Gießen travel guide

Also spelled "Giessen" (without "ß"). Gießen (ˈgiːsən) is a town in the German federal state (Bundesland) of Hessen, capital of both the district of Gießen and the administrative region of Gießen. The population is approximately 71,000, with an approx. 22,000 university students.
Gießen means "to pour", as in water. The town is situated on the Lahn River, approximately 50 kilometeres north of Frankfurt, and it is surrounded by an abundance of lakes and streams.
Gießen came into being as a waterside castle in 1152, built by Count Wilhelm von Gleiberg. But the history of the community in the northeast and in today's suburb called "Wieseck" dates back to 775. In 1607, the University of Gießen was founded. In 1977 Gießen was merged with the neighboring city Wetzlar to form the new city of Lahn; however, this attempt to reorganize the administration was reversed in 1979.
During World War II, a subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp was located in the town.. Heavy bombing destroyed about 75% of Gießen in 1944, including most of the city's historic buildings. An American military base was located in Gießen after World War II. The U.S. Army Garrison Gießen, has a population of 500 Americans. The base is a converted German Army Air Field, which is reflected in some of the buildings, including the housing area. A theater, known as the Keller Theater, is a converted German army Officer's Club. (...) more…