Hamm am Rhein
Encyclopedia
Hamm am Rhein is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms
district in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
.
, whose seat is in the like-named municipality
.
The municipality’s special charm finds its roots in its location right on the Rhine, or rather on a sidestream called the Schadegrawe, which is cut off from the Rhine’s mainstream by an island, the Wörth (this word is a local variant of the German
word Werder, which often means, as in this case, an island in a river; its English
equivalent might be “ait
” or “holm
”). The name “Schadegrawe” is a dialectal
pronunciation of the Standard High German “Scheidegraben” (“Parting Dyke”) between Hamm’s and Ibersheim’s municipal areas.
Within the Verbandsgemeinde of Eich, Hamm am Rhein has the longest stretch of the Rhine within its limits.
side, Hamm neighbours the municipality of Eich
and Ibersheim
, a suburb of the city of Worms
. On the Hessian
side lies the town of Gernsheim
, to which Hamm is linked by ferry
.
. The name Hamm means “lying at the river’s side or bend”.
The epithet “am Rhein” was given the municipality on 1 January 2002.
The municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results:
might be described thus: Gules three pikes fesswise in pale argent.
The pikes
refer to the fishermen’s guild, which was well developed in Hamm am Rhein in earlier times.
tree, which enjoys conservation status, that stands across from the town hall. This tree was planted on Easter Monday
1872 after the end of the Franco-Prussian War
as a token of peace.
and gymnastics
, can be found at the municipal hall, making this hall not only a convenient exercise centre for the community but also a venue for many events.
Another attraction is the 18-hole golf course opened in mid October 2000 by the Golfclub Worms at the Hamm-Gernsheim ferry on the former Seibert estate (Seibert'scher Gutshof). At the moment, nine holes can be played, but the rest will soon be opened. Its location in the Rhine floodplain landscape is outstanding.
Also every year, the Eichbaumfest (“Oaktree Festival”) around the Hamm Oak.
Moreover, Hamm am Rhein is a regular stop on the outing that makes up part of the yearly “motorcycle blessing” in Eich
.
A highlight for the villagers each year is the Maibaumfest – “May Tree Festival” – staged by the local volunteer fire brigade, at which a tree is festively decorated and put up next to the Hamm Oak across from the town hall.
On New Year’s Day, people meet in ice-cold weather to go skating on the Schadegrawe.
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 Rhenish Hesse and belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of EichEich (Verbandsgemeinde)
Eich is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Alzey-Worms, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Eich....
, whose seat is in the like-named municipality
Eich, Rhineland-Palatinate
Eich is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
.
The municipality’s special charm finds its roots in its location right on the Rhine, or rather on a sidestream called the Schadegrawe, which is cut off from the Rhine’s mainstream by an island, the Wörth (this word is a local variant of the German
German 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....
word Werder, which often means, as in this case, an island in a river; its English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
equivalent might be “ait
Ait
An ait is a small island. It is especially used to refer to islands found on the River Thames and its tributaries in England....
” or “holm
Holm (island)
This page is a set index; for other uses of the term, see Holm There are numerous islands containing the word Holm, especially in Scotland. In many cases the name is derived from the Old Norse holmr, meaning "a small and rounded islet"...
”). The name “Schadegrawe” is a dialectal
German dialects
German dialect is dominated by the geographical spread of the High German consonant shift, and the dialect continuum that connects the German with the Dutch language.-German dialects in relation to varieties of standard German:...
pronunciation of the Standard High German “Scheidegraben” (“Parting Dyke”) between Hamm’s and Ibersheim’s municipal areas.
Within the Verbandsgemeinde of Eich, Hamm am Rhein has the longest stretch of the Rhine within its limits.
Neighbouring municipalities
On the Rhineland-PalatinateRhineland-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 ....
side, Hamm neighbours the municipality of Eich
Eich, Rhineland-Palatinate
Eich is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
and Ibersheim
Worms-Ibersheim
Ibersheim, Ibersheim, Ibersheim, (pronunciation is the district of Worms (Rhineland-Palatinate) that is furthest from the city centre and the smallest in terms of population....
, a suburb of the city of 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...
. On the Hessian
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...
side lies the town of Gernsheim
Gernsheim
Gernsheim is a town in Groß-Gerau district and Darmstadt region in Hesse, Germany, lying on the Rhine.-Location:The Schöfferstadt Gernsheim, as Gernsheim may officially call itself – it was Peter Schöffer's birthplace – lies 18 km southwest of Darmstadt and 16 km northeast of Worms, right...
, to which Hamm is linked by ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
.
History
In 782, Hamm had its first documentary mention in the Lorsch codexLorsch 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...
. The name Hamm means “lying at the river’s side or bend”.
The epithet “am Rhein” was given the municipality on 1 January 2002.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 16 council members, who were elected at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.The municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results:
| CDU | SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
FDP 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... |
Total | |
| 1999 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 16 seats |
| 2004 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 16 seats |
| 2009 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 16 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: Gules three pikes fesswise in pale argent.
The pikes
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
refer to the fishermen’s guild, which was well developed in Hamm am Rhein in earlier times.
The Rhine
Near the Rhine and on the Wörth, remains of the original Rhine floodplain landscape have been preserved. Strollers, hikers and nature lovers find here easy access to a network of various paths.Music
The Hamm am Rhein singer-songwriter Markus Schmittel, also known as Korbmachersoldat (“Basket Maker Soldier”) is always writing and singing songs about his home, which has made him widely known beyond the municipality’s limits.Natural monuments
Hamm’s main landmark is an oakOak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
tree, which enjoys conservation status, that stands across from the town hall. This tree was planted on Easter Monday
Easter Monday
Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday and is celebrated as a holiday in some largely Christian cultures, especially Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox cultures...
1872 after the end of the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
as a token of peace.
Sport
The indoor-sport departments of the local sport club, SV Rheingold 08 Hamm e.V., such as table tennisTable tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
and gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, can be found at the municipal hall, making this hall not only a convenient exercise centre for the community but also a venue for many events.
Another attraction is the 18-hole golf course opened in mid October 2000 by the Golfclub Worms at the Hamm-Gernsheim ferry on the former Seibert estate (Seibert'scher Gutshof). At the moment, nine holes can be played, but the rest will soon be opened. Its location in the Rhine floodplain landscape is outstanding.
Regular events
Each year at the so-called Twelve Apostles, right on the Rhine, an open-air event is held at which followers of various musical genres from near and far meet.Also every year, the Eichbaumfest (“Oaktree Festival”) around the Hamm Oak.
Moreover, Hamm am Rhein is a regular stop on the outing that makes up part of the yearly “motorcycle blessing” in Eich
Eich, Rhineland-Palatinate
Eich is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
.
A highlight for the villagers each year is the Maibaumfest – “May Tree Festival” – staged by the local volunteer fire brigade, at which a tree is festively decorated and put up next to the Hamm Oak across from the town hall.
On New Year’s Day, people meet in ice-cold weather to go skating on the Schadegrawe.