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In Germany, a "big city" status is conferred on a city that has more than 100,000 inhabitants and Kaiserslautern managed that by incorporating a handful of surrounding villages and towns to boost its own official population count. However the real Kaiserslautern remains a small city – compact and somewhat provincial.
The name Kaiserslautern stems in part from the German word "kaiser", meaning "emperor", and refers to the Hohenstaufen Emperor (Kaiser) Barbarossa, who had an imperial palace built at "Lautern" 850 years ago. Today, there are few references to him in the city. The second part of the name comes from the small river "Lauter". It once fed numerous ponds with crystal clear water but was long ago diverted and drained. The city’s coat of arms has a fish – that today seems somewhat out of place. That fish though has a story to tell. According to a legend, a giant pike was caught in Kaiserwoog, the city’s largest pond. Around its neck it had one of Barbarossa’s rings and claimed that the emperor had released him at that very spot 300 years ago.
Today, Kaiserslautern combines being a lively student town full of quaint bars, the footballing capital of southwest Germany and the cultural heart of the Palatinate. You don't need to venture far outside the town to enjoy nature at its best in the Palatinate Forest biosphere reserve, Germany's largest contiguous area of forest. The city center was rebuilt after the war in a somewhat functional style, and the most prominent city landmark is the 84 meter- high City Hall, built in the 1960s. Although the city has a rich history, few historical buildings remain today. In 1160, the Hohenstaufen Emperor Frederick I - also known as Barbarossa - commissioned a castle which according to medieval reports was the most magnificent castle in the entire empire. Today, a few stones and ruins are all that remain. A Renaissance castle built in 1571 shared the same fate. The Thirty Year War and the succession conflicts that followed virtually destroyed the city. It was only in the 18th century that Kaiserslautern began to recover from the wars.
In 2001 Kaiserslautern celebrated 725 years of city status. As part of the celebrations, the city invited adults and children to re-design the fish that appears in the city's coat of arms. This resulted in more than 200 types of fish being put on display - everything from the Mozart carp, to the rainbow sardine, the cloud trout and the winged pike. The city residents love their bizarre-looking fish and regard them as proof that courage and imagination are the key to the future.
Kaiserslautern makes an excellent base for walking in the Palatinate Forest nature reserve. The footpaths in the western Palatinate are perfect for walking from place to place for days on end, without having to worry about transporting your luggage or booking accommodation ahead. 12 circular footpaths offer a choice ranging from 40 to 400 kilometers in three to fifteen days.
Some of the places a must on every tourist’s list are the Speyer and the imperial cathedral (a UNESCO world cultural heritage site) is - a prime example of Romanesque architecture in Germany, the Imperial palace and Casimir palace first built by Emperor Barbarossa for himself between1151 and 1158 and neighboring it the Renaissance palace built by Count Palatine Johann Casimir, the legendary "hunter from the Palatinate", in 1571. Then there is the 14th Century Jewish Bath at Altenhof, the Collegiate Church – Southwest Germany’s most important Gothic church and the St. Martinsplatz – a picturesque square with 14th St Martin’s Church and gateway leading to the old quarter and to its numerous bars and bistros.
The Stadium
The Fritz-Walter-Stadion was inaugurated in 1920.
Built on the Betzenberg mountain, the ground takes its name from the German 1954 FIFA World Cup captain, and is home to German Bundesliga club, FC Kaiserslautern.
The stadium has a capacity of over 41,100, and is promoted to host two matches for the 2006 World Cup.
For that, the stadium has undergone vast renovations. Two stands were extended, media facilities have been integrated, additional floodlighting, loudspeaker systems and many more.
The investment is shared by both, Kaisersluitern and the city, worth approximately €48m.