Taunusstein
Encyclopedia
Taunusstein is the biggest town in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis
in the Regierungsbezirk
of Darmstadt
in Hesse
, Germany
. It consists of more than 29,000 inhabitants.
and about 10 km west of Idstein
and the Autobahn A 3. It is part of the Untertaunus (lower Taunus) range.
Taunusstein itself is a rural area and is about 30 km from the river Rhine. The lowest point in Taunusstein is 310 m above sea level
, and the highest 613.9 m.
and Hünstetten
and the town of Idstein
, in the east on the community of Niedernhausen
, in the south on the district-free city of Wiesbaden
and in the west on the community of Schlangenbad
and the town of Bad Schwalbach
.
In 1991, Dr.-Peter-Nikolaus-Platz, a square in the constituent community of Hahn, was dedicated and named after Taunusstein’s longtime mayor. Fronting onto it are the “Taunus” community centre, the Catholic church centre of St. Johannes Nepomuk and the New Town Hall, whose functions together make the square into the new town centre. The “Taunus” community centre was opened in 1989, the church centre in 1991, both designed by the Hamburg architect Bernhard Hirche, from whom also sprang the whole concept of planning the new town centre. It was not until 1998, on the other hand, that the Town Hall, designed by another architect, could be dedicated.
with 58.5% of the vote. Voter turnout was 47.2%.
might be described thus: Azure a lion rampant Or armed and langued gules, in his forepaws an escutcheon, argent a cross gules.
The golden lion recalls the centuries-long overlordship of the Counts and Princes of Nassau, and at the same time draws on the old arms borne by the Nassau Amt seat of Wehen and the communities of Hahn and Seitzenhahn, all of which were charge
d with a lion or a lion’s head. The cross is an attribute of Saint Ferrutius, the Bleidenstadt Monastery’s patron saint. This monastery was founded as early as the 8th century and earned much credit for bringing Christianity
and culture into the region on the upper Aar. The former community of Bleidenstadt bore this cross in its former coat of arms.
The official blazon reads: In blau ein rotbewehrter goldener Löwe, in seinen Pranken ein silberner Schild mit durchgehendem roten Kreuz.
, Val-d'Oise
, France
since 1973 Yeovil
, Somerset
, England
, United Kingdom
since 1987 Caldes de Montbui
, Catalonia
, Spain
since 1989 Wünschendorf/Elster
, Greiz
, Thuringia
since 1991
n 417 (Neuhof/Wehen) and 54 (Hahn). The nearest Autobahn interchange
is on the A 3 (Cologne
–Frankfurt) in Idstein.
Formerly used for, among other things, a widow’s seat and a hunting palace, it now houses the Taunusstein Museum.
Wehen Evangelical
church: This was built by using stones from the old town fortifications, with a black marble
altar brought from the Idstein palace church in 1722 and furnishings from the secularized monasteries at Marienhausen and Eberbach. The historic Voigt organ
is one of the few instruments by Wiesbaden organ builder Heinrich Voigt still preserved in its original state. It was built in 1890 for the Old Catholic
congregation of Wiesbaden and acquired by the Wehen congregation in 1899. In October 1999 it was restored to its original condition.
Former Wehen school: Built about 1900, this building is transitional in design between the Gründerzeit
and Art Nouveau
.
Former monastery with church, Bleidenstadt: (nowadays parish church of the Catholic parish of St. Ferrutius). Above the church’s main door is the statue of Saint Ferrutius, the patron saint, from the 17th century. Inside the building are a wall tabernacle
from High Gothic
times, made of sandstone
and built into the quire, a baptismal font from 1696, a Late Baroque Madonna and an organ remodelled in the Baroque style. In the belfry are two bells from 1309 and 1411.
Evangelical
church, Bleidenstadt (formerly Catholic parish church of Saint Peter on the Mountain, after 1530 relinquished to the new Protestant
community): The church has the constituent community’s oldest stone memorial, a tomb slab commemorating the Minister Johannes von Spangenberg, who died in 1363. The lower part of the churchtower is of Romanesque Revival
origin and built with a decorative rose window
with sandstone ornamentation.
