Waldkirch (German pronunciation: [ˈvaltˌkɪʁç] ⓘ) is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located 15 kilometers northeast of Freiburg im Breisgau.

While the English translation of its name is Forest Church, it is known as the "town of mechanical organs", where fairground organs played on the streets were long manufactured by such well-known firms as Carl Frei (later of Breda, Netherlands), Andreas Ruth and Son, and Wilhelm Bruder and Sons.

The largest employers today are SICK AG, which manufactures optical sensors, Faller AG, which prints pharmaceutical packages and inserts, and Mack Rides, which exports amusement park and water park rides worldwide.

The lowest point of Waldkirch is 243 m high, the difference in altitude in the district is 998 m. Due to its location in the Upper Rhine Plain occasionally there are some small earthquakes.

The last major earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 on the Richter scale occurred on December 5, 2004, with the epicenter below the Kandel massif.

The districts Buchholz, Kollnau, Siensbach as well as Suggental are localities ("Ortschaften") according to the Baden-Württemberg municipal regulations.

The Waldkirch district includes the town of the same name, the hamlet of Heimeck, the farms of Dettenbach, Eschbach, Petershöfe and Wegelbach as well as the residential areas of Altersbach, Forstsiedlung and Kandelrasthaus.

The earliest known mention of Waldkirch is the foundation of the Saint Margaret convent, by the Swabian duke Buchard II around the year 918.

This arms had a blue and green background above and below the depicted double towered church, the right and left lined with two silver trees.

The tradition of gemstone cutting, which reaches back to the Middle Ages, is still upheld today by the Wintermantel company.

The organ builders Jäger and Brommer, Paul Fleck Söhne, Achim Schneider and Wolfram Stützle continue the tradition to this day.

In contrast, optical and electrical manufacturing, represented in Waldkirch by the company SICK AG, has been enjoying steady growth since World War II, as has paper manufacturing represented by the company August Faller GmbH.

Waldkirch is located along the Federal Highway ("Bundesstraße") 294 between Bretten and Freiburg im Breisgau.

Some of Waldkirch's businesses are well-known beyond the immediate area, and a few operate worldwide - even as global market leaders in their field.

Organ building is still an active trade, conducted by Jäger and Brommer, Paul Fleck Söhne, Achim Schneider and Wolfram Stützle.

Another company located in Waldkirch is SICK AG, a manufacturer of industrial sensors and optical technology, with more than 8000 employees worldwide.

It also houses a centre for special education for students with learning difficulties, as well as a special needs school for students with visual impairments, the "Staatliche Schule für Sehbehinderte St. Michael", and finally, the vocational school center "Berufliches Schulzentrum Waldkirch".

Additionally, the city runs a full-day program at the primary school and Hauptschule Kastelbergschule, as well as a child day-care center.

The town is member of Cittàslow, a Slow movement started in Italy in 1999 to increase the quality of urban life.

The Elztalmuseum, Kirchplatz 14, housed in the baroque former provost building, displays not only regional folk art and historical documents, but also important examples of Waldkirch barrel organ and musical instrument making.