mannheim and Ludwigshafen; Allied bombers had few problems in finding the place by night. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The city heart of Rotterdam after being terror bombed by Germany in 1940, the ruin of the (now restored) Laurens Kerk is the only building that reminds people of Rotterdams medieval architecture. ...

The Luftwaffe ringed the city with 180 high-powered flak guns. Thirteen thousand Allied bombers hit the city in 121 separate raids during the war, of which 56 succeeded in hitting the Farben plant. Those 56 raids dropped 53,000 bombs each containing 250 to 4,000 pounds of high explosives, plus 2.5 million 4-pound magnesium incendiary bombs. (The bombers also dropped millions of warning leaflets ordering civilians to leave town immediately; they also dropped counterfeit ration coupons.) Clouds (or protective smoke) usually covered the target, so "pathfinder" planes identified the general vicinity with flares, and the bombardiers unloaded on the flares. This sort of "area bombing" was not especially accurate: out of 1,700 bombs dropped on January 7, 1944, only 127 hit the Farben plant. On average, 1.4 tons of bombs hit each acre of the Farben complex (but buildings covered only 25% of the ground, so most hit open land.) Bombing accuracy improved with experience; in a January 1945 raid, 1,000 high explosive bombs and 10,000 incendiaries fell within the factory fences, starting 10 large, 30 medium and 200 small fires. Bombs that missed the factory that day ruined 354 residences and dehoused 1,800 people. The Deutsche Luftwaffe or   (German: air force, literally Air Weapon, pronounced lufft-va-fa, IPA: ) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... For other meanings see Pathfinder. ... On on 30 March 1942 Lord Cherwell, the British governments leading scientific adviser, sent to the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill a memorandum which after it had become accepted by the Cabinet became known as the dehousing cabinet paper. ...

The shelter system worked well, for only five people on the ground were killed. By war's end most dwellings were destroyed or damaged; 1,800 people had died, and 3,000 were injured. Local Nazi officials assisted the homeless and tried to incite the residents to hate the Allies. Most residents were fatalistic or passive, and were instead inclined to blame Berlin for their troubles. Thousands fled to villages or farms, but enough stayed behind to keep producing chemicals and to assist troop transports moving by rail to the battle of the Bulge. When draft calls removed German men, I. G. Farben replaced them with German women, with civilian "volunteers" from France or Italy, and with Polish and Russian prisoners. The foreigners worked to avoid death from starvation; the Nazis treated them brutally, and were negligent about their safety during the air raids. Systematic air attacks began in earnest in early 1944, and reduced production by half that year. Repairs took longer and longer, as spare parts were difficult to find. By December, so much damage had been done to vital utilities that output dropped to nearly zero. Followup raids every week ended production permanently. On March 1, 1945, infantry from Alexander Patch's Seventh Army ended Ludwigshaven's agony by seizing the city and liberating the slave laborers.

With more than 50% of its houses destroyed, Ludwigshafen was one of the most thoroughly bombed cities in Germany.

Postwar rebuilding and prosperity

As it had been after World War I, Ludwigshafen was occupied by the French. As part of the French occupation zone, it became part of the newly founded Bundesland(state) of Rheinland-Pfalz and thus part of the Federal Republic of Germany. Reconstruction of the devastated city and revival of the economy was supported by the Allies, especially by American aid. In 1948, the “Pasadena Shares Committee” sent packages of blankets, clothing, food, and medicines to help the residents of post-war Ludwigshafen. Many friendships started to form, so that in 1956, Ludwigshafen am Rhein and Pasadena, California became sister cities. Bundesland (plural Bundesländer)is the German language name for the federal states of Austria. ... Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ...

Large parts of the city were literally ruined, but because the BASF soon made enormous profits again, the city administration was wealthy enough to rebuild Ludwigshafen according to the architectural taste of the 1950s and 1960s. The most important projects were the Hochstraßen (highways on stilts), the revolutionary new main station (then the most modern station in Europe), several tower blocks and a whole new suburb, the satellite quarter Pfingstweide north of Edigheim. For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

The city's trade tax profits also allowed a lot of social benefits and institutions to be introduced. Many other cities were jealous of Ludwigshafen's wealth and the population number reached its all-time climax in 1970 with more than 180,000 inhabitants, thus surpassing even the capital of Rheinland-Pfalz, Mainz, for a while. Mainz is a city in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. ...

