Nieder-Olm
Encyclopedia
Nieder-Olm is a town in the Mainz-Bingen
district in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
. Until 5 November 2006 it was an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – but it was raised to town the next day. It is still the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Nieder-Olm
, and functions as a middle centre
in the region.
in the heart of Rhenish Hesse, on the east bank of the Selz
in the north of the Rhenish-Hessian Hills (Rheinhessisches Hügelland), the Mainz Basin.
The town’s average elevation lies at some 150 m above sea level
. The highest elevation within municipal limits is the Mühlberg at 243 m in the northeast between Nieder-Olm and Mainz-Ebersheim.
The landscape is strongly characterized by winegrowing and fruit growing. A wood named Im Loh can be found in the northeast of the municipal area. It is only some 11 ha in area.
The mean temperature over the year is 8 °C, making the area one of the warmest in Central Europe
. The yearly precipitation
is, at 500 mm, rather slight.
are available, dating Nieder-Olm founding is difficult. Finds from grave digs from the late 6th century, however, point to an early settlement in this area.
It is believed that this may have been brought about by the early Franks
during the so-called Fränkische Landnahme (“Frankish Land-Taking”), when the Franks reconquered the lands formerly held by the Romans
. The Frankish settlement called Reichelsheim lay roughly where the commercial development now lies in northwest Nieder-Olm and can still be made out in aerial photographs. The placename ending —heim is typical of names that the Franks gave places, including many other nearby places. Reichelsheim, though, was later forsaken
.
holding. It is established by documents that in 899 Archbishop of Mainz Hatto I made over a landholding called Ulmena (Olm) to the wife of Emperor Arnulf of Carinthia
with a lifetime term. This estate is believed to have lain in the area now occupied by Ober-Olm
and is both municipalities’ namesake. In 994, at Emperor Otto III’s
behest, the estate was put back under the Archbishopric’s ownership. In the late 11th century, ownership was transferred to the Mainz Cathedral Foundation, in which time also arose Saint George’s Catholic Church, expedited by strong ecclesiastical influence.
The settlement’s first fortifications are believed to date from the 12th century. These were made up of walls and ditches and had four main gates. Later, in the late 13th century, supposedly as a reaction to the building of Stadeck Castle, a castle with a moat was built within the municipal boundaries, to which noble Burgmänner
were given priority.
In the 15th century, Nieder-Olm found itself caught between the frontlines in an archieposcopal feud being waged by Archbishops Diether von Isenburg
and Adolf von Nassau. Its consequences entailed frequent changes in rulers. In 1503, Archbishop Berthold had the castle newly built to meet the requirements of what were then modern attack techniques. From this time, the castle was known as St. Laurenziburg. In the years that followed, both the castle and the fortifications were repeatedly destroyed. Today only a few remnants are left. In the early 19th century, the castle finally had to give way to a road. Quite well preserved is the defensive complex at the graveyard, which at the time surrounded the church.
, Nieder-Olm was repeatedly overrun by the enemy and in 1632 it was occupied by Swedish
troops. Some 60 years later, in the Nine Years' War, Nieder-Olm was sacked by French
troops.
Once again in the late 18th century, Nieder-Olm was occupied. This time it was French Revolution
ary troops. The French put a Liberty pole
up in 1792 and made Nieder-Olm a part of the Republic of Mainz
, which was the first democratic
republic on German territory. Only a short time later – the Republic of Mainz only lasted 100 days – Nieder-Olm was reconquered by Imperial troops.
As soon afterwards as 1797, though, French troops managed to take Nieder-Olm once again, and it thus became part of the Napoleonic Empire. After this fell, Nieder-Olm became in 1816 part of the newly founded province of Rhenish Hesse (Rheinhessen), which also made it part of the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt
.
With the opening of the Hessian Ludwig Railway
from Mainz
to Alzey
in 1871, Nieder-Olm was linked to the railway network.
. A border station of the occupied Rhineland
was set up in an inn at that time, the Gasthaus zur schönen Aussicht.
Having been returned to German sovereignty in 1929, Nieder-Olm was no more spared National Socialism than any other part of Germany. After Kristallnacht
(9 November 1938), in which Jewish houses and shops were looted and destroyed, there were no more Jewish inhabitants in Nieder-Olm.
