Zwingenberg (Bergstrasse)

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coat of arms Germany map
Coat of arms of the city of Zwingenberg
Zwingenberg (Bergstrasse)
Map of Germany, position of the city of Zwingenberg highlighted

Coordinates: 49 ° 43 '  N , 8 ° 37'  E

Basic data
State : Hesse
Administrative region : Darmstadt
Circle : Mountain road
Height : 100 m above sea level NHN
Area : 5.66 km 2
Residents: 7213 (Dec. 31, 2019)
Population density : 1274 inhabitants per km 2
Postal code : 64673
Area code : 06251
License plate : HP
Community key : 06 4 31 022
City structure: 2 districts

City administration address : 		Untergasse 16
64673 Zwingenberg
Website : www.zwingenberg.de
Mayor : Holger Habich ( FDP )
Location of the city of Zwingenberg in the Bergstrasse district
Groß-Rohrheim Zwingenberg (Bergstraße) Biblis Viernheim Lampertheim Bürstadt Einhausen (Hessen) Lorsch Bensheim Lautertal (Odenwald) Lindenfels Heppenheim (Bergstraße) Heppenheim (Bergstraße) Fürth (Odenwald) Grasellenbach Rimbach (Odenwald) Mörlenbach Wald-Michelbach Birkenau (Odenwald) Abtsteinach Gorxheimertal Hirschhorn (Neckar) Neckarsteinach Michelbuch (gemeindefreies Gebiet) Rheinland-Pfalz Baden-Württemberg Kreis Groß-Gerau Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg Odenwaldkreismap
About this picture

Zwingenberg is located in the Bergstrasse district in southern Hesse and has been the oldest town in the Hessian part of Bergstrasse since it was granted city rights in 1274 .

Geography and usage

Location of Zwingenberg at the foot of the Melibokus

Zwingenberg lies on the western edge of the Odenwald at the foot of the Melibokus , at 517.4  m above sea level. NHN the highest mountain on the Bergstrasse. The height of the district varies between about 90  m in the Rodau district and almost 300  m on the slope of the Melibokus. The highest elevation in Zwingenberg is not a single mountain, but rather flows over the slope of the Melibokus into the Auerbach district , a district of Bensheim an der Bergstrasse. The 100-meter mark at the train station in Zwingenberg is a guideline. To the west, Zwingenberg borders the Hessian Ried and thus the Upper Rhine Plain .

In the west of Zwingenberg towards Rodau and in the Rodau district itself, fields and meadows predominate on sandy soil. Only a small piece of forest belongs to the district in the area of ​​the Niederwaldsee. In Zwingenberg there are also remnants or new plantings of fruit growing (mainly apples). Wine is grown on the foothills of the Orbishöhe and in the direction of Luciberg. Almond trees also grow in the region. A narrow border of forest still belongs in the area of ​​the “Morgenruhe” hut and above the “Blockhütte” in the direction of the Comoder Weg to the Zwingenberg district. Remnants of granite mining can still be seen today.

Due to the slipstream of the Melibokus, there is a microclimate in Zwingenberg , which sometimes leads to less precipitation in areas close to the slopes than, for example, on the plain.

Neighboring communities

Zwingenberg is located between the community of Alsbach-Hähnlein in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district in the north and the city of Bensheim in the Bergstrasse district in the south. In the west, the Bensheim districts of Fehlheim and Langwaden border the Rodau district. To the east, Zwingenberg borders the Melibokus, the summit of which is in the Auerbach district, a district of Bensheim an der Bergstrasse.

Community structure

Zwingenberg consists of the two districts Zwingenberg with an area of ​​346 hectares and Rodau with an area of ​​215 hectares.

history

"When or by whom this city was built, one has no real news, but that it is an ancient city, one concludes from all circumstances."

The oldest reference to locum getwinc is a document from 1012, in which King Heinrich II gave the Lorsch Monastery hunting rights. The place name indicates that travelers on the mountain road were forced to pass through the city gates, as swamp and alluvial forest lay west of the city .

