Bensheim
Encyclopedia
Bensheim is a town in the Bergstraße district
in southern Hesse
, Germany
. Bensheim lies on the Bergstraße and at the edge of the Odenwald
mountains while at the same time having an open view over the Rhine plain. With almost 40,000 inhabitants, it is the district’s biggest town.
on the Bergstraße. The nearest major cities are Darmstadt
(some 22 km to the north), Heidelberg
(some 35 km to the south), Worms
(some 18 km to the west) and Mannheim
(some 32 km to the southwest). The district seat of Heppenheim
lies roughly 5 km to the south.
The Lauter flows through Bensheim, coming from the Lauter valley from the east, which after it passes through Bensheim is known as the Winkelbach. In the south of town runs the Meerbach, also coming from the Odenwald (but from the Zell valley). Mostly channelled underground and only coming above ground at the western edge of town is the Neuer Graben, or “New Channel”, which branches off the Lauter.
and the communities of Alsbach-Hähnlein
und Seeheim-Jugenheim
(both in Darmstadt-Dieburg
), in the east on the community of Lautertal, in the south on the town of Heppenheim and in the west on the town of Lorsch
and the community of Einhausen.
Bensheim is especially well known, like other places along the Bergstraße as well, for its particularly mild and sunny climate with roughly 2,000 hours of sunshine yearly and Germany’s earliest onset of spring
. Under the Odenwald’s protection, kiwifruit
, almond
s, fig
s and peach
es thrive here, giving the Bergstraße the nickname “Germany’s Riviera”.
The town of Bensheim fosters almond tree cultivation, to name one example, in people’s front gardens. Each year in Bensheim, there is even a Blütenkönigin (“Blossom Queen”). She is put forth every year by the Bensheim Automobile Club and for decades has been Bensheim’s hallmark both within the country and abroad.
digs stretch back to the time of the Linear Pottery
and Corded Ware culture
s (roughly 2500 to 1500 BC), peoples who raised crops and livestock.
In 765, Basinsheim had its first documentary mention in the Lorsch Abbey
’s Codex Laureshamensis
. Its founding may go back to a knight named Basinus, who received the rights to found a settlement.
The name changed from Basinsheim to Basinusheim and then to Besensheim, finally becoming Bensheim. Noteworthy is that town rights were granted early on by Emperor Otto I
on 5 March 956. It can be inferred from the document text that Otto I, on the occasion of his stay in Frankfurt am Main, with his wife Adelheid’s intervention, awarded the Lorsch Abbey’s oldest market privilege. The concept, called publicae mercationes in the original, indicates the community, where public buying and selling was allowed. It still cannot be assumed that this led to a regular yearly or weekly market. Great parts of the town were destroyed in the siege
of 1301 by King Albrecht I
.
When Friedrich II
enfeoffed the territory of the now derelict Lorsch Imperial
Abbey to Archbishop Siegfried III of Eppstein, Bensheim became part of Electoral Mainz’s
domains and likely received town rights only a few decades later, which is, however, only proved by a certificate issued in 1320.
In today’s outlying centres of Auerbach and Schönberg, Bensheim borders on what were the Upper County – “Upper” here refers to geography, not rank – of the Counts of Katzenelnbogen
and domains of the Schenken of Erbach. When the Katzenelnbogens died out in 1479, the Landgraviate of Hesse
became a neighbour to the north. In 1532, the Erbachs were raised to counts and the County of Erbach became a neighbour to the east.
In the time of the pledging to the counts palatine
of the Rhine from 1461 to 1650, Bensheim experienced a boom, but as a Palatinate town, however, it was embroiled in the Bavarian-Palatine war of succession in 1504, and for eleven days was unsuccessfully besieged by the Landgrave of Hesse, who was charged with the execution of the ban of the Empire, and his confederates, the Dukes Henry of Brunswick
and Henry of Mecklenburg. From this year, two yearly markets and one weekly can be established; a third yearly market came in 1619.
With the introduction of the Reformation
in the Landgraviate of Hesse in 1526 and in the County of Erbach in 1544, Bensheim got not only a territorial border with these neighbours, but also a denominational one.
Then, to all positive developments the Thirty Years' War
put an end. On 20 November 1644, Bensheim was occupied by French
and Swedish
troops, who were driven out again on 2 December by Bavaria
n units. Later, the legend of the Fraa vun Bensem arose (the “woman from Bensheim” is said to have led the Bavarians into town through a secret route). In 1650, after just under 200 years of being pledged to Electoral Palatinate, Bensheim was once again redeemed by the Archbishopric of Mainz.
By the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss in 1803, Bensheim passed to the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
, who joined the Confederation of the Rhine
in 1806 and was raised to Grand Duke. In 1822, there was a great fire in which 16 buildings were destroyed and 15 others were heavily damaged.
Bensheim became the seat of the Landratsbezirk (an administrative region) of Bensheim in the province of Starkenburg, which in 1832 was merged with the Landratsbezirk of Heppenheim to form the district of Bensheim (Kreis Bensheim) with Bensheim as its seat.
In 1918, the Grand Duke was removed and out of the Grand Duchy of Hesse
the People's State of Hesse was formed. On 1 November 1938, the districts of Bensheim and Heppenheim were merged into one district, Kreis Bergstraße
with Heppenheim as its seat. To offset Bensheim’s loss of the status of district seat, the town got the district leadership of the Nazi Party.
During Kristallnacht
on 9 November 1938, the synagogue
was destroyed, while the one in Auerbach survived. In 1939, Auerbach, Schönberg and Zell were amalgamated, raising the population to just under 16,500. In Auerbach, a subcamp of Natzweiler-Struthof
Concentration Camp
was built.
On 24 March 1945, twelve people were taken to the Kirchberg (mountain) where they were murder
ed by the Gestapo
. Two days later, on 26 March 1945, Saint George’s Parish Church, the Town Hall and parts of the Old Town were destroyed by incendiary bombs
. On 27 March, the town was occupied by United States
troops. As the National Security Agency
liaison officer, Henry Kissinger
was the most important representative of the occupying power, after the official town commander.
In 1945, Bensheim passed to the newly formed state of Hesse.
After the Second World War ended in 1945, a displaced persons camp
was established in Bensheim-Auerbach, first for Polish
former forced labourers, later for Jewish displaced persons. The camp was dissolved in 1949.
In 1971, the population rose to some 34,000 with the amalgamation of Langwaden, Schwanheim, Fehlheim, Hochstädten, Gronau and Wilmshausen.
