Offenburg - a vital regional centre in the Euro zone
Offenburg is situated in the heart of Europe in between the river Rhine and vineyards, between the Black Forest and the Vosges at the beginning of the Kinzigtal valley. As the centre of an up-and-coming tourism region, the town is making its mark as a prosperous business location, media town and trade fair centre. Offenburg and its environs are a region of enjoyment, offering a very high quality of life in one of the most beautiful cultural regions of Germany.
As the biggest town in the Ortenau district and the regional centre of the middle-Baden economic region, with its 40,000 employees and 2,500 businesses, Offenburg, boasting just under 60,000 inhabitants, is one of the leading hot spots in the regional economy and labour market. Every day, roughly 20,000 people commute into Offenburg. These figures underline its role as a vital place of employment and source of economic prosperity for the region.
Offenburg is excellently positioned in the market with its recently modernized trade fair which impressed visitors with its multi-functionality not only during the organization of the Bambi anniversary gala in 2008 and has also proved itself to be an important attraction and key hub with many other specialist exhibitions and 'sell out events' such as the EuroCheval or the 'Oberrhein Messe' fairs.
As a media location, the attraction of Offenburg radiates far beyond the region and has great future perspectives. Hand in hand with the local university and technology park, the flagships of the media industry, particularly the international media firm Hubert Burda, offer a fertile creative ground. In this varied cluster of media firms and organisations, both impulses and synergies come together. Thanks to its excellent transport links, Offenburg offers direct links to the key national and European business centres. Offenburg has also established itself as an important services centre.
The shopping district in Offenburg is attractive, inviting and popular well beyond the town itself. The town's Mediterranean flair, with the promenade and market square, give Offenburg a charm of its very own under the beautiful Baden sun, the same sun under which the picturesque Baden grape vines also blossom and thrive.
The Offenburg district is home to 200 hectares of vineyards. With its six highly acclaimed wine growing estates, Offenburg is on everyone's lips - and not only during the great Ortenau wine festival that takes place in the town centre. At the local Schloss Ortenberg vineyard the town and the Ortenau district are wine producers -and with convincing success at national and international competitions.
Offenburg rightly calls itself the 'Freiheitsstadt' or 'City of Freedom', it is seen as being a cradle of democracy. The city was a leading centre in the Baden revolution of 1848/49. On 12th September 1847, in the then 'Salmen' public house, the 'friends of the constitution' met with leaders Friedrich Hecker and Gustav Struve. With the thirteen demands of the people, they agreed the first political programme of the democrats, which forms the basis for today's German constitution. The current 'Salmen' cultural centre and memorial, which in its colourful past was once a synagogue for the Jewish community of Offenburg, acknowledges this event. The 'day of freedom' is celebrated every year on 12th September.
The locals of Offenburg - the Offenburger - are proud of the successful conversion of the town's former military areas. In this context, cultural facilities such as the city library, the school of music, the school of art and the riding hall have emerged as multi-purpose local amenities that are used and enjoyed by many. The cultural scenery on the Platz der Verfassungsfreunde (Square of Friends of the Constitution) is characterised by the sculpture 'Freedom - Male, Female' of New York artist Jonathan Borofsky donated by the honorary citizen of Offenburg, publisher Aenne Burda, who died in 2005.
