HANAU

in full Hanau Am Main, city, Hesse Land (state), central Germany, a port on the right bank of the canalized Main at the mouth of the Kinzig, east of Frankfurt am Main. The old town grew up around the castle of the lords of Hanau (counts from 1429) and was chartered in 1303; the new town was founded in 1597 for Protestant Dutch and Walloon refugees. Hanau passed to Hesse-Kassel in 1736. In 1813 it was the scene of a battle between Napoleon's troops and Austrians and Bavarians. Much of the town was rebuilt after being virtually demolished in World War II, and the new buildings were erected to conform to the historic pattern. Notable landmarks include the 14th-century St. Mary's Church, the DutchWalloon church of St. John (1658), the two town halls, and the monument to the Brothers Grimm, born in Hanau. Philippsruhe castle (170115) and the electoral residence (177684) at Wilhelmsbad (spa) are nearby. A centre of the jewel trade, which dates from the 16th century, Hanau's principal industries are gem cutting and polishing, the smelting and working of precious metals, and the manufacture of rubber goods. Pop. (1989 est.) 84,300.