 | Wiesbaden: Encyclopedia II - Wiesbaden - History
Wiesbaden - History
Evidence of settlements at Wiesbaden dates back to the neolithic era.
Continuous occupancy began with the erection of a Roman fort in the year 6. The thermal springs of Wiesbaden were first mentioned in Pliny the Younger's Naturalis Historia. The Roman settlement is first mentioned by the name Aquae Mattiacorum (Latin for "Waters of the Mattiaci") in 121. This name refers to the Chattian tribe of the Mattiaci (German: "Mattiaker"), who were living in this area.
The Alamanni captured the fort c. 260. Later, in the 370s, when the Romans and Alamanni were allied, the Alamanni gained control of the Wiesbaden area and were in charge of its defense against other Germanic tribes.
During the 6th century, the Franks displaced the Alamanni. In the 8th century the Franks built a royal yard ("Königshof", "curtis regia"). Somewhere between 828 and 830, Einhard mentions "Wisabada". This was the first time that the name Wiesbaden is used.
In the 1170s the Dukes of Nassau received the area around Wiesbaden as fiefdom. They governed until in 1242 the archbishop of Mainz conquered Wiesbaden and burnt it down. Wiesbaden returned to the house of Nassau in 1270. In 1329 the house of Nassau and thereby Wiesbaden received the right of coinage from Louis the Bavarian.
Due to its participation in the uprisings of the Peasants' War Wiesbaden lost all its privileges in 1525 for over forty years. During this time, Wiesbaden built a new vineyard in 1526, became Protestant with the nomination of Wolf Denthener as first Lutheran pastor on January 1, 1543. The same day the first Latin school was opened, preparing pupils for the gymnasium in Idstein. In 1566 the privileges of the city were restored.
The oldest still existing building of the town, the Old City Hall, was built from 1609 to 1610. No older buildings are preserved due to two fires in 1547 and 1561.
In 1815 the capital of Nassau was moved to Wiesbaden, and the city became the ducal residence. Building activity started in order to give the city a magnificent look. The historical centre of Wiesbaden dates largely back to this time. In the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Nassau decided to take Austria's side. This decision led to the end of the duchy: After the Austrian defeat Nassau was annexed by Prussia and became part of the Prussian province of Hessen-Nassau.
After World War II, the state of Hessen was established, and Wiesbaden became its capital.
American armed forces have been present in Wiesbaden since the war. The U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division and III Corps Support Command are both headquartered at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield, just off the autobahn toward Frankfurt.
Other related archives1170s, 121, 1242, 1270, 1329, 1370, 1525, 1526, 1543, 1547, 1561, 1566, 1609, 1610, 1800, 1815, 1840, 1849, 1852, 1862, 1866, 1868, 1882, 1883, 1887, 18th century, 1900, 1913, 1919, 1929, 1946, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1960, 1968, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1997, 1st Armored Division, 2005, 260, 370s, 6, 6th century, 828, 830, 8th century, Alamanni, American, Austria, Austro-Prussian War, Belgium, Bundesland, Chattian, Duke, Einhard, Fondettes, France, Frankfurt am Main, Franks, Fyodor Dostoevsky, German, Germanic tribes, Germany, Ghent, Goethe, Gothic, Hesse, Hessen-Nassau, Holy Roman Empire, III Corps, Idstein, Israel, Johannes Brahms, John McEnroe, Kaiser, Kefar Sava, Klagenfurt, Latin, Ljubljana, Louis the Bavarian, Lutheran, Mainz, Middle Ages, Montreux, Napoleon, Nassau, Naturalis Historia, Neoclassicist, Nicaragua, Obelisk, Ocotal, Peasants' War, Pliny the Younger, Poland, Protestant, Prussia, Rhine, Richard Wagner, Roman, San Sebastián, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Tunbridge Wells, U.S. Army, UK, Volker Schlöndorff, Wilhelm II, World War II, Wrocław, archbishop, armed forces, autobahn, baroque, blazon, casino, city, coat-of-arms, coinage, eagle, east, era, fiefdom, film director, fleurs-de-lys, ft., funicular, gymnasium, heraldic, hill, jokingly, kilo, lilies, lion, meters, miles, neolithic, north, panorama, parliamentary, tennis, theater, thermal springs, twinned, vineyard
 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "History", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