Through the marriage of Hildegard von Henneberg , parts of the Bergstrasse came to Heinrich II von Katzenelnbogen (* around 1124, † 1160) around 1135, who was given over by King Konrad III in 1138 . was raised to count. Zwingenberg now belonged to the County of Katzenelnbogen with the main town of Katzenelnbogen . This county consisted of two parts, the so-called Niedergrafschaft , located on the Rhine around Sankt Goar , and the South Hessian Upper County .

1258 Diether V receives the right to build a church in Zwingenberg:

"Cathedral Provost Werner, Cathedral Dean Johann and the Cathedral Chapter of Mainz as well as Provost Ludwig von St. Viktor there testify that the residents of Zwingenberg have difficulty getting to their mother church in Bensheim to listen to the Word of God and receive the sacraments because of the great distance and danger to their lives. Therefore, with the consent of the archbishop at the request of the secular lord in Zwingenberg, Count Diethers v. Katzenelnbogen that a church with a cemetery will be built in Zwingenberg and that a priest will be appointed. "

In 1260 the county was divided between Diether V. and his brother Eberhard I. Diether V. Zwingenberg and Eberhard I. Auerbach .

Zwingenberg was given town and market rights by King Rudolf von Habsburg under Count Diether V in 1274 , making it the oldest town on Bergstrasse.

In 1301 Zwingenberg was destroyed and went up in flames . Count Wilhelm I von Katzenelnbogen, the son of Diether V, had allied himself with four Rhenish electors and demanded excessive tariffs on the Rhine . This had badly damaged free trade and resulted in King Albrecht I's declaration of war . The lower castle was destroyed.

In 1330, Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian confirmed the town charter of Zwingenberg to Count Wilhelm I.

“Emperor Ludwig confirms loyal service to Count Wilhelm von Katzenelnbogen because of the freedom that King Rudolf gave him for Zwingenberg and the freedom that he gave him for Reichenberg, as well as the upstream customs (ufganden zol) to St. Goar, Count Wilhelm and possessed his ancestors from the empire in fief . Anyone who does something against it loses 100 gold marks, half of which goes to the Chamber of the Empire and half to the Count. "

Zwingenberg in 1624. Engraving by Daniel Meisner
Zwingenberg around 1810 (painting by Wilhelm Merck)
Zwingenberg below the Melibokus around 1875
The inner city of Zwingenberg around 1875

In the first half of the 13th century , Count Diether IV built a lower castle in Zwingenberg and a stronghold, the Auerbach Castle above Auerbach, to protect his southernmost possessions on Bergstrasse and his customs income .

In 1355, Wilhelm II made a marriage promise to Elisabeth von Hanau .

"Count Wilhelm II. Von Katzenelnbogen vows to take Else, the daughter of noble Ulrich, Herr zu Hanau, as a wife and to give her 400 pounds H. FrWr. to assign in corn guilds and penny interest according to national custom, according to the knowledge of the knight Gottfried von Stockheim and the noblemen Konrad Emicho zum Hane and Thielmann von Boxberg. The validity should be due near the Darmstadt Castle. Count Wilhelm will also hand over Castle and City of Zwingenberg to Else as Wittum, but with the proviso that Zwingenberg is exempt from this obligation as soon as he has set up an apartment for Else in Darmstadt in which she can live appropriately. "

In 1401 the name "Twinginburg" was recorded.

In 1403 , Count Johann IV. Katzenelnbogen pledged the castle and town of Zwingenberg to Henne Weißkreis von Lindenfels with the villages of Eschollbrücken , which was owned by the count, Pfungstadt and Nieder-Ramstadt with all rights and accessories for 6,000 guilders , which the count acknowledged.

1454 Count Philipp I von Katzenlenbogen agrees that Hans IV. Von Wallbrunn (castle seat of Wallbrunn) allows his wife Lucie von Reifenberg, among other things, to take care of the house and several gardens in Zwingenberg , which Hans takes from the count as a fief , but undamaged the associated team performance.

In 1557 there were only three “well-equipped school (s) maintained from church funds” in the 35 parishes of the Upper County, namely in Darmstadt, Groß-Gerau and Zwingenberg. Before the death of the Hessian Landgrave Philip I in 1567, another was added in Auerbach. This means that Zwingenberg is not only the oldest town on Bergstrasse, but also one of the oldest school locations in Hesse.

