Flonheim
Encyclopedia
Flonheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms
district in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
.
quarry
at which, until the earlier half of the 20th century, Flonheim sandstone was quarried.
in Flonheim amounts to 532 mm, which is rather low, falling into the lowest tenth of the precipitation chart for all Germany. At 7% of the German Weather Service’s weather stations, even lower figures are recorded. The driest month is January. The most rainfall comes in June. In that month, precipitation is twice what it is in January. Precipitation hardly varies over the year. At 28% of the weather stations, lower seasonal swings are recorded.
, Bornheim
, Uffhofen (since 7 June 1969 amalgamated with Flonheim) and Wendelsheim
.
times, sandstone was being quarried in what is now Flonheim’s municipal area. Some sculptural finds are on display at the Alzey
Museum, such as a Viergötterstein (a “four-god stone”, a pedestal on which a Jupiter Column
was customarily stood). There has also been a wealth of grave finds from Frankish
times, especially a princely grave from the 7th century furnished with weapons.
In 764, Flonheim had its first documentary mention as Flonenheim. In 960 Flonheim was mentioned as the seat of the Emichonen (later called the Counts of Flonheim). About 1133, Waldgrave
Emich II endowed an Augustinian
church canonical foundation (monastery), which was dissolved in 1554. About 1300, the village was fortified. Until the French Revolution
(1792) Flonheim was the seat of a comital Amt.
.jpg)
In Flonheim stood an early postal station on the roughly 920 km-long Habsburg postal route running from Innsbruck
to Mechelen
(north of Brussels
), which was run by the family Taxis
. It is known that the postal station was running from 1506 to about 1558.
During building work, a fossil
ized sea cow
was unearthed in Flonheim. This is now on display at the Senckenberg Museum
in Frankfurt
.
The municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results:
might be described thus: Quarterly, first and fourth sable a lion rampant guardant argent langued gules, second Or a lion rampant of the third armed and crowned of the second, and third Or two fish addorsed hauriant of the third.
s (1923), and until his death, Flonheim also had Germany’s oldest projectionist, Hans Frank (1915-2008).
with its Bornheim
interchange
runs by about 5 km away. The A 63
can be reached through the Autobahnkreuz Alzey, an Autobahn junction. Local public transport is limited to buslines run by Omnibusverkehr Rhein-Nahe, notably to the town of Alzey
.
There was once a railway station on the Wiesbachtalbahn in Flonheim.
Municipalities of Germany
Municipalities are the lowest level of territorial division in Germany. This may be the fourth level of territorial division in Germany, apart from those states which include Regierungsbezirke , where municipalities then become the fifth level.-Overview:With more than 3,400,000 inhabitants, the...
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
Verbandsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde is an administrative unit in the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt.-Rhineland-Palatinate:...
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms
Alzey-Worms
Alzey-Worms is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the district Groß-Gerau , the city of Worms and the districts of Bad Dürkheim, Donnersbergkreis, Bad Kreuznach and Mainz-Bingen.- History :...
district in Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
, 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...
.
Location
The municipality lies in the middle of Rhenish Hesse near the Rhine Valley. Through Flonheim flows the river Wiesbach.Geology
In Flonheim’s municipal area is an old sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
at which, until the earlier half of the 20th century, Flonheim sandstone was quarried.
Climate
Yearly precipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
in Flonheim amounts to 532 mm, which is rather low, falling into the lowest tenth of the precipitation chart for all Germany. At 7% of the German Weather Service’s weather stations, even lower figures are recorded. The driest month is January. The most rainfall comes in June. In that month, precipitation is twice what it is in January. Precipitation hardly varies over the year. At 28% of the weather stations, lower seasonal swings are recorded.
Neighbouring municipalities
Flonheim’s neighbours are ArmsheimArmsheim
Armsheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, Bornheim
Bornheim, Alzey-Worms
Bornheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is known as the “Gateway to the Rhenish-Hessian Switzerland”, as the region is called.- Location :Bornheim is nestled in...
, Uffhofen (since 7 June 1969 amalgamated with Flonheim) and Wendelsheim
Wendelsheim
Wendelsheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
.
History
As early as RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times, sandstone was being quarried in what is now Flonheim’s municipal area. Some sculptural finds are on display at the Alzey
Alzey
Alzey is a Verband-free town – one belonging to no Verbandsgemeinde – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the fourth-largest town in Rhenish Hesse, after Mainz, Worms, and Bingen....
Museum, such as a Viergötterstein (a “four-god stone”, a pedestal on which a Jupiter Column
Jupiter Column
A Jupiter Column is an archaeological monument belonging to a type widespread in Roman Germania. Such pillars express the religious beliefs of their time. They were erected in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, mostly near Roman settlements or villas in the Germanic provinces...
was customarily stood). There has also been a wealth of grave finds from Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
times, especially a princely grave from the 7th century furnished with weapons.
In 764, Flonheim had its first documentary mention as Flonenheim. In 960 Flonheim was mentioned as the seat of the Emichonen (later called the Counts of Flonheim). About 1133, Waldgrave
Waldgrave
The noble family of the Waldgraves or Wildgraves descended of a division of the House of the Counts of Nahegau in the year 1113....
Emich II endowed an Augustinian
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
church canonical foundation (monastery), which was dissolved in 1554. About 1300, the village was fortified. Until the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
(1792) Flonheim was the seat of a comital Amt.
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
to Mechelen
Mechelen
Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...
(north of Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
), which was run by the family Taxis
Thurn und Taxis
The Princely House of Thurn and Taxis is a German family that was a key player in the postal services in Europe in the 16th century and is well known as owners of breweries and builders of many castles.- History :...