From 1859 to 1987 on the Nibelungenstraße towards Schönberg stood the Guntrum Bräu Bensheim brewery
. In 1979, the brewery was taken over by Binding Bier Mainz, and then closed and torn down in 1987. Today, the former premises are home to a number of houses.
The Magistrat (roughly “town executive”) is made up of nine councillors and the mayor Thorsten Herrmann (CDU). The two fulltime councillors are Helmut Sachwitz (CDU) and Matthias Schimpf (Grüne Liste Bensheim). The other seats are shared among the CDU (3), the SPD (2), the Grüne Liste Bensheim (1) and the FDP (1).
Mayor Thorsten Herrmann (CDU) was elected on 30 June 2002 with 52.8% of the vote. On 15 June 2008 he was reëlected with 60.5% of the vote.
might be described thus: Gules a knight with kontos, held in both hands, and armour Or astride a steed salient argent, the whole sinister, below which a dragon statant reguardant sinister vert, the knight’s kontos thrust through it.
The German blazon says that the kontos, or lance, is golden, and that the dragon is green, although the achievement shown here, whose source is the town administration itself, shows different tincture
s for these two charge
s.
The red field refers to the Mainz coat of arms, as the town was owned by the Bishopric of Mainz until 1802. The knight slaying the dragon represents Saint George
, who was said in earlier times to have been Bensheim’s patron saint
.
, Côte-d'Or
, France
, since 1960 Amersham
, Buckinghamshire
, United Kingdom
, since 1977 Mohács
, Baranya County, Hungary
, since 1987 Riva del Garda
, Trentino, Italy
, since 1989 Kłodzko, Lower Silesia
, Poland
, since 1996 Hostinné
, Hradec Králové Region
, Czech Republic
, since 2002
Moreover, some outlying centres have their own separate partnerships.
in the Czech Republic
) on the Elbe
in the Hohenelbe district.
The Parktheater was built in 1968 and is a linchpin in offering various cultural activities. Besides the municipal programme of plays, freelance producers, clubs and schools bring a multifaceted programme in the fields of spoken theatre, musical theatre and dance theatre. From October 1998 to December 1999, the Parktheater was optically, technologically and artistically made over from the ground up and now shines in new splendour.
Furthermore, Bensheim also has the PiPaPo Theater (cabaret
), the Vornerum Theater, the Varieté Pegasus and the Autorenkollektiv Laufkundschaft.
in Auerbach which nowadays houses a museum.
The Landgraves of Hesse once used the Fürstenlager near Bensheim-Auerbach as a spa. It is an artistic combination of simple buildings clustered like a village around the Good Well in the middle of a picturesque landscaped park. Like many territorial overlords of their day, its owners sought the peace of a rural idyll far removed from the pomp and circumstance of court.
All the above churches are Catholic, except Saint Michael’s, which is Evangelical
.
All 557 cultural monuments are listed in the Liste der Kulturdenkmäler in Bensheim.
team, which plays in the 2. Handball-Bundesliga (Frauen).
Bensheim and its outlying centres are also home to many other sport clubs.
’s biggest ecumenical
institute. It was housed at Wolfgang-Sucker-Haus from 1947 to 1967 and also has been once again since November 2007.
Bandsheim (“Band Home”) has afforded the youth music scene an outlet that regularly hosts “newcomer” concerts in Bensheim. Besides Bandsheim there is also an outlet in Party-Bensheim, which offers a venue for youths to get to know each other, have discussions and make arrangements. Both these outlets were founded by youths themselves.
Bensheim does host an “unofficial” youth club. Since the early 1980s there has been “McSlobos”, an inn that had its beginnings in the “Germania-Hof”, which has now been torn down. With many live concerts by famous local bands and the guests’ active engagement in political issues, this inn has grown into an attraction for many youths.
Nevertheless, many youths feel left out, as they must pay for all leisure activities. Hence there has also been for some time the will to create a self-administering youth centre. To this end, various action groups and campaigns have been started, such as, for example SKJuz, a “promotional club for a self-administering culture and youth centre in Bensheim”, and the action group BürgerMaiStar.
are lit on the Kirchberg. The first Bergsträßer Winzerfest was held from 19 to 22 October 1929. Even at this first festival there were a festive parade and fireworks on the Kirchberg. Bensheim is in an area where wine grapes are grown extensively.
The Bürgerfest (“Citizens’ Festival”), which was introduced on the occasion of the opening of the pedestrian precinct in 1975, has been regularly celebrated in early summer since 1977. Great popularity is enjoyed by the Auerbacher Bachgassenfest, an outdoor gastronomical
event put on by those who live on the Bachgasse (“Brook Lane”) in Auerbach, first held in 1987. Since 1986, in memory of Gertrud Eysoldt, a German actress and director, the Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring, one of Germany’s most important theatrical prizes, has been awarded yearly.
Since 2003, the Maiway has been held every year. This is a gastronomical festival at which many pubs in Bensheim have musical groups perform.
Zwiebelkuchen
, and the woman is the one mentioned under History (see above).
and is together with various neighbouring towns and communities (among others, Heppenheim, Lorsch and Lautertal) identified as a middle centre in South Hesse regional planning.
The town has in its favour good economic data – even in relation to the Rhine Neckar Area’s as a whole – above-average employment figures and an especially high proportion of graduates in the resident population’s above-average buying power.
Sirona Dental Systems GmbH has its head office in Bensheim. The enterprise is the district’s biggest employer and produces goods and services for dentists
. Kern GmbH manufactures enveloping systems for banks, insurance companies, telecommunications businesses and information technology service providers and is also headquartered in Bensheim. Offering services to pharmaceutical businesses is Cegedim Deutschland GmbH, which also has its head office in Bensheim. Furthermore, there are the electronics firm Tyco Electronics AMP GmbH
, SAP AG
, which is active in the information technology field, the Institut für Organisationskommunikation (IFOK) and HTV GmbH, which tests and programs semiconductor
s for manufacturers from almost all fields of electronics. Also, the auto manufacturer Suzuki
International Europe GmbH is headquartered in Bensheim. The cars in the company’s national television advertising bear registrations beginning with “HP” (Heppenheim/Kreis Bergstraße) for this reason, which is seldom otherwise seen in this context. Deutsche Papier Vertriebs GmbH, which belongs to PaperlinX, runs, as a nationally active paper wholesaler, one of Germany’s most modern high-bay warehouses. GGEW, a service-providing business for electricity
, natural gas
and drinking water
, has its head office in Bensheim.
belonging to the Mannheimer Morgen publishing group. The paper’s address is Rodensteinstraße 6 and it is published from Monday to Saturday.
