1.
Eppstein
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Eppstein is a town in the Main-Taunus-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. Eppstein lies west of Frankfurt am Main, around 12 km north east of the state capital Wiesbaden, to the north, Eppstein borders the city of Idstein and the municipality of Glashütten. To the east is the city of Kelkheim, to the south the city of Hofheim, and to the west the city of Wiesbaden, Eppstein consists of five areas, Bremthal, Ehlhalten, Eppstein, Niederjosbach and Vockenhausen. Bremthal has a railway stop on line S2. With approximately 5000 inhabitants, Bremthal is the most populous quarter of Eppstein, Bremthal has several associations e. g. a brass band, Germania singing association, Liederkranz singing association, an association of small animal breeders and a volunteer fire brigade. Bremthal was founded by the Lords of Eppstein in the 10th/11th century because the valley around their castle did not allow for arable land. Bremthals church, St. Margareta, was built in 1889, the church has a baptismal font from an earlier church on the site. A small skate park and forest adventure path off the Wildsachsenerstraße are fun for children, Niederjosbach has a rapid-transit railway stop on line S2 as well as a bus connection to the Wiesbadener transportation network. Motorway connections are about 3 minutes away, in Niederjosbach is a large campsite, the very well-maintained terrace-like Taunuscamp, which is on the Sonnenhang. It is open all year round, there is an industrial area and several craft enterprises, as well as an urban kindergarten with three groups. The Catholic community centre Am Honigbaum is used for church and also for private, the place has been part of Eppstein since 1972. The Niederjosbach coat of arms has a silver fir tree on a red background, Vockenhausen is the seat of the mayor. The administration is distributed between the two city halls in Vockenhausen and Eppstein, on the Vockenhäuser Gemarkung are the Freiherr-vom-Stein-Schule and the Burg-Schule. This Stadtteil of Eppstein was founded around 1100 by the Lords of Eppstein, historically, the area was a site for manufacturing. A number of mills made use of the stream runs through the town. The Bergstraße—also called the Schmerzberg during an annual May 1 bike race—goes over the hill to Alt-Eppstein, Ehlhalten is the part with the fewest number of inhabitants but the largest area due to its rather big forests. According to legend, Ehlhalten once provided a cutter that tailors used at the water of the brook in Ehlhalten, as the water rose and fell, affecting the measurement of the inch, people cried, Elle halten. Ehlhalten was also the name of a settlement in the municipal forest near a source and it was burned down however by soldiers and destroyed completely
2.
Kelkheim
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Kelkheim is a town in the Main-Taunus-Kreis district in Hesse, Germany. Located on the slopes of the Taunus mountains, Kelkheim is noted for its attractive scenery. Kelkheim is located approximately 10 km to the west of Frankfurt, wiesbaden, the state capital of Hesse, is about 25 km away, while the Mainz, the state capital of Rhineland-Palatinate, is about 30 km away. Kelkheim is subdivided into six boroughs Kelkheim-Mitte, Münster, Hornau, Fischbach, Kelkheim is connected to both Frankfurt and Königstein by rail, while bus connections exist to Eppstein, Königstein, Liederbach and Sulzbach. Frankfurt Airport serves as the main international airport
3.
Bad Soden
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Bad Soden is a town and spa in the Main-Taunus-Kreis, Hessen, Germany. Bad Soden is a town for commuters working in Frankfurt am Main. It is known for its various springs, which contain carbonic acid gas, the waters are used both internally and externally, and are widely exported. Soden lozenges, condensed from the waters, are also in great demand, Bad Soden has a large and well-appointed Kurhaus, an Evangelical and a Roman Catholic church, and a small hospital. It also has a building by the architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Gall 1992–2004, Kurt E. Elvira Bach, German artist and painter, she was born in Neuenhain and lives in Berlin since 1970 Sabine Winter, German table tennis player, was born in Bad Soden. In Ivan Turgenevs Spring Torrents, Dimitry Sanin takes a trip with his lover, Gemma, and her current fiancé to Soden. This article incorporates text from a now in the public domain, Chisholm, Hugh. Internetauftritt der Stadt Bad Soden am Taunus There is literature about Bad Soden in the Hessian Bibliography Literature by and about Bad Soden in the German National Library catalogue
4.
Schwalbach am Taunus
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Schwalbach am Taunus, a town in the Main-Taunus-Kreis district, in Hesse, Germany, population about 14,000, is a dormitory town to Frankfurt, situated some 11 km east of Schwalbach. There is evidence of habitation dating back to Neolithic times. Until the end of the Second World War, it was a farming village, Schwalbach was granted Gemeinde status in 1970. In Roman times Schwalbach was about 12 km from the Limes, the discovery of the a Viergötterstein showing Hercules, Mercury, Juno and Minerva that has been dated to 180 AD suggests the existence of a villa rustica. Subsequent discoveries include that of a Merovingian grave suggesting that the territory was also a Frankish settlement, the first time Schwalbach was mentioned documentarily was in 781 AD, when a knight named Starcfrit and his mother Mechthilt made a gift to the cloister Lorsch at the Bergstrasse. This gift was 70 joch about 25 hectares arable farm land, for centuries Schwalbach was a small farming village with a population of 200, at most 300 inhabitants. It was always a dependency of one or another outside lord and in the year 1635 came into the lordship of Königstein, in the castle of Schwalbach, the there committed knights of the gentry, execute their sovereignty and also jurisdiction as steward or sheriffs. After the secularisation in 1803 and with the dissolution of the Electorate of Mainz. In 1866, after the Austro-Prussian War, Schwalbach was incorporated into the province of Hesse-Nassau, in 1928 it became part of the Main-Taunus-Kreis district. In mid-19th century Schwalbach is still a village, whose population lives nearly solely out of the agriculture, in 1843 about 100 houses with 165 families and altogether 703 inhabitants were counted. Not until the Franco-Prussian War from 1870/71, first changes were to bespoken in Schwalbach, young men work as craftsmen in the industrial enterprises of the near suburbs of Frankfurt. A slight increase of the class, as well as a steady rise of the popularity of Schwalbach as an excursion destination for the citizens of Frankfurt is registered. From 1,500 in 1925 to 3,300 in 1956 the population figure increases steadily, the Second World War made also a mark on Schwalbach am Taunus. Four aerial attacks claimed nearly 40 dead people, the grave aerial attack occurs on 25 September 1944. The population of Schwalbach is growing by leaps and bounds in those years, in 1970 about 14,000 inhabitants were counted. On May 9,1970 Schwalbach preserved the municipal law, from the small farming village, which was often called “Little Schwalbach”, a modern city with many benefits came up. The town is located between Taunus mountain range, about 10 km from the Kleiner Feldberg, and the River Main. Although the centre of the city of Frankfurt am Main is about 10 km from Schwalbach centre, the original settlement, now known as Alt-Schwalbach, was built at the confluence of the Sauerbornbach and the Waldbach
5.
Eschborn
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Eschborn is a town in the Main-Taunus district, Hesse, Germany. It is part of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area and has a population of 20,789, Eschborn is home to numerous corporations due to its location in the central part of the Frankfurt urban area. Eschborn provides expansive views of the Taunus mountain ranges, especially the Altkönig, from Eschborn to the north there are numerous hiking and biking trails leading up to these green mountain zones. In winter, along and up those hills you will even cross country skiing slopes as well as downhill sled runs used by large crowds of people. A famous stop there is the Fuchstanz on the way to the top, cars must stay parked outside on marked parking areas along the main access roads. Among large corporations that have chosen Eschborn, the high-rises of Deutsche Bank, Vodafone, T Systems, most of old Eschborn is actually on the street Hauptstraße near the Eschborn S-Bahn station, including the Rathaus and some old churches. The FC Eschborn football team, established in 1930, plays for the Oberliga Hessen, two S-Bahn lines operate to Eschborn. They both connect to Frankfurt Central Station, other Companies with branches in Eschborn are, Deutsche Bank, Siemens, Deutsche Telekom, Ernst & Young, Conti and Vodafone. Arboretum Main-Taunus Heinrich von Kleist was quartered on 25 February 1795 as a lieutenant in Eschborn. He wrote two letters to his sister, karl-Heinz Koch, former Hessian minister of justice, father of Roland Koch Roland Koch, politician, former Hessian Prime Minister, grew up in Eschborn and still lives there today. Official website of the town of Eschborn Historische Gesellschaft Eschborn e. V, there is literature about Eschborn in the Hessian Bibliography Literature about Eschborn in the German National Library catalogue
6.
