Darmstadt

Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland (federal state) of Hesse in Germany. As of 2003, its population was 137,900. The city is located to the south of the metropolitan areas of Frankfurt and Wiesbaden.

Sights

The palace of Darmstadt is located in the city centre. It was the residence of the counts of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Dukes of Hesse by the grace of Napoleon. Its current look was established in the 18th century. The counts also owned a castle on the Langenberg above the city. This castle dates back to the 13th century, but it was acquired by the counts of Hessen-Darmstadt in 1662. The name of the castle is Frankenstein. Mary Shelley probably adopted the name for her novel Frankenstein; before writing the story she had travelled through the region and visited Eberstadt (today a borough of Darmstadt), so the castle could have given her the inspiration.

Related Topics:
Mary Shelley - Frankenstein

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The Luisenplatz, the largest square of the city, forms the centre of the town. Today it is surrounded by modern buildings. In 1844 the Ludwigsäule (called Langer Lui, meaning Long Ludwig), a 33-meter column commemorating Ludwig I, first Grand Duke of Hessen, was placed in the middle. The other large town square is the Marktplatz (see image) near the town hall; it was restored in 1996 to regain the look that it had before World War II.

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