Kaiserslautern
October 19, 2005
Kaiserslautern is situated in south western Germany in Rheinland-Palatinate and is best known as the cultural center of the area. The name of the city goes back to the Hohenstaufen emperor Barbarossa, who was impressed by the beauty of the countryside 800 years ago and he had a palace built for himself in "Lautern."
City with a long history of war and peace
Kaiserslautern's history dates back to around 830. The Emperor Frederick I (called Barbarossa because of his red beard) fortified the Palatinate in 1152 where he built his imperial palace, the Kaiserpfalz. Lautern was granted a city charter by King Rudolf von Habsburg in 1276. In the following century the city was given as security to various ecclesiastical and secular rulers.
The Thirty Years War and the occupation of the city by Spanish, Swedish and French troops devastated the medieval Lautern. It was only in the 18th century that Kaiserslautern began to recover from the wars. After World War II, the Americans used Kaiserslautern and the surrounding region as a major military base. Around 40,000 US soldiers are stilled based in the area.
Old and new, urban and green
Kaiserslautern is an attractive and modern city. Traces of the city's past can be found all over the historic town center. The town hall incorporates the ruins of a renaissance palace built by Johann Casimir in 1571. Kaiserslautern's main attraction is the nature park Palatinate forest, the largest wooded area in the country.
Another impressive natural feature is Lake Gelterswoog which is situated in a charming setting close to Hohenecken, a village belonging to the city. It offers a bathing place as well as a recreational area with miniature golf and table tennis. From April to October the city hosts a World Garden Show including a Japanese garden and dinosaur exhibition.
A club with World Cup credentials
Kaiserslautern is very much a soccer city. FC Kaiserslautern have been national champions four times and the club is famous throughout the German game. Germany’s unforgettable 1954 World Cup winning team had five players from the Kaiserslautern club, including the team captain whose name adorns the club's stadium.
The Fritz-Walter Stadium, built on the Betzenberg mountain, was completed in 1920 and renamed in the player's honor many years later. The 48,500 capacity stadium is being reconstructed for the 2006 World Cup.