Wolfstein, Rhineland-Palatinate
Wolfstein was founded in 1275 on Habsburg King Rudolph I's orders, which called for a “fortified and free” town near his castle, “Woluisstein”, now known as the "Alt-Wolfstein" (“Old Wolfstein”) ruin. Rudolph forthwith granted the new town the same town rights and freedoms as the town of Speyer. As an “everlasting marketplace”, it was to be a sanctuary for commerce, trade and dealing. The first townsmen and -women came from the surrounding, much older villages.
Wolfsburg Hauptbahnhof
The first scheduled ICE stopped in Wolfsburg on 26 September 1998. The numbers of long-distance passengers has risen continuously since then. In 2004, 6,500 long-distance passengers were counted daily, in 2006 this has risen to about 7,800. In 2008, the number was 8,500 a day (another source says 10,000).
After the station building was neglected by the city council for a long time, extensive renovations began in 2004, which were estimated to cost €1.9 million. The station received a floor designed by the French artist Daniel Buren, business premises were rebuilt and various businesses including a travel centre and a service centre for Autostadt were installed. In the spring of 2011, the station tunnel was extended to the banks of the Mittelland Canal, giving a direct connection from the city to a new waterfront development.