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The Art Nouveau banquet hall is the pride of Landau
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Whom does Landau belong to ?
There are only few cities in Germany that changed hands as often as Landau. Why? Because the settlement on the “Land Aue” has always been strategically important. Sometimes Landau belonged to the German Reich, sometimes to the French, once the city was Bavarian, once Prussian. Quite an identity maze, but no trace of schizophrenia. The citizens of Landau feel very close to their region; first and foremost they are “Pfälzer” (residents of the federal state of Rheinland-Pfalz).
The banquet hall – an ostentatious building in art nouveau style
No, Landau is definitely not a big city. It has a population of 40,000, one fourth of which lives in villages on the outskirts of town.
Nevertheless, you can find something here that you would normally only expect in a metropolis: A banquet hall, the biggest Nouveau Art complex in Southern Germany, a large number of imposing interconnected buildings. Built in 1905 and completely revamped in 2001, generously embellished with sculptures and various Art-Deco pieces, it is the showpiece of the town, and its social center at the same time. The banquet hall offers a high carat cultural program – concerts, theater, music- and dance theater – and does not only attract locals, but people from the whole region to this cultural forum.
Former fortress - today a university
Until well into the 20th century, Landau was a respected and important city. Not only as a wine metropolis, but also as one of the biggest and most important fortress towns. During its construction at the end of the 16th century, the city was geared to meet military standards: wide, big roads and a huge parade- and drill area, the present “Rathaus” (town hall). The old walls do not exist anymore, they were already torn down at the end of the 19th century, and generous green areas were created. But inside this former fort, on a hill on the outskirts, the old military buildings were not reconstructed. The university is accommodated here today.
City and Country in one
Riesling, Silvaner, Burgundy – these are the favorite words of the citizens of Landau. All of these different grapes grow in the vineyards of the green belt surrounding Landau. The city lies in the southern part of this wine street, where you have the mildest climate in all of Germany, an excellent location for growing wine. Tobacco- and rape-seed fields, almond-and fruit trees, and in the middle of the city vast parks and green areas – Landau is city and country in one.
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