Financial crisis

In the early 1970s, a plan to reform the composition of the German Bundesländer, which could have created a new state around a united Mannheim-Ludwigshafen as capital with more than half a million inhabitants, failed.

Nevertheless, further ambitious projects were financed in Ludwigshafen, first of all the 15-floor city hall with its linked-up shopping centre (Rathaus Center). The last (up to now) new incorporated suburb was Ruchheim in 1974. Ruchheim is the far western suburb of Ludwigshafen am Rhein located in the Rhineland-Palatinate state of Germany. ...

But then a process began that accelerated during the 1980s and 1990s and caused the financial near-collaps of Ludwigshafen. The enormous maintenance costs of the buildings and institutions introduced during the “fat time”, new tax regulations that cut down the trade tax profits from the local industries, and thousands of dismissals in BASF were the main causes for the city's crisis. Loss of population due to the loss of working places and general economic trends, such as the oil crisises, further worsened Ludwigshafens financial situation at the end of the 20th century.

The negative aspects of industrial success became obvious when examinations revealed the bad state of air and the Rhine due to pollution. There had always been some stench or dirt all over the city, caused by BASF and other plants, and as long as the industry had prospered, people had accepted it. Besides that, the concrete constructions that had been so modern after the war and had a formative influence on today's townscape, were increasingly considered as obsolete and even as extremely ugly. The main station was rotting as a rarely used concrete monstrum. It has been suggested that Pollutant be merged into this article or section. ...

Ludwigshafen had - and still has - a really bad press as a near-bankrupt, ugly, stinky, dirty, industrial city.

Contemporary Ludwigshafen

In recent years, many efforts have been made to enhance Ludwigshafen's image in the media. The city administration has cut down its deficit, pollution has been (not least by BASF) restricted, the formerly rotten Hemshof quarter has been restaurated.

One of the most annoying faults of Ludwigshafen –at least for many of the city's inhabitants- is its comparative lack of high-quality shopping possibilities. It has been attempted to repair this deficiency by creating a second large shopping mall on the southern tip of the city centre (the Walzmühle near Berliner Platz) with affiliated railway station (Ludwigshafen-Mitte) - but it didn`t came as planned. Hopes are now pinned on the construction of another shopping mall on the banks of the Rhine.

For all its real and alleged shortages, Ludwigshafen has still enormous importance as industrial city.

Districts

Center

Wilhelm-Hack-Museum Image File history File links Size of this preview: 545 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (789 × 868 pixel, file size: 18 KB, MIME type: image/png) Description: map of Ludwigshafen in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Source: own work --Immanuel Giel 10:24, 2 February 2006 (UTC) Other versions: none File historyClick on a... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 458 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1767 × 2314 pixel, file size: 820 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: mural of Joan Miró in Ludwigshafen, Germany Source own photography --Immanuel Giel 14:23, 20 July 2006 (UTC) File historyClick on a date/time...

Pfalzbau Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 487 pixelsFull resolution (2376 × 1446 pixel, file size: 512 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: theatre building in Ludwigshafen, Germany Source own photography --Immanuel Giel 14:26, 20 July 2006 (UTC) File historyClick on a date/time to view...

Berliner Platz Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 485 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1867 × 2306 pixel, file size: 727 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: building in Ludwigshafen, Germany Source own photography --Immanuel Giel 13:46, 1 December 2006 (UTC) File historyClick on a date/time to view the...

The city center of Ludwigshafen is comparatively small and dominated by post-war buildings. Its northern and southern boundaries are the Hochstraßen (highways on stilts), the Rhine is in the East and the main station is located in the West of downtown Ludwigshafen, at a walking distance of about 15 minutes from the central pedestrian precinct Bismarckstraße that forms, together with the shopping mile Ludwigsstraße, the main North-South Axis, connecting the so-called “North Pole” with the Rathaus Center and the “South Pole” with Berliner Platz and Walzmühle. The main East-West connections are the Bahnhofsstraße and Kaiser-Wilhelm-Straße. The Pfalzbau, Staatsphilharmonie, Wilhelm-Hack-Museum and the half-destroyed monument Lutherkirche are main features of downtown Ludwigshafen.