Hofheim, Hesse
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Hofheim is the administrative centre of Main-Taunus district, in the south of the German state of Hesse. Its population at the end of 2006 was 41,737, the town was first mentioned in 1262 as Hoveheim. The town is located on the side of the Taunus hills,17 km west of Frankfurt and 17 km east of both Wiesbaden and Mainz, Frankfurt Airport is 12 km to the south. Hofheim has numerous pubs, as well as schools and several facilities for further education. The town also boasts one of the biggest swimming pools in the Frankfurt metropolitan area, Hofheim is located in one of the fastest growing regions in Germany in terms of population and also in regard to economical productivity. Unemployment is the second lowest in the state of Hesse and one of the lowest in Germany, a highlight is the annual Waeldchestag festival which is celebrated the week after Corpus Christi and is a local public holiday with schools being closed from 11 am onwards. The celebration involves traditional local customs, Frankfurt is easily accessible by public transport and via the A66 motorway. The towns borough comprises the villages of Marxheim, Diedenbergen, Lorsbach, Langenhain, Wallau and it is mainly surrounded by forest and open country. As well as being the centre of the district, Hofheim is the economic hub of the Main-Taunus-Kreis. In 1988, the hosted the 28th Hessentag state festival. Http, //www. hofheim. de - Official homepage There is literature about Hofheim, Hesse in the Hessian Bibliography Literature by and about Hofheim, Hesse in the German National Library catalogue
7.
Kriftel
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Kriftel is a municipality in the Main-Taunus district, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 16 km west of Frankfurt, Kriftel is also commonly known as Obstgarten des Vordertaunus, because of the fields around it which are mainly used for producing strawberries. In July AD754 the track carried the dead Saint Boniface rested over night in the village. To the honour of the saint the Bonifatiuskapelle was built, Kriftel was first mentioned documentary in 790. The Thirty Years War damaged a lot in Kriftel including the chapel which was not rebuilt until 1755 and it took that long because in 1661 a big fire destroyed the whole village. In 1959 the chapel had to be relocated because of the growing of the community, during the mid-1970s Kriftel had to fight for independence, because Hofheim, the capital of the Main-Taunus district wanted it to belong to it. Sister city is since 1981 the French city Airaines, the Platz von Airaines the train station is named after the partnership. Kriftel has two churches, the Catholic Church St. Vitus and the evangelic Resurrection Church and three schools, one school, a comprehensive school and a training school. Kriftel lies at the federal motorway A66 and the train line S2. Kriftel is known for its good leisure time facilities, Kriftel has a Freizeitpark with a swimming pool, places to play soccer, miniature golf and beach volleyball, a quarter pipe for skating and playgrounds. The village is also hosts various club activities, the most important clubs are the SV07 Kriftel and the Turn- und Sportverein Kriftel. Two feasts strengthen the community a lot and they are the Lindenblütenfest in summer and the Krifteler Kerb in autumn. Www. kriftel. de Official homepage of the administration www. feuerwehr-kriftel. de Homepage of the fire department There is literature about Kriftel in the Hessian Bibliography
8.
Hattersheim am Main
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Hattersheim am Main is a town in the Main-Taunus district, Hesse and part of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area. Hattersheim borders the city of Frankfurt in the northeast, in the southeast with Kelsterbach, the western neighboring towns are Flörsheim, Hofheim and Kriftel. Hattersheim consists of three districts, Eddersheim, Hattersheim und Okriftel, since then the town is called Hattersheim am Main. 4944 people lived here in 2004, there is a watergate on the river Main near the villages centre. The engineer and inventor Anton Flettner was born in Eddersheim,7561 people lived here in 2007. You can cross the river Main with by ferry, the next town on the other side of the river is Kelsterbach. The ferry boat operates in time on Sundays
9.
Hochheim am Main
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Hochheim am Main is a town in the Main-Taunus district of the German state of Hesse. It is located near the bank of the Main River three miles above its confluence with the Rhine, as well as on the German Timber-Frame Road. There is a reference to Hochheim in the chronicles as early as the 8th century. Hochheim is the site of an Austrian military victory over the French Empire on 7 November 1813, located in the Rheingau, Hochheim has historically been a centre of the wine trade. The English word hock, a term for Rhine wine, is derived from Hochheim. Local children attend school in Hochheim until the Year 11 or 10th grade, after that, if they choose to continue with their education, they have to attend schools in Wiesbaden or Mainz
10.
Wiesbaden
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Wiesbaden is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. In July 2016, it had about 288,000 inhabitants, the Wiesbaden urban area is home to approx. The city, together with nearby Frankfurt am Main, Darmstadt and Mainz, is part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region, Wiesbaden is one of the oldest spa towns in Europe. Its name translates to meadow baths, making reference to the hot springs and it is internationally famous for its architecture, climate, and its hot springs. At one time, Wiesbaden boasted 26 hot springs, fourteen of the springs are still flowing today. In 1970, the hosted the tenth Hessentag state festival. The city is considered the tenth richest in Germany with 113. 3% of gross domestic product, every citizen has an average annual buying power of €24,798. Wiesbaden is situated on the bank of the Rhine River, below the confluence of the Main. The city is across the Rhine from Mainz, the capital of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Frankfurt am Main is located about 38 kilometres east, to the north of the city are the Taunus Mountains, which trend in a northeasterly direction. The city center, the Stadtmitte, is located in the north-easternmost part of the Upper Rhine Valley at the spurs of the Taunus mountains, about 5 kilometres from the Rhine. The downtown is drained only by the valley of the Salzbach. The citys main line and the Mainz road follow this valley. Above the city center, the Salzbach is better known as the Rambach, the highest point of the Wiesbaden municipality is located northwest of the city center near the summit of the Hohe Wurzel, with an elevation of 608 metres above sea level. The lowest point is the entrance of Schierstein at 83 metres above sea level. The central square is at an elevation of 115 metres, Wiesbaden covers an area of 204 km2. It is 17.6 kilometres from north to south and 19.7 kilometres from west to east, in the north are vast forest areas, which cover 27. 4% of the urban area. In the west and east are vineyards and agricultural land, which cover 31. 1% of the area, of the municipalitys 79 kilometres -long border, the Rhine makes up 10.3 kilometres
11.
Offenbach (district)
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Offenbach is a Kreis in the south of Hesse, Germany and is part of the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Neighbouring districts are Main-Kinzig, Aschaffenburg, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Groß-Gerau and the cities of Darmstadt, Frankfurt, the district Offenbach was first formed in 1832 when the previous Landratsbezirke Langen, Seligenstadt and Offenbach were merged. In 1852 the district area was enlarged in a westerly direction, in 1938 the area of the Frankfurt airport was added to the district, and the city Offenbach left the district to become a district-free city. However the seat of administration stayed in Offenbach, after two minor changes in 1942 and 1974, in 1977 the district was given its current borders, and also the municipalities in the district were merged to 10 cities and 3 municipalities. In 2002, the capital of the district was moved from Offenbach to Dietzenbach, a large part of this very urbanised district is wooded. Most towns are part of the Frankfurt urban area, the river Main is a part of the northern border of the district. Media related to Landkreis Offenbach at Wikimedia Commons Official website
12.
