Karlsruhe Pyramid

Karlsruhe ( KARLZ-roo-ə, US also KARLSS-, German: [ˈkaʁlsˌʁuːə] (listen); South Franconian: Kallsruh) is the third-largest city of the German state (Land) of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart, and Mannheim, and the 21st-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. It is also a former capital of Baden, a historic region named after Hohenbaden Castle in the city of Baden-Baden. Located on the right bank of the Rhine near the French border, between the Mannheim/Ludwigshafen conurbation to the north and Strasbourg/Kehl to the south, Karlsruhe is Germany's legal center, being home to the Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht), the Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) and the Public Prosecutor General of the Federal Court of Justice (Generalbundesanwalt beim Bundesgerichtshof). Karlsruhe was the capital of the Margraviate of Baden-Durlach (Durlach: 1565–1718; Karlsruhe: 1718–1771), the Margraviate of Baden (1771–1803), the Electorate of Baden (1803–1806), the Grand Duchy of Baden (1806–1918), and the Republic of Baden (1918–1945). Its most remarkable building is Karlsruhe Palace, which was built in 1715. There are nine institutions of higher education in the city, most notably the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie). Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport (Flughafen Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden) is the second-busiest airport of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart Airport, and the 17th-busiest airport of Germany.

The Karlsruhe tramway network (German: Straßenbahnnetz Karlsruhe) is a network of tramways forming part of the public transport system in Karlsruhe, a city in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Opened in 1877, the network has been operated since 1997 by Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe GmbH (VBK), a company owned by the city of Karlsruhe. The city itself was the tram network's operator between 1903 and 1997.

The Federal Constitutional Court (German: Bundesverfassungsgericht [bʊndəsfɛʁˈfasʊŋsɡəˌʁɪçt] (listen); abbreviated: BVerfG) is the supreme constitutional court for the Federal Republic of Germany, established by the constitution or Basic Law (Grundgesetz) of Germany. Since its inception with the beginning of the post-World War II republic, the court has been located in the city of Karlsruhe, which is also the seat of the Federal Court of Justice.The main task of the Federal Constitutional Court is judicial review, and it may declare legislation unconstitutional, thus rendering them ineffective. In this respect, it is similar to other supreme courts with judicial review powers, yet the court possesses a number of additional powers and is regarded as among the most interventionist and powerful national courts in the world. Unlike other supreme courts, the constitutional court is not an integral stage of the judicial or appeals process (aside from cases concerning constitutional or public international law), and does not serve as a regular appellate court from lower courts or the Federal Supreme Courts on any violation of federal laws. The court's jurisdiction is focused on constitutional issues and the compliance of all governmental institutions with the constitution. Constitutional amendments or changes passed by the parliament are subject to its judicial review since they have to be compatible with the most basic principles of the Grundgesetz defined by the eternity clause.

The State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe (German: Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe), abbreviated SMNK, is one of the two state of Baden-Württemberg's natural history museums. Together with the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart (Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart) it is one of the most important repositories for state-owned natural history collections. It is well known for its exhibitions on all aspects of natural history in the city of Karlsruhe and beyond. Every year, the SMNK is visited by about 150,000 people. Research at the museum mainly deals with various fields of natural history i.e. geology, paleontology, taxonomy, biogeography, and ecology. The SMNK is part of the national networks German Natural History Research Collections (DNFS), the Humboldt-Ring (Association of Research Museums) and of the International Council of Museums (ICOM). The SMNK looks back at a long history as it emerged from the cabinet of natural history of Landgravine Caroline Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt during the mid 18th century.

The Baumgarten-Bau (lit. 'Baumgarten Building') in Karlsruhe serves as the official seat of the Federal Constitutional Court. Built from 1965 to 1969 in the Botanical Garden of Schlossgarten, this building complex was originally composed of five pavilion-like structures with flat roofs, arranged around a long connecting corridor. Architect Paul Baumgarten created the original plans. The total floor area of the Baumgarten-Bau is approximately 16,000 square meters. The individual components of the building differ in height and have only a few stories. The glass and steel facade of the building gives it a plain and sober aesthetic and is attributed to the Modernist style. The Baumgarten-Bau became the official residence of the court in May 1969, replacing the Prinz-Max-Palais, which served as the official residence between 1951 and 1969 until it became inadequate for the growing need for space. The ensemble of buildings is designated as a cultural monument of special significance. From 2005 to 2007, an extension was added to the complex in the southwest, expanding it from five to six buildings. During extensive renovation work from 2011 to 2014, the Federal Constitutional Court temporarily relocated its official seat to the Oststadt district of Karlsruhe. In 2021, around 260 people were working in this building.

