City of Karlsruhe

Administrative Services and International Relations Department

(Hauptamt)

TOGETHER
KARLSRUHE‘S
TWIN CITIES
2 | TOGETHER | KARLSRUHE‘S TWIN CITIES

NANCY 4

NOTTINGHAM 8

HALLE 12

KRASNODAR 16

TIMISOARA 20

KARLSRUHE 24
 ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT (HAUPTAMT) | 3

BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN

PEOPLE
FOREWORD

Borders are disappearing. Networks are forming and connecting the

countries of Europe. Twinned cities play an important role in this process.
The aim of this brochure is to present Karlsruhe and its five twin cities
of Nancy, Nottingham, Halle, Timișoara, and Krasnodar. A project
partnership involving the Croatian port city of Rijeka has been launched
as well. These contacts and exchanges have become a tradition. In 2012,
Karlsruhe celebrated the 20th anniversary of its twinning with Krasnodar
and Timișoara, and 25 years with Halle.

The impetus which brought about the original linking up of our cities lay in our genuine wish to learn
more about one another, to get to know each other better, and to break down any barriers which might
have existed. Our motto was: together we can learn from the past to create a new common future.
Looking back, today I can say that our ideas have grown and flourished and are now bearing fruit. Our
partnerships are very much alive. And, what is most important, thanks to the many contacts between
people, they develop from below, and do not only exist at an official and administrative level. Karlsruhe is
currently establishing and fostering a wide European network with its five twin cities and their respective
partnerships. New and promising opportunities have been and are constantly being created through joint
projects.

The linking with Nancy was set up in 1955, and was one of the first partnerships between Germany
and France. It has always been, and continues to be, used as an exemplary model – both cities have
received all the awards that are internationally available for twinned cities. The twinning with Nottingham
is built on solid foundations. Karlsruhe is devoting the same time and attention to its twin city Halle in
Saxony-Anhalt. The creation of a German-German partnership, which was founded long before the fall
of the Berlin Wall, is proving to be most steadfast, even in difficult situations. Contact with Krasnodar
in the Caucasus and Timișoara in Romania has likewise grown from several years of friendship into a
partnership on an official basis. Both prospective partners wished to carefully consider entering into
a twinning arrangement on account of the great distance between them and because of the evident
language barriers. But now, following a trial period, successful links have been created since then.
Encouraged and motivated by varied, friendly relations, we signed a project agreement with Rijeka in
2011, even before Croatia’s entry into the EU, involving collaboration in the areas of healthcare, the
economy, culture, and the social and youth sectors. Both cities consider it to be a valuable contribution
to the understanding between nations.

It is my sincere wish that everyone reading this publication about our twinned cities will also regard
it as both a chronicle of our times and as a piece of history happening before our eyes, focusing on
Karlsruhe’s very own “foreign policy”.

Dr. Frank Mentrup

Mayor
4 | TOGETHER | KARLSRUHE‘S TWIN CITIES

NANCY A CITY OF COMMERCE AND CULTURE

Place Stanislas
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT (HAUPTAMT) | 5

Office for Twinned-Town Affairs:

Service des Relations Européennes
et Internationales
Mairie de Nancy
54000 Nancy
France
Telephone +33 383-853410
Fax +33 383-853302
www.mairie-nancy.fr
verena.denry@mairie-nancy.fr

Location: in eastern France, on the river Meurthe and Rhine-Marne

Canal, 197 metres above sea level, the largest city in Lorraine and the
capital of the Meurthe-et-Moselle département. Total area: 149
square kilometres. Population: 300,000 including the suburbs.
Economy: banks, financial and insurance companies, research
(medicine, agricultural sciences), digital economy and information
technology, life sciences (biotechnology, environment, …), art, trade
fair exhibition grounds, convention and conference centre. Science
and education: more than 45,000 enrolled students: Lorraine
University, 10 engineering colleges, ICN Business School, CNRS
National Centre of Scientific Research, National Centre of Public
Administration, Academy of Art, Conservatoire. Culture: French
National Opera, National Choreography Centre, theatre companies,
museums, book fair, jazz festival, programmes by various clubs and
societies. Sport and leisure: the Marcel Picot sports stadium, the
Gentilly Olympic swimming pool, racecourse, golf courses and tennis
courts. Transport facilities: regional airport, TGV (1 hr 30 mins
to Paris from Nancy central railway station), A4 and A31 motorways,
shipping connections via the Rhine-Marne Canal and Canal de la
Meuse.

www.karlsruhe.de
6 | TOGETHER | KARLSRUHE‘S TWIN CITIES

to Europe for the twinning of Nancy and Karlsruhe is

one of the oldest of all the Franco-German municipal
partnerships. A square in Nancy has been named “Place
de Karlsruhe.”

