Freudenstadt

Freudenstadt
Coat of arms
Freudenstadt
Coordinates: 48°27′48″N 8°24′40″E / 48.46333°N 8.41111°ECoordinates: 48°27′48″N 8°24′40″E / 48.46333°N 8.41111°E
Country	Germany
State	Baden-Württemberg
Admin. region	Karlsruhe
District	Freudenstadt
Government
• Mayor	Julian Osswald (CDU)
Area
• Total	87.58 km^2 (33.81 sq mi)
Population (2013-12-31)[1]
• Total	22,282
• Density	250/km^2 (660/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	72250
Dialling codes	07441, 07442, 07443
Vehicle registration	FDS
Website	www.freudenstadt.de

Freudenstadt is a town in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is capital of the district Freudenstadt. The closest population centres are Offenburg to the west (approx. 36 km away) and Tübingen to the east (approx. 47 km away).

The city lies on a high plateau at the east edge of the north Black Forest, and is well known for its fresh air. Its city centre is famous as the largest market place in Germany. After Horb, it is the second largest city of the Freudenstadt district. The city has an administration partnership with the communities Bad Rippoldsau-Schapbach and Seewald.

Freudenstadt is a climatic health resort of international renown. In the 19th and 20th centuries, visitors of note included George V of the United Kingdom, the Queen of Sweden, John D. Rockefeller, and even the American writer Mark Twain. With its many hotels and guest houses, and its high-class cuisine, Freudenstadt remains a popular vacation spot for Germans from every part of the country. Among the many Germans of note who considered Freudenstadt a second home was the justice inspector Friedrich Kellner whose WWII diary is the subject of a Canadian documentary.

History

The building of Freudenstadt was ordered by duke Frederick of Württemberg in 1599. The designer was architect Heinrich Schickhardt.

Main sights

Market place and city church

• The market place, sided by arcaded houses, is the largest market place in Germany.
• The Gothic/Renaissance Evangelical Lutheran Church, with its green tower roofs, is on the south side of the market place. It dates back to the beginning of the 17th century, built between 1601 and 1608, and is considered Freudenstadt's most significant building. It was built in the gothic renaissance style.
• The Rathaus (Town Hall), which includes the museum of local history, is also located at the market place.
• Bärenschlössle, built in 1627.
• The Friedrichsturm (Frederick's Tower) is a 25m high tower which is located on 799m above sea level on Kienberg. The tower was built of red sandstone from the northern Black Forest in 1899 for the 300 year anniversary of Freudenstadt. On good weather days it offers a clear view over the whole river Murg valley as well as a view over Dornstetten and Schopfloch.

International relations

Freudenstadt is twinned with:

• Courbevoie, France

References

1. "Gemeinden in Deutschland mit Bevölkerung am 31. Dezember 2013 (Einwohnerzahlen auf Grundlage des Zensus 2011)". Statistisches Bundesamt (in German). 2014.