Niederheimbach
Encyclopedia
Niederheimbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen
district in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
.
The winegrowing centre belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Rhein-Nahe
, whose seat is in Bingen am Rhein
, although that town is not within its bounds. Since 2003, Niederheimbach has been part of the Rhine Gorge
UNESCO
World Heritage Site
.
and Bingen
, right on the Rhine Gorge
, only a short way northwest of the Rhine Knee. The place, which is found beneath or east of Bingen Forest (Binger Wald), has a built-up area stretching from 80 to 140 m above sea level
. The highest mountain in the municipal area, at 618 m above sea level, is the heavily wooded Franzosenkopf (“Frenchman’s Head”), found south of the built-up area in Bingen Forest.
(as at municipal election held on 13 June 2004)
might be described thus: Per bend sinister wavy, a bendlet sinister wavy argent surmounting the partition, gules in dexter an abbot’s staff per bend surmounted by a bishop’s mitre, in chief a wheel spoked of six of the first, sable in sinister a bunch of grapes per bend slipped and a grapeleaf in bend sinister Or and issuant from base a lion rampant of the fourth armed, langued and crowned of the second.
Until its closure in the 1990s, the Märchenhain (“Fairytale Grove”) was a tourist attraction. A great number of the fairytale figures were nonetheless restored and have found a new place along an idyllic pathway near the community. There one can see many fairytales, such as Little Red Riding Hood
, Hansel and Gretel
and others along the Kuhweg (“Cow Way”).
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 Mainz-Bingen
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...
.
The winegrowing centre belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Rhein-Nahe
Rhein-Nahe
Rhein-Nahe is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Mainz-Bingen, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated along the left bank of the Rhine, north of Bingen...
, whose seat is in 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...
, although that town is not within its bounds. Since 2003, Niederheimbach has been part of the Rhine Gorge
Rhine Gorge
The Rhine Gorge is a popular name for the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a 65 km section of the River Rhine between Koblenz and Bingen in Germany...
UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
Location
Niederheimbach lies between KoblenzKoblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
and Bingen
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...
, right on the Rhine Gorge
Rhine Gorge
The Rhine Gorge is a popular name for the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a 65 km section of the River Rhine between Koblenz and Bingen in Germany...
, only a short way northwest of the Rhine Knee. The place, which is found beneath or east of Bingen Forest (Binger Wald), has a built-up area stretching from 80 to 140 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 mountain in the municipal area, at 618 m above sea level, is the heavily wooded Franzosenkopf (“Frenchman’s Head”), found south of the built-up area in Bingen Forest.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 13 council members, counting the parttime mayor, with seats apportioned thus:| SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
CDU | FWG | WNF | Total | |
| 2004 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 12 seats |
(as at municipal election held on 13 June 2004)
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: Per bend sinister wavy, a bendlet sinister wavy argent surmounting the partition, gules in dexter an abbot’s staff per bend surmounted by a bishop’s mitre, in chief a wheel spoked of six of the first, sable in sinister a bunch of grapes per bend slipped and a grapeleaf in bend sinister Or and issuant from base a lion rampant of the fourth armed, langued and crowned of the second.
Buildings
- Sooneck Castle Burg SooneckBurg SooneckBurg Sooneck is a castle in the upper middle valley of the Rhine, in the Mainz-Bingen district of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, (also called Saneck or Sonneck) stands on a steep slope in the Soonwald (forest) above the municipality. It can be visited on guided tours. - Another castle, HeimburgHeimburg in NiederheimbachThe Heimburg is a castle in the village of Niederheimbach in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-Sources and external links:...
, (also called Burg Hoheneck) lies above the municipality. It is privately owned today and cannot be visited.
Regular events
- On the weekend before Assumption DayAssumption of MaryAccording to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
(15 August), the bratwurst fair is held. - Rhein in FlammenRhein in FlammenRhein in Flammen is the name of five different firework displays along the river Rhine in Germany. The displays take place annually, at various locations along the river. On the five different dates, brightly illuminated ships sail the river in an evening convoy for their passengers to see the...
("Rhine in Flames") on the first Saturday in July: Ship tour along the Middle Rhine from TrechtingshausenTrechtingshausenTrechtingshausen is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany....
to Rüdesheim am Rhein with firework displays at Reichenstein Castle, Burg RheinsteinBurg RheinsteinThe Burg Rheinstein is a castle near the town of Trechtingshausen in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-History:The castle was constructed in about 1316/1317. Rheinstein Castle was important for its strategic location. By 1344, the castle was in decline. By the time of the Palatine war of succession,...
, AssmannshausenAssmannshausenAssmannshausen is, since the incorporation in 1977, a quarter of Rüdesheim am Rhein in the Rheingau, located on the Rhine in the state of Hesse, Germany. The village has a lithium spring, spa and a Kurhaus, and is famed for its red wine made from Pinot noir , which resembles red Burgundy wine...
, the Mouse TowerMouse TowerThe Mouse Tower is a stone tower on a small island in the Rhine, outside Bingen am Rhein, Germany. The Romans were the first to build a structure on this site. It later became part of Franconia, and it fell and had to be rebuilt many times....
, Ehrenfels Castle ruinsBurg Ehrenfels (Hessen)Ehrenfels Castle is a ruined castle above the Rhine Gorge near the town of Rüdesheim am Rhein in Hesse, Germany. It is located on the steep eastern bank of the river amid extended vineyards...
, Bingen am RheinBingen am RheinBingen 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...
with Klopp CastleKlopp CastleKlopp Castle is a castle in the town of Bingen am Rhein in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. In the nineteenth century, the bergfried or keep from the original medieval fortified castle was restored and a new building added which houses the town's...
and the Brömserburg.
Until its closure in the 1990s, the Märchenhain (“Fairytale Grove”) was a tourist attraction. A great number of the fairytale figures were nonetheless restored and have found a new place along an idyllic pathway near the community. There one can see many fairytales, such as Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood, also known as Little Red Cap, is a French fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. The story has been changed considerably in its history and subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings....
, Hansel and Gretel
Hansel and Gretel
"Hansel and Gretel" is a well-known fairy tale of German origin, recorded by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812. Hansel and Gretel are a young brother and sister threatened by a cannibalistic hag living deep in the forest in a house constructed of cake and confectionery. The two children...
and others along the Kuhweg (“Cow Way”).
Transport
- Right through the municipality runs BundesstraßeBundesstraßeBundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
9, linking Mainz with Koblenz. - Bundesautobahn 61Bundesautobahn 61is 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....
can be reached roughly 13 km from the community at the Rheinböllen interchangeInterchange (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...
. - Niederheimbach railway station lies on the Mainz – Koblenz railway line.
- A car ferryFerryA 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...
across the Rhine links the municipality with Lorch over on the other side.
Documents
- Picture of Niederheimbach from J.F. Dielmann, A. Fay, J. Becker (draughtsman): F.C. Vogels Panorama des Rheins, Bilder des rechten und linken Rheinufers, Lithographische Anstalt F.C. Vogel, Frankfurt 1833
- Heimburg ruins