This central geographical location was also instrumental

in shaping the history of the city of Nancy as well as that
of the dukedom of Lorraine, which resisted the ruling
powers for a long time. In the 16th century, the Lorraine
was one of the most opulent and dazzling courts of
Europe. Prior to this golden era, the attacking advances
of Karl the Bold had been successfully repelled in the
famous Battle of Nancy in 1477. The town gate known as
“Porte de la Craffe” still survives as the oldest edifice in
Nancy and forms a part of the historic fortifications.
Set in green and undulating countryside and surrounded
by rivers and waterways, Nancy is the epitome of a The golden ages of Nancy have always been associated
modern city which still enjoys and bears witness to with grand architectural achievements. This is especially
its rich heritage. Its peripheral location in a country as true of the 16th century when “a new town” was built
centralisation-orientated as France is compensated for by adjoining the existing one with a grid of straight streets
self-confidence borne of a long and independent history and architecture very reminiscent of the Italian style.
which for centuries had been linked with the independent This also applies to the impressive complex of buildings
dukedom of Lorraine. The city then grew and flourished constructed after 1700 under the auspices of Stanislas
owing to its success as a commercial and cultural Leczczynski. It was so magnificent that the city became
conurbation and continues to make its mark in modern- known as “Royal Nancy”.
day France. Nancy is a university city, an administrative
centre, it hosts conferences and serves as a centre of The former Polish king was the father-in-law of Ludwig
finance: in short, it is the focus of a region which has had XV. He is the one we have to thank for the famous
its main, heavy industries of iron and steel augmented by
branches of modern industry. A recent example of these
developments is the Technology Park in the southwest of
the city, a project with futuristic flair.
Top:
Place Stanislas
Nancy forms a road and rail intersection and lies
Centre: approximately equidistant from Paris, Lyons, Brussels and
Maison Ducret the Ruhr Valley in Germany (approx. 300 kilometres).
Karlsruhe is a little closer (ca. 230 kilometres). The major
Bottom:
north-south routes and east-west connections converge
In the park of Villa Eugène
here and Nancy’s proximity to Luxembourg, Belgium and
Corbin
Germany gives it an ideal location in the heart of western
Ephemeral Garden Europe. Perhaps this accounts for the city’s commitment
 ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT (HAUPTAMT) | 7

squares named “Place de la Carrière” and “Place Nancy medical faculty. Today, Nancy’s University of
Stanislas”, admired by all who visit the city. These two Natural Sciences is the third largest in France.
squares are connected by a triumphal arch and, together
with the magnificent gilded ironwork of Jean Lamour The city profits greatly from the fact that its industrial
and the wonderful fountains adorned with baroque areas are located on the outskirts and so do not encroach
figures and sculptures, they express the attitude to life upon Nancy‘s historic backdrop. It remains preserved
so distinctive of this splendid, by-gone era. Following in all its glory and beauty, attracting visitors from all
the death of Stanislaw, Lorraine was absorbed by France. walks of life, especially in the summer months when
Nancy became an episcopal seat in 1777. It was not the amazing nightly sound and light show “spectacles
until after 1871 that a time of renewed growth began. son et lumière” takes place on Place Stanislas, the most
The former royal city of Nancy gradually developed into beautiful of all the city’s squares.
a commercial and industrial metropolis where the World
Exhibition was held 1909. Besides the city’s commercial
success, the arts have always been revered and still
play an important role in the city life of today. With
its progressive language of design that still influences
today’s art world, the “Ecole de Nancy”, was created
at the turn of the 20th century, destined to become a
leading light of the Art Nouveau movement. Nancy’s
wealth of museums includes the Musée des Beaux-
Arts, the Museum of History exhibiting artefacts from Centre:
the Roman and Merovingian periods, the Museum of The heart of the city
Geology, the Museum of Iron and, not least, the Museum
of Zoology with its tropical aquarium which is reputed Place Stanislas
to hold the world’s richest assortment of tropical marine Bottom:
flora and fauna. Art and science permeate this city and The Duke‘s Palace
their presence can be felt everywhere. A doctor’s academy
The “Parcours Bismuth”
once founded by Stanislaw has since become the famous tour of works of art

www.karlsruhe.de
8 | TOGETHER | KARLSRUHE‘S TWIN CITIES

NOTTINGHAM A CITY OF LACE AND LEGENDS

Robin Hood
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT (HAUPTAMT) | 9

Office for Twinned-Town Affairs:

Nottingham City Council
Loxley House
Station Street
Nottingham NG2 3NG
United Kingdom
Telephone +44 115 8763416
www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk
gill.cooke@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Location: in the heart of England, 128 metres above sea level. Main
city of the East Midlands. Surface Area: 74 square kilometres
covering the entire district of Nottingham. Inhabitants: 275,000.
Economy: traditional textile industries (lace, hosiery, knitwear).
International firms dealing with pharmaceuticals, bicycles, tobacco and
cigarettes. Growth in service industries, in the administration sector,
in conference facilities and tourism. Commercial and shopping centres
– the Broadmarsh Centre and the Victoria Centre. Science and
Education: The University of Nottingham (since 1881), scientific
research centre of Highfields Science Park. Culture: Theatre Royal,
Nottingham Playhouse, Lace Market Theatre, Arts Theatre. Sport
and Leisure Activities: two football league clubs, Trent Bridge
Cricket Ground, steeple-chasing and horse-racing in Colwick Park, the
National Watersports Centre at Holme Pierrepont, the Victoria and
Portland Leisure Centre, motor racing at Donington Park. Transport
Facilities: easy access to the M1 motorway (200 kilometres to
London, 110 kilometres to Leeds, 60 kilometres to Sheffield). Intercity
Nottingham – London (2 hours travelling time). East Midlands
International Airport (15 kilometres outside the city) and Birmingham
Airport (80 kilometres away). Tollerton Airport for company and private
aircraft. The River Trent is navigable as far as Nottingham.

