Politics edit
Freiburg has been subjected to a strong shift in political opinion over the years. Whereas in the 50s and 60s Freiburg was still dominated by Catholic conservatism, it has now shifted towards a more left wing attitude. Like many other university citys students have played a large role in this shift.
Recent election results edit
| Party Year |
European 1999 |
State 2001 |
National German parliament 2002 |
European 2004 |
City Council 2009 (seats) |
National German parliament 2005[1] |
European 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDU | 42.5 % | 37.1 % | 27.2% | 37.4 % | 24.2 % (15) | 26.4% | 29,1% |
| SPD | 24.5 % | 36.3 % | 33.4% | 21.2 % | 17.0 % (10) | 31.2% | 18,0% |
| FDP | 5.5 % | 9.2 % | 6.4 % | 7.7 % | 10.9 % (7) | 8,4 | 14,5% |
| Green Party | 14.1 % | 11.5 % | 28.7% | 22.1 % | 25.3 % (16) | 26,2 | 25,0% |
| The Left | – | – | 2.1% | 1.9 % | 4.5 % (2) | 5,5 | 4,5% |
| Others | 1.5 % | 1.2% | ? % | 6.5 % | 0.7 % (0) | 2.3 % | 6,7 % |
| Election turnout | 59.1 % | 65.5 % | ? | 51.9 % | 48.7 % | 79.1 % | 52,3% |
Source=Stuttgart election results[2]
Freiburg is known as an "eco-city". In recent years it has attracted the Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, solar industries and research; the Greens have a stronghold here (the strongest in any major German city; up to 25% of the overall city vote, in some neighbourhoods reaching 40% or more in the 2002 national elections). The newly built neighbourhoods of Vauban and Rieselfeld were developed and built according to the idea of sustainability. The citizens of Freiburg are known in Germany for their love of cycling and recycling.[3]
The Oberbürgermeister, Dr. Dieter Salomon, (elected in as of 2002[update]), was the first member of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen to hold such an office in a city with more than 100,000 inhabitants. However, his deputy, Otto Neideck, is a member of the conservative party, the CDU.
In June 1992, the Freiburg city council adopted a resolution that it would permit construction only of "low-energy buildings" on municipal land, and all new buildings must comply with certain "low energy" specifications. Low-energy housing uses solar power passively as well as actively. In addition to solar panels and collectors on the roof, providing electricity and hot water, many passive features use the sun’s energy to regulate the temperature of the rooms.[3]
Freiburg is host to a number of international organisations, in particular ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, ISES - International Solar Energy Society, and the City Mayors Foundation.[4]
The composition of Freiburg city council is as follows:
| Party | Seats | |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance '90/The Greens | 12 | |
| Christian Democratic Union | 10 | |
| Social Democratic Party | 9 | |
| Free Democratic Party | 4 | |
| Left List / Solidarity City | 4 | |
| Free Voters | 3 | |
| Culture List | 2 | |
| Green Alternative Freiburg | 2 | |
| Young Freiburg | 2 | |
| Independent Women | 1 | |
| TOTAL | 48 | |
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Economics edit
Freiburg is one of fourteen designated "regional centers" in Baden-Württemberg.
The econonm
Infrastructure edit
Health systems edit
Freiburg has more than 15 different hospitals and clinics[5][6]. The largest hospital is the University Medical Center Freiburg (Universitätsklinikum Freiburg) with roughly 1,600 beds. The University Medical Center is one of the largest in Germany and Europe[7], and with its 1200 doctors and more than 10,000 staff members treats more than 60,000 people a year.[8]
In 2011 there were 89,9 general practitioners per 100,000 inhabitants in the city, which places Freiburg on the second place in Germany. There is also a very good rate for other medical professions.[9]
Transport edit
Freiburg is know for its environmentally-friendly attitude towards transport and a comparably low amount of car traffic.
The environmentally-friendly approach to mobility has its root in a 1969 urban transport policy.[10] In 1973, Freiburg was one of the first German cities to create an extensive pedestrian zone in the town center. At the same time it was decided that an extensive network of bicycle lanes would be created.[11]
There are less cars in Freiburg compared to other cities in Germany. In 2009 there were 416,8 per 1.000 inhabitants. [12]
The main object of transport policy is traffic avoidance. This was heavily incorporated into the design of the new city districts Rieselfeld and Freiburg, which both have a tram line. [13]
Freiburg is served by the A5 Frankfurt am Main - Basel motorway, with three exits for Freiburg (North, Center, South). Apart from the motorway Freiburg is also on several federal highways (Bundesstraßen):
- B 3, from Buxtehude via Freiburg to Weil am Rhein
- B 31, from Breisach via Freiburg to Lindau
- 3B 294, from Freiburg via Freudenstadt and Pforzheim to Bretten
Public transportation edit
Public transport in Freiburg is mainly provided by the city-owned VAG Freiburg. Public transportion is centered around four tram lines and feeder buses. The VAG operates 21 bus routes and other companies offer inner-city and regional bus services.
The Regio-Verkehrsverbund Freiburg (RVF) is the regional transport association. The joint-venture between 19 transportation companies covers a total area of xxxx. There is a common price agreement, meaning that passengers can use any public transport in the region using a single ticket. 90% of passengers use the Regiokarte, a monthly pass that covers that whole network.
