“Habachesfelt” Hagsfeld was first mentioned in 991. According to tradition the name Hagsfeld comes from a field full of “Habachen”. These were probably trees. Hagsfeld is a district in the north east of Karlsruhe. It borders Stutensee, Weingarten, Grötzingen, Durlach, Rintheim and Waldstadt.
Let me tell you about Hagsfeld. In 1261 Pope Urban IV confirmed that “Hagesvelt” belonged to Gottesaue Monastery. In 1453 Margrave Jakob I bequeathed Hagsfeld to his son George of Baden. The Laurentius Church and the cemetery were mentioned in 1499. They were property of Gottesaue Monastery too.
The Thirty Years’ War claimed many victims in Hagsfeld. In 1650 only 45 residents were left. By 1851 Hagsfeld comprised 110 houses. 908 residents lived there.
The Hagsfeld volunteer fire department was founded in 1874. The first train station was built in 1895. The first gas line followed in 1909. The population rose to 2000 in 1911.
During the Nazi era the gymnastics association and the workers’ sports club were banned in 1933. In 1938 Hagsfeld was incorporated into the city of Karlsruhe. It had 2962 residents. In April 1944 British aircraft bombed Hagsfeld by mistake. The place was largely destroyed. The bombs were meant for the Karlsruhe train station.
Today Hagsfeld is divided into Alt-Hagsfeld and Westlicher Teil. The Rheintalbahn and Stadtbahn-Trasse divide the district. The newest residential areas are called Geroldsäcker. They were built since the mid-1980s. The streets south of Waldeckstraße are older. This residential area dates from the 1950s and 1960s. The Reitschulschlag residential area lies between Geroldsäcker Nord and Büchig. It was also built in the 1950s and 1960s. The Traugott-Bender-Sportpark and the Fächerbad are also part of Hagsfeld Westlicher Teil.
In 1535 Hagsfeld belonged to the Margraviate of Baden-Durlach. In 1556 the Reformation was introduced. The Thirty Years’ War decimated the population to 45 in 1637. Hagsfeld was almost completely destroyed by French troops. This happened during the Palatinate War of Succession. The first schoolhouse was built in 1754. In 1864 a “children’s nursery school for children of industrial workers” was established. In 1891 the village was connected to the Karlsruhe Lokalbahn Durmersheim-Spöck. This shortened the journey to work in Karlsruhe for around 350 factory workers. In 1895 the train station was built on the railway line to Mannheim. In 1920 the Raupp shoe factory was founded. It produced until 1974. The Pfinzentlastungskanal was built in 1937. It replaced the Hirschkanal.
Since the end of the 1980s the Geroldsäcker have been developed. There are large apartment blocks with a high percentage of Russian immigrants. You will also find single-family homes and an eco-settlement there.
Hagsfeld has a station for regional trains to Mannheim and Karlsruhe Hbf. The S2 city train line runs through Hagsfeld towards Stutensee. Since the opening of the Karlsruhe-Nord interchange, Hagsfeld has seen an increase in traffic. A southern bypass is under discussion to relieve the burden. It is part of the so-called Nordtangente.
The Laurentius Church is one of the few historical remnants of Hagsfeld’s history. Like Hagsfeld itself, the small church was first mentioned in 991. You can find the Laurentius Church in the middle of the Hagsfeld cemetery. It forms a harmonious haven of peace in its simplicity.
So next time you pass through, remember Hagsfeld’s story. It is a story of resilience, growth and transformation. From a small village to a part of Karlsruhe.