Into the history of the Second World War went Nieder-Olm when during the Allied
advance, scattered German troops in the Selz valley put up considerable resistance. Bearing witness to this time are American
emplacements west of the Selz, which have, however, for safety’s sake, been filled in.
of Rhineland-Palatinate
.
In the decades that followed, the infrastructure was under ongoing expansion: new schools arose (in 1957 the new primary school Burgschule Nieder-Olm, in 1974 the Hauptschule
and special school and in 1981 the Gymnasium
, as well as two schools for physically handicapped pupils and those with learning difficulties), a gymnasium and festival hall (1961) and the indoor and outdoor swimming pool (1968) were built. In 1980 the town acquired a connection to the A 63
.
Also in the last two decades, development was steadily furthered: new residential areas were laid out and older ones continually expanded. The commercial area was amply expanded and three new bypasses were built. In 1997 the old festival hall was torn down and replaced with the new Ludwig-Eckes-Halle. Likewise, the indoor and outdoor swimming pool was expanded into an adventure pool.
Further upgrading is planned with a view to barring all through traffic and doing further building work, especially in the area around the primary school and Pariser Straße.
Today, Nieder-Olm has over 9,200 inhabitants and the number is growing. The Rhineland-Palatinate Cabinet decided on 24 October 2006 to grant Nieder-Olm the designation “town” (Stadt in German
). Nieder-Olm has been allowed since the delivery of the granting documents on 6 November 2006 by Rhineland-Palatinate Interior Minister Karl Peter Bruch to call itself the “Town of Nieder-Olm” (Stadt Nieder-Olm).
(as at municipal election held on 7 June 2009)
, Côte-d'Or
, France
since 1967 Bussolengo, Province of Verona
, Veneto
, Italy
since 1984 L'Alcúdia
, Valencia
, Spain
since 1989
might be described thus: Per fess argent a cross moline gules and gules a wheel spoked of six argent.
The earliest seal, from 1519, shows the cross moline (that is, cross with pointed split ends turned out), whereas later ones show a cross pattée (that is, cross whose arms broaden at the ends, which are flat). The original form was chosen for inclusion in the modern arms.
The reason for the cross’s inclusion as a charge
is unclear, although it has been suggested that it refers to Saint George, who is the patron saint. The wheel is the Wheel of Mainz
, and refers to Nieder-Olm’s allegiance to Electoral Mainz
until 1803. The tincture
s are also Mainz’s.
from Kaiserslautern
to Mainz
passes Nieder-Olm in the west and is linked to the town through two interchange
s. On the one hand it is easy to reach the important north-south connection, the A 61
along this road, and on the other, it serves as a feeder to the urban agglomeration of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region and the other Autobahnen that lead there.
Over several Landesstraßen (State Roads), Nieder-Olm is linked with neighbouring municipalities.
Nieder-Olm is connected to local public transport by the ORN (Omnibusverkehr Rhein-Nahe GmbH), a bus company:
In the east of downtown is found the Deutsche Bahn
railway station. On weekdays, it is served strictly by half-hourly regional trains (RE
/RB
) in both directions on the Alzey–Mainz line. Even on Sundays and holidays, the service is only slightly less. In the morning rush hour there are two direct connections to Worms
by way of Alzey. In the summer months, a few trains go through to Kirchheimbolanden. On weekends and holidays, journeys on the Elsass-Express (“Alsace Express”) to Wissembourg
are possible.
.
Mainz-Bingen
Mainz-Bingen is a district in the east of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighboring districts are Rheingau-Taunus, the district-free cities Wiesbaden and Mainz, the districts Groß-Gerau, Alzey-Worms, Bad Kreuznach, Rhein-Hunsrück.-History:During the French occupation under Napoleon the district...
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...
. Until 5 November 2006 it was an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
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 – but it was raised to town the next day. It is still the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Nieder-Olm
Nieder-Olm (Verbandsgemeinde)
Verbandsgemeinde Nieder-Olm is a collective municipality in the district Mainz-Bingen in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The administrative center of the Verbandsgemeinde Nieder-Olm is located in the town of Nieder-Olm...
