LUDWIGSHAFEN

in full Ludwigshafen Am Rhein, city, Rhineland-Palatinate Land (state), southwestern Germany. Ludwigshafen is a port on the west (left) bank of the Rhine River. Founded in 1606 as a bridgehead (Rheinschanze) opposite Mannheim, it was renamed for King Ludwig (Louis) I of Bavaria in 1843 and was chartered in 1859. The city was severely bombed during World War II and has been rebuilt in modern style. The Neoclassical pilgrimage church of Mari Himmelfahrt (177477) is in the Oggersheim district of the city, where Friedrich Schiller, the poet and dramatist, lived after fleeing from Stuttgart. Ludwigshafen is a rail junction, commercial centre, and the gateway to the wine-growing region of the Rhine. The city is noted for its large chemical industry, which was established in the 1860s. Steel and machinery are also manufactured, and trade in iron, coal, and agricultural products was fostered by the opening of the harbour in 1897. The Southwest Stadium (1951) has made the city a sports centre. Pop. (1995 est.) 167,883.