Bensheim lies at the crossroads of Bundesstraße
n 3 and 47. Through the town’s west end runs Autobahn A 5
, from which Bensheim can be reached by two exits
: in the north the Zwingenberg – Bensheim-Auerbach exit, and in the south the Bensheim exit. A few kilometres farther west, running parallel to the A 5, is the A 67, when Bensheim can be reached through the Lorsch
exit.
From Bensheim railway station, the town is linked to the German InterCity
network by the Frankfurt am Main–Heidelberg
line. The station is also the end of the Nibelungenbahn (railway) from Worms
to Bensheim. The outlying centre of Auerbach has its own station, Bensheim-Auerbach, on the Frankfurt-Heidelberg line, but only Regionalbahn
trains stop there.
Frankfurt Airport
lies just under 50 km away by road, north of Bensheim. There is a gliderport at Bensheim for gliders
, motor glider
s and other, smaller aircraft, managed by a nonprofit gliding club (SFG Bensheim).
: the Altes Kurfürstliches Gymnasium, the Geschwister-Scholl-Schule (coöperative comprehensive school
with Gymnasium upper level), the Goethe-Gymnasium Bensheim (Gymnasium from class 5 with Gymnasium upper level), the Karl-Kübel-Schule (commercial schools with Gymnasium for economics, technology and health) and the Liebfrauenschule (private Catholic Gymnasium for girls). The town also has the Schillerschule, which is a primary school, Hauptschule
and Realschule
.
Offering adult education are the Volkshochschule Bensheim and the Frauen- und Familienzentrum Bensheim, with about 2,000 participants each year the biggest family meeting place in Kreis Bergstraße
.
Primary schools
Primary school/Hauptschule/Realschule
Coperative comprehensive school
Vocational schools
Advisory and advocacy centres
Kreis Bergstraße
Bergstraße is a Kreis in the south of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Groß-Gerau, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Odenwaldkreis, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, the urban district Mannheim, the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, and the urban district of Worms...
in southern Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Bensheim lies on the Bergstraße and at the edge of the Odenwald
Odenwald
The Odenwald is a low mountain range in Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany.- Location :The Odenwald lies between the Upper Rhine Rift Valley with the Bergstraße and the Hessisches Ried in the west, the Main and the Bauland in the east, the Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin – a subbasin of...
mountains while at the same time having an open view over the Rhine plain. With almost 40,000 inhabitants, it is the district’s biggest town.
Location
The town lies at the eastern edge of the Rhine rift on the slopes of the western OdenwaldOdenwald
The Odenwald is a low mountain range in Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany.- Location :The Odenwald lies between the Upper Rhine Rift Valley with the Bergstraße and the Hessisches Ried in the west, the Main and the Bauland in the east, the Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin – a subbasin of...
on the Bergstraße. The nearest major cities are Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
(some 22 km to the north), Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
(some 35 km to the south), Worms
Worms, Germany
Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts, who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over the title of "Oldest City in Germany." Worms is the only...
(some 18 km to the west) and Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
(some 32 km to the southwest). The district seat of Heppenheim
Heppenheim
Heppenheim is the seat of Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany, lying on the Bergstraße on the edge of the Odenwald.- Location :...
lies roughly 5 km to the south.
The Lauter flows through Bensheim, coming from the Lauter valley from the east, which after it passes through Bensheim is known as the Winkelbach. In the south of town runs the Meerbach, also coming from the Odenwald (but from the Zell valley). Mostly channelled underground and only coming above ground at the western edge of town is the Neuer Graben, or “New Channel”, which branches off the Lauter.
Neighbouring communities
Bensheim borders in the north on the town of ZwingenbergZwingenberg
Zwingenberg lies in the Bergstraße district in southern Hesse, Germany, south of Frankfurt and Darmstadt, and with the granting of town rights coming in 1274 it is the oldest town on the Hessian Bergstraße.- Location :...
and the communities of Alsbach-Hähnlein
Alsbach-Hähnlein
Alsbach-Hähnlein is a municipality in southern Hesse in the district Darmstadt-Dieburg. It resulted from a merger of the two separate municipalities Alsbach and Hähnlein.- External links :* *...
und Seeheim-Jugenheim
Seeheim-Jugenheim
Seeheim-Jugenheim is a municipality in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district in Hesse, Germany. It has a population of approximately 17,000.Seeheim-Jugenheim consists of seven villages:*Balkhausen *Jugenheim...
(both in Darmstadt-Dieburg
Darmstadt-Dieburg
Darmstadt-Dieburg is a Kreis in the south of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Offenbach, Aschaffenburg, Miltenberg, Odenwaldkreis, Bergstraße, Groß-Gerau, and the district-free city of Darmstadt, which it surrounds.-History:...
), in the east on the community of Lautertal, in the south on the town of Heppenheim and in the west on the town of Lorsch
Lorsch
Lorsch is a town in the Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany, 60 km south of Frankfurt. Lorsch is well known for the Lorsch Abbey, which has been named a World Heritage Site.-Location:...
and the community of Einhausen.
Constituent communities
Bensheim is roughly subdivided thus:- The main town east of the railway line (old town and outskirts) with many modern town expansion developments (for example the neighbourhoods of Brunnenweg, Metzendorf, Griesel, Meerbach and Hemsberg);
- The Weststadt (“West Town”) west of the railway line (for example the neighbourhoods of Port Arthur, Marokko, Leibweh and Kappesgärten);
- The outlying centre of Auerbach to the north of the main town on the Bergstraße;
- The outlying centres of Hochstädten, Schönberg, Wilmshausen, Gronau and Zell in the nearer Odenwald valleys;
- The outlying centres of Langwaden, Fehlheim and Schwanheim in the Hessisches Ried (part of the Rhine rift in Hesse).
Climate
Spring (season)
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
. Under the Odenwald’s protection, kiwifruit
Kiwifruit
The kiwifruit, often shortened to kiwi in many parts of the world, is the edible berry of a cultivar group of the woody vine Actinidia deliciosa and hybrids between this and other species in the genus Actinidia....
, almond
Almond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
s, fig
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
s and peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
es thrive here, giving the Bergstraße the nickname “Germany’s Riviera”.
The town of Bensheim fosters almond tree cultivation, to name one example, in people’s front gardens. Each year in Bensheim, there is even a Blütenkönigin (“Blossom Queen”). She is put forth every year by the Bensheim Automobile Club and for decades has been Bensheim’s hallmark both within the country and abroad.