In 1329, Count Gerlach of Nassau-Weilburg mandated the settlement of Jews. The gravestones from that time no longer exist. The oldest one still standing is from 1694. Today, 55 graves are still to be seen in the graveyard. Until 1749, Jews from Wiesbaden were also buried here. In 1726, the Jews applied for leave to build a wall around the graveyard; however, they were forbidden to do so, as it would not have done for the Jewish cemetery to look nicer than the Christian
one. So, they simply dug a ditch. After 1933, when the Nazis had come to power, the graveyard was still used for burials; however, it was forbidden to put gravestones on these newer graves.
and in April 2007 they won promotion into the 2nd tier of the German Football League (Second Bundesliga). As such the local facilities that they had been using were no longer sufficient for professional football, prompting relocation to Wiesbaden
, where they became known as SV Wehen-Wiesbaden.
The team is sponsored by one of the major companies of the area, Brita
, with the founder of Brita Heinz Hankammer being the chairman of the football club. As such, it has funds available which have allowed it to outdo most teams at this level for many years, now gaining promotion into the professional leagues.
Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis
Rheingau-Taunus is a Kreis in the west of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Limburg-Weilburg, Hochtaunuskreis, Main-Taunus, district-free Wiesbaden, Mainz-Bingen, Rhein-Lahn.-Geography:...
in the Regierungsbezirk
Regierungsbezirk
In Germany, a Government District, in German: Regierungsbezirk – is a subdivision of certain federal states .They are above the Kreise, Landkreise, and kreisfreie Städte...
of Darmstadt
Darmstadt (region)
Darmstadt is one of the three Regierungsbezirke of Hesse, Germany, located in the south of the state.- External links :*...
in 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...
, 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...
. It consists of more than 29,000 inhabitants.
Location
Taunusstein lies roughly 10 km northwest of WiesbadenWiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
and about 10 km west of Idstein
Idstein
Idstein is a town of about 25,000 inhabitants in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. Because of its well preserved historical Altstadt it is part of the Deutsche Fachwerkstraße , connecting towns with fine timber-frame buildings and...
and the Autobahn A 3. It is part of the Untertaunus (lower Taunus) range.
Taunusstein itself is a rural area and is about 30 km from the river Rhine. The lowest point in Taunusstein is 310 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...
, and the highest 613.9 m.
Neighbouring communities
Taunusstein borders in the north on the communities of HohensteinHohenstein, Hesse
Hohenstein is a community in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Hohenstein lies in the western Taunus, on both sides of the river Aar between Limburg and Wiesbaden.-Neighbouring communities:...
and Hünstetten
Hünstetten
Hünstetten is a community in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Hünstetten lies in the Taunus north of the main ridge between Limburg and the state capital Wiesbaden.-Neighbouring communities:...
and the town of Idstein
Idstein
Idstein is a town of about 25,000 inhabitants in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. Because of its well preserved historical Altstadt it is part of the Deutsche Fachwerkstraße , connecting towns with fine timber-frame buildings and...
, in the east on the community of Niedernhausen
Niedernhausen
Niedernhausen im Taunus is a municipality in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany, with almost 15,000 inhabitants.-Location:...
, in the south on the district-free city of Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
and in the west on the community of Schlangenbad
Schlangenbad
Schlangenbad is a community in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany.- Location :The community, which is a health resort , lies above sea level in a sheltered location on a valley slope on the southern slope of the Taunus from Wiesbaden, from Eltville...
and the town of Bad Schwalbach
Bad Schwalbach
Bad Schwalbach is the district seat of Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany.- Geographic Location :Bad Schwalbach is a spa town some 20 km northwest of Wiesbaden. It lies at 289 to 465 m above sea level in the Taunus, along the small river Aar...
.