Until 1479 Zwingenberg belonged to the County of Katzenelnbogen, then to the Landgraviate of Hesse and from 1567 to the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt , which was elevated to the Grand Duchy of Hesse in 1806 .

Due to devastation during the Thirty Years' War and the subsequent plague , the place was almost uninhabited for decades and finally a fire set by French troops in 1693 (see: War of the Palatinate Succession ) destroyed most of the houses. Only after the French Revolution did the city recover.

In 1821 Zwingenberg became the seat of the regional court in the newly founded district of Bensheim , before it was converted into a district court in 1879 as part of the new Hessian court system, which now belonged to the district of Darmstadt as a court of second instance. . In 1902 part of its judicial district was assigned to the district court in Bensheim and on April 11, 1934 it was finally repealed.

The statistical-topographical-historical description of the Grand Duchy of Hesse reports on Zwingenberg in 1829:

“Zwingenberg (L. Bez. Bensheim) city; is 1 hour from Bensheim on the Chaussee that runs through Bergstrasse, close to the foot of Melibokus and 434 Hess. (334 par.) Feet above sea level. The city, which is walled, has 191 houses and 1445 inhabitants, who are Lutheran apart from 14 Catholics, 5 Mennonites and 39 Jews; among these are 87 farmers and 68 tradesmen. Zwingenberg is the seat of the regional court and the rent office. 3 markets are held annually. There is also a pharmacy here. - The district of Zwingenberg, formerly Twingenberg , originally belonged to Auerbach, and therefore this place seems to have emerged later. But it was so important in the 13th century that Count Diether III. von Katzenellenbogen built a church in which 7 altars were gradually donated. At that time the place is called Oppidum . But it wasn't until 1273 that Emperor Rudolph I gave him real city justice and the freedom to hold a weekly and a fair. The castle, probably from Count Diether III. built, was destroyed in the war between Emperor Albrecht I and Archbishop Gerhard II of Mainz in 1301, but was rebuilt by Count Wilhelm I and made leasable by Mainz in 1312. In addition to the lords of Wallbrunn and Hartenau, the lords of Zwingenberg named after the castle also appear as noble castle men. A Hartmann Knight von Twingenberg was found as early as 1310; 1384, Conrad Stumpf von Tzwingenberg and 1400 Henn von Zwingenberg. Here a spiritual brotherhood was founded in 1437, into which Count Johann III. von Katzenellenbogen with his wife Anna. In 1574, Landgrave Georg I granted the city the freedom to hold annual cattle and grocer markets; Landgrave Ludwig V increased the freedoms and in 1611 extended them to the suburbs. In the Thirty Years' War 6,000 people, both locals and refugees, are said to have been buried in the churchyard. During the Orleans war in 1693, Zwingenberg was taken by storm by the French, despite an occupation of 500 Saxons, plundered and burned down with the exception of the school church and 11 bad houses. But here, as in many other places in our German fatherland, what has devastated foreign barbarism has arisen anew and more beautifully through the tireless diligence of the residents and through the paternal care of the government. "

In 1832 Zwingenberg was incorporated into the Bensheim district, and from 1938 it belongs to the Bergstrasse district. During the time of National Socialism , Jewish and politically unpopular people were also expelled and deported here. However, the synagogue was not destroyed by accident. Today it is used as a residential building. An association tries to revive them. In 1941 a prisoner of war camp was set up in the youth hostel .

On October 14, 1894, the first nursing service in the region began its service. A sister of the Hessen-Darmstadt Church took care of old and sick people at home. This first diaconal station was financed by donations and on June 22, 1902 the newly built nurses' house was inaugurated. In the course of time, five further sister stations were founded in the neighboring communities, which merged in 1978 to form a special purpose association. The last Zwingenberg community nurse who lived in the nurses' house served until the end of the 1970s. The service diary of the former station provides information about the scope of the work; for example, in 1958, 4284 nursing visits and 30 night watches were recorded.

