Landau 18737 220812037 2008-06-21T18:27:03Z George Burgess 205776 disamb {{otheruses}} {{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&ndash;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&ndash;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]] [[de:Landau in der Pfalz]] [[et:Landau]] [[es:Landau in der Pfalz]] [[eo:Landau in der Pfalz]] [[fr:Landau (ville)]] [[id:Landau in der Pfalz]] [[he:לנדאו (עיר)]] [[nl:Landau in der Pfalz]] [[no:Landau]] [[pl:Landau]] [[pt:Landau]] [[ro:Landau (Palatinat)]] [[ru:Ландау (Пфальц)]] [[fi:Landau in der Pfalz]] [[sv:Landau]] [[vo:Landau in der Pfalz]] [[zh:兰道]]