www.karlsruhe.de
10 | TOGETHER | KARLSRUHE‘S TWIN CITIES
“The Queen of the East Midlands” – this is the
title attributed to Nottingham and indeed Not only
because the English monarchs enjoyed holding court
there when they went hunting in the leafy forests
that stretch far and wide around this beautiful city,
which lies 200 kilometres to the north of London.
Nottingham is without a doubt the focal point of
the county of Nottinghamshire. With its marvellous
position on the River Trent and set amongst inviting
parks and old woodlands, Nottingham has succeeded
in preserving its individual character, which is clearly
reflected in a charming combination of tranquillity
and brisk business activities. Tourists adore visiting
Nottingham because they are able to find and to
do everything there to their heart’s content: history
seems to come alive around every corner, there is the
enchanting countryside with its endless possibilities
for day-trips and interesting excursions and finally
one cannot forget the social life which is permanently
on offer in the modern metropolis.
British children immediately associate the city of
Nottingham with the legend of Robin Hood. It was in
romantic Sherwood Forest to the north of Nottingham
– which by the way has kept its magical appeal
right up until today – that the most famous of all
the outlaws is said to have lived. There he robbed
the rich merchants and the king’s tax collectors in
order to give money to the poor and downtrodden.
Today, over 700 years later, the spirit of Robin
Hood continues to live in countless ballads, stories,
legends, plays and films. And the position of Sheriff
of Nottingham, Robin’s arch enemy at that time, still
exists, too.
Above: Wollaton Hall. Centre: The oldest pub in England; Council Hall. Below: St. Peter‘s Gate.
The first inhabitants of this corner of England lived
in caves – nowhere else in Britain can one find so
many traces of subterranean passages and remains of
ancient dwellings. The most famous sandstone cave
known as “Mortimer’s Hole”, a retreat surrounded
in dark and shadowy legends, is situated deep in
the bowels of the earth beneath Nottingham Castle.
This castle, together with Wollaton Hall which is
regarded by many as the finest Elizabethan manor
house throughout the entire land, is one of the most
popular sights to visit when in Nottingham.
A short distance away from the city lies Newstead
Abbey, the splendid, ancestral home of the poet,
Lord Byron, who spent almost two decades of his
life in the wonderful surroundings of this abbey and
ist romantic gardens. Another feature of the area
not to be missed is the windmill designed by George
Green, which has been restored to its original state.
Today this miller is considered to have been one of
the most significant mathematicians of Great Britain,
a genius in his field. Even Albert Einstein respected
and admired his work. However the most famous
of Nottingham’s sons is surely William Booth, the
founder of the Salvation Army.
Visitors in search of historical sites must not miss
spending some time in two of the oldest taverns to
be found in Britain, “The Salutation Inn” and “Ye
Olde Trip To Jerusalem”, the supposed watering holes
of the Crusaders before they set off for the Holy Land.
The City of Nottingham with its historic market square
is dominated by its impressive town hall, known as
“The Council House.”

The classical architecture of this grand building, the
glistening colonnade making up the facade, the
imposing dome with its tower which can be seen
from miles around, all these together symbolise
Nottingham, the true landmark of the city. The
traditional shopping areas clustered around the
town hall have today been augmented with elegant
shopping malls. The fate of many a beautiful old city,
to be overrun by ever-increasing traffic, has been
successfully averted in Nottingham: car-free streets
and the provision of a free bus service make strolling
and shopping in the city-centre a pleasure. For over
1000 years the famous “Goose Fair” has been
attracting hordes of people from far and wide. Every
October this five-day-long fair is officially opened by
the Lord Mayor in the district of the city known as
“The Forest.” The opening ceremony is conducted in
great style and follows the centuries-old tradition.
The Splendour Music Festival, held every July, draws
music fans of all ages and provides musical styles
and delights for every imaginable taste. And for those
who come to life at night, there is the hard choice
to be made between the opera and the theatre – in
other words, a visit to the Theatre Royal or to the
Nottingham Playhouse.
Above: Royal Concert Hall. Centre: Goose Fair, Nottingham Castle. Below: Old Market Square.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT (HAUPTAMT) | 11
Sports enthusiasts are also spoilt for choice as are
those who prefer quiet, relaxing strolls along a
river bank, through the park or around pleasant
gardens. But there is not only leisure to be pursued
in this city; Nottingham’s people also know how
to work hard and diligently. The city’s lace is well
known throughout the world. Similarly the textile
industry to be found there, specialising in hosiery
and knitwear, counts as one of the longest-standing
pillars of the local economy. Indeed international
businesses were so convinced of the location that
they settled there over 100 years ago. The City and
University collaborate closely to support and extend
the scientific research centre known as Highfields
Science Park, whose aim is to promote sophisticated,
technological enterprises. And, last but not least,
Nottingham is gaining increasing popularity in its role
as a conference and convention centre, its central
location certainly playing a significant part in its
appeal as a venue. And the delightful, surrounding
countryside ensures that all visitors to the East
Midlands fall under the city’s magical spell.
12 | TOGETHER | KARLSRUHE‘S TWIN CITIES

HALLE STROLLING DOWN THE BOULEVARD TO MEET HANDEL

Market Square with a monument erected in honour of Handel

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT (HAUPTAMT) | 13

Office for Twinned-Town Affairs:

Halle Municipal and Administration Offices
Markt 1
06108 Halle | Saale
Germany
Telephone +49 345221-4016
Fax +49 345221-4004
www.halle.de
sonja.furtak@halle.de

Location: Southern Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Saale, 87 m above

sea level. Total area: 135 square kilometres. Population:
233,000 Economy: Media centre with institute for media and
communication studies of the Martin Luther University, MDR radio
centre, Mitteldeutsche Zeitung, digital images (digim), Arthaus Musik.
Also enviaM, KSB pumps, DELL Computers, Halloren Chocolate
Factory, Kathi Rainer Thiele GmbH. Science and education:
Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Burg Giebichenstein
University of Art and Design Halle (Saale), Protestant Academy of
Church Music, German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Francke
Foundations, Weinberg Campus with Helmholtz Society, Max-Planck
Institute, Fraunhofer Institute. Culture: Theater, Oper und Orchester
GmbH (Halle Opera House, Staatskapelle Halle, Halle Puppet Theatre,
New Theatre, Thalia Theatre), Handel House Foundation, Francke
Foundations, Halle Museum of Pre-History, Moritzburg Foundation
– Saxony-Anhalt Museum of Art, Beatles Museum, Luther death
mask in the Market Church, “Die Kiebitzensteiner” Cabaret Show,
independent theatre (Varomodi, Hallesche Kulturreederei, Schaustelle,
SchillerBühne, Kaltstart, Theater Apron), Steintor Variety Show. Cultural
events: Handel Festival, women in jazz, Handel Open, Werkleitz
Biennale – Festival of Media Art, Long Night of Science, Lantern
Festival, Hanse and Salt Festival, Lime Blossom Festival. Sport and
leisure: Erdgas Sportpark, racecourse, Volksbank Arena, Halle Zoo
(Europe’s biggest mountain zoo), botanical gardens, Reichardts Garden
– “the accommodation of Romanticism”, observatory. Transport
facilities: motorway access: Munich-Halle-Berlin (A9) Dresden-Halle-
Magdeburg (A 14), Halle-Göttingen (A 38), Halle West bypass (A 143),
airports: intercontinental – Leipzig/Halle airport, Halle-Oppin airfield,
IC/ICE rail links: Berlin, Bochum, Dresden, Eisenach, Erfurt, Essen,
Frankfurt (Main), Fulda, Gotha, Hamburg, Hanover, Kassel, Leipzig,
Magdeburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Shipping: Halle-Trotha port.

