We Love Baden-Baden e.V. is a location and marketing society that unites retailers, restaurants and businesses in the centre of Baden-Baden. It sets out to enliven the city centre and strengthen the Baden-Baden brand. It has carried its present name only since 2023, before which it was called Baden-Baden Innenstadt e.V. (BBI).
What the society does
The society shows its face above all through recurring campaigns in the city centre.
Several times a year it stages Sunday opening days, when city-centre shops open from 1 to 6 p.m. The dates are often chosen to coincide with larger events in the city — spring shopping during the Easter Festival, for instance, or the Sunday opening during the Oldtimer-Meeting.
A second focus is the seasonal look of the streets. From mid-March the society decorates the city centre with planted flower bags, and for the first Sunday of Advent it puts up around 180 decorated Christmas trees. In doing so it has taken on city-centre upkeep that once fell to the municipality.
With the Baden-Baden Card the society runs a customer loyalty card for participating businesses. It also publishes a magazine, stages the book festival at the Kulturhaus LA8 in cooperation with Media Control and the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels e.V., and takes part in the city’s larger events, for example with a Sunday opening for the SWR3 New Pop Festival.
Purpose and members
The society’s declared aim is to enliven the city centre, advance the development of the city and make Baden-Baden more attractive. Its backers come from a range of trades. Members include retailers, restaurants, taxi firms, the professions, doctors and pharmacies, as well as private individuals.
As of 2026 the chair is Sascha Wachaczewsky, with Matthias Hirsch as deputy chair. The office is at Lange Straße 8.
History
The society has existed for many years and has changed its name several times, though its goal has always been to promote the city centre of Baden-Baden. Most recently it was called Baden-Baden Innenstadt e.V. (BBI), representing the interests of retail and business in the city centre. After a difficult fresh start in spring 2023, an extraordinary general meeting in August 2023 decided on the new name and a new direction.
Sources
- Über uns and Aktionen, We Love Baden-Baden e.V., retrieved 19 July 2026
- Aus dem Verein Baden-Baden Innenstadt wird “We love Baden-Baden”, Badische Neueste Nachrichten, retrieved 19 July 2026