Monsheim
Encyclopedia
Monsheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms
district in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
.
, which rises in the southern Donnersbergkreis
and empties into the Rhine at Worms
, which is roughly 10 km from the municipality. It is also the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Monsheim
.
finds. Important are the finds made in the rural area known as Hinkelstein. Here, in 1866, while a field was being cleared to make way for a vineyard, a burial ground was discovered. Originally standing here was a menhir
some 2 m tall, known in the local speech as the Hinkelstein; this is now kept in the Monsheim Castle grounds. The discovery was investigated by the Mainz
prehistorian
Ludwig Lindenschmit the Elder
(1809–1893) who described it in 1868. The Worms physician and prehistorian Karl Koehl (1847–1929) put forth the name “Hinkelstein type” as a description for the culture whose artifacts had been unearthed in Monsheim, and today the term “Hinkelstein culture
” is customary. This culture existed roughly from 4900 to 4800 BC. It was spread mainly over parts of what are now Baden-Württemberg
, Rhineland-Palatinate
and Hesse
.
.
Some of the first German settlers in North America
, who founded Germantown Township, Pennsylvania
in 1683, were from Monsheim's outlying centre of Kriegsheim (then spelled Cresheim). The Cresheim Creek
, Cresheim Road, and Cresheim Valley Drive in northwestern Philadelphia are named after the village.
Today’s municipality came into being through the merger on 7 June 1969 of the two formerly separate municipalities of Kriegsheim and Monsheim.
The municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results:
might be described thus: Azure an eagle displayed, wings elevated argent, armed gules, in a chief of the third a cross Or.
Monsheim’s oldest known seal dates from 1523, but the oldest one still in existence is from 1598. This showed an escutcheon charge
d with a cross and with the field semé of crosses (that is, strewn with little crosses). The cross came from the arms borne by the Lords of Westerburg, who held the village at that time. The next seal, which is known from 1690, was quarterly (that is, divided into four fields vertically and horizontally) with the eagle in the first and fourth quarters and five crosses each in the other two. The former came from the arms borne by the Counts of Leiningen, and the latter from the Westerburg arms. This new composition was borne by the Counts of Leiningen-Westerburg, as the fiefholders were now called. There was also a supporter in these arms, the local patron saint, Pirmin
, who also held a small model of the local church in his free hand. Later seals show either Pirmin or the current armorial composition.
Another coat of arms was proposed in 1956, which might have been described thus: Azure semé of crosses pattée Or a church with a tower in sinister charged with a cross pattée of the same, in chief above the nave an eagle displayed, wings elevated argent, armed and langued of the second.
Finally, the arms shown in this article are slightly different from the ones shown in the source (Heraldry of the World). The ones there show the eagle with a red (gules) tongue and claws, but with silver (argent) legs and beak.
The current arms have been borne since 28 December 1957.
n 271 and 47 cross each other. Monsheim lies on the Rheinhessenbahn (railway), which runs from Bingen am Rhein
to Worms
. Moreover, the Zellertalbahn begins in Monsheim, running to Langmeil, an outlying centre of Winnweiler
, on which excursion trains go to Hochspeyer
in the summer. The Pfälzische Nordbahn also begins in Monsheim. On summertime weekends and holidays, journeys on the Elsass-Express (“Alsace Express”) to Wissembourg
are possible. There is also a bus route beginning in Monsheim, number 921, that goes to Kirchheimbolanden
.
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
Monsheim lies in the southern Wonnegau in Rhenish Hesse on the river PfrimmPfrimm
The Pfrimm is a 42.7 km long, left or western tributary of the Rhine in the Rhineland-Palatinate .- Course :The Pfrimm rises in the southern part of the Donnersbergkreis. Its spring lies in the northern part of the Palatinate Forest Nature Park, about 3 km southeast of the municipality Sippersfeld...
, which rises in the southern Donnersbergkreis
Donnersbergkreis
The Donnersbergkreis is a district in the middle of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighboring districts are Bad Kreuznach, Alzey-Worms, Bad Dürkheim, Kaiserslautern, Kusel.-History:...
and empties into the Rhine at 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...
, which is roughly 10 km from the municipality. It is also the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Monsheim
Monsheim (Verbandsgemeinde)
Monsheim is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Alzey-Worms, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Monsheim....
.
Prehistory
The Pfrimm valley has long been settled. In the Monsheim municipal area there have been many 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...
finds. Important are the finds made in the rural area known as Hinkelstein. Here, in 1866, while a field was being cleared to make way for a vineyard, a burial ground was discovered. Originally standing here was a menhir
Menhir
A menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top...
some 2 m tall, known in the local speech as the Hinkelstein; this is now kept in the Monsheim Castle grounds. The discovery was investigated by the Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
prehistorian
Prehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
Ludwig Lindenschmit the Elder
Ludwig Lindenschmit the Elder
Ludwig Lindenschmit was a German history painter, prehistorian and art instructor who was a native of Mainz. He studied art in Vienna and Munich, and beginning in 1831 was a high school art teacher in Mainz...