Frankfurt
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The city is at the centre of the larger Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region, which has a population of 5.8 million and is Germanys second-largest metropolitan region after Rhine-Ruhr. Since the enlargement of the European Union in 2013, the centre of the EU is about 40 km to the east of Frankfurts CBD. Frankfurt is culturally and ethnically diverse, with half of the population. A quarter of the population are foreign nationals, including many expatriates, Frankfurt is an alpha world city and a global hub for commerce, culture, education, tourism and traffic. Its the site of many global and European headquarters, Frankfurt Airport is among the worlds busiest. Automotive, technology and research, services, consulting, media, Frankfurts DE-CIX is the worlds largest internet exchange point. Messe Frankfurt is one of the worlds largest trade fairs, major fairs include the Frankfurt Motor Show, the worlds largest motor show, the Music Fair, and the Frankfurt Book Fair, the worlds largest book fair. Frankfurt is home to educational institutions, including the Goethe University, the UAS, the FUMPA. Its renowned cultural venues include the concert hall Alte Oper, Europes largest English Theatre and many museums, Frankfurts skyline is shaped by some of Europes tallest skyscrapers. In sports, the city is known as the home of the top football club Eintracht Frankfurt, the basketball club Frankfurt Skyliners, the Frankfurt Marathon. Its the seat of German sport unions for Olympics, football, Frankfurt is the largest financial centre in continental Europe. It is home to the European Central Bank, Deutsche Bundesbank, Frankfurt Stock Exchange, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange is one of the worlds largest stock exchanges by market capitalization and accounts for more than 90 percent of the turnover in the German market. Frankfurt is considered a city as listed by the GaWC groups 2012 inventory. Among global cities it was ranked 10th by the Global Power City Index 2011, among financial centres it was ranked 8th by the International Financial Centers Development Index 2013 and 9th by the Global Financial Centres Index 2013. Its central location within Germany and Europe makes Frankfurt a major air, rail, Frankfurt Airport is one of the worlds busiest international airports by passenger traffic and the main hub for Germanys flag carrier Lufthansa. Frankfurter Kreuz, the Autobahn interchange close to the airport, is the most heavily used interchange in the EU, in 2011 human-resource-consulting firm Mercer ranked Frankfurt as seventh in its annual Quality of Living survey of cities around the world. According to The Economist cost-of-living survey, Frankfurt is Germanys most expensive city, Frankfurt has many high-rise buildings in the city centre, forming the Frankfurt skyline. It is one of the few cities in the European Union to have such a skyline and because of it Germans sometimes refer to Frankfurt as Mainhattan, the other well known and obvious nickname is Bankfurt
13.
Hochtaunuskreis
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The Hochtaunuskreis is a Kreis in the middle of Hesse, Germany and is part of the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Neighbouring districts are Lahn-Dill, Wetteraukreis, district-free Frankfurt, Main-Taunus, Rheingau-Taunus, the Hochtaunuskreis and the Landkreis Starnberg regularly compete for the title of the wealthiest district in Germany. The district was created in 1972 when the previous districts Obertaunus, geographically it covers the Taunus mountains. The highest elevation of the Taunus, the 881 meter high Großer Feldberg, is in the district, lowest elevation of the district with 130m is the village Ober Erlenbach. The wealthy towns in the densely populated southern part belong to the Frankfurt urban area
14.
Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis
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Rheingau-Taunus is a Kreis in the west of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Limburg-Weilburg, Hochtaunuskreis, Main-Taunus-Kreis, district-free Wiesbaden, Mainz-Bingen, the district was created in 1977 by merging the Rheingau and Untertaunus districts. The district covers the part of the Taunus mountains. The river Rhine forms the border in the south. Media related to Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis at Wikimedia Commons Official website Rheingau Daily Photo Blog
15.
Geographic coordinate system
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A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
16.
Germany
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Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a federal parliamentary republic in central-western Europe. It includes 16 constituent states, covers an area of 357,021 square kilometres, with about 82 million inhabitants, Germany is the most populous member state of the European Union. After the United States, it is the second most popular destination in the world. Germanys capital and largest metropolis is Berlin, while its largest conurbation is the Ruhr, other major cities include Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and Leipzig. Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity, a region named Germania was documented before 100 AD. During the Migration Period the Germanic tribes expanded southward, beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation, in 1871, Germany became a nation state when most of the German states unified into the Prussian-dominated German Empire. After World War I and the German Revolution of 1918–1919, the Empire was replaced by the parliamentary Weimar Republic, the establishment of the national socialist dictatorship in 1933 led to World War II and the Holocaust. After a period of Allied occupation, two German states were founded, the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, in 1990, the country was reunified. In the 21st century, Germany is a power and has the worlds fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP. As a global leader in industrial and technological sectors, it is both the worlds third-largest exporter and importer of goods. Germany is a country with a very high standard of living sustained by a skilled. It upholds a social security and universal health system, environmental protection. Germany was a member of the European Economic Community in 1957. It is part of the Schengen Area, and became a co-founder of the Eurozone in 1999, Germany is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the G8, the G20, and the OECD. The national military expenditure is the 9th highest in the world, the English word Germany derives from the Latin Germania, which came into use after Julius Caesar adopted it for the peoples east of the Rhine. This in turn descends from Proto-Germanic *þiudiskaz popular, derived from *þeudō, descended from Proto-Indo-European *tewtéh₂- people, the discovery of the Mauer 1 mandible shows that ancient humans were present in Germany at least 600,000 years ago. The oldest complete hunting weapons found anywhere in the world were discovered in a mine in Schöningen where three 380, 000-year-old wooden javelins were unearthed
17.
States of Germany
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Germany is a federal republic consisting of sixteen federal states. Since todays Germany was formed from a collection of several states, it has a federal constitution. The remaining 13 states are called Flächenländer, the creation of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949 was through the unification of the western states created in the aftermath of World War II. West Berlin, while not part of the Federal Republic, was largely integrated and considered as a de facto state. In 1952, following a referendum, Baden, Württemberg-Baden, in 1957, the Saar Protectorate rejoined the Federal Republic as the Saarland. Federalism is one of the constitutional principles of Germany. After 1945, new states were constituted in all four zones of occupation, in 1949, the states in the three western zones formed the Federal Republic of Germany. This is in contrast to the development in Austria, where the Bund was constituted first. The use of the term Länder dates back to the Weimar Constitution of 1919, before this time, the constituent states of the German Empire were called Staaten. Today, it is common to use the term Bundesland. However, this term is not used officially, neither by the constitution of 1919 nor by the Basic Law of 1949, three Länder call themselves Freistaaten, Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia. He summarizes the arguments for boundary reform in Germany. The German system of dual federalism requires strong Länder that have the administrative and fiscal capacity to implement legislation, too many Länder also make coordination among them and with the federation more complicated. But several proposals have failed so far, territorial reform remains a topic in German politics. Federalism has a tradition in German history. The Holy Roman Empire comprised many petty states numbering more than 300 around 1796, the number of territories was greatly reduced during the Napoleonic Wars. After the Congress of Vienna,39 states formed the German Confederation, the new German Empire included 25 states and the imperial territory of Alsace-Lorraine. The empire was dominated by Prussia, which controlled 65% of the territory, after the territorial losses of the Treaty of Versailles, the remaining states continued as republics of a new German federation
18.