In the 20th century, Zwingenberg was the center of the cooperatively organized Bergstrasse fruit and vegetable growing. The cooperative with its headquarters and market hall in Zwingenberg had 7000 members from 263 communities at its best. Its catchment area extended in the west to the Rhine, in the north to the Main and via Darmstadt to Heppenheim in the south. The organized marketing of the products began in 1910 with the establishment of the fruit processing association, and in 1913 the first market hall was built, which was replaced by a larger brick building in 1926. In the same year the "Bergstrasse Fruit and Vegetable Center eGmbH" was founded. The cooperative survived the two world wars and experienced its most successful period at the end of the 1950s. In 1961, the fruit producers delivered 82,600 quintals of fruit and vegetables worth around 3.4 million D-Marks to around 70 collection points . After that, fruit growing declined rapidly, driven by falling prices and strong foreign competition. The cooperative was forced to enlarge its catchment area and relocated to Griesheim .

Time of world wars

On August 1, 1914, the First World War broke out and put an end to the positive economic development throughout the German Empire . When the armistice was signed after the German defeat on November 11, 1918, Zwingenberg also had many casualties to mourn, while the war cost a total of around 17 million human lives. The end of the German Empire was thus sealed, and the troubled times of the Weimar Republic followed, in which between 1921 and 1930 around 566,000 emigrants tried to escape the difficult conditions in Germany.

On April 28, 1928, the Bergstrasse was hit by a catastrophic storm, nobody in the affected area could remember anything similar. "Bensheim, Auerbach, Zell, the Ried and above all Zwingenberg offered a picture of devastation". Thunderstorms and hail destroyed the hope of a harvest and masses of water rolled from the slopes of the mountain road into the affected places. “Zwingenberg was impassable, the place in front of the 'Löwen' looked like a 'sea of ​​rocks' made of paving stones. The market square and the area by the district court were full of mud and rubble; in the cemetery 'graves were uncovered, parts of zinc coffins, bones and skulls exposed'; Automobiles were up to a meter deep in mud and rubble ”; wrote the Bergstrasse Anzeiger.

On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler became Chancellor, which marked the end of the Weimar Republic and the beginning of the National Socialist dictatorship. In the spring of 1933, Adolf Hitler made May 1 a public holiday called “German Labor Day”. In this way, a union demand was met by the government of all people, which the unions strictly opposed. The unions called for participation in the May events, as they felt they were the initiators of the May idea. The official program was already heavily influenced by the National Socialists: “6 o'clock wake up by the SA bands. 8 a.m. flag hoisting in the factories, march to the parade ground, 9 a.m. transmission of the rally from the pleasure garden in Berlin to the public squares of the cities. 10.45 am State act of the Hessian government (...), reception of a workers' delegation from the three Hessian provinces. (...) Common singing of the 'Song of the Workers'. (...) 7.30 am Transmission from the Tempelhofer Feld, Berlin: Manifesto of Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler, 'The first year of the four-year plan'. Then light music and German dance. 12 noon: Broadcast of the speech by Prime Minister Hermann Göring. (...) Former Marxist singing, gymnastics and sports clubs can take part in the parades, but carry Marxist flags or symbols with you. ”The rude awakening for the unions came a day later when the“ NSDAP took over the leadership of the red trade unions took over ":" The Marxist leaders since then in protective custody - a 3 million account of the former Reichstag President Löbe blocked - the rights of the workers secured - the buildings of the free trade unions occupied ", headlined the newspapers, which had already been harmonized throughout the Reich. In November 1938 the so-called Reichskristallnacht brought hardship and misery to the Jewish fellow citizens. Between 1933 and 1939, all of the 40-person Jewish community in 1933 moved away or emigrated as a result of increasing reprisals. On November 19, one day after Kristallnacht, the Jews still living in Zwingenberg were forced to sell the synagogue. The Jewish residents who did not manage to emigrate were deported to extermination camps by 1942 at the latest. Of the people born in Zwingenberg or who lived here for a long time, 21 died as a result of the Nazi tyranny.

On September 1, 1939, when German troops marched into Poland, the Second World War began , the effects of which were even more dramatic than the First World War and the number of victims estimated at 60 to 70 million people. From 1944 onwards, the increased air war against Germany was also felt in Zwingenberg. Large aviation associations flew over Zwingenberg in their attacks on the surrounding industrial cities of Ludwigshafen, Mannheim or Worms. In that year, work in the fields became life-threatening due to the continued low-flying attacks. Nobody was safe on the train or on the streets either.