www.karlsruhe.de
14 | TOGETHER | KARLSRUHE‘S TWIN CITIES
This 1200 year old city on the river Saale has been
shaped by an eventful history and has become
a lively modern city. Halle and Karlsruhe looked
back on 25 years of twinning in 2012. The cultural
capital of the state of Saxony-Anhalt, located in
a basin of the northern German lowlands with its
picturesque river meadows, owed its prosperity in
the Middle Ages most of all to salt and the Saale:
four brine springs on the “Hallmarkt” and the
ensuing salt works of the “Salzwirkebrüderschaft im
Thale zu Halle” (brotherhood of salt producers on
the Halle plain) made Halle an important centre for
commerce, science and trade, evidence of which is
its membership in the Hanseatic League from 1281
to 1479.
The oldest of numerous castles on the Saale sits in
the Saale valley and is now part of the art campus
of the renowned Burg Giebichenstein University of
Art and Design. The cityscape, which survived WWII
with relatively little damage, boasts more than 3000
listed buildings – from mediaeval timber-frame
houses to whole streets in the Renaissance style,
baroque and art nouveau buildings right through to
modern architecture. They include not just religious
and secular structures as well as residential and
commercial buildings but also factory facilities,
cultural and administrative buildings, parks, and
cemeteries, such as the most significant Renaissance
cemetery surrounded with tomb halls north of the
Alps.
The centre of the old town is the Marktplatz (Market
Square) with the Red Tower and the four-steepled
Church of St. Mary, at which the Boulevard, an almost
one kilometre long shopping street, and 14 other
streets and lanes converge. A visit to Halle always
leads to the city’s most famous son – the baroque
composer George Friedrich Handel. The Handel House
Foundation runs a museum, the Handel research
institute, and the annual Handel Festival to preserve
and research the musician’s musical heritage. Theater,
Top: Saline Museum; Burg Giebichenstein. Centre: Marktplatz and Handel House.
Bottom: Stadtgottesacker.
Oper und Orchester GmbH Halle also organises theatre
and concert performances at a high artistic level.
The Saxony-Anhalt Museum of Pre-History is one the
most prestigious archaeological museums in central
Europe. The extensive collection of far more than ten
million finds includes outstanding items such as the
Sky Disc of Nebra.
The Reformation and the work of Martin Luther
can be felt in the city on the Saale through Luther’s
ecclesiastical counterpart Cardinal Albert. This
patron of the arts was active in Halle for almost
30 years. The cathedral, the Neue Residenz (an
early Renaissance palace) and the Market Church
of St. Mary are all attributable to him. Albert of
Brandenburg, archbishop of Magdeburg and Mainz,
loved ostentatious art and architecture, most of which
he funded through trade in pardons. Luther criticised
this moral conduct. Luther’s theses, which he nailed
to the door of the Wittenberg Palace Church in 1517,
arose from this conflict of faith with the highest-
ranking ecclesiastical dignitary of the German Reich.
After Luther’s death in 1546, a death mask was made
and a handprint taken in Halle whilst his corpse was
on its way from Eisleben to Wittenberg. The relics and
the pulpit from which Martin Luther preached in Halle
in 1545 and 1546 are on display in a crypt of the
Market Church of Our Dear Lady.
The Moritzburg Foundation is the biggest art
museum in Saxony-Anhalt and one of the most
important exhibition locations for classic modern art.
Besides works by Die Brücke (The Bridge) painters,
masterpieces by Gustav Klimt, Emil Nolde, and Franz
Marc can be found here as well. The former residence
of Cardinal Albert served as the studio of the
expressionist painter Lyonel Feininger in 1930 and
1931. During his stay, he created the famous “Halle
Cycle, the best-known of which are the views of the
Market Church and the Red Tower.
 ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT (HAUPTAMT) | 15

The Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg is buildings in Europe and forming a veritable
one of the oldest universities in Germany and, with educational cosmos, they accommodate a unique
20,000 students, nine faculties, and more than 180 cabinet of art and curiosities as well as a baroque
study courses and programmes, is simultaneously the historical library which holds some 50,000 books,
biggest educational establishment in Saxony-Anhalt. mostly on ecclesiastical and educational history of the
early modern era. Exhibitions, lectures, and concerts
Together with the German Academy of Sciences are held in the historical orphanage built in 1700.
Leopoldina, the science and technology park
Weinberg Campus (including the Max-Planck
Institute, the Fraunhofer Institute, and the Helmholtz
Society) and the university, Halle is a hub for science
and research in central Germany. There are media
institutions as well. The Francke Foundations, founded
in 1698 by the Pietist August Hermann Francke, are
a cultural and academic institution of European rank.
Far-sighted reforms, social involvement, scientific
innovation, and valuable collections established
the foundations’ reputation beyond the borders of
Europe. As the biggest ensemble of half-timbered

Top: University Square; Neue Residenz. Centre: Moritzburg Hof.

