Hanau

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Hanau
Image:Wappen Hanau.png

Country	Germany
State	Hesse
Administrative region	Darmstadt
District	Main-Kinzig
Population	88,546 (2005)
Area	76.49 km²
Population density	1,161 /km²
Elevation	104 m
Coordinates	50°8′ N 8°55′ E
Postal code	63450-63457
Area code	06181
Licence plate code	HU
Mayor	Claus Kaminsky (SPD)
Website	hanau.de

Hanau is a town in Hessen, Germany with 89,000 inhabitants. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main.

1 History
2 Facts
3 Twin towns
4 Sights
5 Famous persons
6 Sports
7 Districts
8 External links

[edit] History

Hanau was first mentioned in 1143 and became a city in 1303.

At the end of the 16th century, Count Philipp Ludwig II allowed Protestant refugees from the Netherlands to found their own settlement near Hanau, to which these Walloons brought their knowledge of jewellery production. For this reason goldsmiths are still educated there. In the 19th century the Neustadt (New Town), as it was called, was merged with Hanau.

In the 19th century Hanau was a centre of the German democratic movement and contributed significantly both in 1830 and in the Revolution of 1848. Also in 1848 the German Gymnastic League (Turnerbund) was founded here.

During World War II Hanau was almost completely destroyed by British airstrikes in March 1945 a few days before it was taken by the US Army.

Nowadays many inhabitants work in the technological industry (VAC, Heraeus) or commute to Frankfurt. Frankfurt International Airport is only 30km away.

[edit] Facts

Hanau, with about 89,000 inhabitants, is the 6th largest town in Hessen. Having recently lost its status as administrative centre of the Main-Kinzig-Kreis (Main-Kinzig district), proposals have been appearing about Hanau forming its own administrative district.
The population density is 1166 inhabitants/km². More than 20% of the inhabitants are foreign nationals.
Governing mayor: Claus Kaminsky (SPD), since 17 November 2003

Image:Hanau Schloss Philippsruhe.jpg

[edit] Twin towns

Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg	Dartford, United Kingdom (England)
Image:Flag of Japan.svg	Tottori, Japan
Image:Flag of Russia.svg	Yaroslavl, Russia
Image:Flag of France.svg	Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, France
Image:Flag of France.svg	Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Image:Flag of France.svg	Francheville, France
Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg	Doorn, Netherlands

Associated Towns:

Image:Flag of Germany.svg	Waltershausen, Germany (Thuringia) since 1990
Image:Flag of France.svg	Pays de Hanau, France

[edit] Sights

The German House of Goldsmiths (Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus)
Philippsruhe Castle
Health Establishment at Hanau-Wilhelmsbad
St Mary's Church (Marienkirche)
Dutch-Walloon Church (Niederländisch-Wallonische Kirche)

Historische Kuranlage Hanau-Wilhelmsbad

Philippsruhe Castle of Hanau

Lion at the Philippsruhe Castle

German House of Goldsmiths (old town hall of Hanau)

[edit] Famous persons

Image:Hanau Bruder Grimm.jpg

The Brüder Grimm (Grimm Brothers) collected many German fairy tales and started work on the German Glossary.
Tayfur Havutçu, Turkish footballer
Paul Hindemith: composer
Rudi Völler: football/soccer world champion 1990 and coach of the German national team, when it was runner-up in 2002.
Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Designer (1900-1990)