IDAR-OBERSTEIN

'Idar-Oberstein' is a city in the Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It is ''The German Capital of Gemstone Industry''. The city lies on the Nahe River, in the district of Birkenfeld. It is the largest city in the Hunsrück region of southwest Germany, and has a population of around 35,000.

Contents

History

Famous Residents

Dining

Tourism

Nightlife

Other Recreation

Districts

Partnerships

External links

History

The towns of Idar and Oberstein belonged to the barons of Daun-Oberstein (who later became the counts of Falkenstein) until 1670. In 1865, both Idar and Oberstein were chartered as cities, and finally in 1933, they united (along with the smaller towns of Algenrodt and Tiefenstein) to form the modern town of Idar-Oberstein.

Idar-Oberstein is currently best known as a gemstone center: until recently, the area was a source for agate and jasper (both semi-precious stones), and the gem and jewelry trade continues to flourish in Idar-Oberstein today.

Two ruined medieval castles are perched on the hills above the town, and are, after gemstones and jewelry, the chief tourist attractions in the city, along with the Felsenkirche (aka Church of the Rock) that was constructed in a crevice in the side of the cliffs on which the castles rest.

The German Army's Artillery School (''Artillerieschule'') is located in Idar-Oberstein. Baumholder, a United States military installation just south of Idar-Oberstein, was once the most largest concentration of American combat soldiers outside of the U.S, and a large number of its junior officers live in Idar-Oberstein on the German economy. Additionally, the small U.S. Army post of Strassburg Kaserne overlooks the city from the suburb of Algenrodt--1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery, is based from Strassburg, and so several hundred U.S. soldiers reguarly call Idar-Oberstein home for periods of two to four years.

Famous Residents

Jason O. Waters, an American oil magnate (Waters and Waters), resides in Idar-Oberstein, just above the Brasserie. Bruce Willis was born in this city in 1955. He was last seen in Idar-Oberstein on August 6, 2005. Lloyd Zimri Patashnick, the former child financial prodigy whose uncle co-founded Rupprecht and Patashnick (now known as Thermo Scientific, part of Thermo Electron) in the early 1980s, maintains a home in Idar-Oberstein as well.

Dining

Spiesbraten is a dish typically associated with the area. For many years the town hosted an annual Spiesbraten Fest. Many restaurants specialize in this marinated steak of beef or pork. It is cooked on an open pit over a wood fire. It is typically served with a salad of grated radish. "Schmeckt gut!" (Translation:tastes good)

Tourism

Since the early 1960s tourism became quite important for Idar-Oberstein. Today one will find many modern facilities like the "Steinkaulenberg" (a gemstone mine open for visitors) and the "Deutsches Edelsteinmuseum" (German gemstone museum) as well as many recreational resorts.

Nightlife

The recently opened Park Hotel is the main attraction on Friday nights, offering an upscale bar on the main floor and a "euro-rock" themed dance club on the bottom floor. Visitors seeking a younger, more questionable crowd may find respite in Club Ypsilon, in the Oberstein pedestrian zone. The large Russian immigrant population in the city has claimed Ypsilon as its own, reportedly leading to a number of small conflicts with American soldiers stationed in the area who periodically also try to establish an American presence in the club. Nearby ''Granadas'', has been off-limits to American soldiers for several years, and so has a more uniformly European attendance--''Granadas'' maintains both a hip-hop and techno themed floor for a younger crowd, similar to Ypsilon, and an 80's and disco dance-room for slightly older patrons. Other popular locations in Idar-Oberstein include the ''Cafè Carrè'', the ''Brasserie'' on Idar's ''Schleiferplatz'', and ''Eckstein'', a modern pub on the Idar Walkplatz.

Other Recreation

Options for recreational activity include tubing the Nahe river during the early summer, running and hiking through the diamond mine paths, and several recurring city festivals to include the Caribbean Fest.

Districts

'''Old Town:'''

★ Oberstein (8.794)

★ Idar (8.466)

★ Tiefenstein (2.642)

★ Algenrodt (2.382)
→ Population: '22.284'
'''New Districts:'''

★ Göttschied (2.924)

★ Weierbach (2.703)

★ Nahbollenbach (1.970)

★ Mittelbollenbach (1.197)

★ Kirchenbollenbach (938)

★ Regulshausen (835)

★ Enzweiler (747)

★ Georg-Weierbach (709)

★ Hammerstein (573)
→ Population: '12.596'
30th of July 2005

Partnerships

Idar-Oberstein has established partnerships with these cities:

★ Achicourt (France) since 1966

★ Les Mureaux (France) since 1971

★ Margate (Great Britain) since 1981

★ Goiânia (Brazil) since 2004

External links

★ Official web site

★ gemstone mine ''Steinkaulenberg''

★ Deutsches Edelsteinmuseum (German Gemstone Museum)

★ The Museum Oberstein

★ International Trade Fair for Precious Stones and Jewellery (Intergem)

★ History of Idar-Oberstein's gem industry

★ Gemstone-Museum

★ Wirtschaftsjunioren Idar-Oberstein (JCI Idar-Oberstein)