Bottom: Moritzburg.
16 | TOGETHER | KARLSRUHE‘S TWIN CITIES

KRASNODAR THE COSSACK CITY ON THE KUBAN

Catherine the Great

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT (HAUPTAMT) | 17

Office for Twinned-Town Affairs:

Office for International Relations
The Town Hall
122 Krasnaya Street
350000 Krasnodar
Russian Federation
Telephone +7 8612-590555
Fax +7 8612-532562
www.krasnodar.ru
starle@krd.ru

Location: in southern Russia on the periphery of the Caucasus,

approximately 120-150 kilometres from the Black Sea and Sea of
Asov, situated on the River Kuban, 21-34 metres above sea level.
Capital of the Kuban region. Total area: 840 square kilometres.
Population: over 840,000. Economy: economic and commercial
centre of the Kuban region, metal and woodworking industry, building-
material production, porcelain manufacturing, light industry, food
industry, tobacco factory. Numerous agricultural businesses (including
rice cultivation on the Kuban reservoir, tea, wine), head offices of
several major banks. Science and education: the National
Kuban University, the National University of Agriculture, University
of Technology, University of Medicine, Art, Culture, and Sport. Over
70,000 students. Several scientific research institutes for fields
such as oil, gas and agricultural products. Culture: Philharmonic
Orchestra, theatre, operetta theatre, puppet theatre, circus, organ
recital room in the town hall, the Rimsky Korsakov College of
Music, symphony and chamber music orchestra, the National Kuban
Cossack Choir, the Municipal Art Gallery, Museum of Archaeology,
“Skwer Druzhby”/”Friendship Park” (regular outdoor exhibition of
handmade art objects), the Pushkin Library. Sport and leisure:
the Kuban Stadium (40,000 spectators), several small stadiums, five
swimming pools, racecourse. Transport facilities: international
airport (serving approx. 3 million passengers per annum), four railway
stations (with connections to the major Russian cities, the cities of the
Caucasus, the Black Sea and the Sea of Asov), intersection of several
major motorways, a river port on the Kuban.

www.karlsruhe.de
18 | TOGETHER | KARLSRUHE‘S TWIN CITIES
Krasnodar, the capital of the Kuban region, is the most
southerly district capital of Russia. This city on the banks
of the River Kuban, whose waters flow into the Sea of
Asov, has a population of over 840,000, comprising not
only Russians but Ukrainians, Armenians, Greeks, and
Germans. All around this city between the Caucasus and
the Black Sea lies a very fertile region of agricultural
land, which profits as much from the rich soil as it does
from the mild climate. The area around Krasnodar is
the world’s most northerly tea-growing region. Fruit,
cereals, sunflowers, and rice are exported to 69 countries.
Krasnodar is road and rail junction. In addition to
important motorway routes that converge here, the city
is served by two major railway stations, an international
airport, and a river port.
During the era of the former Soviet Union, the city was
systematically developed into a centre of industry; today
industry in Krasnodar is concentrated on refineries and
large companies manufacturing tools and agricultural
machinery. The city on the River Kuban is not governed
by industry and farming, however – Krasnodar is also
regarded as a centre of the arts and sciences. The city has
been the home of the Kuban University with its seventeen
faculties since 1920. Here, five other higher education
establishments and a whole range of other institutions
are dedicated to scientific research, particularly in the
fields of agricultural production and food technology.
Art and culture find many avenues of rich expression in
the city’s numerous theatres, libraries and museums.
Krasnodar and Karlsruhe have two very striking things
in common: just like Karlsruhe, Krasnodar lies directly
on a geographical line of latitude, the 45th degree,
making its position four degrees further south than that
of the former capital of the state of Baden. And also like
Karlsruhe, Krasnodar is a city founded relatively recently.
Over two hundred years ago, in 1793, the Russian
Tsarina, Katharina II, bestowed forested land on the right
bank of the River Kuban on Cossacks of the Black Sea
as a reward for their services to the throne. In honour of
the benefactress, the future city was to receive the name
“Jekaterinodar” – Katharina’s Gift. The area around the
Kuban at the foot of the snow-capped Caucasus not far
from the Black Sea is known as “the pearl of Russia.” It
was not only Cossacks that the Tsarina brought to these
fertile fields, German farmers also arrived and began to
cultivate the lands of plenty on the Kuban. Some 30,000
Germans still live in the area today.
In 1867, Jekaterinodar was raised to the status of “a
civic town”. Trams were already serving the municipality
at the beginning of the 20th century. It had an electricity
works, a telephone network, and cinemas. The wonderful
parks and cathedrals quickly made the town famous and
the buildings in the main streets were just as splendid
as those in the Russian capital. Municipal affairs and
administration were governed by the town parliament,
the Duma. But the October Revolution reached the banks
of the Kuban, too. Governments came and went and
 ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT (HAUPTAMT) | 19

the town was renamed Krasnodar (from the Russian

“krasnyi”, meaning red) in 1920.

During the Second World War, the town was occupied

by German troops and later on suffered widespread
destruction as the war took its toll. Krasnodar’s skyline
is therefore dominated by modern architecture today: a
young metropolitan centre of parks and greenery, open
and spacious. The Mediterranean climate and the city’s
wide avenues remind visitors more of a holiday resort
somewhere in the south rather than a city previously
shaped and controlled by a socialist regime.

1979 saw the beginning of relations between Karlsruhe

and Krasnodar when an exchange took place between
the cities’ youth groups. An official treaty of friendship
was drawn up between the two cities in 1992 and
the twinning followed in December 1997. Countless
activities and visits have taken place both in Karlsruhe
and Krasnodar since then, bringing life and vitality into
the partnership. As important as promoting cultural
exchange and personal contacts and friendships is,
emphasis is currently being put on both the practical
and idealistic support needed in these times of change
and reorganisation. And the twinned-town movement of
Karlsruhe – Krasnodar is clearly one of the key driving
forces when it comes to providing such support.