History
Bensheim has grown out of a village that had its first documentary mention in the 8th century. In the 14th century, Bensheim was granted town rights. On 26 March 1945, much of the Old Town was destroyed by incendiary bombs.Settlement history
The South Hesse area was settled quite early on. The many finds from archaeologicalArchaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
digs stretch back to the time of the Linear Pottery
Linear Pottery culture
The Linear Pottery culture is a major archaeological horizon of the European Neolithic, flourishing ca. 5500–4500 BC.It is abbreviated as LBK , is also known as the Linear Band Ware, Linear Ware, Linear Ceramics or Incised Ware culture, and falls within the Danubian I culture of V...
and Corded Ware culture
Corded Ware culture
The Corded Ware culture , alternatively characterized as the Battle Axe culture or Single Grave culture, is an enormous European archaeological horizon that begins in the late Neolithic , flourishes through the Copper Age and culminates in the early Bronze Age.Corded Ware culture is associated with...
s (roughly 2500 to 1500 BC), peoples who raised crops and livestock.
Middle Ages
Lorsch Abbey
The Abbey of Lorsch is a former Imperial Abbey in Lorsch, Germany, about 10 km east of Worms, one of the most renowned monasteries of the Carolingian Empire. Even in its ruined state, its remains are among the most important pre-Romanesque–Carolingian style buildings in Germany...
’s Codex Laureshamensis
Lorsch codex
The Lorsch Codex is an important historical document created between about 1175 to 1195 AD in the Monastery of Saint Nazarius in Lorsch, Germany. It consists of 460 pages in large format containing more than 3800 entries...
. Its founding may go back to a knight named Basinus, who received the rights to found a settlement.
The name changed from Basinsheim to Basinusheim and then to Besensheim, finally becoming Bensheim. Noteworthy is that town rights were granted early on by Emperor Otto I
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan...
on 5 March 956. It can be inferred from the document text that Otto I, on the occasion of his stay in Frankfurt am Main, with his wife Adelheid’s intervention, awarded the Lorsch Abbey’s oldest market privilege. The concept, called publicae mercationes in the original, indicates the community, where public buying and selling was allowed. It still cannot be assumed that this led to a regular yearly or weekly market. Great parts of the town were destroyed in the siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
of 1301 by King Albrecht I
Albert I of Germany
Albert I of Habsburg was King of the Romans and Duke of Austria, the eldest son of German King Rudolph I of Habsburg and his first wife Gertrude of Hohenburg.-Life:...
.
When Friedrich II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
enfeoffed the territory of the now derelict Lorsch Imperial
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
Abbey to Archbishop Siegfried III of Eppstein, Bensheim became part of Electoral Mainz’s
Archbishopric of Mainz
The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780–82 and 1802. In the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, the Archbishop of Mainz was the primas Germaniae, the substitute of the Pope north of the Alps...
domains and likely received town rights only a few decades later, which is, however, only proved by a certificate issued in 1320.
Early modern times
County of Katzenelnbogen
The County of Katzenelnbogen was an immediate state of the Holy Roman Empire. It existed between 1095 and 1479, when it was inherited by the Landgraves of Hesse.The estate comprised two separate territories...
and domains of the Schenken of Erbach. When the Katzenelnbogens died out in 1479, the Landgraviate of Hesse
Landgraviate of Hesse
The Landgraviate of Hesse was a Landgraviate of the Holy Roman Empire. It existed as a unity from 1264 to 1567, when it was divided between the sons of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse.-History:...
became a neighbour to the north. In 1532, the Erbachs were raised to counts and the County of Erbach became a neighbour to the east.
In the time of the pledging to the counts palatine
Count palatine
Count palatine is a high noble title, used to render several comital styles, in some cases also shortened to Palatine, which can have other meanings as well.-Comes palatinus:...
of the Rhine from 1461 to 1650, Bensheim experienced a boom, but as a Palatinate town, however, it was embroiled in the Bavarian-Palatine war of succession in 1504, and for eleven days was unsuccessfully besieged by the Landgrave of Hesse, who was charged with the execution of the ban of the Empire, and his confederates, the Dukes Henry of Brunswick
Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Henry , Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, called Henry the Elder or Henry the Evil, was prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1491 until his death.-Life:...
and Henry of Mecklenburg. From this year, two yearly markets and one weekly can be established; a third yearly market came in 1619.
With the introduction of the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in the Landgraviate of Hesse in 1526 and in the County of Erbach in 1544, Bensheim got not only a territorial border with these neighbours, but also a denominational one.
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
put an end. On 20 November 1644, Bensheim was occupied by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
troops, who were driven out again on 2 December by Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n units. Later, the legend of the Fraa vun Bensem arose (the “woman from Bensheim” is said to have led the Bavarians into town through a secret route). In 1650, after just under 200 years of being pledged to Electoral Palatinate, Bensheim was once again redeemed by the Archbishopric of Mainz.
Modern times
Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was a member state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse between the four sons of Philip I, the last Landgrave of Hesse....
, who joined the Confederation of the Rhine
Confederation of the Rhine
The Confederation of the Rhine was a confederation of client states of the First French Empire. It was formed initially from 16 German states by Napoleon after he defeated Austria's Francis II and Russia's Alexander I in the Battle of Austerlitz. The Treaty of Pressburg, in effect, led to the...
in 1806 and was raised to Grand Duke. In 1822, there was a great fire in which 16 buildings were destroyed and 15 others were heavily damaged.
Bensheim became the seat of the Landratsbezirk (an administrative region) of Bensheim in the province of Starkenburg, which in 1832 was merged with the Landratsbezirk of Heppenheim to form the district of Bensheim (Kreis Bensheim) with Bensheim as its seat.
In 1918, the Grand Duke was removed and out of the Grand Duchy of Hesse
Grand Duchy of Hesse
The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine , or, between 1806 and 1816, Grand Duchy of Hesse —as it was also known after 1816—was a member state of the German Confederation from 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was elevated to a Grand Duchy, until 1918, when all the German...
the People's State of Hesse was formed. On 1 November 1938, the districts of Bensheim and Heppenheim were merged into one district, Kreis Bergstraße
Kreis Bergstraße
Bergstraße is a Kreis in the south of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Groß-Gerau, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Odenwaldkreis, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, the urban district Mannheim, the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, and the urban district of Worms...
with Heppenheim as its seat. To offset Bensheim’s loss of the status of district seat, the town got the district leadership of the Nazi Party.
During Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, and also Reichskristallnacht, Pogromnacht, and Novemberpogrome, was a pogrom or series of attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on 9–10 November 1938.Jewish homes were ransacked, as were shops, towns and...
on 9 November 1938, the synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
was destroyed, while the one in Auerbach survived. In 1939, Auerbach, Schönberg and Zell were amalgamated, raising the population to just under 16,500. In Auerbach, a subcamp of Natzweiler-Struthof
Natzweiler-Struthof
Natzweiler-Struthof was a German concentration camp located in the Vosges Mountains close to the Alsatian village of Natzwiller in France, and the town of Schirmeck, about 50 km south west from the city of Strasbourg....