, and functions as a middle centre
Central Place Theory
Central place theory is a geographical theory that seeks to explain the number, size and location of human settlements in an urban system. The theory was created by the German geographer Walter Christaller, who asserted that settlements simply functioned as 'central places' providing services to...
in the region.
Location
Nieder-Olm lies some 10 km south of MainzMainz
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...
in the heart of Rhenish Hesse, on the east bank of the Selz
Selz
The Selz is a river in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, a left tributary to the Rhine. It flows through the biggest German wine region, which is called Rheinhessen....
in the north of the Rhenish-Hessian Hills (Rheinhessisches Hügelland), the Mainz Basin.
The town’s average elevation lies at some 150 m above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. The highest elevation within municipal limits is the Mühlberg at 243 m in the northeast between Nieder-Olm and Mainz-Ebersheim.
The landscape is strongly characterized by winegrowing and fruit growing. A wood named Im Loh can be found in the northeast of the municipal area. It is only some 11 ha in area.
Climate
Owing to the location in the Mainz Basin, the climate in Nieder-Olm is very mild and dry.The mean temperature over the year is 8 °C, making the area one of the warmest in Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
. The yearly precipitation
Precipitation (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...
is, at 500 mm, rather slight.
Constituent communities
Nieder-Olm has one outlying Stadtteil called Goldberg.Neighbouring municipalities
Clockwise from the north, these are:- Ober-OlmOber-OlmOber-Olm is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Neighbouring municipalities :...
(Verbandsgemeinde of Nieder-OlmNieder-Olm (Verbandsgemeinde)Verbandsgemeinde Nieder-Olm is a collective municipality in the district Mainz-Bingen in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The administrative center of the Verbandsgemeinde Nieder-Olm is located in the town of Nieder-Olm...
) - Klein-WinternheimKlein-WinternheimKlein-Winternheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-Location:...
(Verbandsgemeinde of Nieder-Olm) - MainzMainzMainz 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...
(outlying centre of Ebersheim) - ZornheimZornheimZornheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
(Verbandsgemeinde of Nieder-Olm) - SörgenlochSörgenlochSörgenloch is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
(Verbandsgemeinde of Nieder-Olm) - SaulheimSaulheimSaulheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
(Verbandsgemeinde of WörrstadtWörrstadt (Verbandsgemeinde)Wörrstadt is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Alzey-Worms, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Wörrstadt....
) - Stadecken-ElsheimStadecken-ElsheimStadecken-Elsheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-Location:...
(Verbandsgemeinde of Nieder-Olm) - EssenheimEssenheimEssenheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-Location:Essenheim lies in Rhenish Hesse southwest of Mainz...
(Verbandsgemeinde of Nieder-Olm)
Early Middle Ages
Since so few written documents about Nieder-Olm from the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
are available, dating Nieder-Olm founding is difficult. Finds from grave digs from the late 6th century, however, point to an early settlement in this area.
It is believed that this may have been brought about by the early Franks
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...
during the so-called Fränkische Landnahme (“Frankish Land-Taking”), when the Franks reconquered the lands formerly held by the Romans
Ancient 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....
. The Frankish settlement called Reichelsheim lay roughly where the commercial development now lies in northwest Nieder-Olm and can still be made out in aerial photographs. The placename ending —heim is typical of names that the Franks gave places, including many other nearby places. Reichelsheim, though, was later forsaken
Abandoned village
An abandoned village is a village that has, for some reason, been deserted. In many countries, and throughout history, thousands of villages were deserted for a variety of causes...
.
Middle Ages
From the Middle Ages, Nieder-Olm was an Electoral MainzArchbishopric 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...
holding. It is established by documents that in 899 Archbishop of Mainz Hatto I made over a landholding called Ulmena (Olm) to the wife of Emperor Arnulf of Carinthia
Arnulf of Carinthia
Arnulf of Carinthia was the Carolingian King of East Francia from 887, the disputed King of Italy from 894 and the disputed Holy Roman Emperor from February 22, 896 until his death.-Birth and Illegitimacy:...
with a lifetime term. This estate is believed to have lain in the area now occupied by Ober-Olm
Ober-Olm
Ober-Olm is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Neighbouring municipalities :...
and is both municipalities’ namesake. In 994, at Emperor Otto III’s
Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto III , a King of Germany, was the fourth ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire. He was elected King in 983 on the death of his father Otto II and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 996.-Early reign:...
behest, the estate was put back under the Archbishopric’s ownership. In the late 11th century, ownership was transferred to the Mainz Cathedral Foundation, in which time also arose Saint George’s Catholic Church, expedited by strong ecclesiastical influence.