Top: Folklore at the city’s birthday celebrations

Centre: Alexander Nevski church

Bottom: Folklore

Left: Cossack; Triumphal Arch

www.karlsruhe.de
20 | TOGETHER | KARLSRUHE‘S TWIN CITIES

TIMISOARA “LITTLE VIENNA” ON THE BEGA

Cathedral Square
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT (HAUPTAMT) | 21

Office for Twinned-Town Affairs:

Head of International Cooperation Office
Timisoara City Hall
Bd. C. D. Loga nr. 1
300030 Timisoara
Romania
Telephone +40 256-408354
Fax +40 256-293605
www.timisoara.ro
diana.donawell@primariatm.ro

Location: largest city in western Romania, capital city of the

governmental district of Timis. Total area: 130 square kilometres.
Population: 319.279 (2011). Economy: Timisoara is Romania’s
second-strongest city after Bucharest in economic terms. Traditionally
a centre of IT&C, electronics and electrical engineering (software
services, telecommunications equipment, lighting appliances, electric
motors, electric energy meters), automotive supply industry, chemicals,
construction, foods, textiles, leather goods, and the service sector.
Also represented in Timisoara are well-known companies such as
Continental (Siemens), Kathrein, Lidl&Schwarz, Lisa Draxlemaier,
Hella, Contitech, Kromberg&Schubert, Willy Kreutz, Alcatel-Lucent,
Flextronics, ABB-Rometrics, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Procter&Gamble,
as well as branches of well-known car manufacturers and many
other international companies. Science and education: More
than 50,000 students attend the four state-run higher-education
establishments (University of Agricultural Science, West University,
University of Medicine, polytechnic). Culture: National Theatre,
the Romanian Opera, German National Theatre, Hungarian National
Theatre, Theatre for Children and Young People, the “Banatul” National
Philharmonic Orchestra, Museum of Art, Banater Museum, village
museum, museum of the revolution, religious art collections and art
galleries. Sport and leisure: one large and several small football
stadiums, a sports hall, ten swimming pools, tennis courts. Transport
facilities: Timisoara “Traian Vuia” International Airport (7,800
flights per annum) offering daily flights to Munich, Milan, Frankfurt,
Duesseldorf, Vienna, Paris, Verona, Treviso, Bergamo, Chisinâu and
other cities. The district of Timis has the densest railway network in
Romania. Timisoara is also located on the intersection of the European
E70 and E671 motorways.

www.karlsruhe.de
22 | TOGETHER | KARLSRUHE‘S TWIN CITIES
Centre:
Bishop‘s Palace
18th century houses
Bottom:
View of the Opera House
Cathedral Square
Today Timisoara, a city with a population of over 300,000
in the west of Romania and lying close to the borders
with Hungary and Serbia, is the second-largest community
in Romania. The town on the Bega has enjoyed friendly
relations with Karlsruhe since September 1992 and in
November 1997 the two cities officially became twinned-
towns. The 20th anniversary of the friendship and 15
years of the official twinning were celebrated in 2012. The
first links between the two cities were forged by charity
organisations in the wake of the Romanian revolution of
1989, bringing emergency aid and supplies for hospitals and
welfare institutions. These were followed by consignments
of technical equipment and medical apparatus as well as
medicines from Karlsruhe. Delegations from Timisoara and
Karlsruhe have been taking part in numerous events held by
the twinned cities ever since.
The first visit made by a delegation of the Karlsruhe city
council was followed by a return visit by 50 pupils of the
Nikolaus-Lenau Lyceum in Timisoara to the Max-Planck
secondary school in 1992. The first reunion of Timisoara-
born German residents was held in Karlsruhe in 1993.
Students came, folklore and folk dancing groups were there,
and orchestras, ballet companies and theatre ensembles all
played their part; Romanian sporting personalities ran in the
Red Cross marathon at that time and university principals
got together to pool their experience as well. As a result of
an idea inspired by the two cities, the German-Romanian
Trade and Commerce Office was opened in the Karlsruhe
Town Hall at the end of 1997 with the aim of establishing
contact between German and Romanian businesses. It
existed until 2010. Today, we have close and cordial
connections at many levels, which are permanently nurtured
and promoted by the Karlsruhe-Timisoara Friendship Society
in particular.
Timisoara can look back on a chequered history. The capital
city of Banat first appeared on official documents under
the name of “Castrum Temensiensis” in 1212. Following
its destruction by the Tartars in 1241, the Hungarian king,
Bela IV, decreed that German settlers should move into the
region. The town was subsequently raised from its ashes.
Disaster, struck again in 1443, however, when the town
was razed to the ground again, this time by an earthquake.
Rebuilding began and the town of Timisoara was brought
back to life only to be conquered by the Turks in 1552.
It was not until 1716 that it was finally won back by the
Austrian army under the leadership of Prince Eugene.
The Hungarian king Karl Robert of Anjou built a royal palace
here at the beginning of the 14th century, which triggered a
leap in the city’s development. Numerous wars were waged
 ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT (HAUPTAMT) | 23