Hesse
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Hesse or Hessia is a federal state of the Federal Republic of Germany, with just over six million inhabitants. The state capital is Wiesbaden, the largest city is Frankfurt am Main, the English name Hesse originates in the Hessian dialects. The variant Hessia comes from the medieval Latin Hassia, the German term Hessen is used by the European Commission because their policy is to leave regional names untranslated. The term Hesse ultimately derives from a Germanic tribe called the Chatti, an inhabitant of Hesse is called a Hessian. The synthetic element hassium, number 108 on the table, is named after the state of Hesse. As early as the Paleolithic period, the Central Hessian region was inhabited, due to the favorable climate of the location, people lived there about 50,000 years ago during the last glacial period, as burial sites show from this era. Finds of paleolitical tools in southern Hesse in Rüsselsheim suggest Pleistocene hunters about 13,000 years ago, the Züschen tomb is a prehistoric burial monument, located between Lohne and Züschen, near Fritzlar, Hesse, Germany. Classified as a grave or a Hessian-Westphalian stone cist, it is one of the most important megalithic monuments in Central Europe. Dating to the fourth millennium BC, it belongs to the Late Neolithic Wartberg culture. An early Celtic presence in what is now Hesse is indicated by a mid-fifth-century BC La Tène style burial uncovered at Glauberg, the region was later settled by the Germanic Chatti tribe around the first century BC, and the name Hesse is a continuation of that tribal name. The ancient Romans had a camp in Dorlar, and in Waldgirmes directly on the eastern outskirts of Wetzlar was a civil settlement under construction. Presumably, the government for the occupied territories of the right bank of Germania was planned at this location. The governor of Germania, at least temporarily, likely had resided here, the settlement appears to have been abandoned by the Romans after the devastating Battle of the Teutoburg Forest failed in the year 9 AD. The Chatti were also involved in the Revolt of the Batavi in 69 AD, Hessia occupies the northwestern part of the modern German state of Hesse, its borders were not clearly delineated. Its geographic center is Fritzlar, it extends in the southeast to Hersfeld on the Fulda river, in the north to past Kassel and up to the rivers Diemel, to the west, it occupies the valleys of the rivers Eder and Lahn. It measured roughly 90 kilometers north-south, and 80 north-west, the area around Fritzlar shows evidence of significant pagan belief from the first century on. Excavations have produced a horse burial and bronze artifacts, a possible religious cult may have centered on a natural spring in Geismar, called Heilgenbron, the name Geismar itself may be derived from that spring. By 650, the Franks were establishing themselves as overlords, which is suggested by evidence of burials
19.
Regierungsbezirk
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Regierungsbezirk is an administrative region at federal state level in Germany. The regional authority is called a Regierungspräsidium or Bezirksregierung and is headed by a Regierungspräsident, the Regierungsbezirke do not pass any legislation. Within the federal authority, they act as a mid-level agency. Regierungsbezirk is variously translated as district, administrative district or province. By German unification in 1871, the concept of Regierungsbezirke had been adopted by most States of the German Empire, the Regierungsbezirke of North Rhine-Westphalia are in direct continuation of those created in the Prussian Rhine and Westphalia provinces in 1816. Similar entities in other states were initially named Kreishauptmannschaft or Kreis or province in Hesse, in Nazi Germany the naming was unified to Regierungsbezirk. Currently, only four large-area states out of 16 in total are divided into Regierungsbezirke, on 1 January 2004, Saxony-Anhalt disbanded its three Regierungsbezirke, Dessau, Halle and Magdeburg. The responsibilities are now covered by a Landesverwaltungsamt with three offices at the seats of the Bezirksregierungen. On 1 January 2005, Lower Saxony disbanded its remaining four Regierungsbezirke, Brunswick, Hanover, Lüneburg, on 1 August 2008, Saxony restructured its districts and changed the name of its Regierungsbezirke to Direktionsbezirke. This was necessary because one of the new districts did not fit with the borders of the old Regierungsbezirke, the Direktionsbezirke are still named Chemnitz, Dresden and Leipzig. As of 1 March 2012, the Direktionsbezirke were merged into one Landesdirektion, four of the new federal states re-established in 1990, Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Thuringia, decided not to implement Regierungsbezirke. In Bremen, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and Saarland they never existed, stettin, dissolved in 1945, Province of Pomerania Media related to Regierungsbezirk at Wikimedia Commons
20.
Districts of Germany
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A German district is an administrative subdivision known as Landkreis, except in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein where it is known simply as Kreis. Most major cities in Germany are not part of a rural district, in this context, those cities are referred to as Kreisfreie Stadt or Stadtkreis. Rural districts are at a level of administration between the German states and the municipal governments. They correspond to level 3 administrative units of the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, previously, the similar title Reichskreis was given to groups of states in the Holy Roman Empire. The related term Landeskommissariat was used for administrative divisions in some German territories until the 19th century. The majority of German districts are rural districts of which there are 295, cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants do not usually belong to a district, but take over district responsibilities themselves, similar to the concept of independent cities. These are known as urban districts —cities which constitute a district in their own there are currently 107 of them. As of 2011, approximately 25 million people live in these 107 urban districts, in North Rhine-Westphalia, there are some cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants which are not urban districts, for example Recklinghausen, Siegen, Paderborn, Bergisch Gladbach, Neuss and Moers. Nevertheless, these cities take over many district responsibilities themselves, although they are part of a larger rural district. Midsize towns can perform particular administrative functions of the district as well, the classification as midsize town is usually based on a towns registered population, but varies from state to state. Aachen, Hanover and Göttingen retain certain rights of an urban district, urban districts have these responsibilities and also those of the municipalities. The district council is the highest institution of a district and is responsible for all fundamental guidelines of regional self-administration. This council is elected every five years, except in Bavaria where it is elected every six years. Usually the administrative seat of a district is located in one of its largest towns. However, district council and administrative seat of rural districts are not situated within the district proper. Most of those districts are named after this central city as well. Moers is the biggest city in Germany that is neither an urban district, in parts of northern Germany, Landrat is also the name of the entire district administration, which in southern Germany is known as Kreisverwaltung or Landratsamt. In urban districts similar administrative functions are performed by a mayor, rural districts in some German states have an additional administrative commission called Kreisausschuss
21.
Main-Taunus-Kreis
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Main-Taunus is a Kreis in the middle of Hesse, Germany and is part of the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region as well as the Frankfurt urban area. Neighboring districts are Hochtaunuskreis, district-free Frankfurt, Groß-Gerau, district-free Wiesbaden and it is the second most densely populated rural district in Germany. Before the era of Napoleon, the area was divided into small bits. The most prominent of these were the Archbishopric of Mainz and the territory ruled by the Lords of Eppstein, in 1806 the area became united for the first time as part of the Duchy of Nassau, which was annexed to Prussia in 1866. Together with some adjoining area in the north, these bits, in 1980 the administrative seat was moved from Frankfurt-Höchst to Hofheim. The district covers the part of the Taunus mountains, with the Main river forming part of the districts border in the south. The district covers the smallest area of any district in Germany. The district is twinned with Solihull in the UK and Loudoun County in Virginia, media related to Main-Taunus-Kreis at Wikimedia Commons Official website
22.