The settlement’s first fortifications are believed to date from the 12th century. These were made up of walls and ditches and had four main gates. Later, in the late 13th century, supposedly as a reaction to the building of Stadeck Castle, a castle with a moat was built within the municipal boundaries, to which noble Burgmänner
Burgmann
A Burgmann was a member of the low aristocracy in the Middle Ages who guarded and defended castles. They were hired by a lord of the castle to take on the burghut, the guarding and defense of a castle....
were given priority.
In the 15th century, Nieder-Olm found itself caught between the frontlines in an archieposcopal feud being waged by Archbishops Diether von Isenburg
Diether von Isenburg
thumb|Diethers coat of arms stained glass in Mainz Cathedral...thumb|... and as relief at the city walls of [[Höchst |Höchst]]Theodoric of Isenburg-Büdingen thumb|Diethers coat of arms stained glass in Mainz Cathedral...thumb|... and as relief at the city walls of [[Höchst (Frankfurt am...
and Adolf von Nassau. Its consequences entailed frequent changes in rulers. In 1503, Archbishop Berthold had the castle newly built to meet the requirements of what were then modern attack techniques. From this time, the castle was known as St. Laurenziburg. In the years that followed, both the castle and the fortifications were repeatedly destroyed. Today only a few remnants are left. In the early 19th century, the castle finally had to give way to a road. Quite well preserved is the defensive complex at the graveyard, which at the time surrounded the church.
Early modern times
During the Thirty Years' WarThirty 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....
, Nieder-Olm was repeatedly overrun by the enemy and in 1632 it was occupied by 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. Some 60 years later, in the Nine Years' War, Nieder-Olm was sacked 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...
troops.
Once again in the late 18th century, Nieder-Olm was occupied. This time it was 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...
ary troops. The French put a Liberty pole
Liberty pole
A liberty pole is a tall wooden pole, often used as a type of flagstaff, planted in the ground, which may be surmounted by an ensign or a liberty cap. They are associated with the Atlantic Revolutions of the late 18th century.-American Revolution:...
up in 1792 and made Nieder-Olm a part of the Republic of Mainz
Republic of Mainz
The Republic of Mainz was the first democratic state on the current German territory and was centered in Mainz. A product of the French Revolutionary Wars, it lasted from March to July 1793.-Context:...
, which was the first democratic
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
republic on German territory. Only a short time later – the Republic of Mainz only lasted 100 days – Nieder-Olm was reconquered by Imperial troops.
As soon afterwards as 1797, though, French troops managed to take Nieder-Olm once again, and it thus became part of the Napoleonic Empire. After this fell, Nieder-Olm became in 1816 part of the newly founded province of Rhenish Hesse (Rheinhessen), which also made it part of the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt
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...
.
With the opening of the Hessian Ludwig Railway
Hessian Ludwig Railway
The Hessian Ludwig Railway or HLB with its network of 697 kilometres of railway was one of the largest privately owned railway companies in Germany.- Early history :...
from 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...
to 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....
in 1871, Nieder-Olm was linked to the railway network.
First and Second World Wars
After the First World War, Nieder-Olm once again became French-occupied under the terms of the Treaty of VersaillesTreaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
. A border station of the occupied Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
was set up in an inn at that time, the Gasthaus zur schönen Aussicht.
Having been returned to German sovereignty in 1929, Nieder-Olm was no more spared National Socialism than any other part of Germany. After 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...
(9 November 1938), in which Jewish houses and shops were looted and destroyed, there were no more Jewish inhabitants in Nieder-Olm.
Into the history of the Second World War went Nieder-Olm when during the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
advance, scattered German troops in the Selz valley put up considerable resistance. Bearing witness to this time are American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
emplacements west of the Selz, which have, however, for safety’s sake, been filled in.
Postwar to present
From 1946, Nieder-Olm belonged to the newly founded stateStates of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
of 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 ....
.