Constituent communities
Taunusstein is made up of ten Stadtteile:| Stadtteil | Population |
|---|---|
| Bleidenstadt | 7,497 |
| Hahn | 7,083 |
| Hambach | 428 |
| Neuhof | 3,338 |
| Niederlibbach | 538 |
| Orlen | 1,237 |
| Seitzenhahn | 1,382 |
| Watzhahn | 254 |
| Wehen | 6,681 |
| Wingsbach | 778 |
History
The town of Taunusstein came into being on 1 October 1971 through the merger of the formerly self-governing communities of Bleidenstadt, Hahn, Neuhof, Seitzenhahn, Watzhahn and Wehen, whereupon Taunusstein was also given town rights. On 1 July 1972, the communities of Hambach, Niederlibbach, Orlen and Wingsbach were amalgamated into the town of Taunusstein.In 1991, Dr.-Peter-Nikolaus-Platz, a square in the constituent community of Hahn, was dedicated and named after Taunusstein’s longtime mayor. Fronting onto it are the “Taunus” community centre, the Catholic church centre of St. Johannes Nepomuk and the New Town Hall, whose functions together make the square into the new town centre. The “Taunus” community centre was opened in 1989, the church centre in 1991, both designed by the Hamburg architect Bernhard Hirche, from whom also sprang the whole concept of planning the new town centre. It was not until 1998, on the other hand, that the Town Hall, designed by another architect, could be dedicated.
Population development
Each time at 31 December (counting only those with their main residences in the town)- 1998 - 28,192
- 1999 - 28,354
- 2000 - 28,745
- 2001 - 28,942
- 2002 - 29,113
- 2003 - 29,307
- 2004 - 29,389
- 2005 - 29,325
- 2006 - 33,212
Religion
- There are several LutheranLutheranismLutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
and Catholic churches in almost every constituent community. - Bahá'íBahá'í Faith in GermanyThough mentioned in the Bahá'í literature in the 19th century, the Bahá'í Faith in Germany begins in the early 20th century when two emigrants to the United States returned on prolonged visits to Germany bringing their newfound religion. The first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly was established...
community in Hahn - New ApostolicNew Apostolic ChurchThe New Apostolic Church is a chiliastic church, converted to Protestantism as a free church from the Catholic Apostolic Church. The church has existed since 1879 in Germany and since 1897 in the Netherlands...
church in Wehen - Kingdom HallKingdom HallA Kingdom Hall is a place of worship used by Jehovah's Witnesses. The term was first suggested in 1935 by Joseph Franklin Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Society, for a building in Hawaii...
of Jehovah's WitnessesJehovah's WitnessesJehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
in Neuhof (Triebgewann industrial park)
Town council
The municipal election held on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results:| Parties and voter communities | % 2006 |
Seats 2006 |
% 2001 |
Seats 2001 |
|
| CDU | Christian Democratic Union of Germany | 40.7 | 18 | 37.1 | 17 |
| SPD | Social Democratic Party of Germany Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
30.2 | 14 | 37.2 | 17 |
| GREENS | Bündnis 90/Die Grünen | 14.4 | 6 | 10.8 | 5 |
| FDP | Free Democratic Party 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... |
6.0 | 3 | 7.2 | 3 |
| FWG | Freie Wählergemeinschaft Taunusstein (Bürgerliste) | 8.7 | 4 | 7.7 | 3 |
| Total | 100.0 | 45 | 100.0 | 45 | |
| Voter turnout in % | 46.3 | 51.2 | |||
Mayor
Mayor Michael Hofnagel (CDU) was elected to a second term on 2 September 2007 on the first voteTwo-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
with 58.5% of the vote. Voter turnout was 47.2%.
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: Azure a lion rampant Or armed and langued gules, in his forepaws an escutcheon, argent a cross gules.
The golden lion recalls the centuries-long overlordship of the Counts and Princes of Nassau, and at the same time draws on the old arms borne by the Nassau Amt seat of Wehen and the communities of Hahn and Seitzenhahn, all of which were 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 lion or a lion’s head. The cross is an attribute of Saint Ferrutius, the Bleidenstadt Monastery’s patron saint. This monastery was founded as early as the 8th century and earned much credit for bringing Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and culture into the region on the upper Aar. The former community of Bleidenstadt bore this cross in its former coat of arms.
The official blazon reads: In blau ein rotbewehrter goldener Löwe, in seinen Pranken ein silberner Schild mit durchgehendem roten Kreuz.
Town partnerships
Taunusstein maintains partnerships with the following places: HerblayHerblay
Herblay is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Transport:Herblay is served by Herblay station on the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare suburban rail line.-References:** -External links:...
