Kaiser-Joseph-Straße

On the southern outskirts of the historical city center Kaiser-Joseph-Straße passes through the Martinstor gate and continues on to Kaiserbrücke, which crosses the Dreisam.

Most of the buildings between Siegesdenkmal and Martinstor were completely destroyed in World War II during an air raid on 27 November 1944.

The Kaiser-Joseph-Straße was originally called the "Große Gass" (big alley), where a weekly market was held in medieval times.

For the bridal procession of the future French Queen Marie Antoinette, consisting of 235 people, 57 wagons and 250 draft and saddle horses, however, the street was not wide enough.

In order to give her a welcome which befitted her social status in spite of this, it was decided that she was to enter the city through the gateway called Breisacher Tor via Gartenstraße on 4 May 1770.

Marie Antoinette stayed at the Kageneckschen House, a locally well-known landmark, on Salzstraße, right before moving on to Schuttern Abbey on the morning of May 6.

[6] During the time of National Socialism the entirety of the Kaiserstraße, including its extensions to the north (Zähringerstraße) and to the south (Günterstalstraße), was renamed Adolf-Hitler-Straße.

The name derives from the Basel cathedral chapter who used the residence from 1587 to 1677 when they were forced to relocate to Freiburg as a result of the Reformation in their home town.