Burgomaster
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The name in English was derived from the Dutch burgemeester. In some cases, Burgomaster was the title of the head of state and head of government of a sovereign city-state, contemporary titles are commonly translated into English as mayor. Bürgermeister, in German, in Germany, Austria, and formerly in Switzerland, in Switzerland, the title was abolished mid-19th century, various current titles for roughly equivalent offices include Gemeindepräsident, Stadtpräsident, Gemeindeamtmann, and Stadtamtmann. Oberbürgermeister is the most common version for a mayor in a big city in Germany, the Ober- prefix is used in many ranking systems for the next level up including military designations. The mayors of cities, which comprise one of Germanys 112 urban districts usually bear this title. Urban districts are comparable to independent cities in the English-speaking world, however, also the mayors of some cities, which do not comprise an urban district, but often used to comprise one until the territorial reforms in the 1970s, bear the title Oberbürgermeister. In the Netherlands nominated by the council but appointed by the crown. In theory above the parties, in practice a high-profile party-political post, bourgmestre in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Democratic Republic of the Congo Bürgermeister Burmistras, derived from German. Burmistrz, a title, derived from German. The German form Oberbürgermeister is often translated as Nadburmistrz, the German-derived terminology reflects the involvement of German settlers in the early history of many Polish towns. Borgmästare, kommunalborgmästare, the title is not used in Sweden in present times, boargemaster Pormestari In history in many free imperial cities the function of burgomaster was usually held simultaneously by three persons, serving as an executive college. One of the three being burgomaster in chief for a year, the second being the prior burgomaster in chief, präsidierender Bürgermeister is now an obsolete formulation sometimes found in historic texts
23.
Central European Summer Time
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It corresponds to UTC + two hours. Other names which have been applied to Central European Summer Time are Middle European Summer Time, Central European Daylight Saving Time, and Bravo Time. Since 1996 European Summer Time has been observed between 1,00 UTC on the last Sunday of March and 1,00 on the last Sunday of October, the following countries and territories use Central European Summer Time. In addition, Libya used CEST during the years 1951–1959, 1982–1989, 1996–1997, European Summer Time Other countries and territories in UTC+2 time zone Other names of UTC+2 time zone
24.
Vehicle registration plate
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A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate or a license plate, is metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes. The registration identifier is a numeric or alphanumeric ID that uniquely identifies the owner within the issuing regions database. The first two letters indicate the state to which the vehicle is registered, the next two digit numbers are the sequential number of a district. Due to heavy volume of vehicle registration, the numbers were given to the RTO offices of registration as well, the third part indicates the year of registration of the vehicle and is a 4 digit number unique to each plate. In some countries, the identifier is unique within the entire country, whether the identifier is associated with a vehicle or a person also varies by issuing agency. In the vast majority of jurisdictions, the government holds a monopoly on the manufacturing of vehicle registration plates for that jurisdiction. Thus, it is illegal for private citizens to make and affix their own plates. Alternately, the government will merely assign plate numbers, and it is the owners responsibility to find an approved private supplier to make a plate with that number. In some jurisdictions, plates will be assigned to that particular vehicle for its lifetime. If the vehicle is destroyed or exported to a different country. Other jurisdictions follow a policy, meaning that when a vehicle is sold the seller removes the current plate from the vehicle. Buyers must either obtain new plates or attach plates they already hold, as well as register their vehicles under the buyers name, a person who sells a car and then purchases a new one can apply to have the old plates put onto the new car. One who sells a car and does not buy a new one may, depending on the laws involved, have to turn the old plates in or destroy them. Some jurisdictions permit the registration of the vehicle with personal plates, in some jurisdictions, plates require periodic replacement, often associated with a design change of the plate itself. Vehicle owners may or may not have the option to keep their original plate number, alternately, or additionally, vehicle owners have to replace a small decal on the plate or use a decal on the windshield to indicate the expiration date of the vehicle registration. Plates are usually fixed directly to a vehicle or to a frame that is fixed to the vehicle. Sometimes, the plate frames contain advertisements inserted by the service centre or the dealership from which the vehicle was purchased. Vehicle owners can also purchase customized frames to replace the original frames, in some jurisdictions licence plate frames are illegal
25.
Main-Taunus
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Main-Taunus is a Kreis in the middle of Hesse, Germany and is part of the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region as well as the Frankfurt urban area. Neighboring districts are Hochtaunuskreis, district-free Frankfurt, Groß-Gerau, district-free Wiesbaden and it is the second most densely populated rural district in Germany. Before the era of Napoleon, the area was divided into small bits. The most prominent of these were the Archbishopric of Mainz and the territory ruled by the Lords of Eppstein, in 1806 the area became united for the first time as part of the Duchy of Nassau, which was annexed to Prussia in 1866. Together with some adjoining area in the north, these bits, in 1980 the administrative seat was moved from Frankfurt-Höchst to Hofheim. The district covers the part of the Taunus mountains, with the Main river forming part of the districts border in the south. The district covers the smallest area of any district in Germany. The district is twinned with Solihull in the UK and Loudoun County in Virginia, media related to Main-Taunus-Kreis at Wikimedia Commons Official website
26.
Frankfurt Rhein-Main Regional Authority
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It manages and coordinates the regional development of Frankfurt am Main and its suburbs. Its purpose is to ensure coordinated actions and developments within the region as well as its representation on a national and international level. The Frankfurt am Main is one of the leading metropolitan regions in economic terms. It is the largest financial centre in continental Europe and ranks among the leading financial centres. It is home to the European Central Bank, Deutsche Bundesbank, Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Frankfurt is therefore considered a global city as listed by the Loughborough University groups 2010 inventory. Among global cities it was ranked 10th by the Global Power City Index 2011, among financial centers it was ranked 8th by the International Financial Centers Development Index 2013 and 9th by the Global Financial Centres Index 2013. Due to its location within Germany and Europe, Frankfurt is a major air, rail. Frankfurt Airport is one of the worlds busiest international airports by passenger traffic and the hub for Germanys flag carrier Lufthansa. Frankfurter Kreuz, the Autobahn interchange close to the airport, is the most heavily used interchange in the EU with approximately 320,000 cars daily, Frankfurt is also a centre for commerce, culture, education, tourism and web traffic. Messe Frankfurt is one of the worlds largest trade fairs at 578,000 square metres and ten exhibition halls, a logistics centre. Major trade fairs include the Frankfurt Motor Show, the worlds largest motor show, and the Frankfurt Book Fair, in 2011, the human-resource-consulting firm Mercer ranked Frankfurt as seventh in its annual Quality of Living survey of cities around the world. According to The Economist cost of living survey, Frankfurt is Germanys most expensive city, a unique feature of Frankfurt is its skyline with a significant number of skyscrapers and high-rise buildings in the city center. Frankfurt is one of only a few cities in the European Union that have such a skyline, because of the citys skyline, Germans sometimes refer to Frankfurt as Mainhattan, a portmanteau of the local Main River and Manhattan. Before the devastation in World War 2, the city was globally noted for its unique old town with timberframe buildings. The Römer area was rebuilt and is popular with visitors and for events such as christmas markets. The common abbreviations for the city, which are used in railway services. The common acronym for the city is FFM, also in use is FRA, the IATA code for Frankfurt Airport
27.