In the final phase of the Second World War in Europe, the American units reached the Rhine between Mainz and Mannheim in mid-March 1945. The bridgeheads on the left bank of the Rhine could not be held by the weak German forces, which led to the demolition of the Rhine bridges at Worms, Nordheim and Gernsheim on March 20. The remnants of the German 7th Army, which had withdrawn to the right bank of the Rhine, had to leave almost all of their heavy equipment such as tanks and artillery behind, which made a continuation of the fighting with the absolute air supremacy of the Americans and the lack of any German reserves actually completely pointless. On the American side, the primary goal was now to avoid further losses, which led to the massive use of artillery, tanks and aircraft, even without precise knowledge of a possible counter-defense, on all cities and villages to be captured. If the advancing forces encountered resistance, there was an immediate retreat and massive use of the air force and artillery. On March 22nd, the 3rd US Army crossed the Rhine near Oppenheim and occupied Darmstadt on March 25th. From the American point of view, this made it necessary for the neighboring US 7th Army to move up quickly to secure its flanks. In the first hours of March 26, 1945, American troops crossed the Rhine near Hamm and south of Worms. On the same day you cross the Frankfurt – Mannheim autobahn at Langwaden and stood in front of Schwanheim , which interrupted this important north-south connection. On March 27, the American units advanced further and were in Lorsch, Bensheim, Heppenheim and Zwingenberg, a day later Aschaffenburg am Main and the western and northern parts of the Odenwald were occupied. Since Zwingenberg was not defended, there was no major damage when the Americans marched in. This was probably also thanks to the residents who had previously removed the anti-tank barriers and raised white flags. The war in Europe ended with the unconditional surrender of all German troops, which came into effect on May 8, 1945 at 11:01 p.m. Central European Time.

After the regional reform in Hesse

As part of the regional reform in Hesse , today's Rodau district was incorporated on a voluntary basis on December 31, 1970 . For the Rodau district, a local district with a local advisory council and local councilor was set up in accordance with the Hessian municipal code.

Zwingenberg celebrated its city charter in 1974, 700 years ago, making it the oldest town on Bergstrasse. The event was celebrated with the publication of a chronicle and with many events. The Bergsträßer Anzeiger wrote on the 700th anniversary: ​​“The Zwingenbergers are still proud of this - especially because in the course of the municipal reform in the 1970s, the district was not assigned to another community as a district, but has remained independent to this day . That one - like for example the larger Auerbach - is not 'governed' from Bensheim today was prevented by the incorporation of the village of Rodau into Zwingenberg ”. 25 years later in 1999, the 725th anniversary of the town charter was celebrated again. This time with a history game in which the handover of the town charter plays a central role and in which local politicians also participated.

Territorial history and administration

The following list gives an overview of the territories in which Zwingenberg was located and the administrative units to which it was subordinate:

population

Population structure

According to the 2011 census , there were 6,624 residents in Zwingenberg on May 9, 2011. These included 464 (7.0%) foreigners, of whom 266 came from outside the EU , 99 from other European countries and 99 from other countries. The inhabitants lived in 2935 households. Of these, 852 were single households , 831 couples without children and 936 couples with children, as well as 245 single parents and 71 shared apartments .

Population development

year 1500 1622 1641 1669 1710 1755 1801 1806 1858 1861 1885 1900 1910 1920 1946 1956 1961 1970
Inhabitants without Rodau 450 600 150 500 650 700 1052 1198 1616 1531 1515 1638 1910 2100 3148 3393 3393 4100
year 1961 1970 1979 1980 1990 1995 2000 2004 2005 2007 2011 2014
Residents with Rodau0  3704 4457 5030 5150 6076 6493 6777 6972 6963 6814 6654 6763
• 1629: 0137 house seats
• 1791: 0976 inhabitants
• 1800: 1044 inhabitants
• 1806: 1198 inhabitants, 183 houses
• 1829: 1445 inhabitants, 191 houses
• 1867: 1508 inhabitants, 239 houses
Zwingenberg: Population from 1791 to 2015
year     Residents
1791
  