South

position Image File history File links Size of this preview: 545 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (789 × 868 pixel, file size: 18 KB, MIME type: image/png) Description: locator map in the German town of Ludwigshafen Source: own work --Immanuel Giel 09:32, 31 January 2006 (UTC) Other versions: none File historyClick on...

Pegeluhr Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 391 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1296 × 1987 pixel, file size: 347 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Parkinsel in Ludwigshafen (Germany) Source: own photography Date: September 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 08:51, 23 September 2005 (UTC) Other versions: none File historyClick...

harbour Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 531 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1710 × 1929 pixel, file size: 654 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Parkinsel of Ludwigshafen in Rheinland-Pfalz (Germany) Source: own photography Date: September 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 09:36, 22 September 2005 (UTC) Other versions...

Südweststadion Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 593 pixelsFull resolution (2292 × 1700 pixel, file size: 707 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: view of Ludwigshafen, Germany (July 2006) Source: own photography --Immanuel Giel 09:23, 14 July 2006 (UTC) File historyClick on a date/time to...

The Südliche Innenstadt or “southern city centre” (ca. 29,000 inhabitants) includes the real city center as described above and the Stadtteil Süd or “South” quarter. “South” belongs to the most attractive residential areas, especially the Parkinsel area. Other sub-quarters of “South” are the Musikantenviertel or the Malerviertel. In a few years, there will be one more high prised residential area (“Rheinufer Süd”) on the River Rhine near the Walzmühle on former industrial estates.

North

position Image File history File links Size of this preview: 545 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (789 × 868 pixel, file size: 18 KB, MIME type: image/png) Description: map of Ludwigshafen in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Source: own work --Immanuel Giel 10:24, 2 February 2006 (UTC) Other versions: none File historyClick on a...

Europaplatz Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 602 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1700 × 1693 pixel, file size: 576 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: public square in Ludwigshafen, Germany Source own photography --Immanuel Giel 10:05, 19 July 2006 (UTC) File historyClick on a date/time to view...

Landratsamt Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 471 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (619 × 788 pixel, file size: 121 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...

west Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 604 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1505 × 1495 pixel, file size: 650 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: view of Ludwigshafen, Germany (July 2006) Source: own photography --Immanuel Giel 09:12, 14 July 2006 (UTC) File historyClick on a date/time to...

The Nördliche Innenstadt (ca. 22,000 inhabitants) includes the Hemshof, “North” and “West” districts. Hemshof and “North” represent the “old town” of Ludwigshafen, they are known for their very high proportion of foreign inhabitants, making them culturally diverse and “colourful”, but also somewhat socially problematic. ”West” (also called Valentin-Bauer-Siedlung) is located between main station and main cemetery.

Friesenheim

position Image File history File links Size of this preview: 545 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (789 × 868 pixel, file size: 18 KB, MIME type: image/png) Description: locator map in the German town of Ludwigshafen Source: own work --Immanuel Giel 09:28, 31 January 2006 (UTC) Other versions: none File historyClick on...

Eberthalle Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 398 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1468 × 2210 pixel, file size: 502 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: „Ring des Seyns“, Ludwigshafen in Rheinland-Pfalz (Germany) Source: own photography Date: September 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 11:41, 26 September 2005 (UTC) Other... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...

Ebertpark Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 600 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (937 × 937 pixel, file size: 210 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Ludwigshafen in Rheinland-Pfalz (Germany) Source: own photography Date: September 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 11:25, 26 September 2005 (UTC) Other versions: none File...

Friesenheim (ca. 18,000 inhabitants) is located north of Hemshof and is one of the two (the other one being Mundenheim) “mother villages” of Ludwigshafen, because they were responsible for the administration of Ludwigshafen prior to its independence. Helmut Kohl was born in Friesenheim. Its western district, the Froschlache, boasts four impressive tower blocks.

