Pforzheim

Pforzheim is a town of 115,000 inhabitants in the state of Baden-Württemberg, south-west Germany at the gate to the Black Forest. It has an area of 98 km² and lies between the cities of Stuttgart and Karlsruhe at the confluence of three rivers (Enz, Nagold and Würm) and marks the frontier between Baden and Schwaben.

Economy and infrastructure

Pforzheim is one of the regional centers (Oberzentrum) in Baden-Wuerttemberg and has one of the highest densities of industrial activity in the state.

Related Topics:
Regional centers - Baden-Wuerttemberg

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Only a smaller fraction of the economy nowadays is dedicated to producing the traditional products of watches and jewellery. Two thirds of all employment positions are made available in the areas of metal processing, electronics and electro-technology. The mail order companies (Bader, Klingel, Wenz) with their sales volumes in the order of millions of Euros occupies a leading position in Germany. Tourism is gaining importance. In this respect the city benefits from its favorable Three-Valleys location at the gateway to the Black Forest, and related to this, from the starting points of a large number of hiking, cycling and waterway routes. The European long-distance path E1 and the Black Forest Western Hiking Route (Westweg) pass through Pforzheim.

Related Topics:
Watches - Jewellery - Metal - Processing - Electronics - Electro-technology - Mail order - Tourism - Hiking - Cycling - European long-distance path - E1 - Black Forest Western Hiking Route - Westweg

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Traffic

The Federal Freeway A8 (Perl - Bad Reichenhall) runs by just to the north of the city. The city can be accessed via three freeway exits. The Interstate Road B10 (Lebach - Augsburg) and B294 (Gundelfingen - Bretten) run through the city. The B463 Interstate Road running toward Nagold has its starting point here.

Related Topics:
Federal Freeway A8 - Perl - Bad Reichenhall - Interstate Road B10 - Lebach - Augsburg - B294 - Gundelfingen - Bretten - B463 Interstate Road - Nagold

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pforzheim is located at the railway line Karlsruhe-Stuttgart. In addition there are two railway lines into the Black Forest to Bad Wildbad and Nagold. Pforzheim is connected to the Karlsruhe city light rail network. Other public transportation services in the city area are provided by busses of the Pforzheim Municipal Transport Company (SVP) and several other transportation companies. They all offer unified fares within the framework of the Pforzheim-Enzkreis Transportation Network (Verkehrsverbund). Between 1931 and 1968 there existed the light rail connection between Ittersbach and Pforzheim, operated by Pforzheim Municipal Transportation Company (SVP). Before that (since 1899) the railroad belonged to the BLEAG (Baden Local Railway Inc., Badische-Lokaleisenbahn-Aktiengesellschaft). The light rail service "S 5" connecting Pforzheim to the destinations Bietigheim-Bissingen and Woerth on the Rhine river is operated by the Albtal Transportation Company (Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft), which since 2002 also operates the Enz Valley Light Rail route to Bad Wildbad.

Related Topics:
Black Forest - Bad Wildbad - Nagold - Pforzheim Municipal Transport - Company - Pforzheim-Enzkreis Transportation Network - Verkehrsverbund - 1931 - 1968 - Light rail - Ittersbach - 1899 - Bietigheim-Bissingen - Woerth on the Rhine - Albtal Transportation Company - Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Major local enterprises

• Schmid Machine Tools
• Klingel Mail Order Company
• Bader Mail Order Company
• Wenz Mail Order Company
• Witzenmann GmbH (Specialized Metal Goods)
• Mapal WWS
• Thales (Electronics)

Media

The daily newspapers Pforzheim Newspaper (Pforzheimer Zeitung, independent) and the Pforzheim Courier

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

(Pforzheimer Kurier), which is a regional edition of Badische Neueste Nachrichten (BNN) with main editorial offices in Karlsruhe, are published in Pforzheim.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Courts of Justice

Pforzheim is the site of a Local Court of Justice which belongs to the District Court and Higher District Court Precinct of Karlsruhe. It is also the domicile of a Local Labor Court.

Related Topics:
Court of Justice - Labor Court

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Authorities

Pforzheim is the domicile of the following public authorities and public incorporated bodies:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Pforzheim Employment Exchange (a federal government agency; Arbeitsagentur Pforzheim).
• Pforzheim Internal Revenue Agency (a state agency; Finanzamt Pforzheim)
• Northern Black Forest Chamber of Commerce (a public incorporated body; IHK Nordschwarzwald). The precinct of the chamber is the Northern Black Forest Region.
• Northern Black Forest Regional Association (a public incorporated body; Regionalverband Nordschwarzwald).

Educational institutions

• Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule Pforzheim - Hochschule fuer Gestaltung, Technik und Wirtschaft) enrolls about 4000 students. It was formed in 1992 by way of merging the former Pforzheim School of Design (Fachhochschule fuer Gestaltung) and Pforzheim Business School (Fachhochschule fuer Wirtschaft) and additionally establishing the Faculty of Engineering. The Pforzheim School of Design had its roots in the Ducal Academy of Arts and Crafts and Technical School for the Metal Processing Industry, established 1877. The Pforzheim Business School was the successor institution of the National Business College, which was established in 1963. The campuses of the Faculty of Design and the Faculties of Economics and Engineering are located at separate sites in the city area. The Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences fosters international exchange. Among other relationships, it is affiliated with the NIEBES Association and has close academic ties to Osijek University of Croatia and academic exchange programs with many institutions abroad, among them Auburn University of the United States of America.
• The Goldsmith and Watchmaking Vocational School is the only school of its kind in Europe. It is attended by many students from abroad.
• The general qualification for university admission (Abitur) can be obtained through an education at the Reuchlin-Highschool, the Kepler-Highschool, the Hebel-Highschool, the Theodor-Heuss-Highschool, the Hilda-Highschool, the Schiller-Highschool, the Fritz-Erler-Highschool (economics-oriented highschool), the Heinrich-Wieland-Highschool (technology-oriented highschool), der Johanna-Wittum-Highschool (home economics-oriented highschool), as well as the Waldorfschule.
• Pforzheim also has many schools providing the mandatory general elementary and secondary education (Grundschule, Realschule) as well an institution which is dedicated to further education of grown-ups (Volkshochschule). There are also several state-run vocational schools leading to professional diplomas in the crafts and trades.