▁by ▁American ▁aid . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁the ▁“ P as ad ena ▁Sh ares ▁Committee ” ▁sent ▁packages ▁of ▁blank ets , ▁cl othing , ▁food , ▁and ▁medic ines ▁to ▁help ▁the ▁residents ▁of ▁post - war ▁Ludwig sh afen . ▁Many ▁friend ships ▁started ▁to ▁form , ▁so ▁that ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁Ludwig sh afen ▁am ▁Rhein ▁and ▁Pas ad ena , ▁California ▁became ▁sister ▁cities . ▁ ▁Lar ge ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁were ▁literally ▁ru ined , ▁which ▁were ▁re built ▁in ▁the ▁architect ural ▁style ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁The ▁most ▁important ▁projects ▁were ▁the ▁Hoch stra ßen ▁( high ways ▁on ▁st il ts ), ▁the ▁revolution ary ▁new ▁main ▁station ▁( then ▁the ▁most ▁modern ▁station ▁in ▁Europe ), ▁several ▁tower ▁blocks ▁and ▁a ▁whole ▁new ▁sub urb , ▁the ▁satellite ▁quarter ▁Pf ing st we ide ▁north ▁of ▁Ed ig heim . ▁ ▁The ▁city ' s ▁economic ▁wealth ▁allowed ▁social ▁benefits ▁and ▁institutions ▁to ▁be ▁introduced . ▁The ▁population ▁number ▁reached ▁its ▁all - time ▁clim ax ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 8 0 , 0 0 0 ▁inhabitants , ▁thus ▁sur pass ing ▁even ▁the ▁capital ▁of ▁Rhein land - P fal z , ▁Main z , ▁for ▁a ▁while . ▁ ▁Fin an cial ▁crisis ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ,