50°21N 7°36E, pop (2000e) 113 000. Capital of Koblenz district, W Germany; at confluence of Mosel and Rhine Rivers, 80 km/50 mi SE of Cologne; seat of Frankish kings, 6th-c; badly bombed in World War 2; largest garrison town in former West Germany; railway; major centre of Rhine wine trade; hygienic tissues, furniture, pianos, clothing; birthplace of Metternich; St Castor's church (836), fortress of Ehrenbreitstein.
Coordinates: 50°22′N 7°36′E
| Koblenz | |
|---|---|
| Country | Germany |
| State | Rhineland-Palatinate |
| District | urban district |
| Population | 107,064 (2005) |
| Area | 105.02 km² |
| Population density | 1,020 /km² |
| Elevation | 60 m |
| Coordinates | 50°22′ N 7°36′ E |
| Postal code | 56001-56077 |
| Area code | 0261, 02606 |
| Licence plate code | KO |
| Mayor | Dr. Eberhard Schulte-Wissermann (SPD) |
| Website | koblenz.de |
Koblenz (also Coblenz in pre-1926 German spellings; French Coblence) is a city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck (German Corner) and its monument ( Emperor William I on horseback) are situated.
As Koblenz (Latin (ad) Confluentes, "confluence" or "(at the) merging (rivers)", Covelenz, Cobelenz;
After Mainz and Ludwigshafen am Rhein, it is the third largest city in Rhineland-Palatinate (German Rheinland-Pfalz), Germany. Koblenz lies in the Rhineland, 92 kilometers (57 miles) southeast of Cologne by rail, the population grew from 31,669 (1885) and 53,902 (1905) to 107,064 (2005),
Description
Its defensive works are extensive, and consist of strong forts crowning the hills encircling the town on the west, and of the citadel of Ehrenbreitstein on the opposite bank of the Rhine.
The city, down to 1890, consisted of the Altstadt (old city) and the Neustadt (new city) or Klemenstadt.
In this quarter of the town, too, is the Liebfrauenkirche, a fine church (nave 1250, choir 1404--1431) with lofty late Romanesque towers;
In the modern part of the town lies the palace (Residenzschloss), with one front looking towards the Rhine, the other into the Neustadt. But of all public memorials the most striking is the colossal equestrian statue of the emperor Wilhelm I of Germany, erected by the Rhine provinces in 1897, standing on a lofty and massive pedestal, at the point where the Rhine and Mosel meet.
Koblenz has also handsome law courts, government buildings, a theatre, a museum of antiquities, a conservatory of music, schools, five hospitals and numerous charitable institutions.
History of Koblenz
Around 1000 BCE, early fortifications were erected on the Festung Ehrenbreitstein hill on the opposite side of the Moselle.
Later, Koblenz was frequently the residence of the Frankish kings, and in 860 and 922 was the scene of ecclesiastical synods.
In 1018 the city, after receiving a charter, was given by the emperor Henry II.
In 1688 Koblenz was besieged by the French under Marshal de Boufflers, but they only succeeded in bombarding the Altstadt into ruins, destroying among other buildings the old merchants' hall (Kaufhaus), which was restored in its present form in 1725. in 1794 Coblenz was taken by the French Revolutionary army under Marceau (who fell during the siege), and, after the signing of the Treaty of Lunéville (1801) it was made the chief town of the Rhine and Mosel department.
After World War I, France occupied the area once again.
The Rhine Gorge was declared a World Heritage Site in 2002, with Koblenz marking the northern end.
Source: This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
Deutsches Eck and its Monument
The German Order was given an area for their Deutschherrenhaus Balley right at the border of both rivers, which became known as German corner (Deutsches Eck).
In 1897, a monument to German Emperor Wilhelm I, mounted on a 14 meter high horse, was inaugurated there by his grandson Wilhelm II. The German corner is since associated with this monument, the united German Empire and the German refusal of any French claims to the area, as described in the song "Die Wacht am Rhein".
During WW2, the statue was destroyed by US artillery.
In 1953, Bundespräsident Theodor Heuss re-dedicated the monument to German unity, adding the signs of the remaining western federal states as well as the ones of the lost areas in the East.
In the 1980s, a movie of the monument was often shown on late night TV when the National Anthem was played to mark the end of the day, a practise which was discontinued when nonstop broadcasting became common.
As German unity was considered complete and the areas under Polish administration were ceded to Poland, the monument lost its official active purpose, now only reminding of past history.
Twinning
| - Nevers, France - Haringey, United Kingdom - Norwich, United Kingdom - Maastricht, Netherlands | - Novara, Italy - Austin, Texas, United States - Petah Tikva, Israel |
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