 976
1800
  
 1,044
1806
  
 1,198
1829
  
 1,445
1834
  
 1,342
1840
  
 1,495
1846
  
 1,526
1852
  
 1,641
1858
  
 1,616
1864
  
 1,483
1871
  
 1,430
1875
  
 1,456
1885
  
 1,515
1895
  
 1,589
1905
  
 1,816
1910
  
 1,786
1925
  
 2.023
1939
  
 2,246
1946
  
 3,148
1950
  
 3,322
1956
  
 3,372
1961
  
 3,393
1967
  
 3,946
1970
  
 4,100
1972
  
 4,594
1976
  
 4,774
1984
  
 5,187
1992
  
 6,175
2000
  
 6,800
2005
  
 6,980
2010
  
 6,735
2011
  
 6,624
2015
  
 6,896
Data source: Historical municipality register for Hesse: The population of the municipalities from 1834 to 1967. Wiesbaden: Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt, 1968.
Further sources:; 1972 :; 1976 :; 1984 :; 1992 :; 2005 :; 2010 :; 2011 census; 2015:
From 1972 including the towns incorporated into Hesse as part of the regional reform .

Religious affiliation

• 1829: 1387 Lutheran (= 958.99%), 5 Mennonite (= 0.35%), 39 Jewish (= 2.70%) and 14 Catholic (= 0.97%) residents
• 1961: 2528 Protestant (= 74.51%), 733 Catholic (= 21.60%) residents
• 2011: 2967 Protestant (= 44.8%), 1409 Catholic (= 21.3%), 2248 other (= 33.9%) residents

Gainful employment

The municipality in comparison with the district, administrative district Darmstadt and Hesse:

year local community district Administrative district Hesse
Employees subject to social security contributions 2017 1432 72,939 1,695,567 2,524,156
Change to 2000 + 78.6% + 17.1% + 16.1% + 16.0%
of which full-time 2017 65.5% 70.8% 72.8% 71.8%
of which part-time 2017 34.5% 29.2% 27.2% 28.2%
Only marginally paid employees 2017 300 15,613 224.267 372.991
Change to 2000 + 29.3% −4.3% + 9.0% + 8.8%
Branch year local community district Administrative district Hesse
Manufacturing 2000 29.1% 39.6% 27.0% 30.6%
2017 *) 32.1% 20.4% 24.3%
Commerce, hospitality and transport 2000 27.7% 25.1% 26.4% 25.1%
2017 31.2% 25.8% 24.7% 23.8%
Business services 2000 16.1% 11.6% 25.1% 20.2%
2017 14.0% 15.5% 31.6% 26.1%
other services 2000 26.2% 22.0% 20.1% 22.5%
2017 28.4% 25.3% 23.0% 25.4%
Other (or without assignment) 2000 01.0% 01.7% 01.4% 01.5%
2017 01.2% 26.5% 00.3% 00.4%

*) anonymized

politics

City Council

The local elections on March 6, 2016 produced the following results, compared to previous local elections:

Distribution of seats in the 2016 city council
    
A total of 31 seats
  • SPD : 6
  • GUD : 7
  • FDP : 6
  • CDU : 12
 Parties and constituencies %
2016 		Seats
2016 		%
2011 		Seats
2011 		%
2006 		Seats
2006 		%
2001 		Seats
2001
CDU Christian Democratic Union of Germany 39.5 12 37.4 12 34.0 10 30.2 9
SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany 19.8 6th 26.0 8th 28.4 9 37.1 12
GUD Community for environmental protection and democracy 20.4 7th 24.3 8th 18.9 6th 17.1 5
FDP Free Democratic Party 20.3 6th 10.7 3 14.9 5 12.6 4th
FWZ Free voters Zwingenberg - - 1.6 0 3.8 1 2.9 1
total 100.0 31 100.0 31 100.0 31 100.0 31
Voter turnout in% 56.4 59.1 54.1 61.4

mayor

From 2001 to 2007 Dieter Kullak was mayor (independent). In the election on March 25, 2007, in which Kullak no longer ran, Holger Habich (FDP), supported by the FDP and CDU, prevailed. In the election on March 3, 2013, Holger Habich won against his challenger Christine Klein with 73.9% of the valid votes cast.