, Val-d'Oise
Val-d'Oise
Val-d'Oise is a French department, created in 1968 after the split of the Seine-et-Oise department and located in the Île-de-France region. In local slang, it is known as "quatre-vingt quinze" or "neuf cinq"...
, 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 1973 Yeovil
Yeovil
Yeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
since 1987 Caldes de Montbui
Caldes de Montbui
Caldes de Montbui is a town and municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Oriental in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the upper valley of the Caldes river, and the highest point of the municipality is the peak of el Farell at 816 m....
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, 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 Wünschendorf/Elster
Wünschendorf/Elster
Wünschendorf/Elster is a municipality in the district of Greiz, in Thuringia, Germany....
, Greiz
Greiz (district)
Greiz is a Kreis in the east of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Saale-Holzland, Saale-Orla,district-free city Gera, the Burgenlandkreis in Saxony-Anhalt, Altenburger Land, and the two Saxon districts Zwickauer Land and Vogtlandkreis.- History :Historically the area of the district...
, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
since 1991
Transport
Two railway stations (in Hahn and Bleidenstadt) lie on the stretch of the Aartalbahn running through Taunusstein. The town is also linked to Wiesbaden over BundesstraßeBundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
n 417 (Neuhof/Wehen) and 54 (Hahn). The nearest Autobahn 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...
is on the A 3 (Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
–Frankfurt) in Idstein.
Established businesses
- Institut Fresenius in Neuhof
- MotorolaMotorolaMotorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
Deutschland (German business headquarters, advertising and marketing) in Neuhof - BritaBritaBrita GmbH is a German company founded in 1966 by Heinz Hankammer with headquarters in Taunusstein, Germany, that specializes in water filtration products. The company has production facilities in Germany, Great Britain, India, and Switzerland...
GmbH water filtration, international headquarters in Neuhof and WiesbadenWiesbadenWiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
Education
- Silberbachschule, primary school in Wehen
- Obere Aar 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...
in Hahn - Regenbogenschule, primary school in Bleidenstadt
- 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...
in Bleidenstadt - Sonnenschule primary school in Neuhof
- Untertaunus vocational schools in Hahn
- Europa-Schule Taunusstein - bilingual 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...
in Neuhof
Sport and leisure facilities
- Stadion am HalbergStadion am HalbergStadion am Halberg is a multi-use stadium in Taunusstein, Germany. It is the former home venue of the footballclub of SV Wehen, before the team moved to the newly built BRITA-Arena in Wiesbaden. The stadium has a capacity of 5,000 people....
in Wehen, former home stadium to SV WehenSV WehenSV Wehen Wiesbaden is a German association football club based in Wiesbaden, Hesse.-History:Since the beginning of the 07–08 season the club plays its homegames in nearby Wiesbaden and no longer in Taunusstein...
Wiesbaden’s first team - Outdoor swimming pool in Hahn
- Silberbachhalle in Wehen
- Aartalhalle in Neuhof
- Sporting grounds in almost every centre
- Sport and youth centre in Bleidenstadt
Museum
In 1995, the Museum of the Town of Taunusstein, with permanent rooms at the Schloss in Wehen, was established. Since then, there has been a thematic emphasis on more recent regional history as seen in a permanent exhibit featuring this, which lately has also presented information about Taunusstein’s condition in, before and after the Second World War. This it does mainly by exhibiting everyday culture in the first half of the 20th century. A second and equally valid pillar is the displays in the series Kunst im Schloss (“Art at the Palace”) through which contemporary art – not only from the local region – is offered a forum in Taunusstein.Buildings
Wehener Schloss:Wehen Evangelical
Evangelical Church in Germany
The 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...
church: This was built by using stones from the old town fortifications, with a black marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
altar brought from the Idstein palace church in 1722 and furnishings from the secularized monasteries at Marienhausen and Eberbach. The historic Voigt organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
is one of the few instruments by Wiesbaden organ builder Heinrich Voigt still preserved in its original state. It was built in 1890 for the Old Catholic
Old Catholic Church
The term Old Catholic Church is commonly used to describe a number of Ultrajectine Christian churches that originated with groups that split from the Roman Catholic Church over certain doctrines, most importantly that of Papal Infallibility...
congregation of Wiesbaden and acquired by the Wehen congregation in 1899. In October 1999 it was restored to its original condition.