. It is known that the postal station was running from 1506 to about 1558.
During building work, a fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
ized sea cow
Sirenia
Sirenia is an order of fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals that inhabit swamps, rivers, estuaries, marine wetlands, and coastal marine waters. Four species are living, in two families and genera. These are the dugong and manatees...
was unearthed in Flonheim. This is now on display at the Senckenberg Museum
Senckenberg Museum
The Naturmuseum Senckenberg in Frankfurt is the second largest museum of natural history in Germany. It is particularly popular with children, who enjoy the extensive collection of dinosaur skeletons: Senckenberg boasts the largest exhibition of large dinosaurs in Europe. One particular treasure is...
in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
.
Amalgamations
In the course of administrative reform, the two municipalities of Uffhofen and Flonheim were merged on 7 June 1969 into today’s municipality of Flonheim.Municipal council
The council is made up of 20 council members, who were elected at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairwoman.The municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results:
| SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
CDU | FWG Free Voters Free Voters is a German concept in which an association of persons participates in an election without having the status of a registered political party. Usually it is a locally organized group of voters in the form of a registered association . In most cases, Free Voters are active only at the... |
Total | |
| 2009 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 20 seats |
| 2004 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 20 seats |
Coat of arms
The municipality’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: Quarterly, first and fourth sable a lion rampant guardant argent langued gules, second Or a lion rampant of the third armed and crowned of the second, and third Or two fish addorsed hauriant of the third.
Cinema
In Flonheim is one of Germany’s oldest cinemaMovie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
s (1923), and until his death, Flonheim also had Germany’s oldest projectionist, Hans Frank (1915-2008).
Buildings
- The EvangelicalEvangelical Church in GermanyThe 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...
parish church was built between 1882 and 1885 on the spot where once stood the AugustinianAugustiniansThe term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
canonical foundation church, and inside it still has a ceramic-tile piece of flooring from the old monastery church. - RomanesqueRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
reliefs from about 1120 from the old monastery church can be found on a house on Langgasse (lane) and in the rectory garden. They are stylistically akin to reliefs in the southest vestibule at Mainz CathedralMainz CathedralMainz Cathedral or St. Martin's Cathedral is located near the historical center and pedestrianized market square of the city of Mainz, Germany...
. - The Catholic parish church is a Gothic RevivalGothic Revival architectureThe Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
building of quarrystones, built between 1883 and 1885. - Town hall dating from 1733 with stair tower from 1587 (not pictured).
- Former waldgraviate Amtshaus from 1750.
- The MennoniteMennoniteThe Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
church in the outlying centre of Uffhofen is a plain, one-room structure from 1756, remodelled in the 19th century.
Regular events
- Wine market at the historic marketplace – last weekend in May
- Wine festival: In September wine tasting at the producing vineyards during walking tours concluding with grilled treats with the wine.
- Flonheimer Jahrmarkt (yearly market) – first weekend in July
- Mühlentag (“Mill Day”) at the Geistermühle on WhitsunWhitsunWhitsun is the name used in the UK for the Christian festival of Pentecost, the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ's disciples...
day and Whit MondayWhit MondayWhit Monday or Pentecost Monday is the holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost, a movable feast in the Christian calendar. It is movable because it is determined by the date of Easter.... - Wine and art in Professor Eberhard Linke’s workshop and sculpture garden
- Christmas Market on the first day of AdventAdventAdvent is a season observed in many Western Christian churches, a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. It is the beginning of the Western liturgical year and commences on Advent Sunday, called Levavi...
Transport
The Autobahn A 61Bundesautobahn 61
is an autobahn in Germany that connects the border to the Netherlands near Venlo in the northwest to the interchange with A 6 near Hockenheim. In 1965, this required a re-design of the Hockenheimring....
with its Bornheim
Bornheim, Alzey-Worms
Bornheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is known as the “Gateway to the Rhenish-Hessian Switzerland”, as the region is called.- Location :Bornheim is nestled in...
interchange
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...
runs by about 5 km away. The A 63
Bundesautobahn 63
is an autobahn in southwestern Germany. It connects the Mainz area to Kaiserslautern and the A 6 and is therefore an important connection between the Rhine/Main and the Saar areas...
can be reached through the Autobahnkreuz Alzey, an Autobahn junction. Local public transport is limited to buslines run by Omnibusverkehr Rhein-Nahe, notably to the town of Alzey
Alzey
Alzey is a Verband-free town – one belonging to no Verbandsgemeinde – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the fourth-largest town in Rhenish Hesse, after Mainz, Worms, and Bingen....
.
There was once a railway station on the Wiesbachtalbahn in Flonheim.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Eva Pauser was Rhenish-HessianRheinhessen (wine region)Rheinhessen is the largest of 13 German wine regions for quality wines with under cultivation in 2008. Named for the traditional region of Rhenish Hesse, it lies on the left bank of the River Rhine between Worms and Bingen in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate...
Wine Queen in 2005/2006. - Denise Wagner was Flonheim Beer Queen in 2005/2006.
- Susanne Reinemer was Wine Princess from 1995 to 1997
- Verena Bechtluft was world nine-pin bowlingNine-pin bowlingNine-pin bowling is a bowling game played primarily in Europe. European championships are held each year. Over 90,000 members are on teams in Germany, often playing in officially registered Bundeskegelbahnen to be found in almost every sizable town...
champion in 2004.
External links
- Municipality’s official webpage
- Flonheim in the collective municipality’s Web pages
- Further information about Flonheim
- Flonheim-Uffhofen local history as PDF file (480 kb)
- Flonheim’s history and present
- Für Flonheim interessieren sich auch Gäste aus Japan in the Rhein Main Presse on 10 February 2004