Wetzlar

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Wetzlar
Town
The old town and the old Lahnbridge
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Wetzlar within Lahn-Dill-Kreis district
Wetzlar Show map of Germany Wetzlar Show map of Hesse
Coordinates: 50°34′N 8°30′E / 50.567°N 8.500°E / 50.567; 8.500
Country	Germany
State	Hesse
District	Lahn-Dill-Kreis
Subdivisions	8 quarters
Government
• Lord mayor (2021–27)	Manfred Wagner[1] (SPD)
Area
• Total	75.67 km2 (29.22 sq mi)
Highest elevation	402 m (1,319 ft)
Lowest elevation	148 m (486 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)[2]
• Total	54,187
• Density	720/km2 (1,900/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	35576–35586
Dialling codes	06441, 0641, 06446
Vehicle registration	LDK, WZ
Website	wetzlar.de

Wetzlar (German pronunciation: [ˈvɛt͡slaːʁ] ^ⓘ) is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany. It is the twelfth largest city in Hesse with currently 55,371 inhabitants at the beginning of 2019 (including second homes).^[3] As an important cultural, industrial and commercial center, the university town is one of the ten regional centers in the state of Hesse. A former free imperial city, it gained much of its fame as the seat of the Imperial Supreme Court (Reichskammergericht) of the Holy Roman Empire. Located 51 kilometers north of Frankfurt,^[4] at 8° 30′ E, 50° 34′ N, Wetzlar straddles the river Lahn and is on the German Timber-Frame Road, which passes mile upon mile of half-timbered houses. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis on the north edge of the Taunus. Tourists know the city for its ancient town and its medieval Catholic/Protestant shared cathedral of St. Mary. Notable architectural features include the Eisenmarkt and the steep gradients and tightly packed street layout of a medieval town. The building of the sandstone cathedral commenced in the 12th century in Romanesque style. In the later Middle Ages the construction continued under a master plan in Gothic style. The church was never finished—one steeple still remains uncompleted. The cathedral suffered heavy damage in the Second World War from aerial bombing, but restoration took place in the 1950s. On the outskirts of town along the river stand the ruins of several stone towers.

The town hosted the Hessentag state festival twice (the 15th and the 52nd in 1975 and 2012 respectively).