- Rail
Freiburg Central Station is currently served by four railway lines:
- Rheintalbahn, the Mannheim–Karlsruhe–Basel railway. The Rhine Valley line is today one of the most important lines of Germany both for passenger and goods traffic, including international traffic to and from Switzerland and France. There are regular ICE trains that stop in Freiburg.
- Höllentalbahn, from Freiburg to Donaueschingen
- Breisacher Bahn, the remaining German stub of the Freiburg–Colmar railway, which until 1945 connected Freiburg to the French commune Colmar in the Hauth-Rhine department in Alsace. Since the bridge was destroyed at the end of World War 2, the train service ends in the German town of Breisach. There is a regular bus service from Breisach to Colmar today. The track is owned by the DB Netz AG and passenger service is provided by the Breisgau S-Bahn.
- Elztalbahn, from Freiburg to Elzach. The branch line splits from the Rheintalbahn at Denzlingen and has a total length of 19.3km. The track is owned by the DB Netz AG and passenger service is provided by the Breisgau S-Bahn.
Other train stations and stops in Freiburg are:
- Rheintalbahn: St. Georgen, Herdern & Zähringen
- Höllentalbahn: Wiehre & Littenweiler
- Breisacher Bahn: Klinikum, Neue Messe-Universität & Freiburg-West (Landwasser)
Freiburg Central Station is one of eight Category 2 stations in Baden-Württemberg, meaning it is a important junction for long-distance traffic with regular ICE service. It is used by 65,000 people daily.
- Bus
The VAG provides 26 bus lines in Freiburg and are mainly used as feeder buses for the four tram lines. Other companies, such as the SBG, offer regional bus services to and from Freiburg with stops in the city itself.[14]
- Aviation
Freiburg is served by EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, in France, close to the borders of both Germany and Switzerland. Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airport (Baden Airpark) is approximately 100 km north of Freiburg and is also served by several airlines.
Freiburg has it's own inner-city airfield next to the Messe. It is one of the oldest aerodromes in Germany and is used for private and commercial purposes.
Utilities edit
The Badenova AG is the local basic supply company for electricity, gas and water supply.
There are no major power plants in Freiburg.
Sports edit
SC Freiburg is the most famous sports team in Freiburg, which plays at the Mage-Solar-Stadion. Since 2010-2011 season the team is competing in the Fußball-Bundesliga, the top professional division in Germany. Freiburger FC is a football club that had early success in the 20th century, but now competes in lower divisions.
Freiburg is also home to the ice hockey teamEHC Freiburg, the rugby team of RC Freiburg and basketall teams from USC Freiburg. The womens basketball team, USC Eisvögel, play in the top division (1. Damen-Basketball-Bundesliga), whereas the men play in the second division (2. Basketball-Bundesliga).
- Recreational sports
Swimming:
Freiburg has a total of nine swimming pools, six indoor and three outdoor. The largest is the thermal bath "Eugen Keidel Bad" between Freiburg-St.Georgen and Tiengen. The other five indoor pools are: Westbad, Faulerbad, Haslachbad, Hochdorf & Lehen. The three outdoor pools are in St.Georgen, the Lorettobad in Wiehre and the large Strandbad next to the Mage Solar Stadium in the East of the city.
There are more than 200 sports clubs in Freiburg offering almost all individual and team sports.
Education edit
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Freiburg is a center of academia and research with numerous intellectual figures and Nobel laureates having lived, worked, and taught there.
- Schools
Freiburg has 40 Grund- & Hauptschulen, 8 Realschulen and 11 Gymnasiums. There is one state comprehensive school and four comprenhesive Waldorfschulen.
- Higher Education
Some 30,000 students study at one of several universities in the city. The largest is the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, founded in 1457 by the Habsburg dynasty and the fifth-oldest university in Germany, with a long tradition of teaching the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. Several notable academics have taught and researched here, among them Johann Eck, Max Weber, Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger and Friedrich Hayek.
The other universities are Freiburg University of Education, the Protestant University for Applied Sciences Freiburg, Freiburg Music Academy, the Catholic University of Applied Sciences Freiburg and the International University of Cooperative Education (IUCE).
The city is home to the IES Abroad European Union program, which allows students to study the development and activities of the EU.[15]
- Research Institutions
Three Max Planck institutes and five Fraunhofer institutes.
- ^ "Tabelle aus der Datei:". Retrieved 2012-03-12.
- ^ "Wahlergebnisse in Stuttgart – Wikipedia" (in (in German)). De.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ a b Is this the greenest city in the world?
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Stadt Freiburg im Breisgau: Kliniken und Rehabilitationseinrichtungen". Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- ^ "Hospitals Freiburg Germany - hospitalscout.com - Medical Tourism and Travel Health". Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- ^ "Office for International Medical Services & International Business Development (IMS) of University Medical Center Freiburg, Germany". Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- ^ "Statistics - University Medical Center Freiburg, Germany". Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- ^ Mauch, Uwe. "Freiburg: Versorgung: Freiburg hat zu viele niedergelassene Ärzte - badische-zeitung.de". Retrieved 2012-03-10.
- ^ "Freiburg - Green City: Sustainable Mobility". Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- ^
http://www.freiburg.de/servlet/PB/show/1164829/16Verkehrspolitik.pdf. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Verkehr & Sicherheit Freiburg im Breisgau - meinestadt.de". Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- ^ "Freiburg - Green City: Preventive Traffic Avoidance". Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- ^ "Stadt Freiburg im Breisgau ... mit Bus und Bahn". Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- ^ Study Abroad in European Union – IES Abroad