The Baden State Museum (German: Badisches Landesmuseum) in Karlsruhe is the large cultural, art and regional history museum of the Baden region of Baden-Württemberg . With its globally significant collections, representing more than 50,000 years of international cultural history, it conveys history and historical living environments. Its collections range from prehistory and early history to the Middle Ages and the 21st century. The museum was founded in 1919 and opened in 1921 in the rooms of Karlsruhe Palace.

The 1798 Karlsruhe Synagogue was an early building by the influential architect Friedrich Weinbrenner in the city of Karlsruhe. According to David Brownlee, this "synagogue was the first large Egyptian building to be erected since antiquity." According to Diana Muir Appelbaum, it was "the first public building (that is, not a folly, stage set, or funeral monument) in the Egyptian revival style." Appelbaum writes that the pair of tall pylons are copied from the temple at Karnak. The structure stood until 1871.

The Staatliche Kunsthalle (State Art Gallery) is an art museum in Karlsruhe, Germany. The museum, created by architect Heinrich Hübsch, opened in 1846 after nine years of work in a neoclassical building next to the Karlsruhe Castle and the Karlsruhe Botanical Garden. This historical building with its subsequent extensions now houses the part of the collection covering the 14th to the 19th century while the 20th century is displayed in the nearby building of the Botanical Gardens's former orangery. The museum notably displays paintings by the Master of the Karlsruhe Passion, Matthias Grünewald (most notably the Tauberbischofsheim Altarpiece), Albrecht Dürer, Hans Baldung, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Hans Burgkmair, Rembrandt, Pieter de Hooch, Peter Paul Rubens, David Teniers the Younger, Hyacinthe Rigaud, Claude Lorrain, Nicolas Poussin, Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, Eugène Delacroix, Gustave Courbet, Édouard Manet, Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Caspar David Friedrich, Hans Thoma, Lovis Corinth, August Macke, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Erich Heckel, Franz Marc, Jean-Marc Nattier, Max Pechstein, Max Ernst, Kurt Schwitters, Juan Gris, Yves Tanguy, Robert Delaunay, Otto Dix and Fritz von Uhde.

Karlsruhe Palace (German: Karlsruher Schloss) was built in 1715 for Margrave Charles III William of Baden-Durlach after a dispute with the citizens of his previous capital, Durlach. The city of Karlsruhe has since grown around it. The building is now home to the main museum of the Badisches Landesmuseum.

The Baden State Library (German: Badische Landesbibliothek, BLB) is a large universal library in Karlsruhe. Together with the Württembergische Landesbibliothek, the BLB is the legal deposit and regional library for Baden-Württemberg.

The Protestant Church in Baden (German: Evangelische Landeskirche in Baden; i.e. Evangelical Regional Church in Baden) is a United Protestant member church of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), and member of the Conference of Churches on the Rhine (since 1961), which now functions as a regional group of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE). The Evangelical Church in Baden is a united Protestant church. Its headquarter, the Evangelical Superior Church Council (German: Evangelischer Oberkirchenrat, EOK) is located in Karlsruhe. The church is not confused with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Baden, based in Freiburg im Breisgau.

The Botanischer Garten Karlsruhe is a municipal botanical garden located in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This garden should not be confused with the nearby Botanischer Garten der Universität Karlsruhe operated by the University of Karlsruhe. The garden was established by Charles III William, Margrave of Baden-Durlach and designed by Karl Christian Gmelin. Between 1853 and 1857, three plant houses were created by architect Heinrich Hübsch. The buildings were severely damaged or destroyed in World War II, but reconstructed as follows: camellia and flower house, rebuilt 1952 for cactus and succulent exhibition; palm house, rebuilt 1955 to 1956; tropical house, restored in the 1950s. The plant houses are open daily except Monday; an admission fee is charged. The grounds contain several rare trees from the 19th century amid newer plantings.