Hanau, city, Hessen Land (state), central Germany. It is a port on the right bank of the canalized Main River at the mouth of the Kinzig, east of Frankfurt am Main. The old town grew up around the castle of the lords of Hanau (counts from 1429) and was chartered in 1303; the new town was founded in 1597 for Protestant Dutch and Walloon refugees. Hanau passed to Hesse-Kassel in 1736. In 1813 it was the scene of a battle between Napoleon’s troops and Austrians and Bavarians. Much of the town was rebuilt after being virtually demolished in World War II, and the new buildings were erected to conform to the historic pattern.
Hanau was a centre of the jewel and precious-metal trade, which dates from the 16th century. Principal industries of the economy today are the smelting and working of precious metals and the manufacture of rubber goods and optical and precision instruments. The port also has made Hanau a transport and regional commercial centre. Notable landmarks include the 14th-century St. Mary’s Church, the Dutch-Walloon church of St. John (1658), the two town halls, and a monument to the Brothers Grimm (Jacob Ludwig Carl and Wilhelm Carl Grimm), who were born in Hanau. Philippsruhe Castle (1701–15) and the electoral residence (1776–84) at Wilhelmsbad (spa) are nearby. Pop. (2003 est.) 88,897.