Oppau

position Image File history File links Size of this preview: 545 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (789 × 868 pixel, file size: 18 KB, MIME type: image/png) Description: map of Ludwigshafen in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Source: own work --Immanuel Giel 10:24, 2 February 2006 (UTC) Other versions: none File historyClick on a...

catholic church Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 435 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (835 × 1150 pixel, file size: 163 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: church in Oppau, part of Ludwigshafen, Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany) Source: own photography Date: October 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 08:11, 18 October 2005 (UTC...

memorial Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2560 × 1920 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (2066 × 1377 pixel, file size: 942 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: cemetery and memorial in Oppau, part of Ludwigshafen, Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany) Source: own photography Date: October 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 08:12, 18 October...

Oppau (ca. 10,000 inhabitants) in the North is dominated by the nearby BASF and had once been a town for its own, prior to its incorporation into Ludwigshafen. In its history, it has been afflicted by several catastrophes like the explosion of 1921 or the flood of 1882.

Edigheim

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church Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 475 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (867 × 1093 pixel, file size: 169 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: church in Edigheim, part of Ludwigshafen, Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany) Source: own photography Date: October 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 08:06, 18 October 2005 (UTC...

water tower Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 426 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1413 × 1986 pixel, file size: 492 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Edigheim, part of Ludwigshafen, Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany) Source: own photography Date: October 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 08:08, 18 October 2005 (UTC) Other versions...

Edigheim (ca. 9,000 inhabitants) had once been a part of Oppau in the South, today ist almost as large as Oppau.

The Pfingstweide (ca. 6,000 inhabitants) is Ludwigshafen's northernmost district, it is dominated by tower blocks and is located in close vicinity to Frankenthal.

Gartenstadt

position Image File history File links Size of this preview: 545 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (789 × 868 pixel, file size: 18 KB, MIME type: image/png) Description: locator map in the German town of Ludwigshafen Source: own work --Immanuel Giel 09:29, 31 January 2006 (UTC) Other versions: none File historyClick on...

hospital Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 460 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1557 × 2030 pixel, file size: 610 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: hospital in Ludwigshafen, Germany Source own photography --Immanuel Giel 07:55, 18 July 2006 (UTC) File historyClick on a date/time to view the...

houses Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 463 pixelsFull resolution (2233 × 1293 pixel, file size: 523 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: houses in Ludwigshafen, Germany Source own photography --Immanuel Giel 07:56, 18 July 2006 (UTC) File historyClick on a date/time to view the...

church Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 488 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (615 × 755 pixel, file size: 86 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: church in Ludwigshafen-Gartenstadt Source: own photography Uploaded by: --Immanuel Giel 1 July 2005 11:33 (UTC) Other versions: none File historyClick on a...

The Gartenstadt (ca. 18,000 inhabitants), west of Mundenheim, is (as the name “garden city” suggests) a very green suburb, dominated by terraced houses and some tower blocks. Its sub-districts are Niederfeld, Hochfeld and Ernst-Reuter-Siedlung.

Mundenheim

position Image File history File links Size of this preview: 545 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (789 × 868 pixel, file size: 18 KB, MIME type: image/png) Description: locator map in the German town of Ludwigshafen Source: own work --Immanuel Giel 09:30, 31 January 2006 (UTC) Other versions: none File historyClick on...

Triport Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 743 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2010 × 1623 pixel, file size: 621 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: harbour of Ludwigshafen, Germany Source own photography --Immanuel Giel 14:49, 30 November 2006 (UTC) File historyClick on a date/time to view the...

bunker Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 452 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (750 × 995 pixel, file size: 199 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Hochbunker in de:Mundenheim, Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Rheinland-Pfalz (Germany) Source: own photography Date: September 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 08:30, 23 September 2005...

nursing home Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 567 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1680 × 1776 pixel, file size: 472 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: view of Ludwigshafen, Germany (July 2006) Source: own photography --Immanuel Giel 09:18, 14 July 2006 (UTC) File historyClick on a date/time to...

Mundenheim (ca. 13,000 inhabitants) is a very old suburb, it boasts an own railway station, the Südweststadion stadium and an extensive industrial area near the harbour basins. A sub-district is the Herderviertel in Mundenheim's North. Südweststadion is a multi-use stadium in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany. ...