  • Town hall, former castle

  • Holger Habich (2012)

Districts

The following local districts with local advisory board and local councilor according to the Hessian municipal code exist in the municipality:

  • Rodau district (areas of the former Rodau community ). The local advisory board consists of seven members.

coat of arms

WappenZwingenberg.svg

Blazon : "In a divided shield above in gold a growing red, blue armored and tongued lion, below in blue three silver sea leaves."

The city's current coat of arms was approved by the Hessian Interior Minister on March 22, 1963 . In its present form it was designed by the Bad Nauheim heraldist Heinz Ritt .

Seals from 1350 already show today's coat of arms. The lion comes from the coat of arms of the Counts of Katzenelnbogen , who were local lords of Zwingenberg before they became extinct. The meaning of the sea ​​leaves is not entirely clear. However, it is believed that they are a symbol of the boggy Neckar river near the city. In the past, they were also often interpreted as hearts. The tinging of the coat of arms changed frequently until it was last determined in 1963.

The Zwingenberg coat of arms belongs to the family of the Katzenelnbogen city arms, which show the Katzenelnbogen lion above and a local symbol below. The arms of Darmstadt , Pfungstadt , St. Goar and St. Goarshausen also belong to this family .

An official flag has not yet been approved for the city. However, a red and white flag with the coat of arms is used locally.

Town twinning

Zwingenberg maintains twinning with the French Pierrefonds in the Oise (since 1968), with the Italian Brisighella in the Emilia-Romagna region , with the English Tetbury in Gloucestershire (since 1981) and with the in Saxony-Anhalt lying Eckartsberga .

Culture and sights

Buildings

Zwingenberg old town with market square
Mountain Church Zwingenberg
Aul
Half-timbered houses in the Scheuergasse

Cultural monuments

Overview

Zwingenberg lies on the edge of the Odenwald at the level of Melibokus on a relatively steep hillside. Most of the city wall surrounding the town center is still visible today. The Obergasse is the old getwinc , the pass road that led through the lower and upper gates of the city. The road was only slightly changed after the fire of 1693 and essentially shows the original layout of the old mountain road. The new pass was still swampy until the 15th century, because the old Neckar bed is a little further on. Today the B3 runs along the historic city wall through the town. Between Schlösschen and Neugasse , the remains of the city wall form the back of the houses and barns on Untergasse. Zwingenberg has, including the district Rodau, 81 under monument protection standing cultural monuments .

Above Zwingenberg is the western entrance to the Nibelungensteig , a 130-kilometer-long, certified long-distance hiking trail that runs through the Odenwald from west to east.

The place has an attractive old town for tourists with structurally and historically very interesting half-timbered houses, a mountain church and a former castle seat, which was lent in 1420 as a castle loan from Johann von Katzenelnbogen to Hans von Wallbrunn the elderly.

Building descriptions

  • At the highest point in Zwingenberg is today's youth hostel, a former tithe barn that was built on the foundations of a bastion. Of the round corner towers of the upper city wall, only the auditorium has been preserved. It is the north-east tower, a two-storey tower made of exposed quarry stone masonry.
  • The remains of the Zwingenberg moated castle are probably the oldest building in Zwingenberg after the stables of the Upper Castle . Based on this, the fortified city complex was created around 1250. The new market square was built at the beginning of the 17th century northeast of the former moated castle and the surrounding moat at the southwest end of the city ​​wall, which is still in ruins today .
  • The castle , built around 1520, has served the city as the town hall since 1969. Next door is the former “Zum Löwen” inn . It was built in 1595 and is the oldest existing structure outside the old city wall. Opposite the Löwen is the Scheuergasse , which is formed by two rows of barns on the eaves . Due to the risk of fire, these were laid outside the city wall and are now mainly used as apartments, offices and restaurants.
  • The vaulted cellar of the “old pharmacy” on the market square seems to date from the time when the city wall was being built. Later, the "Alte Apotheke" was known as the "Grand Ducal Pharmacy of Katzenellenbogen", which was built in 1783.
  • The former Zwingenberg synagogue with prayer room, school room and two apartments was built in 1903. The synagogue was the successor to the smaller synagogue in the old town center (Am Großer Berg 2), which was used from 1861. The building was not burned down on the night of the pogrom in 1938, as the son of the "Schawwesgoi", the non-Jewish worker for the Sabbath, who had recently died, was laid out in his mother's apartment. However, inscriptions and emblems on the facade were subsequently destroyed. Sold in 1945, it has been a residential building ever since.