Concentration Camp
Nazi concentration camps
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...
was built.
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
. Two days later, on 26 March 1945, Saint George’s Parish Church, the Town Hall and parts of the Old Town were destroyed by incendiary bombs
Incendiary device
Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are bombs designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as napalm, thermite, chlorine trifluoride, or white phosphorus....
. On 27 March, the town was occupied by United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
troops. As the National Security Agency
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
liaison officer, Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
was the most important representative of the occupying power, after the official town commander.
In 1945, Bensheim passed to the newly formed state of Hesse.
After the Second World War ended in 1945, a displaced persons camp
Displaced persons camp
A displaced persons camp or DP camp is a temporary facility for displaced persons coerced into forced migration. The term is mainly used for camps established after World War II in West Germany and in Austria, as well as in the United Kingdom, primarily for refugees from Eastern Europe and for the...
was established in Bensheim-Auerbach, first for Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
former forced labourers, later for Jewish displaced persons. The camp was dissolved in 1949.
In 1971, the population rose to some 34,000 with the amalgamation of Langwaden, Schwanheim, Fehlheim, Hochstädten, Gronau and Wilmshausen.
From 1859 to 1987 on the Nibelungenstraße towards Schönberg stood the Guntrum Bräu Bensheim brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
. In 1979, the brewery was taken over by Binding Bier Mainz, and then closed and torn down in 1987. Today, the former premises are home to a number of houses.
Politics
Town council
The municipal election held on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results:| Parties and voter communities | % 2006 |
Seats 2006 |
% 2001 |
Seats 2001 |
|
| CDU | Christian Democratic Union of Germany | 43.2 | 20 | 43.1 | 20 |
| SPD | Social Democratic Party of Germany Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
29.5 | 13 | 32.7 | 15 |
| FDP | Free Democratic Party Free Democratic Party (Germany) The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government... |
7.1 | 3 | 5.3 | 2 |
| GLB | Grüne Liste Bensheim | 13.6 | 6 | 13.7 | 6 |
| FWG | Freie Wählergemeinschaft Bensheim | 6.6 | 3 | 5.2 | 2 |
| Total | 100.0 | 45 | 100.0 | 45 | |
| Voter turnout in % | 43.0 | 50.5 | |||
The Magistrat (roughly “town executive”) is made up of nine councillors and the mayor Thorsten Herrmann (CDU). The two fulltime councillors are Helmut Sachwitz (CDU) and Matthias Schimpf (Grüne Liste Bensheim). The other seats are shared among the CDU (3), the SPD (2), the Grüne Liste Bensheim (1) and the FDP (1).
Mayors
When the Municipal Order of the Grand Duchy of Hesse came into force on 30 June 1821, Bensheim citizens were allowed to choose their mayor.- 1822–1825: Philipp Meißel
- 1825–1837: Philipp Werle
- 1837–1840: Adam Fertig
- 1840–1857: Johannes Traupel
- 1857–1859: Joseph August Hainz
- 1860–1870: Franz Heinz
- 1871–1902: Aloys van Gries
- 1902–1912: Ignaz Frenay
- 1913–1922: Karl Löslein
- 1922–1933: Rudolf Angermeier
- 1933–1934: Heinrich Nachtigall
- 1934–1938: Georg Brückmann
- 1938–1945: Ernst Missler
- 1945–1945: Theodor Kräge
- 1945–1946: Willy Klapproth
- 1946–1954: Joseph Treffert, CDU
- 1954–1972: Wilhelm Kilian, CDU
- 1972–2002: Georg Stolle, CDU
- since 2002: Thorsten Herrmann, CDU
Mayor Thorsten Herrmann (CDU) was elected on 30 June 2002 with 52.8% of the vote. On 15 June 2008 he was reëlected with 60.5% of the vote.
Coat of arms
The town’s armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
might be described thus: Gules a knight with kontos, held in both hands, and armour Or astride a steed salient argent, the whole sinister, below which a dragon statant reguardant sinister vert, the knight’s kontos thrust through it.
The German blazon says that the kontos, or lance, is golden, and that the dragon is green, although the achievement shown here, whose source is the town administration itself, shows different tincture
Tincture (heraldry)
In heraldry, tinctures are the colours used to emblazon a coat of arms. These can be divided into several categories including light tinctures called metals, dark tinctures called colours, nonstandard colours called stains, furs, and "proper". A charge tinctured proper is coloured as it would be...
s for these two charge
Charge (heraldry)
In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
s.
The red field refers to the Mainz coat of arms, as the town was owned by the Bishopric of Mainz until 1802. The knight slaying the dragon represents Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
, who was said in earlier times to have been Bensheim’s patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
.
Town partnerships
BeauneBeaune
Beaune is the wine capital of Burgundy in the Cote d'Or department in eastern France. It is located between Paris and Geneva.Beaune is one of the key wine centers in France and the annual wine auction of the Hospices de Beaune is the primary wine auction in France...
, Côte-d'Or
Côte-d'Or
Côte-d'Or is a department in the eastern part of France.- History :Côte-d'Or is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was formed from part of the former province of Burgundy.- Geography :...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, since 1960 Amersham
Amersham
Amersham is a market town and civil parish within Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire, England, 27 miles north west of London, in the Chiltern Hills. It is part of the London commuter belt....
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, since 1977 Mohács
Mohács
Mohács is a town in Baranya county, Hungary on the right bank of the Danube.-History:Two famous battles took place there:# Battle of Mohács, 1526# Battle of Mohács, 1687...
, Baranya County, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, since 1987 Riva del Garda
Riva del Garda
Riva del Garda is a town and comune in the northern Italian province of Trentino. It is also known simply as Riva. The estimated population is 15,151.- History :...
, Trentino, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, since 1989 Kłodzko, Lower Silesia
Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Lower Silesian Voivodeship, or Lower Silesia Province , is one of the 16 voivodeships into which Poland is currently divided. It lies in southwestern Poland...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, since 1996 Hostinné
Hostinné
Hostinné is a town in the Czech Republic.-External links:*...
, Hradec Králové Region
Hradec Králové Region
Hradec Králové Region is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located in the north-eastern part of its historical region of Bohemia. It is named after its capital Hradec Králové....
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, since 2002
Moreover, some outlying centres have their own separate partnerships.