In the decades that followed, the infrastructure was under ongoing expansion: new schools arose (in 1957 the new primary school Burgschule Nieder-Olm, in 1974 the 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 special school and in 1981 the Gymnasium
Gymnasium (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...
, as well as two schools for physically handicapped pupils and those with learning difficulties), a gymnasium and festival hall (1961) and the indoor and outdoor swimming pool (1968) were built. In 1980 the town acquired a connection to 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...
.
Also in the last two decades, development was steadily furthered: new residential areas were laid out and older ones continually expanded. The commercial area was amply expanded and three new bypasses were built. In 1997 the old festival hall was torn down and replaced with the new Ludwig-Eckes-Halle. Likewise, the indoor and outdoor swimming pool was expanded into an adventure pool.
Further upgrading is planned with a view to barring all through traffic and doing further building work, especially in the area around the primary school and Pariser Straße.
Today, Nieder-Olm has over 9,200 inhabitants and the number is growing. The Rhineland-Palatinate Cabinet decided on 24 October 2006 to grant Nieder-Olm the designation “town” (Stadt in 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....
). Nieder-Olm has been allowed since the delivery of the granting documents on 6 November 2006 by Rhineland-Palatinate Interior Minister Karl Peter Bruch to call itself the “Town of Nieder-Olm” (Stadt Nieder-Olm).
Town council
The council is made up of 24 council members, counting the mayor, with seats apportioned thus:| CDU | SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
FWG | The Greens 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 | |
| 2009 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 24 seats |
(as at municipal election held on 7 June 2009)
Town partnerships
Recey-sur-OurceRecey-sur-Ource
Recey-sur-Ource is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.-Geography:The village lies in the middle of the commune, on the right bank of the Ource, which flows northwestward through the middle of the commune.-Population:-Personalities:...
, 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 1967 Bussolengo, Province of Verona
Province of Verona
The Province of Verona is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Verona.-Overview:The province has an area of 3,109 km², and a total population of 912,981...
, Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
, 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 1984 L'Alcúdia
L'Alcúdia
L'Alcúdia is a town and municipality in the province of Valencia, Spain. It is located on the left bank of the river Xuquer.-History:The locality is named after a 13th-century Moorish farmhouse, granted in 1238 by the Aragonese king Jaume I to Pere de Montagut...
, Valencia
Valencia (province)
Valencia or València is a province of Spain, in the central part of the Valencian Community.It is bordered by the provinces of Alicante, Albacete, Cuenca, Teruel, Castellón, and the Mediterranean Sea...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
since 1989
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: Per fess argent a cross moline gules and gules a wheel spoked of six argent.
The earliest seal, from 1519, shows the cross moline (that is, cross with pointed split ends turned out), whereas later ones show a cross pattée (that is, cross whose arms broaden at the ends, which are flat). The original form was chosen for inclusion in the modern arms.
The reason for the cross’s inclusion as a 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...
is unclear, although it has been suggested that it refers to Saint George, who is the patron saint. The wheel is the Wheel of Mainz
Wheel of Mainz
thumb|150px|version until 1992thumb|150px|version from 1992 - 2008thumb|150px|version from 2008The Wheel of Mainz or Mainzer Rad, in German, was the coat of arms of the Archbishopric of Mainz and thus also of the Electorate of Mainz , in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It consists of a silver wheel...
, and refers to Nieder-Olm’s allegiance to Electoral Mainz
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...
until 1803. The 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 are also Mainz’s.
Culture and sightseeing
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 from the Late ClassicistClassicismClassicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
period was completed in 1865. It harbours a pulpit and altar table from 1808, both from the now demolished Welschnonnenkirche in Mainz. - Saint George’s Catholic Parish Church comes from the year 1779. The quire tower on the east side is a remnant of the old mediaevalMiddle AgesThe Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
church from the 12th century; it was given a greater height and modified later in the 19th century.
Regular events
- Fire brigade’s New Year’s Ball on the first Saturday in January
- Sebastianus-Theatertage in January
- Rathausstürmung (“Town Hall Storming”) on Fat ThursdayFat ThursdayFat Thursday is a traditional Polish, Greek and German feast marking the last Thursday before Lent and is associated with the celebration of Carnival...