against the Turks in the 15th and 16th centuries. From a city of open art, too, promoting culture, art, and music in
1552, the Turks occupied Timisoara for more than 150 years. traditional channels as well as in unconventional spheres.
Led by Prince Eugene of Savoy, the Austrian Imperial Army
conquered the city in 1716. Heavily crippled by war, the city In addition, Timisoara sees itself as a city of many technical
was rebuilt. Since then Austrian baroque has characterised firsts and prides itself on being the first community in
the multifaceted cityscape of Timisoara, which is why it Europe to have a road network with electric street lighting
became known as “Little Vienna”. The Roman Catholic in 1884. Putting great emphasis on education as well,
cathedral, the houses and palace dating back to the 18th, Timisoara is a renowned university city with eight state-run
19th, and 20th centuries, the monuments and historical and private universities, attended by more than 50,000 Centre:
sites have all been preserved and give visitors an idea of students. Mitropolitan Cathedral
the typical aura of a provincial capital of the former Danube Catholic church
monarchy. The city of Timisoara plays an important role in the politics
and economy of the country and is also a key hub for Bottom:
Victory Square
Following WWI, the historical Banat was divided between international traffic with an airport and a dense network of
Romania, Hungary, and Serbia. The largest part, to which railways and roads. Floral clock
Timisoara belongs today, now lies in Romania. After the
flourishing twenties, the post-WW© II decades were
shaped by the Ceausescu dictatorship. Major economic and
social problems followed and culminated in the December
revolution of 1989, which began in Timisoara. After the
population had stormed the building of the Communist
party in the city, thousands of people congregated on Victory
Square. The revolution soon spread to the whole country.
After several days of demonstrations in the streets and
bloody conflicts between the population and the forces of
law and order, the Ceausescu regime was overthrown.

A wealth of nationalities makes up the colourful mosaic

shaping the life and lifestyles of modern-day Timisoara in
which the Romanians live in harmony with Hungarians,
Germans, and Serbs as the largest minorities, along with
Bulgarians, Croatians, the Romany people, and other
nationalities.

Cultural life flourishes against such a varied and

international backcloth. The National Theatre, the Timisoara
Romanian Opera, the German National Theatre and the
Hungarian National Theatre, the Philharmonic Orchestra,
museums, and a wide array of other institutions give
Timisoara the flair of a vibrant and modern cultural city. It is

www.karlsruhe.de
24 | TOGETHER | KARLSRUHE‘S TWIN CITIES

KARLSRUHE THE CITY OF HIGH TECH AND HIGH LIFE

Palace forecourt (Schlossplatz)

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT (HAUPTAMT) | 25

Office for Twinned-Town Affairs:

Main Department of the Karlsruhe
Municipal Offices
The Town Hall | Rathaus am Marktplatz
76124 Karlsruhe
Germany
Telephone +49 721 133-1523
Fax +49 721 133-1517
www.karlsruhe.de
staedtepartnerschaften@karlsruhe.de

Location: on the plain of the Upper Rhine, 115 metres above sea level,
between the Rhine and the Black Forest, adjacent to Rhineland Palatinate
and Alsace. Total area: 173 square kilometres. Population:
300,850. Economy: a commercial metropolis, main centre of the
region encompassing the central part of the Upper Rhine area, the focal
point of the TechnologyRegion, a growth area for the services sector,
pioneering and future-orientated high-tech, especially IT, Trade Fair and
Exhibition Centre, Convention Centre. Science and education:
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hochschule Karlsruhe Technik und
Wirtschaft (University of Applied Sciences), Pädagogische Hochschule
(University of Education), Staatl. Hochschule für Gestaltung (University
of Arts and Design), Staatl. Hochschule für Musik (University of Music),
Staatl. Akademie der Bildenden Künste (Academy of Fine Arts), Duale
Hochschule (Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University),
Karlshochschule International University (private), Fraunhofer Institutes,
Fachinformationszentrum (Leibniz Institute for Information Infrastructure),
Landesanstalt für Umwelt, Messungen und Naturschutz (State Institute
of Environmental Protection), Max-Rubner-Institut für Ernährung (Max-
Rubner Institute – German Federal Research of Nutrition and Food),
Bundesanstalt für Wasserbau (Federal Institute for Hydro-Engineering).
Judicial institutions: Federal Constitutional Court, Federal Supreme
Court, and other judicial authorities. Culture: Badisches Staatstheater
(Baden State Theatre), Badisches Landesmuseum (Regional Museum of
Baden), Staatliche Kunsthalle (State Art Gallery), Badischer Kunstverein
(Baden Art Association), Regierungspräsidium (Regional Council) on
Rondellplatz, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde (State Museum of
Natural History), Centre for Art and Media (ZKM), Museum für Neue
Kunst (Museum of Contemporary Art), Städtische Galerie (State Art
Gallery), Stadtmuseum (City Museum,) Museum für Literatur am Oberrhein
(Museum of Upper Rhine Literature). Sport and leisure: Wildpark
Stadium (33,500 seats), Europahalle, Zoo, Palace Gardens, 5 outdoor
and 7 indoor pools, extensive areas of greenery and forest. Transport
facilities: a hub for national north-south and east-west road and rail
links, access to national motorways (A5, A8, A65) and A-roads (B3, B10,
B36). Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airport, inland ports on the Rhine.

