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After an extensive road trip around the County of Kaiserslautern, join us on a walking tour around the city today. We invite you to discover interesting and maybe not so well-known facts about K-town.
Emperor’s Lauter
The City of Kaiserslautern is divided into districts: Innenstadt, Grubentälchen/ Volkspark, Betzenberg, Laemmchesberg/Uniwohnstadt, Baennjerrück/Karl-Pfaff-Siedlung, Kaiserslau-tern-West (including Vogelweh), Erzhuetten, Erfenbach, Einsiedler-hof, Morlautern, Erlenbach, Moelschbach, Dansenberg, Hohenecken and Siegelbach.
Kaiserslautern means the “emperor’s Lauter,” derived from the Latin word “Lutra” for the stream that still flows underground in the downtown area. The city has about 102,000 inhabitants and an additional 1,000 military families reside scattered throughout the city.
Vivid history
Kaiserslautern looks upon a history of early settlements and international occupancy throughout the centuries. Earliest settlement traces date back to 800 B.C., believed to be Celtic. During the Middle Ages Kaiserslautern became a royal residence when Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa erected a Kaiserpfalz. The Stiftskirche is the oldest church and was constructed 1250-1350. King Rudolf von Habsburg chartered the town in 1276 and St. Martin’s Church was built from 1300-1350, where a section of the original city wall can still be seen in its courtyard.
During the Thirty Year’s War (1618-1648) Spanish troops occupied the city until Swedish armies liberated the area. Later Croatian troops seized it and killed over 90 percent of its 3,200 inhabitants. French troops then invaded and occupied the area until it was restored as part of the Palatinate. In the 18th century French and Germans fought until the French eventually destroyed Barbarossa’s castle and the city towers. From 1793 until his defeat, Napoleon Bonaparte is said to have personally traveled the road, commonly referred to as “Kaiserstrasse” (B37/Pariser/Mainzer Strasse), leading through Kaiserslautern towards Mainz. In 1815 it became part of a Bavarian province and remained so until French troops occupied it again after World War I.
Studies, research and a technology hub
Kaiserslautern has two universities, the Technical University and the Hochschule (University of Applied Sciences) with 20.000 students. It is also home to the Fraunhofer Experimental Software Engineering Institute, the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics, the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence. The Adam Opel automobile plant was established in 1966 and the Pfaff Sewing machine company was founded in 1862.
Red, white and red
Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa partially resided in Kaiserslautern and erected a Kaiserpfalz (an emperor’s residence) from 1152 to 1160. The remains are still visible between the city hall and the main bus stop downtown. Barbarossa means “red beard” and the city is proud to use the title “Barbarossastadt” in his honor. English tours of the underground tunnel system and other exciting tours are offered on a regular basis. www.kaiserslautern.de, search “Come along with us.”
During the Middle Ages Kaiserslautern was surrounded by numerous ponds with an abundance of fish. Legend has it that in 1497 a giant pike that had a ring with Greek insignia was caught in the “Kaiserwoog.” It is said that Emperor Friedrich II (grandson of Barbarossa) personally put this fish in the pond 267 years earlier. Thus, the fish was integrated into the red and white city flag and coat of arms.
The players of the famous soccer team 1. FCK (Fussballclub Kaiserslautern) are often referred to as the Rote Teufel (red devils) due to their fierce battles winning the German premier league four times.
Fountains, towers and colorful flowers
Most of the city’s attractions can be visited on foot, so let’s go! The Kaiserbrunnen (emperor’s fountain) at Mainzer Tor on the north-eastern end, depicts history with a myriad of bronze sculptures including Friedrich Barbarossa, Rudolf von Habsburg, a soccer ball, an automobile engine and a boat full of dreams, along with other surprises.
Just a two-minute walk away, you may want to visit the Theodor Zink Museum, which was originally an inn for travelers, and displays historic artefacts of life and times in medieval Kaiserslautern and a model of the town. The walk will lead us down Steinstrasse, the hotspot for nightlife in the 1960s until it was finally declared off-limits for military personnel. Many buildings have been renovated and re-opened for evening fun. The artistic fountain at St. Martin’s Platz is a frequented spot to enjoy a refreshment amid pubs, restaurants and bars in historic buildings.
Crossing the street, our walk will lead us to Stiftskirche and historic Adler Apotheke (pharmacy). Taking a right, we’ll will pass by Kaiserslautern’s oldest restaurant “Spinnrädl,” built in the 16th century, and eventually arrive at Schiller Platz across the street from Fruchthalle, the city’s concert hall, and Pfalztheater.
Casimirsaal, a banquet hall, is just beside it in front of the tall, white city hall. Completed in 1968, at that time it was the highest city hall in Germany. Restaurant 21 offers a spectacular view over the city, with “fortress Betzenberg” (Fritz-Walter Stadium) and Apostel Church with its impressive steeple.
The Japanese Garden is right across the street and especially beautiful in spring when the trees are in full bloom. There is an original tea house and a large pool with koi fish. A short walk down the road, the Gartenschau boasts a life-size dinosaur display, a skate park, playgrounds and picnic areas, a picturesque chapel made of out willow branches and colorful flower arrangements throughout the year. You can dip your feet into the cool water of the uncovered Lauter River just below the old sandstone quarry.
Unexpected treasures
During excavation work for an underground garage, a Jewish mikveh was discovered. At Synagogen Platz, two wall fragments of the synagogue, which was dismantled in 1938, are a memorial of the beauty of the structure, while seven 3D visual devices allow visitors to take a look at the former interior. The Institute for Palatine History and Folklife Studies has dedicated itself to history with a focus on the 300,000 people from the region that emigrated to the U.S. centuries ago.
The zoo in Siegelbach has animals from around the world and the Wildpark in the city’s east will acquaint you with local and (almost) distinct animals. Gelterswoog offers aqua fun with a beach, water sports and special events throughout the year. Nature lovers may want to take a hike to Humberg Turm (tower) towering over the Palatinate Forest and a view over the whole city.
Festivals and fun
Kammgarn cultural center, a former spinning mill, has a wide selection of musical entertainment and the Pfalztheater offers concerts, plays, musicals and operas. The Fruchthalle, originally intended as a farmers’ market, has a concert hall on the third floor, where annual friendship concerts by the USAREUR and USAFE Bands take place.
The “Summer Nights” take place in July, “Swinging Lautern” in September, and the Christmas Markets during the holiday season. The Messeplatz is host to the “Maikerwe” and “Oktoberkerwe” with fun and rides, gastronomic delights and music.
Fun facts:
It is said that the first American soldiers stationed in the city had difficulty pronouncing Kaiserslautern and simply nicknamed it “K-town.”
Kaiserslautern has two U.S. twin cities: Davenport, Iowa, and Columbia, South Carolina.
Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa was rather adventurous, traveled throughout Europe and drowned in Saleph River (Türkiye) on his return trip from his second crusade at nearly 70 years of age!
In the 1800s a horse-drawn carriage trip from Mainz to Kaiserslautern (about 60 km) was a day’s journey.
Kaiserslautern was the smallest of 12 cities hosting the FIFA 2006 World Cup in Germany. The U.S. team tied against Italy in a match at Fritz-Walter-Stadium with hundreds of KMC members cheering it on.
For further information about Kaiserslautern, please visit https://www.kaiserslautern.de/index.html.en
