OFFENBURG  , a

town of Germany, in the grand-duchy of Baden, 27 M. by rail S.W. of Baden, on the river Kinzig . Pop . (1905) 15,434 . It contains a statue of Sir Francis Drake, a mark of honour due to the fact that Drake is sometimes regarded as having introduced the potato into Europe . The chief industries of the town are the making of cotton, linen, hats, malt, machinery, tobacco and cigars and glass . Offenburg is first mentioned about I loo . In 1223 it became a town; in 1248 it passed to the bishop of Strassburg; and in 1289 it became an imperial free city . Soon, however, this position was lost, but it was regained about the middle of the 16th century, and Offenburg remained a free city until 1802, when it became part of Baden . In 1632 it was taken by the Swedes, and in 1689 it was destroyed by the French . See Walter, Kurzer Abriss der Geschichte der Reichsstadt Offenburg (Offenburg, 1896) .