Oggersheim

position Image File history File links Size of this preview: 545 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (789 × 868 pixel, file size: 16 KB, MIME type: image/png) Description: locator map in the German town of Ludwigshafen Source: own work --Immanuel Giel 09:31, 31 January 2006 (UTC) Other versions: none File historyClick on...

brewery Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1680 × 2240 pixel, file size: 804 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Mariä Himmelfahrt of Oggersheim, Ludwigshafen in Rheinland-Pfalz (Germany) Source: own photography Date: September 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 13:05, 26 September 2005 (UTC... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 348 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1265 × 2180 pixel, file size: 547 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: brewery in Oggersheim, part of Ludwigshafen in Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany) Source: own photography Date: September 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 07:50, 18 October 2005...

Friedrich Schiller Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 583 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1441 × 1481 pixel, file size: 283 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Friedrich Schiller “Schiller” redirects here. ...

Oggersheim (ca. 23,000 inhabitants) is one of the most important suburbs, being much like a town for itself. Helmut Kohl owns a bungalow in southern Oggersheim. The Wallfahrtskirche, a railway station, the important Unfallklinik (“accident hospital”), and several large residential blocks are to be found in Oggersheim. For the last few years, the northern subdistricts of Notwende and Melm have seen a large amount of building activities in their new housing estates.

Rheingönheim

position Image File history File links Size of this preview: 545 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (789 × 868 pixel, file size: 18 KB, MIME type: image/png) Description: locator map in the German town of Ludwigshafen Source: own work --Immanuel Giel 09:31, 31 January 2006 (UTC) Other versions: none File historyClick on...

catholic church Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 601 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1237 × 1234 pixel, file size: 591 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Wildpark of Ludwigshafen-Rheingönheim in Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany) Source: own photography Date: October 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 09:32, 31 October 2005 (UTC... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 424 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1408 × 1988 pixel, file size: 820 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Wildpark of Ludwigshafen-Rheingönheim in Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany) Source: own photography Date: October 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 09:31, 31 October 2005 (UTC... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 437 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1636 × 2245 pixel, file size: 602 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...

Rheingönheim (ca 7,000 inhabitants), as the southernmost suburb of Ludwigshafen, is known mainly for its industry (Woellner) and its game enclosure Wildpark.

Maudach

position Image File history File links Size of this preview: 545 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (789 × 868 pixel, file size: 18 KB, MIME type: image/png) Description: locator map in the German town of Ludwigshafen Source: own work --Immanuel Giel 09:29, 31 January 2006 (UTC) Other versions: none File historyClick on...

Bruch Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 449 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (470 × 627 pixel, file size: 122 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Maudacher Bruch near Ludwigshafen (Germany) Source: photographed in 2005 --Immanuel Giel 14:09, 11 May 2005 (UTC) File historyClick on a date/time to...

castle Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 572 pixelsFull resolution (2342 × 1675 pixel, file size: 653 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Schloss (rear view), de:Maudach, Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Rheinland-Pfalz (Germany) Source: own photography Date: September 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 08:29, 23 September...

protestant church Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 486 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1301 × 1604 pixel, file size: 411 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: protestant church of Maudach, part of Ludwigshafen in Germany Source: own photography Date: November 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 11:39, 17 November 2005 (UTC...

Maudach (ca. 7,000 inhabitants), in Ludwigshafen's South-West, is a popular residential area, closely associated with the Maudacher Bruch park.

Ruchheim

position Image File history File links Size of this preview: 545 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (789 × 868 pixel, file size: 18 KB, MIME type: image/png) Description: locator map in the German town of Ludwigshafen Source: own work --Immanuel Giel 09:31, 31 January 2006 (UTC) Other versions: none File historyClick on...

Paul Münch Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 440 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1530 × 2085 pixel, file size: 647 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: fountain in Ruchheim, part of Ludwigshafen, Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany) Source: own photography Date: October 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 08:13, 18 October 2005 (UTC...

former townhall Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 557 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1840 × 1980 pixel, file size: 582 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: townhall of Ruchheim, part of Ludwigshafen, Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany) Source: own photography Date: October 2005 Author: --Immanuel Giel 08:15, 18 October 2005 (UTC...

Ruchheim (ca. 6,000 inhabitants), as the westernmost suburb, has long been a small agricultural village, but now it is growing rapidly due to new housing estates.

Transport