Kronberg im Taunus
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Kronberg im Taunus is a town in the Hochtaunuskreis district, Hesse, Germany and part of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area. Before 1866, it was in the Duchy of Nassau, in year the whole Duchy was absorbed into Prussia. Kronberg lies at the foot of the Taunus, flanked in the north, a mineral water spring also rises in the town. Kronberg is especially known for its extremely expensive residential areas and it is therefore a very exclusive area to live and that is indicative of the higher than average incomes enjoyed by its population. The German magazine der Spiegel published a study showing that Kronberg had the most expensive areas in whole Germany. Kronberg consists of the three centres of Kronberg, Oberhöchstadt and Schönberg, when Kronberg Castle was built it was shared by the Knights of Askenburne, who owned a towered castle there. The Kronenstamm moved to Kronberg, giving themselves that name at the time, town rights were granted the small settlement on 25 April 1330 by Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor. As of 1367, the also had market rights as well as Blutgerichtsbarkeit, granted by Charles IV. Together with those from Hattstein Castle and Reifenberg Castle, the Knights of Kronberg from Frankfurt declared the so-called Kronberg Feud in 1389. The story is told in Kronberg that during the one of the knights of Kronberg was unhorsed. Peace was, however, quickly concluded and alliance sought with Kronberg, finally, in 1398, the Schießgesellen zu Cronenberg invited the Schießgesellen zue Franckenfurd unsern guten frunden to a Schießen umb eyn Cleynod. The letter bearing this message is said to be Germanys oldest surviving invitation to a shooting event, Hartmut fled, and Philip introduced the Reformation throughout Hesse. However, since Kronberg was an Imperial fief, Philip had to give the castle and these rights were affirmed by Hesse-Darmstadt in the 17th and 18th centuries, ensuring that Mainzs later attempts at a Counterreformation and the Simultanisierung would never enjoy success. In 1704, the last member of the family, Herr Johann Niclas von und zu Cronberg, died childless at Hohlenfels Castle, nowadays in Hahnstätten. Kronberg, along with the communities of Schönberg, Niederhöchstadt and Eschborn therefore passed to the Electorate of Mainz. It was under Mainzs rule that the nowadays so-called Dispute Church was built, since 1768, the building has served secular purposes. In the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, the Duke of Nassau sided with Austria, even artists, among them Anton Burger and Jakob Fürchtegott Dielmann, came to Kronberg and founded the Kronberg Painters Colony, which lasted into the 20th century. Some of the Kronberg painters works are on display in the museum at the Dispute Church, after the Second World War, Kronberg belonged to Groß-Hessen, and remains in Hesse today
28.
Taunus
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The Taunus is a mountain range in Hesse, Germany located north of Frankfurt. The tallest peak in the range is Großer Feldberg at 878 m, other peaks are Kleiner Feldberg. The Taunus range spans the districts of Hochtaunuskreis, Main-Taunus, Rheingau-Taunus, Limburg-Weilburg, the range is known for its geothermal springs and mineral waters that formerly attracted members of the European aristocracy to its spa towns. The car line Ford Taunus is named after it and it is a relatively low range, with smooth, rounded mountains covered with forest. The Taunus is bounded by the valleys of the Rhine, Main and Lahn rivers, on the opposite side of the Rhine, The Taunus range is continued by the Hunsrück. For geographical, ecological and geological purposes the Taunus is divided in three parts, Pre-Taunus in the south, next to the cities of Frankfurt am Main and this section is mainly made up of old sedimentary rocks with phyllite, greenschist and muscovite. The rocks are often given a greenish hue by the presence of epidote, the central region of the range where the highest peaks are found. Its geological composition includes slates, quartzite and sandstones, back-Taunus at its northern end is the biggest part by area. The geological materials that compose it include greywacke, claystones and siltstones, the Taunus range originated during the Devonian period. Being the highest point in the range, it provides the scenario for the Feldbergrennen hillclimbing and rallying contests and it should not be confused with the Feldberg in the Black Forest Kleiner Feldberg, Hochtaunuskreis. It has an observatory on the summit and it has the remains of a late Iron Age hill fort near the summit. The Saalburg, a restored Roman castellum, now houses a museum, after the fall of the Limes, the Alamanni settled in the range and for this reason there are some Alemannic cemeteries in the southern foothills of the Taunus. This area of the Taunus became part of the Frankish confederation of Germanic tribes after the Battle of Tolbiac around 500 AD, in past centuries the Taunus became famous among aristocrats for its therapeutic hot springs. Certain towns in the area, such as Bad Homburg vor der Höhe with its Kurpark, have geothermal spas that were formerly renowned. By the 19th century the most famous spa towns in the area were Wiesbaden, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Bad Nauheim and Bad Soden am Taunus. Media related to Taunus at Wikimedia Commons There is literature about Taunus in the Hessian Bibliography Umweltatlas Hessen, → Natur und Landschaft → Die Naturräume Hessens bzw
29.
Kronberg Railway
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The Kronberg Railway is now the northern part of Frankfurt S-Bahn line S4, which connects Langen, Frankfurt am Main and Kronberg im Taunusin Hesse, Germany. The route branches off the Homburg line in Rödelheim and continues via Eschborn Süd, Eschborn, the Kronberg Railway Company opened its 9.8 km-long line from Rödelheim for passengers on 1 November 1874. The carriage of freight, which was never great, followed on 1 March 1875, the Prussian government had granted a concession for the line on 26 June 1872. The purpose of the line was to serve the then already strong tourist traffic from Frankfurt to the Vordertaunus, already numerous wealthy citizens of Frankfurt had established their residence there, leading to steadily growing commuter traffic. Soon through trains running from Frankfurt to Kronberg. On 1 January 1914, the company was taken over by the Prussian government, german Federal Railways established a regular interval timetable in 1954, with services every 30 minutes on the line, long before the opening of the Rhine-Main S-Bahn. Since 27 September 1970 electric trains have operated on the line, on 28 May 1978 the line began to be used by S-Bahn line S4, initially to Hauptwache. On 22 December 1970 a branch, the Limes Railway, was opened from Niederhöchstadt to Schwalbach am Taunus, the line is now served by S-Bahn line S3 between Darmstadt and Bad Soden. The Eschborn Süd station was opened in 1978 during the establishment of the S-Bahn to promote a development in Eschborn. It was rebuilt in 2007 and became barrier-free in 2008, there was a station for many years between Niederhöchstadt and Kronberg for the Braun plant, which was only served during peak hours and only for Braun employees. This was expanded in late 1990 and incorporated into normal operations in 1999 under the name Kronberg Süd
30.
Deutsche Bank
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Deutsche Bank AG is a German global banking and financial services company with its headquarters in the Deutsche Bank Twin Towers in Frankfurt. It has more than 100,000 employees in over 70 countries, and has a presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific. In 2009, Deutsche Bank was the largest foreign exchange dealer in the world with a share of 21 percent. The company was a component of the STOXX Europe 50 stock market index until being replaced on that index on August 8,2016, the bank offers financial products and services for corporate and institutional clients along with private and business clients. Deutsche Bank’s core business is investment banking, which represents 50% of equity, 75% of leverage assets, in January 2014, Deutsche Bank reported a €1.2 billion pre-tax loss for the fourth quarter of 2013. This came after analysts had predicted a profit of nearly €600 million, revenues slipped by 16% versus the prior year. On 7 June 2015, the then co-CEOs, Juergen Fitschen and Anshu Jain, Anshu Jains resignation took effect on 30 June 2015, but he provided consultancy to the bank until January 2016. Juergen Fitschen temporarily continued as joint CEO until 19 May 2016, the appointment of John Cryan as joint CEO was announced, effective 1 July 2016, he became sole CEO at the end of Juergen Fitschens term. In January 2016, Deutsche Bank pre-announced a 2015 loss before income taxes of approximately €6.1 billion, Deutsche Bank was founded in Berlin in 1870 as a specialist bank for foreign trade. The banks statute was adopted on 22 January 1870, and on 10 March 1870 the Prussian government granted it a banking licence, three of the founders were Georg Siemens whose fathers cousin had founded Siemens and Halske, Adelbert Delbrück and L. Bamberger. Its first foray overseas came shortly afterwards, in Shanghai and London followed sometime by South America, major projects in the early years of the bank included the Northern Pacific Railroad in the US and the Baghdad Railway. In Germany, the bank was instrumental in the financing of bond offerings of steel company Krupp, the second half of the 1890s saw the beginning of a new period of expansion at Deutsche Bank. The bank formed alliances with large banks, giving itself an entrée into Germanys main industrial regions. Joint ventures were symptomatic of the then under way in the German banking industry. In addition, the bank rapidly perceived the value of specialist institutions for the promotion of foreign business, the immediate postwar period was a time of liquidations. Having already lost most of its assets, Deutsche Bank was obliged to sell other holdings. A great deal of energy went into shoring up what had been achieved, but there was new business, too, some of which was to have an impact for a long time to come. The bank played a significant role in the establishment of the production company, UFA
31.