Sponsorship
On 29 April 1956, a Patenschaft (roughly, “sponsorship”) was set up for Sudeten Germans driven out of the town of Arnau (now HostinnéHostinné
Hostinné is a town in the Czech Republic.-External links:*...
in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
) on the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
in the Hohenelbe district.
Theatre
Furthermore, Bensheim also has the PiPaPo Theater (cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
), the Vornerum Theater, the Varieté Pegasus and the Autorenkollektiv Laufkundschaft.
Museums
Besides the Museum der Stadt Bensheim (municipal museum), there is also the old synagogueSynagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
in Auerbach which nowadays houses a museum.
Music
The Bensheim Music School was founded in 1979. By taking part in various contests, the students at this municipal music school regularly find themselves among the prizewinners at both the state and national level. Many ensembles promote the music school’s community spirit.Buildings (secular)
Bensheim, along with all its outlying centres has all together 557 cultural monuments. The following is a selection of the town’s most important buildings:- Alte Faktorei, Mainz cathedral chapter’s former factory (in the sense of “commercial outpost”)
- Alte Gerberei (Old Tannery), from 1873
- Bismarckturm (tower), from 1902, on the Hemsberg (262 m)
- Dalberger Hof, former noble estate
- “Luginsland” (Blaues Türmchen or Eckturm [tower]) on the Höhenweg above Baßmannpark, built in 1910
- Hohenecker Hof, former noble estate from 1756
- Kirchberghäuschen (220 m), built in 1849, dedicated in 1857
- Metzendorf-Villen (villas)
- Rinnentorturm (tower), from the 13th or 14th century
- Rodensteiner Hof, stately home with park
- Roter Turm, watchtower from the old town wall, from the 13th century
- Walderdorffer Hof, southern Hesse’s oldest timber-frameTimber framingTimber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
house, built in 1395 - Wambolter Hof, former noble estate from about 1732/33
The Landgraves of Hesse once used the Fürstenlager near Bensheim-Auerbach as a spa. It is an artistic combination of simple buildings clustered like a village around the Good Well in the middle of a picturesque landscaped park. Like many territorial overlords of their day, its owners sought the peace of a rural idyll far removed from the pomp and circumstance of court.
Buildings (ecclesiastical)
- Saint George’s Parish Church (Pfarrkirche St. Georg), from 1830
- Saint Joseph’s Hospital Church (Hospitalkirche St. Joseph), from the 14th century
- Saint Crescentius’s Graveyard Church (Friedhofskirche St. Crescens), from 1618
- Saint Michael’s Church (Michaelskirche), from 1863
- Saint Lawrence’s Catholic Parish Church (Katholische Pfarrkirche St. Laurentius), from 1965
All the above churches are Catholic, except Saint Michael’s, which is Evangelical
Evangelical Church in Germany
The Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
.
All 557 cultural monuments are listed in the Liste der Kulturdenkmäler in Bensheim.
Sport
Nationally known is the HSG Bensheim/Auerbach women’s handballTeam handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
team, which plays in the 2. Handball-Bundesliga (Frauen).
Bensheim and its outlying centres are also home to many other sport clubs.
Denominational Institute
Since 1947, Bensheim has been home to the Evangelical Federation’s Konfessionskundliches Institut (“Denominational Institute”), EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
’s biggest ecumenical
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
institute. It was housed at Wolfgang-Sucker-Haus from 1947 to 1967 and also has been once again since November 2007.
Youth culture
Bensheim has many offerings for children up to 14 years old, with, for example, a new youth centre, opened on 26 January 2006 offering ample possibilities, busying itself with this. The old, bigger youth centre on Wilhelmstraße was then closed. For youths, there is relatively little on offer. However, work has begun on the new Skate/BMX-park, on the same site where the old one was. The park was promoted and planned by youths themselves.Bandsheim (“Band Home”) has afforded the youth music scene an outlet that regularly hosts “newcomer” concerts in Bensheim. Besides Bandsheim there is also an outlet in Party-Bensheim, which offers a venue for youths to get to know each other, have discussions and make arrangements. Both these outlets were founded by youths themselves.
Bensheim does host an “unofficial” youth club. Since the early 1980s there has been “McSlobos”, an inn that had its beginnings in the “Germania-Hof”, which has now been torn down. With many live concerts by famous local bands and the guests’ active engagement in political issues, this inn has grown into an attraction for many youths.
Nevertheless, many youths feel left out, as they must pay for all leisure activities. Hence there has also been for some time the will to create a self-administering youth centre. To this end, various action groups and campaigns have been started, such as, for example SKJuz, a “promotional club for a self-administering culture and youth centre in Bensheim”, and the action group BürgerMaiStar.
Regular events
The nationally known Bergsträßer Winzerfest (“Bergstraße Vintners’ Festival”) is held every first week in September throughout the inner town. The festival, which begins on the Saturday, lasts nine days. On the first Sunday there is a great festive parade, and on the second Saturday, fireworksFireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
are lit on the Kirchberg. The first Bergsträßer Winzerfest was held from 19 to 22 October 1929. Even at this first festival there were a festive parade and fireworks on the Kirchberg. Bensheim is in an area where wine grapes are grown extensively.
The Bürgerfest (“Citizens’ Festival”), which was introduced on the occasion of the opening of the pedestrian precinct in 1975, has been regularly celebrated in early summer since 1977. Great popularity is enjoyed by the Auerbacher Bachgassenfest, an outdoor gastronomical
Gastronomy
Gastronomy is the art or science of food eating. Also, it can be defined as the study of food and culture, with a particular focus on gourmet cuisine...
event put on by those who live on the Bachgasse (“Brook Lane”) in Auerbach, first held in 1987. Since 1986, in memory of Gertrud Eysoldt, a German actress and director, the Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring, one of Germany’s most important theatrical prizes, has been awarded yearly.
Since 2003, the Maiway has been held every year. This is a gastronomical festival at which many pubs in Bensheim have musical groups perform.
Culinary specialities
Bensheim has Zwewwelkuche à la Fraa vun Bensem (“onion cake à la woman from Bensheim”). The first word is a local form of the GermanGerman language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
Zwiebelkuchen
Zwiebelkuchen
Zwiebelkuchen, which literally means onion cake in the German language, is either a one-crust pie made of steamed onions, diced bacon, cream, and caraway seed on a yeast dough or a leavened dough that is particularly popular in the German winegrowing regions mostly of Rhenish Hesse, the Palatinate,...
, and the woman is the one mentioned under History (see above).