Former Wehen school: Built about 1900, this building is transitional in design between the Gründerzeit
Gründerzeit
' refers to the economic phase in 19th century Germany and Austria before the great stock market crash of 1873. At this time in Central Europe the age of industrialisation was taking place, whose beginnings were found in the 1840s...
and Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
.
Former monastery with church, Bleidenstadt: (nowadays parish church of the Catholic parish of St. Ferrutius). Above the church’s main door is the statue of Saint Ferrutius, the patron saint, from the 17th century. Inside the building are a wall tabernacle
Church tabernacle
A tabernacle is the fixed, locked box in which, in some Christian churches, the Eucharist is "reserved" . A less obvious container, set into the wall, is called an aumbry....
from High Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
times, made of sandstone
Sandstone
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,...
and built into the quire, a baptismal font from 1696, a Late Baroque Madonna and an organ remodelled in the Baroque style. In the belfry are two bells from 1309 and 1411.
Evangelical
Evangelical Church in Germany
The 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...
church, Bleidenstadt (formerly Catholic parish church of Saint Peter on the Mountain, after 1530 relinquished to the new Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
community): The church has the constituent community’s oldest stone memorial, a tomb slab commemorating the Minister Johannes von Spangenberg, who died in 1363. The lower part of the churchtower is of Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
origin and built with a decorative rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
with sandstone ornamentation.
Jewish graveyard in Wehen
The Jewish graveyard in the constituent community of Wehen on the Halberg is roughly as old as the community itself.In 1329, Count Gerlach of Nassau-Weilburg mandated the settlement of Jews. The gravestones from that time no longer exist. The oldest one still standing is from 1694. Today, 55 graves are still to be seen in the graveyard. Until 1749, Jews from Wiesbaden were also buried here. In 1726, the Jews applied for leave to build a wall around the graveyard; however, they were forbidden to do so, as it would not have done for the Jewish cemetery to look nicer than the Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
one. So, they simply dug a ditch. After 1933, when the Nazis had come to power, the graveyard was still used for burials; however, it was forbidden to put gravestones on these newer graves.
Regular events
- Bleischter Kerb (kermis)
- Orlener Markt (market)
- Orlener Kerb (kermis)
- Hahner Kerb (kermis)
- Zentrumsfest (“Centre Festival”)
- Weher Markt (With this market it is a tradition for companies in Weher to take their employees for brunch at the market)
- Weher Kerb (kermis)
- Wingsbacher Kerb (kermis)
- Neuhofer Kerb (kermis)
- TIGA (Taunusstein industrial and business exhibition; in even-numbered years)
- Waldweihnachtsmarkt Hahn (“Forest Christmas Market”, at the Altenstein Forest House)
Sport
One of the local football clubs, located in Wehen, is called SV WehenSV Wehen
SV Wehen Wiesbaden is a German association football club based in Wiesbaden, Hesse.-History:Since the beginning of the 07–08 season the club plays its homegames in nearby Wiesbaden and no longer in Taunusstein...
and in April 2007 they won promotion into the 2nd tier of the German Football League (Second Bundesliga). As such the local facilities that they had been using were no longer sufficient for professional football, prompting relocation to Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, where they became known as SV Wehen-Wiesbaden.
The team is sponsored by one of the major companies of the area, Brita
Brita
Brita GmbH is a German company founded in 1966 by Heinz Hankammer with headquarters in Taunusstein, Germany, that specializes in water filtration products. The company has production facilities in Germany, Great Britain, India, and Switzerland...
, with the founder of Brita Heinz Hankammer being the chairman of the football club. As such, it has funds available which have allowed it to outdo most teams at this level for many years, now gaining promotion into the professional leagues.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Emil Erlenmeyer (b. 28 June 1825 in Wehen, d. 22 January 1909 in Aschaffenburg) chemist
- Carl Friedrich Emil von Ibell (b. 29 October 1780 in Wehen, d. 6 October 1834 in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe) government president of the Duchy of Nassau/Hesse-HomburgHesse-HomburgHesse-Homburg was formed into a separate landgraviate in 1622 by the landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt to be ruled by his son, although it did not become independent of Hesse-Darmstadt until 1668....