WIESBADEN

city, capital (1946) of Hessen Land (state), southern Germany. It is situated on the right (east) bank of the Rhine River at the southern foot of the Taunus Mountains, west of Frankfurt am Main and north of Mainz. The settlement was known as a spa (Aquae Mattiacae) in Roman times. Its earthen fortifications (12 BC) were replaced by stone in AD 83, and a Roman wall (of which traces remain) was built about 370. The settlement subsequently became the site of a Franconian palace, and the name Wisibada (Meadow Spring) first appeared in 829. It was made an imperial city in 1241, passed to the counts of Nassau in 1255, and became the capital of the principality of Nassau-Usingen in 1744. It was capital of the duchy of Nassau from 1806 until 1866, when it passed to Prussia; it then became capital of the district of Wiesbaden in Hesse-Nassau province. In 1946 Wiesbaden became the capital of the newly created Land of Hessen and incorporated Kastel, Amneburg, and Kostheim (former right-bank suburbs of Mainz). As a spa, Wiesbaden was especially famous in the 18th and 19th centuries, when it was frequented by J.W. von Goethe, Johannes Brahms, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky, as well as various royal families. Wiesbaden's 27 hot, saline springs and its mild climate, parklike setting, and other amenities continue to make it a popular resort and conference centre. It holds an annual International Festival of Music, Ballet, and Drama in May. Although the city has a long history, almost no old architecture survives except from the Victorian period: the new town hall (1887), the Kaiser-Friedrich Baths (1913), the Greek Chapel (1855), and the castle (1840), which now houses the Land administration offices. The state theatre opened as an opera house and playhouse in 1894. The municipal museum houses an art gallery. Wiesbaden has various medical facilities, including a special rheumatism clinic and the German Diagnostic Clinic. Wiesbaden is a rail junction, with varied industries, including iron foundries, metal and concrete works, printing firms, publishing houses, and film studios. It is also a wine centre, famous for its Sekt (German champagne). Pop. (1994 est.) 270,873.