Established businesses
Bensheim is part of the economically strong Rhine Neckar AreaRhine Neckar Area
The Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region , often referred to as Rhein-Neckar-Triangle is a polycentric metropolitan region located in south western Germany, between the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region to the North and the Stuttgart Region to the South-East.Rhine-Neckar has a population of some 2.4 million...
and is together with various neighbouring towns and communities (among others, Heppenheim, Lorsch and Lautertal) identified as a middle centre in South Hesse regional planning.
The town has in its favour good economic data – even in relation to the Rhine Neckar Area’s as a whole – above-average employment figures and an especially high proportion of graduates in the resident population’s above-average buying power.
Sirona Dental Systems GmbH has its head office in Bensheim. The enterprise is the district’s biggest employer and produces goods and services for dentists
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
. Kern GmbH manufactures enveloping systems for banks, insurance companies, telecommunications businesses and information technology service providers and is also headquartered in Bensheim. Offering services to pharmaceutical businesses is Cegedim Deutschland GmbH, which also has its head office in Bensheim. Furthermore, there are the electronics firm Tyco Electronics AMP GmbH
Tyco Electronics
TE Connectivity, Ltd., previously known as Tyco Electronics, Ltd., and formerly a segment of Tyco International, is a leading global provider of engineered electronic components, network solutions, undersea telecommunication systems, and specialty products for customers in more than 150 countries...
, SAP AG
SAP AG
SAP AG is a German software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. Headquartered in Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg, with regional offices around the world, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software...
, which is active in the information technology field, the Institut für Organisationskommunikation (IFOK) and HTV GmbH, which tests and programs semiconductor
Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
s for manufacturers from almost all fields of electronics. Also, the auto manufacturer Suzuki
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
International Europe GmbH is headquartered in Bensheim. The cars in the company’s national television advertising bear registrations beginning with “HP” (Heppenheim/Kreis Bergstraße) for this reason, which is seldom otherwise seen in this context. Deutsche Papier Vertriebs GmbH, which belongs to PaperlinX, runs, as a nationally active paper wholesaler, one of Germany’s most modern high-bay warehouses. GGEW, a service-providing business for electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
, natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
and drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
, has its head office in Bensheim.
Media
Local happenings are reported in Bensheim and the surrounding area are reported by the Bergsträßer Anzeiger, a newspaperNewspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
belonging to the Mannheimer Morgen publishing group. The paper’s address is Rodensteinstraße 6 and it is published from Monday to Saturday.
Transport
Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
n 3 and 47. Through the town’s west end runs Autobahn A 5
Bundesautobahn 5
is a 445 km long Autobahn in Germany. Its northern end is the Hattenbach triangle intersection is a 445 km (277 mi) long Autobahn in Germany. Its northern end is the Hattenbach triangle intersection is a 445 km (277 mi) long Autobahn in Germany. Its northern end is the...
, from which Bensheim can be reached by two exits
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
: in the north the Zwingenberg – Bensheim-Auerbach exit, and in the south the Bensheim exit. A few kilometres farther west, running parallel to the A 5, is the A 67, when Bensheim can be reached through the Lorsch
Lorsch
Lorsch is a town in the Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany, 60 km south of Frankfurt. Lorsch is well known for the Lorsch Abbey, which has been named a World Heritage Site.-Location:...
exit.
From Bensheim railway station, the town is linked to the German InterCity
InterCity
InterCity is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe...
network by the Frankfurt am Main–Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
line. The station is also the end of the Nibelungenbahn (railway) from Worms
Worms, Germany
Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts, who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over the title of "Oldest City in Germany." Worms is the only...
to Bensheim. The outlying centre of Auerbach has its own station, Bensheim-Auerbach, on the Frankfurt-Heidelberg line, but only Regionalbahn
RegionalBahn
The Regionalbahn is a type of local passenger train in Germany.-Service:Regionalbahn trains usually call at all stations on a given line, with the exception of RB trains within S-Bahn networks, these may only call at selected stations...
trains stop there.
Frankfurt Airport
Frankfurt Airport
Frankfurt Airport may refer to:Airports of Frankfurt, Germany:*Frankfurt Airport , the largest airport in Germany*Frankfurt Egelsbach Airport, a general aviation airport*Frankfurt-Hahn Airport , a converted U.S...
lies just under 50 km away by road, north of Bensheim. There is a gliderport at Bensheim for gliders
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
, motor glider
Motor glider
A motor glider is a fixed-wing aircraft that can be flown with or without engine power. The FAI Gliding Commission Sporting Code definition is: A fixed wing aerodyne equipped with a means of propulsion ,...
s and other, smaller aircraft, managed by a nonprofit gliding club (SFG Bensheim).
Education
Bensheim is a school town, with five GymnasienGymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
: the Altes Kurfürstliches Gymnasium, the Geschwister-Scholl-Schule (coöperative comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
with Gymnasium upper level), the Goethe-Gymnasium Bensheim (Gymnasium from class 5 with Gymnasium upper level), the Karl-Kübel-Schule (commercial schools with Gymnasium for economics, technology and health) and the Liebfrauenschule (private Catholic Gymnasium for girls). The town also has the Schillerschule, which is a primary school, Hauptschule
Hauptschule
A Hauptschule is a secondary school in Germany and Austria, starting after 4 years of elementary schooling, which offers Lower Secondary Education according to the International Standard Classification of Education...
and Realschule
Realschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
.
Offering adult education are the Volkshochschule Bensheim and the Frauen- und Familienzentrum Bensheim, with about 2,000 participants each year the biggest family meeting place in Kreis Bergstraße
Kreis Bergstraße
Bergstraße is a Kreis in the south of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Groß-Gerau, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Odenwaldkreis, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, the urban district Mannheim, the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, and the urban district of Worms...
.
Primary schools
- Hemsbergschule
- Grundschule Kappesgärten
- Joseph-Heckler Schule
- Schloßbergschule
- Kirchbergschule
Primary school/Hauptschule/Realschule
- Schillerschule
Coperative comprehensive school
- Geschwister Scholl Schule
Vocational schools
- Heinrich-Metzendorf-Schule
- Berufsbildungszentrum
Advisory and advocacy centres
- Schule für Lernhilfe (school for help with learning)
- Seebergschule für praktisch Bildbare (practically educable)
- Behindertenhilfe Bergstraße GmbH (help for the handicapped)
Famous people
- Jakob Adam (1568–1618), reformed preacher and minister (in Bensheim 1598 to 1603)
- Gerhard Beetz (1918–2005), General secretary of the Evangelical Federation
- Hermann von Beisler (1790–1859), Bavarian military officer and politician
- Moritz Edelmann (1891–1973), National Socialist historical didactic
- Friedrich von EichheimerFriedrich von EichheimerGeorg Friedrich von Eichheimer was a Bavarian military physician and Generalstabsarzt of the Army....
