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Biberach is a city in the south of Germany, capital of the district Biberach in Baden-Württemberg. To distinguish it from the other Biberachs it is called Biberach an der Riß after the small river Riß which flows through the city (the Riß/Riss also gave its name to the Riss Glaciation period).
Biberach has a population of about 32,000, and is located in Swabia between the river Danube and Lake Constance. The marketplace with its patrician buildings, its fountain and its renovated town hall is one of the loveliest in the south of Germany.
Biberach is a very important city for apprentices because quite a few big companies like EnBW, Liebherr, KaVo, and Boehringer Ingelheim are located here.
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History
For many centuries, Biberach was an Imperial Free City (German: Freie Reichsstadt) in the Holy Roman Empire. In that role it participated in the 1792 Reichstag.
In 1803, Biberach was annexed by the Grand Duchy of Baden. In 1806, it was traded to the Kingdom of Württemberg. In 1871 it became part of the Empire of Germany.
Industry
KaVo
KaVo (Kaltenbach & Voigt) is a leading company in producing dental medicine equipment and products like instruments, dental systems, laboratory and equipment for training centers for universities. The head office is in Biberach. But KaVo has production locations and sales locations all over the world, e.g in Brasil, England, USA, Canada, Russia, France, Italy, etc. In March 2004, Danaher, an American industrial company, took over KaVo in order to improve its portfolio in terms of dental technology. Since a massive loss of jobs is expected, waves of solidarity have tried to help KaVo's workers' council. Even Walter Riester, Germany's former Secretary of Labour, is involved in that.
Boehringer Ingelheim
Boehringer Ingelheim investigates, develops, produces and commercializes drugs for people all over the world. With about 35.529 employees who are employed in 156 countries on all continents, today, Boehringer Ingelheim is part of the most research intensive enterprises internationally. Boehringer Ingelheim was founded in Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany in 1885, where the corporate headquarters are still located today.
EnBW
EnBW means „Energy Baden-Württemberg“. Its coporate center is in Karlsruhe. In Stuttgart there is the „Regional Center“. An exciting chapter of the success story began with the merger of Badenwerk AG and Energie-Versorgung Schwaben AG in the year 1997. The EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG was born. EnBW is Germany's third largest energy company. In Biberach there are about 900 employees. The firm employs 125 trainees. Every year the EnBW gives young people the chance for a position as an apprentice. Also the EnBW is trying to protect the environment.
Liebherr Biberach
The beginning of Liebherr Biberach was in 1954. The firm produces many sorts of cranes. 1700 people and 112 trainees work there. Dr. Hans Liebherr invented the crane in 1949 in Kirchdorf/Iller. You can find Liebherr products all over the world. For example Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, the USA and so on.
Twin towns
Biberach is twinned with Asti (I), Valence/Drôme (F), Telavi (Georgia), Tendring District (UK) and Swidnica (PL). It also has close links to Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands.
Entertainment
Arts
Biberach not only has a film festival for German films which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2003, the "Filmfest Biberach", but will as of 2004 also have a second festival, the Biberach Independent Film Festival that focusses of shorts and documentaries. Both festivals run almost parallel in November.
Cafes, Clubs, Restaurants
In Biberach there are many cafés. If you want know where you can go for breakfast, for lunch, to party or only to chill in a lounge; check the website http://www.weberberg.de/, there you find a link "sceneführer" on the bottom.
Biberach also has a number of beer gardens of which the "Haberhäusle" in Birkendorf ist the most beautiful one as it is located directly on the banks of the Riß.
"Biberacher Schützenfest"
The historical festival for children and the town. The event starts every year in the first July week for 9 days. In this time there are a lot of attractions for example. The name "Schützenfest" derives from the German verb schützen, meaning to protect, the festival is, therefore, a celebration of peace and expresses the hope that the town will be protected from war in the future.
- Parade on the streets
- Theme park
- There are a lot of parties in the bars, cafès and so on.
Every year there is a big historical festival named “Schützenfest”. It takes place in the first week of July. There are historical processions with many different groups, a fairground and other historical performances. For the youth there are many bars and pubs and for the older ones there is a beer tent. So it's a lot of fun!
Sports in Biberach
BMX Initiative Biberach e.V. The BMX Park is near McDonald's in Biberach. The dirt and chillout area has about 5100 m². It receives many visitors from the whole world. You can ride your dirt bike, ride the mini-ramp or the big jump-box.
External links
- Information from city hall (http://www.biberach-riss.de)
- Biberach (http://weberberg.de) (alternative Website)
- FMX/BMX X-treme Sport (http://www.bmx-bc.de)
- Lafayette-Lounge (http://www.wmax.org)
- Living in Biberach (http://www.campus-germany.de/english/4.22.3.2009.1.html)
- Town/City Guide (http://www.weberberg.de/abc/texte/bc-international.html)
- Liebherr (http://www.liebherr.com)de:Biberach an der Riß