www.karlsruhe.de
26 | TOGETHER | KARLSRUHE‘S TWIN CITIES
The city of Karlsruhe, born out of and in the heart
of a forest on 17 June 1715, owes its reputation of
being international right from its first generation of
inhabitants to the diplomatic talents of its founder,
Margrave Karl-Wilhelm of Baden-Durlach. For with
his clement and hope-bringing decree to “one and all
who desire to settle down and take up abode near
or around the tranquil and restful spot of Carl” and
with the promise of a free plot of land on which to
build, it was he, who enticed the very first settlers
into the city destined to be laid out in the shape of a
fan. They came from the neighbouring countryside but
also from as far afield as Holland, Tirol and France.
This openness for things foreign and new, which the
travelogue publisher, Weckerlin, soon recognised in the
citizens of the growing city and readily confirmed, put
Karlsruhe in good stead for the twinning connections
with Nancy in France (1955), Nottingham in Great
Britain (1969), Halle on the Saale (1987), Timisoara in
Romania (1992), and Krasnodar in Russia (1992). The
20th anniversaries of the twinnings were celebrated
with the latter three, and the 25th with Halle, in 2012.
The former seat of the Baden royal residence and
state capital, home to almost 300.850 people, is the
focal point of the Upper Rhine area and even beyond
the borders of Federal Germany the city is well known
as “the Seat of Justice” by virtue of being home to
the highest judicial bodies in Germany, the Federal
Constitutional Court, which celebrated its 60th
anniversary in 2011, the Federal Supreme Court of
Justice, and the Federal Public Prosecution.
Karlsruhe is also regarded as “The City of Greenery.”
A quarter of its entire surface area is forested,
stretches of which extend right into the heart of the
city-centre, which is where the Zoological Gardens
are located, too. Large expanses of parkland, areas of
luxuriant greenery and leafy suburbs characterise the
open, spacious cityscape.
Both art and culture, whose origins can be traced back
along many paths, all of which lead to a royal house
greatly interested in the arts, have always maintained
their traditional importance. This good reputation is
fostered by the Badisches Staatstheater (Baden State
Theatre) with its four sections, several private stages,
the Akademie der Bildenden Künste (Academy of Fine
Arts), the Staatl. Hochschule für Musik (University of
Music), the Staatliche Kunsthalle (State Art Gallery),

the Badischer Kunstverein (Baden Art Association), the
Stadtmuseum (City Museum), the Neues Ständehaus
(New House of the Estates) accommodating the City
library as well as other establishments covering all
aspects of culture. Adding to these are festivals such
as the European Days of Culture, the Handel Festival,
and “Das Fest”, one of the biggest open-air events in
Germany.
Karlsruhe has won special acclaim in the international
art scene with the Centre for Art and Media.
Europe’s biggest production facility for media art
is accommodated in a 312 m-long listed factory
building. Its immediate neighbours are the Staatliche
Kunsthalle (State Art Gallery), home to a multitude
of art treasures including works by Hans Thoma to
Markus Lüpertz, the Museum für Neue Kunst (Museum
of Contemporary Art), and the Staatl. Hochschule für
Gestaltung (University of Arts and Design). Numerous
galleries have been set up in its immediate vicinity.
Karlsruhe has made a name for itself as a city of
sport: the “Europahalle” is a venue for international
events. The “Wildpark” stadium in the Hardt Forest
is the home ground of the KSC. Karlsruhe is one of
the top addresses for conferences and exhibitions in
Germany. With the Trade Fair and Exhibition Centre
the city and its regional partners are on the way up
Top left: Botanical gardens; Gottesaue Palace. Centre: View of the Town Hall. Bottom: Platz der Grundrechte
(Square of Fundamental).
Top right: Prinz-Max-Palais; Marktplatz (Market Square). Centre: Rhine port. Bottom: ZKM.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT (HAUPTAMT) | 27
in the trade fair business, staging events such as the
renowned art fair art KARLSRUHE, the consumer fair
“offerta”, and Learntec, the leading international
trade fair and convention for professional training,
learning, and IT.Karlsruhe has been highly regarded in
the fields of science and research for a very long time.
The research and innovation potential of the
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) along with
other universities and academic institutions form the
fundamental basis of the Karlsruhe economic region’s
top academic status. In renowned rankings, the KIT
rates highest amongst the German universities in
engineering and natural sciences. With 3600 major
IT companies and technology users and some 36,000
employees, the IT region of Karlsruhe is regarded
as the third-largest IT cluster in Europe. Since its
founding in 1997, the CyberForum has become
Europe’s biggest network of IT companies. In the
EU business location ranking for 2010, Karlsruhe
is one of the top 100 regions in Europe. It was
Karlsruhe, too, that sparked the idea of founding the
“TechnologieRegion Karlsruhe” in which cities and
administrative districts within it pool their potential to
the benefit of all.
Further informationen:
www.karlsruhe-tourismus.de
Deutsch-Französischer Freundeskreis e. V.
Thorsten Cramer – chairman –
Postfach 2153
76009 Karlsruhe
info@dff-karlsruhe.de
www.dff-karlsruhe.de
Deutsch-Englischer Freundeskreis e. V.
Joachim Klaus
Postfach 41 02 48
76002 Karlsruhe
Telephone | Fax: +49 721 7569503
info@def-karlsruhe.de
www.def-karlsruhe.de
Freundeskreis Karlsruhe-Halle (Saale) e. V.
Dr. Bärbel Maliske-Velten – chairwoman –
Ebertstraße 9 a
76135 Karlsruhe
Telephone: +49 721 387950
Fax: +49 721 4705023
velten@ka-hal.de
www.ka-hal.de
Freundschaftsgesellschaft Karlsruhe-Krasnodar e. V.
Christa Köhler
Carl-Hofer-Straße 26
76227 Karlsruhe
Telephone: +49 721 9415067
Herbert Huber
Steinweg 49
76327 Pfinztal | Söllingen
Telephone: +49 7240 4437
huber-pfinztal@kabelbw.de
Christian Friedrich
Karpatenstraße 21
76227 Karlsruhe
Telephone: +49 721 494938
ing-buero-friedrich@onlinehome.de
www.freundschaftsgesellschaft.krasnodar.org
Freundeskreis Karlsruhe-Temeswar
Heinz Doll – chairman –
Enzianstraße 26
76228 Karlsruhe
Telephone: +49 721 472486
heinz.doll@decro.de
www.freundeskreis-ka-tm.de

Publisher:
Stadt Karlsruhe
Hauptamt
ha@karlsruhe.de
Editing and Layout:
Presse- und Informationsamt
Photos:
The City of Karlsruhe, twin towns
Printed by the Town Hall‘s printing
office on 100 % recycled paper.

Bridge over the Rhine