Vodafone
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Vodafone Group plc /ˈvoʊdəfoʊn/ is a British multinational telecommunications company, with headquarters in London. It predominiantly operates services in the regions of Asia, Africa, Europe, among mobile operator groups globally, Vodafone ranked fifth by revenue and second in the number of connections as of 2014. Vodafone owns and operates networks in 26 countries and has partner networks in over 50 additional countries and its Vodafone Global Enterprise division provides telecommunications and IT services to corporate clients in 150 countries. Vodafone has a listing on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE100 Index. It had a capitalisation of approximately £52.5 billion as of 10 February 2016. It has a listing on NASDAQ. The name Vodafone comes from voice data fone, chosen by the company to reflect the provision of voice, the head of Racals military radio division, Gerry Whent, was briefed by Ernest Harrison to drive the company into commercial mobile radio. Whent visited a mobile radio factory run by General Electric in Virginia, the two struck a deal giving Racal 60% of the new company, Racal-Millicom, Ltd, and Millicom 40%. Due to UK concerns about foreign ownership, the terms were revised, and in December 1982, final ownership of Racal-Millicom, Ltd was 80% Racal, with Millicom holding 15% plus royalties and venture firm Hambros Technology Trust holding 5%. According to the UK Secretary of State for Industry, the bid submitted by Racal-Millicom Ltd… provided the best prospect for early national coverage by cellular radio. On 29 December 1986, Racal Electronics issued shares to the minority shareholders of Vodafone worth GB£110 million, on 26 October 1988, Racal Telecom, majority held by Racal Electronics, went public on the London Stock Exchange with 20% of its stock floated. The successful flotation led to a situation where Racals stake in Racal Telecom was valued more than the whole of Racal Electronics, under stock market pressure to realise full value for shareholders, Racal demerged Racal Telecom in 1991. On 16 September 1991, Racal Telecom was demerged from Racal Electronics as Vodafone Group, in July 1996, Vodafone acquired the two-thirds of Talkland it did not already own for £30.6 million. On 19 November 1996, in a move, Vodafone purchased Peoples Phone for £77 million. In a similar move the company acquired the 80% of Astec Communications that it did not own, in January 1997, Gerald Whent retired and Christopher Gent took over as the CEO. On 29 June 1999, Vodafone completed its purchase of AirTouch Communications, Inc. the merged company commenced trading on 30 June 1999. To gain anti-trust approval for the merger, Vodafone sold its 17. 2% stake in E-Plus Mobilfunk, the acquisition gave Vodafone a 35% share of Mannesmann, owner of the largest German mobile network. On 21 September 1999, Vodafone agreed to merge its US wireless assets with those of Bell Atlantic Corp to form Verizon Wireless, the merger was completed on 4 April 2000, just a few months prior to Bell Atlantics merger with GTE to form Verizon Communications, Inc
32.
Red Army Faction
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The Red Army Faction or Red Army Fraction, in its early stages commonly known as the Baader-Meinhof Group or Baader-Meinhof Gang, was a West German far-left terrorist group supported by the Stasi. The RAF was founded in 1970 by Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin, Horst Mahler, the West German government considered the Red Army Faction to be a terrorist organization. The Red Army Faction engaged in a series of bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, bank robberies and their activity peaked in late 1977, which led to a national crisis that became known as the German Autumn. The RAF has been responsible for thirty-four deaths, including many secondary targets, such as chauffeurs and bodyguards. Although better-known, the RAF conducted fewer attacks than the Revolutionary Cells, on 20 April 1998, an eight-page typewritten letter in German was faxed to the Reuters news agency, signed RAF with the submachine-gun red star, declaring that the group had dissolved. The Red Army Factions Urban Guerrilla Concept is not based on a view of the prevailing circumstances in the Federal Republic. The origins of the group can be traced back to the student protest movement in West Germany, industrialised nations in the late 1960s experienced social upheavals related to the maturing of the baby boomers, the Cold War and the end of colonialism. Newly found youth identity and issues such as racism, womens liberation, many young people were alienated, from both their parents and the institutions of state. The historical legacy of Nazism drove a wedge between the generations and increased suspicion of authoritarian structures in society, the Communist Party of Germany had been outlawed since 1956. Elected and appointed government positions down to the level were often occupied by ex-Nazis. Konrad Adenauer, the first Federal Republic chancellor, had appointed former Nazi sympathiser Hans Globke as Director of the Federal Chancellery of West Germany. The emergence of the Grand Coalition between the two parties, the SPD and CDU, with former Nazi Party member Kurt Georg Kiesinger as chancellor. This horrified many on the left and was viewed as a monolithic, political marriage of convenience with pro-NATO, with 95% of the Bundestag controlled by the coalition, an Extra-Parliamentary Opposition was formed with the intent of generating protest and political activity outside of government. In 1972 a law was passed--the Radikalenerlass--that banned radicals or those with a questionable political persuasion from public sector jobs, some radicals used the supposed association of large parts of society with Nazism as an argument against any peaceful approaches, Theyll kill us all. You know what kind of pigs were up against and you cant argue with people who made Auschwitz. They have weapons and we havent, the writings of Mao Zedong adapted to Western European conditions. Post-war writings on society and empire as well as contemporary Marxist critiques from many revolutionaries such as Frantz Fanon, Ho Chi Minh and Che Guevara. Philosophers associated with the Frankfurt school and associated Marxian philosophers, RAF founder Ulrike Meinhof had a long history in the Communist Party
33.
France
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France, officially the French Republic, is a country with territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The European, or metropolitan, area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, Overseas France include French Guiana on the South American continent and several island territories in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. France spans 643,801 square kilometres and had a population of almost 67 million people as of January 2017. It is a unitary republic with the capital in Paris. Other major urban centres include Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Nice, Toulouse, during the Iron Age, what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls, a Celtic people. The area was annexed in 51 BC by Rome, which held Gaul until 486, France emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages, with its victory in the Hundred Years War strengthening state-building and political centralisation. During the Renaissance, French culture flourished and a colonial empire was established. The 16th century was dominated by civil wars between Catholics and Protestants. France became Europes dominant cultural, political, and military power under Louis XIV, in the 19th century Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire, whose subsequent Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of continental Europe. Following the collapse of the Empire, France endured a succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870. Following liberation in 1944, a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War, the Fifth Republic, led by Charles de Gaulle, was formed in 1958 and remains to this day. Algeria and nearly all the colonies became independent in the 1960s with minimal controversy and typically retained close economic. France has long been a centre of art, science. It hosts Europes fourth-largest number of cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites and receives around 83 million foreign tourists annually, France is a developed country with the worlds sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest by purchasing power parity. In terms of household wealth, it ranks fourth in the world. France performs well in international rankings of education, health care, life expectancy, France remains a great power in the world, being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and an official nuclear-weapon state. It is a member state of the European Union and the Eurozone. It is also a member of the Group of 7, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organization, originally applied to the whole Frankish Empire, the name France comes from the Latin Francia, or country of the Franks
34.
Montgeron
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Montgeron is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 18.5 km from the center of Paris, inhabitants of Montgeron are known as Montgeronnais. The café Au Reveil Matin at 22 Avenue Jean Jaurès was the point of the first Tour de France in 1903. Montgeron is served by Montgeron – Crosne station on Paris RER line D, the local school was decorated by painter Maurice Boitel. The engraver Paul-Marcel Dammann was born and died in Montgeron, INSEE Mayors of Essonne Association Media related to Montgeron at Wikimedia Commons Official website Mérimée database - Cultural heritage Land use
35.
