Wiesbaden, a city in southwest Germany, is the capital of the state of Hesse. The city is on the right, northern, bank of the river Rhine. It lies opposite the city of Mainz on the other side of the river, and is near Frankfurt am Main.Wiesbaden is a historic spa city, which has catered to people from countries near and far for many centuries. Even the "old" Romans knew of the "Aquis Mattiacis".
After World War II, the state of Hesse was established and Wiesbaden became its capital, though nearby Frankfurt am Main is much larger and contains many Hessian government offices. Wiesbaden however suffered much less than Frankfurt from air bombing. There is a constant rumour that the U.S. Army Air Force spared the town due to its scheduled function as a postwar HQ, but recent research from USAAF sources has shown this to be a myth. Wiesbaden's economic and strategic importance simply did not justify more bombing. Wiesbaden was host to the Headquarters, U.S. Air Forces, Europe based at the former Lindsey Air Station from 1953 to 1973.
American armed forces have been present in Wiesbaden since World War II. The U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division is still headquartered at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield, just off the Autobahn toward Frankfurt. Smaller supporting American kasernes and housing areas are scattered around the city. More Americans are moving in from bases scheduled to be closed such as Darmstadt and Heidelberg.