The city of Ludwigshafen is located on the Rhine River. The city and the nearby areas are formed as the Rhine Neckar Area. It is known for its chemical industry. The city was named after the Bavarian King, Ludwig 1.
During the first century, the inhabitants of the area were Celtic, Antiquity, and Germanic tribes. When the Romans invaded the area, a Roman auxiliary fort was built close to the current suburb of Rheing?nheim.
In 1843, a Bavarian king, Ludwig I had started to build an urban area as a shield to the rival city Mannheim, located on the opposite bank of the Rhine River.
During the German Revolution in 1848, rebels took young children of Ludwigshafen, but they were thrown bombs by the Mannheim. The revolutionaries were quickly expelled by the Prussian troops. On 27 December 1852, the city was granted its political freedom by the king of Bavaria, King Maximillian II.
Since the Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabric (Baden Aniline and Soda Factory, BASF) had been moved to the city, the population had grown rapidly and the company is now considered one of the most significant chemical companies in the planet. Later on, a number of chemical companies started to erect in the city including the Friedrich Raschig GmbH, the Giulini brothers, the Knoll AG, the Benckiser Company, and the Gr?nzweig&Hartmann AG. Jobs expanded in the city, which resulted to increase the population rapidly.
Due to the rapid population growth, the city is called a "worker's town" and caused housing and real states shortages. As a solution, the municipal area of Ludwigshafen was expanded up to the two nearby villages: Mundemheim and Friesenheim.
In terms of transportation, Ludwigshafen is the most significant harbour in Germany. The harbour is composed of several basins located in the south of the city. The wharfs along the river cross the city centre and the BASF, while the Landeshafen basin comes from the North that connects to BASF. The local industry ship their raw materials and products on the river.
The city is well-connected to the several airports in the region. There are medium-sized regional airport airfields near Bad Durkheim, Speyer, and Worms City, which take an hour driving distance.
The city is known for its Wilhelm-Hack-Museum, where its wall becomes filthy due to the city's smog. Some of the small museums in Ludwigshafen have its own histories, including the Stadtmuseum in the Rathaus Centre, K.O. Braun-Museum in Oppau, Schillerhaus Oggersheim, and the Frankenthaler Kanal Museum in the North. Its Fachhochschule Ludwigshafen (a technical college) specializes economics, which is affiliated to Ostasieninstitut (East Asia Institute). Another institute that specialises on social sciences is the Evangelische Fachhochschule Ludwigshafen.
Currently, BASF employed approximately 80,000 people, which has increased from 55,000 employees. The main products of the company are dye, fertilisers, coolants, and many other chemical substances. Other chemical plant companies in the city are Abbott, Benckiser, BK Giulini and Raschig. Some industry centres in the city include mechanical engineering, IT, electrical engineering and brewery.
The city has several municipal parks ideal for the family, friends and lovers. These include the Ebert park in the North quarter; Stadtpark in the Parkinsel; and Friedens park located in the main station and west of the city hall.