PR European School Karlsruhe, 29.10-03.11.1999
Introduction
The Antenna
Link to AEGEE Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe
Many Germans tend to look down on Karlsruhe as too modern. It’s only a little older than the United States of America. It was founded in the year 1715 by Karl Wilhelm von Baden-Durlach when he decided to build himself a new residence, situated in the extensive plain of the river Rhine amidst the Hardtwald forest, his favourite hunting grounds. On June, 17 in 1715 he laid the corner stone of the palace tower of "Carolsruhe". This tower rises above the residence as a focal point of avenues and streets: it is the centre of a star (the longest ray still existing runs through the forest for more than 14 km). The nine main streets radiate fan-like from the South of the palace. In its North there was enough space for the gardens which played a very important role for Karl Wilhelm. Karlsruhe still has parks and gardens in abundance, flowers, fountains and trees, where you may meet squirrels in summer. You also find many monuments and sculptures in this town. Their styles range from the Baroque to contemporary creations in the pedestrian zone or between market place and congress centre. Friedrich Weinbrenner’s (1766 1826) architecture reflects both dignity and the sense of geometrical measure reigning in the former capital of Baden: the Market Place, the Mint and many older residential buildings, the two city churches with neo-classical columns are typical for this architecture. The residence of the International Department was designed by this famous man in 1793, too. It was erected as the Ministry of inner Affairs. The outer walls and parts of the cave are still original, the rest was destroyed during World War II. The house was rebuilt in the 1950s and completely modernised 1999/2000. One of Weinbrenner's students, Heinrich Hübsch, added buildings and ornaments in the style of the Romantic era, resuming the Gothic and Renaissance architecture. But Karlsruhe is not bound to antiquated forms. A direct line may be drawn from the neoclassical to modern style represented by Gropius (he even built a whole suburban colony: Dammerstock) and Eiermann. Karlsruhe has also got 15 museums, which are worth seeing and offer exhibitions of interest to all (the Baden State Museum of cultural history, the State Art Gallery, the ZKM [centre for technology in art and media], etc.).
It is remarkable that Karlsruhe has an unusually large number of little and/or private theatres. Apart from art, Karlsruhe is known to be the seat of the highest German legal Courts since 1951.
The University
The "Fridericania", Germany's oldest technical university was founded in 1825 at Karlsruhe. Today most of the about 17,000 students study engineering, natural science or computer science. One of the famous professors there was Heinrich Hertz, who discovered the electromagnetic waves. One of the university’s former students was Carl Benz, who invented the automobile. There are faculties of architecture, humanities and sociology as well. The former "polytechnical school" collaborates with the famous "Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe für Technik und Umwelt" (Research Centre) in Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, situated less than 10 km from Karlsruhe.
Thanks to its links to traditional trade routes Karlsruhe became a major point of intersection for European roads and railways, with excellent services in all directions for its 250,000 inhabitants. The Karlsruhe Rhine harbour occupies second place among Germany’s 80 inland waterway ports. Many major firms are based in or near Karlsruhe, most of them are sponsors of the International Department, too: Siemens, DaimlerChrysler, IWKA, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, ABB,....
Veröffentlichung mit freundlicher Genehmigung des Studierendenausschusses des International Departement der Fakultät Maschinenbau
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