(1764–1854), Bavarian military physician and Surgeon General of the Bavarian army - Wilhelm Euler (1847–1934), paper manufacturer, member of the Landtag, patron and member of the city council of Bensheim
- Friedrich Wilhelm Euler (1908–1995), archivist, genealogist and endowment founder
- Steffen Gebhardt (1981– ), German pentathlete
- Leo Grewenig (1898–1991), painter, student of Kandinsky and Klee
- Willi Harwerth (1894–982), Grafic artist and illustrator
- Eduard Haßloch (1887–1944), businessman, journalist and Bensheim local poet
- Joseph Heckler (1786–1857), Grand Duchy of Hesse collector, “homeland researcher” (Heimatforscher)
- Heinz Jost (1904–1964), SS-Brigadeführer, major general of the police, Amtschef in the SD-Hauptamt Amt III (AbwehrAbwehrThe Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
), Chief of RSHA-Amt VI - Karl Ernst Knodt (1856–1917), German poet
- Paul KleinschmidtPaul KleinschmidtPaul Kleinschmidt, was a German painter.As a student of art at the Berlin Akademie Kleinschmidt's greatest influence was Anton von Werner Adolf von Menzel, who was at the time Kleinschmidt's history art teacher....
(1883–1949), German painter - Michael Klemm (1953– ), German author, director and actor
- Karl Kunkel (1913– ), Catholic theologian
- Klaus Kübler (1936–2007) Member of the Bundestag (SPD)
- Hugo Lindemann (1867–1949), German college teacher and social democratic politician
- Michael MeisterMoldMolds are fungi that grow in the form of multicellular filaments called hyphae. Molds are not considered to be microbes but microscopic fungi that grow as single cells called yeasts...
(1961), Member of the Bundestag (CDU) - Georg Metzendorf (1874–1934), architect
- FranzHeinrich Metzendorf (1866–1923), architect, “Building Master of the Bergstraße”
- Marcus Morlinghaus (1965– ), German actor, author and director
- Norbert Müller-EverlingNorbert Müller-EverlingNorbert Müller-Everling is a contemporary German artist working with concrete art.- Time Line :- Style :Norbert Müller-Everling is an artist characterised by his unique philosophy and usage of colour in his work....
(1953– ), sculptor - Arthur von Oettingen (1836–1920), German-Baltich physicist, musical theorist and biographer
- Wilhelm RingelbandWilhelm RingelbandWilhelm Ringelband was a German theater critic and endower of the Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring. The actress Gertrud Eysoldt was a close friend and adviser to him. When Ringelband died, he left extensive archives of German film- and theatre history including a collection of pictures...
(1921–1981), theatre critic, endower of the Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring - Joseph Stoll (1879–1956), local poet, “homeland researcher”, cofounder of the Bensheimer Winzerfest, NSDAP local politician
- Bernhard TraresBernhard TraresBernhard Trares is a retired German professional footballer, who played mainly as a central defender.-Playing career:...
(1965– ), former German football player in the Bundesliga and football trainer - Otto Werner-Mueller (1926– ), conductor and musical educator
- Wilhelm Weyrauch (1914–2003), regional historical researcher and municipal politician
Further reading
- Joseph Stoll: Bensheimer Idiotikon, Eine Sammlung von Wörtern und Ausdrücken der Bensheimer Mundart mit Nachweisungen ihres Ursprungs und lokalgeschichtlichen Anmerkungen. Museumsverein Bensheim 1984, ISBN 3-931960-04-8.
- Diether Blüm: Bensheimer Schulhäuser im Wandel der Jahrhunderte. Verlag Bergsträßer Anzeiger, Bensheim 1992.
- Diether Blüm: Adelsfamilien im alten Bensheim. K+G Verlag GmbH, Bensheim 1995.
- Rudolf Köster und Wilhelm Weyrauch: Ältere Flurnamen von Bensheim und seinen Stadtteilen bis zur Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts. Hrsg. v. Museumsverein Bensheim in Verbindung mit der Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Geschichts- und Heimatvereine im Kreis Bergstraße, Sonderband 17 in der Reihe der Geschichtsblätter Kreis Bergstraße, Verlag Laurissa Lorsch [1995], ISBN 3-922781-82-9
- Rudolf Köster: Die Namen der Bensheimer Straßen, Wege, Plätze und Passagen von A–Z erläutert. Museumsverein Bensheim, 1996, ISBN 3-931960-05-6.
- Manfred Berg: Bensheim – Die Reihe Archivbilder. Sutton-Verlag GmbH, Erfurt 1998, ISBN 3-89702-090-4.
- Dorothea Schües: Der korrupte Kommerzienrat [Johann Maria Schlinck, Bürger und Stadtrat in Bensheim] Ein Zeitbild um 1800. R. G. Fischer Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 2002, ISBN 3-8301-0390-5.
- Manfred Berg: Bensheim erleben – Ein Führer zu den historischen Sehenswürdigkeiten. Edition Diesbach, Weinheim 2002, ISBN 3-936468-02-8.
- Wilhelm Weyrauch: Das frühe Bensheim - Vorträge und Aufsätze zur Entwicklungsgeschichte der Stadt - mit zahlreichen historischen Abbildungen. VVB Laufersweiler Verlag, Gießen 2004.
- Rudolf Köster: Bensheimer Familiennamen. Hrsg. v. Museumsverein Bensheim in Verbindung mit der Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Geschichts- und Heimatvereine im Kreis Bergstraße, Sonderband 23 in der Reihe der Geschichtsblätter Kreis Bergstraße, Verlag Laurissa Lorsch 2004, ISBN 3-922781-25-X.
- Manfred Berg: Bensheim entdecken - Ein Malbuch für Schulkinder. Eigenverlag Berg, Bensheim 2005, ISBN 3-00-017780-9.
- Geschichtswerkstatt Geschwister Scholl (Hrsg.) unter Leitung v. Schäfer, Franz Josef und Lotz, Peter: Jakob Kindinger - Ein politisches Leben. Druckhaus Diesbach GmbH, Weinheim 2006, ISBN 3-00-018379-5.
- Reiner Maaß und Manfred Berg (Hrsg.): Bensheim – Spuren der Geschichte. EditionDiesbach, Weinheim 2006, ISBN 3-936468-31-1, ISBN 978-3-936468-31-1
- Diether Blüm: Wenn Steine erzählen könnten... Verlag der Wochenzeitung "Der Bensemer"