- Street Festival on the first weekend after Ascension Day
- Collective Municipality’s Wine Culture Days (Weinkulturtage der Verbandsgemeinde) on the third weekend in June
- Wind Ensemble’s Summer Night Festival (Sommernachtsfest des Bläserchores) in the summer holidays
- Kermis (church consecration festival, locally known as the Kerb) on the first weekend in September
- Christmas Market in the first two weeks of Advent
Economy and infrastructure
The head office of Eckes AG, a financial holding company, has been in Nieder-Olm since 1857.Roads
The Autobahn A 63Bundesautobahn 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...
from Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern is a city in southwest Germany, located in the Bundesland of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate forest . The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfurt am Main, and from Luxembourg.Kaiserslautern is home to 99,469 people...
to 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...
passes Nieder-Olm in the west and is linked to the town through two 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...
s. On the one hand it is easy to reach the important north-south connection, the A 61
Bundesautobahn 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....
along this road, and on the other, it serves as a feeder to the urban agglomeration of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region and the other Autobahnen that lead there.
Over several Landesstraßen (State Roads), Nieder-Olm is linked with neighbouring municipalities.
Bus
Nieder-Olm is connected to local public transport by the ORN (Omnibusverkehr Rhein-Nahe GmbH), a bus company:
- Route 66: Nieder-Olm - ZornheimZornheimZornheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
- MainzMainzMainz 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...
-Ebersheim - Mainz-Hechtsheim (ORN and Mainzer Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH) - Route 640: RegioLinie Ingelheim - Nieder-Olm Mitte - Nieder-Olm Bf. - Nieder-Olm Schulzentrum
- Route 652: MainzMainzMainz 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...
- Nieder-Olm Mitte - Nieder-Olm Bf. - SörgenlochSörgenlochSörgenloch is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :... - Route 657: SprendlingenSprendlingenSprendlingen is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
/ BudenheimBudenheimBudenheim is a municipality in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Unlike other municipalities in Mainz-Bingen, it does not belong to any Verbandsgemeinde.- Location :...
/ MainzMainzMainz 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...
- Nieder-Olm Schulzentrum (school transport) - Route 667: Nieder-Olm Schulzentrum- Friesenheim (school transport)
Rail
In the east of downtown is found the Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
railway station. On weekdays, it is served strictly by half-hourly regional trains (RE
RegionalExpress
The term Regional-Express denotes a type of regional train in Germany and Austria .It is best compared to a semi-fast train, as it calls at fewer stations than Regionalbahn or S-Bahn trains, but stops more often than InterCity services...
/RB
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...
) in both directions on the Alzey–Mainz line. Even on Sundays and holidays, the service is only slightly less. In the morning rush hour there are two direct connections 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...
by way of Alzey. In the summer months, a few trains go through to Kirchheimbolanden. On 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.
Public institutions
Nieder-Olm is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Nieder-OlmNieder-Olm (Verbandsgemeinde)
Verbandsgemeinde Nieder-Olm is a collective municipality in the district Mainz-Bingen in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The administrative center of the Verbandsgemeinde Nieder-Olm is located in the town of Nieder-Olm...
.
Education
- Burgschule Nieder-Olm, primary school
- GymnasiumGymnasium (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...
Nieder-Olm - Regionale Schule Nieder-Olm, HauptschuleHauptschuleA 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 RealschuleRealschuleThe 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...
, beginning in the 2008/2009 school year, an integrated comprehensive schoolComprehensive schoolA 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... - Selztalschule, special school with the emphasis on “Learning”
- Schule für Körperbehinderte Nieder-Olm, special school for physically handicapped pupils
Sons and daughters of the town
- Ludwig Eckes (b. 28 April 1913, d. 14 January 1984), entrepreneur
- Wilhelm HolzamerWilhelm HolzamerWilhelm Holzamer was a German novelist and short-story writer.-Biography:...
(b. 28 March 1870, d. 28 August 1907), writer - Jean Metten (b. 9 May 1884, d. 26 June 1971), painter
- Richard and Hilda Strauss, founders of Strauss (company)
Famous people working in town
- Werner von Moltke (b. 1936), 1966 European champion in decathlon and today president of the Deutscher Volleyball-Verband e. V.
- Liesel Metten, sculptor