Laufenburg, Germany

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For the adjacent town in Switzerland see Laufenburg, Switzerland.

View at the German side of the city in May 2004. The bridge pictured is the old bridge.

Laufenburg is a small city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, part of the Waldshut district. It has approximately 4300 inhabitants (including 6 outskirts 8300 inhabitants). Laufenburg is separated from a Swiss city with the same name by the river Rhine.

1 Cities in the near vicinity
2 City administration
3 Brief History
4 External links

[edit] Cities in the near vicinity

Near surrounding (<15 km): Bad Säckingen, Waldshut-Tiengen, Rickenbach (Hotzenwald), Albbruck, Murg am Hochrhein, Stein AG
Further away (>15 km): Lörrach, Basel, Brugg, Aarau, Zürich, Schaffhausen, St. Blasien, Todtmoos, Freiburg

[edit] City administration

The city of Laufenburg encompasses also Binzgen, Grunholz, Hauenstein, Hochsal, Luttingen, Rhina, Rotzel, Stadenhausen.

[edit] Brief History

The city's first note was in 1207. Next year there are going to be celebrations in cooperation with the Swiss counterpart. Laufenburg was one city until about 1800 when Napoleon divided the city. He ordered that the Rhine will become the border. Ever since the two cities have been separated in their nationality, but not in their minds. The city was well placed on major rapis of the Rhine, which allowed to collect taxes as well as catch salmon. In the early 20th century the rapids were demolished in order to build a hydroelectric power plant. The plant provided money, but the town lost a tourist attraction.

In December 2004 a new bridge was opened. It's been build east of the city. The old one had become too congested, because the roads connecting the bridge were single lane roads, but were used for two way traffic. This caused a fair amount of irritation among non-locals. With the opening of the new bridge new shopping buildings were erected to the east of the city. The use of this devlopment is questioned at times, because despite creating much needed jobs, the city for itself looses it's attractivity and neighboring towns in Switzerland complain about closing stores.