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Weil am Rhein
	Weil am Rhein
	Vitra Design Museum
	; Weil am Rhein
Coordinates	47°35′41″N 7°36′39″E / 47.59472°N 7.61083°E
	Administration
Country	Germany
State	Baden-Württemberg
Admin. region	Freiburg
District	Lörrach
Town subdivisions	7
Mayor	Wolfgang Dietz (CDU)
	Basic statistics
Area	19.47 km2 (7.52 sq mi)
Elevation	281 m (922 ft)
Population	29,519 (31 December 2006)
- Density	1,516 /km2 (3,927 /sq mi)
	Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	LÖ
Postal codes	79546–79576
Area code	07621
Website	www.weil-am-rhein.de

Weil am Rhein is a German town and commune which is a suburb of the city of Basel in Switzerland. It is situated on the east bank of the River Rhine, and close to the point at which the Swiss, French and German borders meet. It is the most southwesterly town in Germany.

[edit] Geography

Weil am Rhein is located at 47°35′42″N 7°36′39.6″E / 47.595°N 7.611°E / 47.595; 7.611 in the district of Lörrach in the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg. The city limits border France to the west and Switzerland to the south. Locally Weil is situated in the region referred to as Markgräflerland.

The city's location on the Rhine and proximity to the Black Forest give it a continental climate, particularly suited to viticulture.

[edit] History

The town is first documented in the year 786 as Willa, a name which is thought to be of Roman origin. The duc de Villars crossed the Rhine here in October 1702 to fight the Battle of Friedlingen during the War of the Spanish Succession. Weil was severely damaged as a result of the conflict.

Agriculture dominated local industry until the 19th century, when the city began to grow, aided by its favourable transport connections. A railway marshalling yard linking Weil am Rhein to Basel was built in 1913. Swiss textile factories were established in the Friedlingen quarter. 1934 saw the construction of a harbour on the Rhine.

After the Second World War the population again grew rapidly due to the influx of refugees and stateless persons. Between 1971 and 1975 the communities of Ötlingen, Haltingen and Märkt were incorporated and Weil am Rhein became a substantial town.

[edit] International relations

Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

[edit] Twin towns — Sister cities

Weil am Rhein is twinned with:

[edit] Tourism and leisure

The premises of the furniture maker Vitra, featuring buildings by architects such as Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid and Tadao Ando, are an attraction for architecture fans. The premises also include the Vitra Design Museum.
The Laguna water park

[edit] External links

Official site (German)
Vitra Design Museum (German)(English)
Laguna water park (German)
Weil am Rhein: pictures (German)