Portugal
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Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. It is the westernmost country of mainland Europe, to the west and south it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and to the east and north by Spain. The Portugal–Spain border is 1,214 kilometres long and considered the longest uninterrupted border within the European Union, the republic also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, both autonomous regions with their own regional governments. The territory of modern Portugal has been settled, invaded. The Pre-Celts, Celts, Carthaginians and the Romans were followed by the invasions of the Visigothic, in 711 the Iberian Peninsula was invaded by the Moors, making Portugal part of Muslim Al Andalus. Portugal was born as result of the Christian Reconquista, and in 1139, Afonso Henriques was proclaimed King of Portugal, in the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal established the first global empire, becoming one of the worlds major economic, political and military powers. Portugal monopolized the trade during this time, and the Portuguese Empire expanded with military campaigns led in Asia. After the 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy, the democratic but unstable Portuguese First Republic was established, democracy was restored after the Portuguese Colonial War and the Carnation Revolution in 1974. Shortly after, independence was granted to almost all its overseas territories, Portugal has left a profound cultural and architectural influence across the globe and a legacy of over 250 million Portuguese speakers today. Portugal is a country with a high-income advanced economy and a high living standard. It is the 5th most peaceful country in the world, maintaining a unitary semi-presidential republican form of government and it has the 18th highest Social Progress in the world, putting it ahead of other Western European countries like France, Spain and Italy. Portugal is a pioneer when it comes to drug decriminalization, as the nation decriminalized the possession of all drugs for use in 2001. The early history of Portugal is shared with the rest of the Iberian Peninsula located in South Western Europe, the name of Portugal derives from the joined Romano-Celtic name Portus Cale. Other influences include some 5th-century vestiges of Alan settlements, which were found in Alenquer, Coimbra, the region of present-day Portugal was inhabited by Neanderthals and then by Homo sapiens, who roamed the border-less region of the northern Iberian peninsula. These were subsistence societies that, although they did not establish prosperous settlements, neolithic Portugal experimented with domestication of herding animals, the raising of some cereal crops and fluvial or marine fishing. Chief among these tribes were the Calaicians or Gallaeci of Northern Portugal, the Lusitanians of central Portugal, the Celtici of Alentejo, a few small, semi-permanent, commercial coastal settlements were also founded in the Algarve region by Phoenicians-Carthaginians. Romans first invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 219 BC, during the last days of Julius Caesar, almost the entire peninsula had been annexed to the Roman Republic. The Carthaginians, Romes adversary in the Punic Wars, were expelled from their coastal colonies and it suffered a severe setback in 150 BC, when a rebellion began in the north
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Malta
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Malta, officially known as the Republic of Malta, is a Southern European island country consisting of an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. It lies 80 km south of Italy,284 km east of Tunisia, the country covers just over 316 km2, with a population of just under 450,000, making it one of the worlds smallest and most densely populated countries. The capital of Malta is Valletta, which at 0.8 km2, is the smallest national capital in the European Union, Malta has one national language, which is Maltese, and English as an official language. John, French and British, have ruled the islands, King George VI of the United Kingdom awarded the George Cross to Malta in 1942 for the countrys bravery in the Second World War. The George Cross continues to appear on Maltas national flag, the country became a republic in 1974, and although no longer a Commonwealth realm, remains a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations. Malta was admitted to the United Nations in 1964 and to the European Union in 2004, in 2008, Catholicism is the official religion in Malta. The origin of the term Malta is uncertain, and the modern-day variation derives from the Maltese language, the most common etymology is that the word Malta derives from the Greek word μέλι, meli, honey. The ancient Greeks called the island Μελίτη meaning honey-sweet, possibly due to Maltas unique production of honey, an endemic species of bee lives on the island. The Romans went on to call the island Melita, which can be considered either as a latinisation of the Greek Μελίτη or the adaptation of the Doric Greek pronunciation of the same word Μελίτα. Another conjecture suggests that the word Malta comes from the Phoenician word Maleth a haven or port in reference to Maltas many bays, few other etymological mentions appear in classical literature, with the term Malta appearing in its present form in the Antonine Itinerary. The extinction of the hippos and dwarf elephants has been linked to the earliest arrival of humans on Malta. Prehistoric farming settlements dating to the Early Neolithic period were discovered in areas and also in caves. The Sicani were the tribe known to have inhabited the island at this time and are generally regarded as being closely related to the Iberians. Pottery from the Għar Dalam phase is similar to found in Agrigento. A culture of megalithis temple builders then either supplanted or arose from this early period, the temples have distinctive architecture, typically a complex trefoil design, and were used from 4000 to 2500 BCE. Animal bones and a knife found behind an altar stone suggest that temple rituals included animal sacrifice. Tentative information suggests that the sacrifices were made to the goddess of fertility, the culture apparently disappeared from the Maltese Islands around 2500 BC. Archaeologists speculate that the builders fell victim to famine or disease
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Rhine-Main S-Bahn
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The network comprises nine S-Bahn lines, eight of which currently travel through the cornerstone of the system, an underground tunnel through central Frankfurt. The first section of tunnel was opened on May 28,1978. Further tunnel sections were opened in 1983 and 1990, before its completion in 1992, the system belongs to the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund and is operated by DB Regio AG, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG. End-to-end journey times on the nine lines in the range from 36 minutes up to 87 minutes. The longest journey time into central Frankfurt, from any point on the network, is 54 minutes, services on some lines start shortly after 4 a. m, while all lines have services from about 5 a. m. onwards. A full service is maintained from 6 a. m. until about 8 p. m. the last services leave Frankfurt at about 1,20 a. m. Some opportunities for interchange also exist in the suburbs of Frankfurt, construction work on the project started in 1969. In 1978 the first section of the Citytunnel of the Rhine-Main S-Bahn was opened, at this stage lines S1–S6 and line S14 were extended to Konstablerwache, while the S15 was rerouted to the main arrivals hall of the Hauptbahnhof. In 1990 the Citytunnel was extended, adding the underground stations Ostendstrasse and Lokalbahnhof to the system, all the lines were extended to Frankfurt Süd, while the S5 and S6 were further extended a short time later to a new station at Stresemannallee, south-west of Frankfurt Süd. In 1992, S1 and S2 trains were diverted to the new Mühlberg underground station and this left the S3, S4, S5 and S6 serving all the stations between Hauptbahnhof and Frankfurt Süd, a situation which still pertains to this day. The S14, which is now the S8, also served all of these stations, in 1995, the newly instituted RMV increased train frequency from a 20/40/60 minute schedule to the 15/30/45/60 minute schedule which is still used in the system. The S15 ceased operations at this stage, also in 1995, a new underground alignment through the city of Offenbach was opened, assisting the rerouting of the S14 through Mühlberg to City-Tunnel Offenbach and Hanau. The S1 was also extended as far as Offenbach, while the S2 returned to serving Frankfurt Süd. In 1997, the routes of the S5 and S6 were shortened slightly, so that they travelled only as far as Frankfurt Süd, while the S3 and S4 were extended to Darmstadt and Langen. The section of the S3 between Höchst and Bad Soden im Taunus also ceased to be served by S-Bahn trains, in 1999, the S8 was effectively divided into two lines, the S8 and S9, both of which travel between Hanau and Wiesbaden via Bischofsheim. The S8 continues to travel through the centre of Mainz, while the S9 travels via Mainz-Kastel and this arrangement means that it is possible to travel between Wiesbaden, the capital of the state of Hesse, and Frankfurt, the states largest city, by three different routes. In the same year, a new station on lines S3-S6 was opened in the Frankfurt fairground, in 2002, a new S-Bahn line, the S7, between Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof and Riedstadt-Goddelau was added to the system. Due to a shortage of capacity in the Citytunnel, these trains are not currently able to reach Frankfurts inner city, at present, these trains do not operate on a 30-minute schedule because of several ICE lines that operate on the same tracks
