History of Strasbourg remained neutral during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), and retained its status as a Free Imperial City. However, the city was later annexed by Louis XIV of France to extend the borders of his kingdom. Louis' advisors believed that, as long as Strasbourg remained independent, it would endanger the King's newly annexed territories in Alsace, and, that to defend these large rural lands effectively, a garrison had to be placed in towns such as Strasbourg. Indeed, the bridge over the Rhine at Strasbourg had been used repeatedly by Imperial (Holy Roman Empire) forces, and three times during the Franco-Dutch War
Strasbourg-Ortenau Eurodistrict an area of 2,368 km². Building on regional and Franco-German cooperation, it aims to develop bonds between citizens, associations, public administrations, educational establishments and corporations. It is also in the context of European integration, with the presence of European institutions in Strasbourg, and has been compared to a European version of Washington D.C.. In addition to the array of European and Franco-German institutions, the district includes three ports, two airports and 10 universities. The Eurodistrict's Council is composed of 48 members, with 24 each representing either the French or the German side. The idea of a eurodistrict Strasbourg-Kehl (as it