Landau
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2008-06-21T18:27:03Z
George Burgess
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{{Infobox German Location
|Name = Landau
|Art = Stadt
|Wappen = Wappen der Stadt Landau in der Pfalz.png
|lat_deg = 49 |lat_min = 11 |lat_sec = 58
|lon_deg = 8 |lon_min = 7 |lon_sec = 23
|Lageplan =
|Bundesland = Rheinland-Pfalz
|Landkreis = Kreisfreie Stadt
|Höhe = 142
|Fläche = 82.94
|Einwohner = 43048<!-- Bitte nicht per Hand aktualisieren: [[Wikipedia:WikiProjekt_Kommunen_und_Landkreise_in_Deutschland/Einwohnerzahlen]] -->
|Stand = 2006-12-31
|PLZ = 76829
|PLZ-alt = 6740
|Vorwahl = 06341
|Kfz = LD
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 07 3 13 000
|Gliederung = 8 [[Ortsteil]]e
|Adresse = Marktstraße 50<br />76829 Landau in der Pfalz
|Website = [http://www.landau.de/ www.landau.de]
|Bürgermeister = Hans-Dieter Schlimmer
|Bürgermeistertitel = Oberbürgermeister
|Partei = SPD
}}
'''Landau''' or '''Landau in der Pfalz''' (pop. 41,821) is an autonomous (''kreisfrei'') city surrounded by the [[Südliche Weinstraße]] ("Southern Wine Route") district of southern [[Rhineland-Palatinate]], [[Germany]]. It is a university town (since 1990), a long-standing cultural centre, and a market and shopping town, surrounded by vineyards and wine-growing villages of the [[Palatinate (wine region)|Palatinate wine region]]. Landau lies east of the [[Palatinate forest]], Europe's largest contiguous forest, direct on the [[German Wine Route]].
Landau was first mentioned as a settlement in 1106. It was in the possession of the counts of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Landeck, whose arms, differenced by an [[Escutcheon (heraldry)|escutcheon]] of the Imperial eagle, served as the arms of Landau (''illustration at right'') until 1955 [http://www.ngw.nl/int/dld/kreis/landaup.htm]. The city was granted a charter in 1274 by [[Rudolph I of Germany|Rudolf I von Habsburg]], King of Germany, who declared the city an [[Imperial Free City]] in 1291; nevertheless the [[bishop of Speyer]], a major landowner in the district, seized the city in 1324. The city did not regain its ancient rights until 1511, through the offices of [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]].
[[Image:Court House in Landau.JPG|thumb|left|Court House in Landau]]
An Augustinian monastery was founded in 1276.
Landau was later occupied by the [[France|French]] from 1680 to 1815, when it was one of the ''[[Décapole]]'', the ten free cities of [[Alsace]], and received its modern fortifications by [[Louis XIV]]'s military architect [[Vauban]], 1688–99, making the little city (population in 1789 was still only approximately 5,000) one of Europe's strongest citadels. After [[Napoleon]]'s [[Hundred Days]] following his escape from Elba, Landau, which had remained French, was granted to the [[Kingdom of Bavaria]] in 1816 and became the capital of one of the thirteen ''Bezirksämter'' (counties) of the Bavarian [[Rheinpfalz]]. Following [[World War II]], Landau was an important barracks city for the [[History of Germany since 1945|French occupation]].
Wine-making continues to be an important industry. Landau's giant main square (''Rathausplatz'') is dominated by the city hall (''Rathaus'') and the market hall (''Altes Kaufhaus''). [[Image:Square in Landau.JPG|thumb|right|Landau's Main Square]] The former fortifications gave way in the 19th-century to a ''Hauptring'' that encircles the old town centre, from which the old industrial buildings have been excluded. A convention hall, the ''Festhalle'', was built in [[Art Nouveau]] style, 1905–07 on a rise overlooking the city park and facing the modernist ''Bundesamt'', the regional government building.
The familiar luxury open carriage called the "[[Landau (car)|landau]]" was indeed invented in the city.
Other city sights:
*''Deutsches Tor''
*''Galereenturm''
*''Französisches Tor''
*''Fort (Reste der Festungsanlage)''
*''Altes Kaufhaus''
*''Böckingsches Palais''
*''Jugendstil-Festhalle''
*''Frank-Loebsches Haus''
*''Ringstraßenarchitektur''
*''Villa Streccius''
*''Justizgebäude''
*''Stadtbibliothek''
*''Quartier Chopin''
*''Villa Ufer''
*''Schlößl''
*''Marienkirche''
*''Augustinerkirche mit Kreuzgang und Kreuzgarten''
*''Stiftskirche''
*''Katharinenkapelle''
*''Hafermagazin''
*''Museums''
*''Haus Mahla Archiv und Museum''
*''Strieffler-Haus''
*''Landauer Stadtarchiv''
*''Parks''
*''Goethepark''
*''Kreuzgarten''
*''Luitpoldpark''
*''Nordpark''
*''Ostpark''
*''Savoyenpark''
*''Schillerpark''
*''Schwanenweiher''
*''Südwestpark''
*''Regular Events''
*''Benefizkonzert Hans-Rosenthal-Stiftung''
*''Landauer Gespräche''
*''Fest des Federweißen''
*''Landauer Sommer''
*''Mai- und Herbstmarkt''
*''Thomas-Nast-Nikolausmarkt''
*''Landauer Weihnachtszirkus''
*''Goetheparkplaudereien''
*''Landauer Wirtschaftswoche''
*''ImWoBau - Immobilien, Wohnen, Bauen''
*''Wochenmarkt''
*''La.Meko Filmfestival (November)''
==External links==
* [http://www.landau.de Official website]
* [http://www.badische-seiten.de/bilder/landau/ Landau: pictures]
* [http://bravo256ada.org Private website about the American soldiers that lived in Landau]
* [http://www.omaha-beach.org/Deutsche-Version/Landau/BayerischeRegimenter.html information about the Royal Bavarian Army in Landau until 1918 - So far only in German]
{{Germany districts rhineland-palatinate}}
[[Category:Imperial free cities]]
[[da:Landau]]
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[[ru:Ландау (Пфальц)]]
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