The Ludwig Kanal, built between 1836 and 1846, connected the Donau River at Kelheim with the Main River at Bamberg. The canal was extensively damaged during World War II and abandoned in 1950. The Rhein-Main-Donau Kanal, completed in 1992, runs almost parallel to the old Ludwig Kanal in reconnecting the Rhine and Danube Basins. Bamberg continues to serve as a key link in the waterway.
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Darmstadt, the former capital of the Grand Duchy of Hessen, is the third largest city in Hessen and serves as the mission control center for the European Space Agency, an intergovernmental organization established in 1975. The city is also the site of the GSI Centre for Heavy Ion Research, an institution responsible for research in the discovery and confirmation of several chemical elements.
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In geographical terms, a bight is a curve along a coastline or river. Wilhelmshaven is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a curvature along Germany’s North Sea coast. The city was established by Kaiser Wilhelm I as a naval base for Prussia’s expanding fleet; the name translates as Wilhelm’s Harbor. The city continues to serve as Germany’s largest naval base and is the only deep water port in the nation.