(1809–1893) who described it in 1868. The Worms physician and prehistorian Karl Koehl (1847–1929) put forth the name “Hinkelstein type” as a description for the culture whose artifacts had been unearthed in Monsheim, and today the term “Hinkelstein culture
Hinkelstein culture
Die Hinkelstein culture is a Neolithic archaeological culture situated in Rhine-Main and Rhenish Hesse, Germany.It is a Megalithic culture, part of the wider Linear Pottery horizon, dating to approximately the 50th to 49th century BC....
” is customary. This culture existed roughly from 4900 to 4800 BC. It was spread mainly over parts of what are now Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, 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 ....
and 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...
.
Recorded history
In the 8th century, Monsheim 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...
.
Some of the first German settlers in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, who founded Germantown Township, Pennsylvania
Germantown Township, Pennsylvania
Germantown Township, also known as German Township, is a defunct township that was located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The municipality ceased to exist and was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia following the passage of the Act of Consolidation, 1854.-History:Germantown Township,...
in 1683, were from Monsheim's outlying centre of Kriegsheim (then spelled Cresheim). The Cresheim Creek
Cresheim Creek
Cresheim Creek is a creek in southeastern Pennsylvania. Rising at Hill Crest in Cheltenham Township , it runs about 2.7 miles southwest, passing through part of Northwest Philadelphia and dividing Mount Airy from Chestnut Hill, before emptying into the Wissahickon Creek at...
, Cresheim Road, and Cresheim Valley Drive in northwestern Philadelphia are named after the village.
Today’s municipality came into being through the merger on 7 June 1969 of the two formerly separate municipalities of Kriegsheim and Monsheim.
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 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... |
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... |
Grüne Alliance '90/The Greens Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir... |
Total | |
| 1989 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 15 seats | |
| 1994 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 16 seats |
| 1999 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 20 seats | |
| 2004 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 20 seats | |
| 2009 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 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: Azure an eagle displayed, wings elevated argent, armed gules, in a chief of the third a cross Or.
Monsheim’s oldest known seal dates from 1523, but the oldest one still in existence is from 1598. This showed an escutcheon 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...
d with a cross and with the field semé of crosses (that is, strewn with little crosses). The cross came from the arms borne by the Lords of Westerburg, who held the village at that time. The next seal, which is known from 1690, was quarterly (that is, divided into four fields vertically and horizontally) with the eagle in the first and fourth quarters and five crosses each in the other two. The former came from the arms borne by the Counts of Leiningen, and the latter from the Westerburg arms. This new composition was borne by the Counts of Leiningen-Westerburg, as the fiefholders were now called. There was also a supporter in these arms, the local patron saint, Pirmin
Saint Pirmin
Saint Pirmin , also named Pirminius, was a monk, strongly influenced by Celtic Christianity and Saint Amand.-Biography:...
, who also held a small model of the local church in his free hand. Later seals show either Pirmin or the current armorial composition.
Another coat of arms was proposed in 1956, which might have been described thus: Azure semé of crosses pattée Or a church with a tower in sinister charged with a cross pattée of the same, in chief above the nave an eagle displayed, wings elevated argent, armed and langued of the second.
Finally, the arms shown in this article are slightly different from the ones shown in the source (Heraldry of the World). The ones there show the eagle with a red (gules) tongue and claws, but with silver (argent) legs and beak.
The current arms have been borne since 28 December 1957.
Cultural monuments
- Castle: In the 17th century, the old castle was converted into a RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
château. - On the castle grounds is found the “Hinkelstein”, a menhirMenhirA menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top...
which may well be from the New Stone Age.
Transport
In Monsheim, BundesstraßeBundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
n 271 and 47 cross each other. Monsheim lies on the Rheinhessenbahn (railway), which runs from Bingen am Rhein
Bingen am Rhein
Bingen am Rhein is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.The settlement’s original name was Bingium, a Celtic word that may have meant “hole in the rock”, a description of the shoal behind the Mäuseturm, known as the Binger Loch. Bingen was the starting point for the...
to 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...
. Moreover, the Zellertalbahn begins in Monsheim, running to Langmeil, an outlying centre of Winnweiler
Winnweiler
Winnweiler is a municipality in the Donnersbergkreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the upper course of the river Alsenz, approx. north-east of Kaiserslautern...
, on which excursion trains go to Hochspeyer
Hochspeyer
Hochspeyer is a municipality in the district of Kaiserslautern, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Palatinate forest , approx...
in the summer. The Pfälzische Nordbahn also begins in Monsheim. On summertime weekends and holidays, journeys on the Elsass-Express (“Alsace Express”) to Wissembourg
Wissembourg
Wissembourg is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in northeastern France.It is situated on the little River Lauter close to the border between France and Germany approximately north of Strasbourg and west of Karlsruhe. Wissembourg is a sub-prefecture of the department...
are possible. There is also a bus route beginning in Monsheim, number 921, that goes to Kirchheimbolanden
Kirchheimbolanden
Kirchheimbolanden, the capital of Donnersbergkreis, is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, south-western Germany. It is situated approx. 25 km west of Worms, and 30 km north-east of Kaiserslautern. The first part of the name, Kirchheim, dates back to 774. It became a town in 1368, and the...
.
Famous people
- David Möllinger (1709–1786), German agrarian reformer
- Ernst von Gagern (1807-1865), important priest in the Diocese of Speyer.