Hanau: Brothers Grimm Birthplace, Goldsmith Tradition, and Frankfurt's Eastern Neighbour
Hanau has a population around 89,000 and lies at the confluence of the Kinzig and Main rivers, 20 kilometres east of Frankfurt in Hessen. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were born here in 1785 and 1786 respectively; the Brueder Grimm Nationaldenkmal on the Marktplatz and the annual Brueder Grimm Maerchenfestspiele (Fairy Tale Festival) celebrate the connection. Hanau has been a goldsmithing and jewellery centre since the 16th century, when Huguenot and Walloon refugees brought their craft skills; the Hessisches Goldschmiedehaus still promotes the tradition.
The Wilhelmsbad spa complex, built in 1779, is one of Germany's best-preserved 18th-century spa landscapes. Hanau was 87% destroyed by bombing on 19 March 1945, six days before US forces arrived. The Pioneer Kaserne housed US military forces until 2008; the site is being redeveloped as a new urban quarter. The Staatspark Wilhelmsbad and Schloss Philippsruhe on the Main provide cultural venues. Hanau is effectively part of the Frankfurt metropolitan area, connected by S-Bahn. Adult companionship follows Hessen's regulatory framework.
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Hanau has a population around 89,000 and lies at the confluence of the Kinzig and Main rivers, 20 kilometres east of Frankfurt in Hessen. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were born here in 1785 and 1786 respectively; the Brueder Grimm Nationaldenkmal on the Marktplatz and the annual Brueder Grimm Maerchenfestspiele (Fairy Tale Festival) celebrate the connection. Hanau has been a goldsmithing and jewellery centre since the 16th century, when Huguenot and Walloon refugees brought their craft skills; the Hessisches Goldschmiedehaus still promotes the tradition.
The Wilhelmsbad spa complex, built in 1779, is one of Germany's best-preserved 18th-century spa landscapes. Hanau was 87% destroyed by bombing on 19 March 1945, six days before US forces arrived. The Pioneer Kaserne housed US military forces until 2008; the site is being redeveloped as a new urban quarter. The Staatspark Wilhelmsbad and Schloss Philippsruhe on the Main provide cultural venues. Hanau is effectively part of the Frankfurt metropolitan area, connected by S-Bahn. Adult companionship follows Hessen's regulatory framework.
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