theatre

The Mobile Theater is located in the vaulted cellar of the former district court and offers its own productions and guest performances mainly from the fields of music, reading, children's theater, dance and cabaret.

Museums

The local museum in the historic Scheuergasse shows old handicrafts and historically furnished rooms.

In June 2005 the information center "Blossoms, Stone & Wine" of the UNESCO Geopark Bergstrasse-Odenwald was opened in the community center "Bunter Löwe". The information center, which is open on weekends and after registration, also houses the tourist information.

Regular events

  • Vineyard hike (May 1st)
  • Weinmarkt (on the weekend of Pentecost on the historic market square in the heart of the old town)

Wine and culinary specialties

Zwingenberg is part of the small Hessische Bergstrasse wine-growing region . On the slopes of Melibokus in Großlage Auerbacher Rott , the layers Zwingenberger rubble and Zwingenberger Old Castle . To the north is the Alsbacher Schöntal . Asparagus and strawberry cultivation characterize the flatter area towards Rodau. A strong, dry Riesling and delicate asparagus dishes are therefore typical of Zwingenberg .

Economy and Infrastructure

Land use

The municipal area covers a total area of ​​566 hectares, of which in hectares are:

Type of use 2011 2015
Building and open space 130 134
from that Living 97 101
Business 7th 7th
Operating area 5 5
from that Mining land 1 1
Recreation area 9 9
from that Green area 3 3
traffic area 73 74
Agricultural area 315 311
from that moor 0 0
pagan 0 0
Forest area 12 12
Water surface 15th 15th
Other use 6th 6th

Economic structure

Formerly dominated by agriculture, viticulture and gastronomy, there are now a number of small and medium-sized technology companies in addition to numerous commercial enterprises .

Established businesses

  • BRAIN Biotechnology Research and Information Network AG (biotechnology and genetic engineering research)
  • Pharmacontrol Electronic GmbH (pharmaceutical packaging control)
  • Preussag Wasser und Rohrtechnik GmbH (environmental technology branch)
  • PWT Wasser- und Abwassertechnik GmbH
  • RESINEX Germany GmbH (distribution of plastic granulates)
  • SurTec Deutschland GmbH (chemical products and processes for surface technology)
  • Bormuth Art & Consulting (film and advertising agency)

traffic

Zwingenberg train station

Zwingenberg is connected to the A 5 Frankfurt-Basel via the exit (29); Zwingenberg is also signposted at the A 67 at the Gernsheim exit (8). The Frankfurt airport is 45 km, the river port Gernsheim am Rhein 12 km away.

The B 3 mountain road runs parallel to the Odenwald, which is divided into the new and old mountain road in Zwingenberg, which then reunite at Darmstadt-Eberstadt.

The originally planned relief road to the B 3, known as the “Berliner Ring”, is only just beginning to exist. The road that runs parallel to the B 3 comes from Bensheim and will be returned to the B 3 in Zwingenberg. Original plans to relieve the previous (very low, about 2.95 m) railway crossing by means of a bridge further north failed due to protests from residents and the neighboring community, over whose area parts of the road were supposed to lead.

One of the busiest railway lines in Germany, the Main-Neckar-Bahn Frankfurt – Darmstadt – Heidelberg / Mannheim, runs through Zwingenberg. The small train station is served by regional trains every hour. In addition, there are individual repeater trains in rush hour traffic.

Modern articulated buses on bus route 669, which is operated by Darmstadt-based HEAG mobilo , run between Alsbach (final tram stop), Zwingenberg, Bensheim and Heppenheim .

The Hessian long- distance cycle route R8 and the Bergstrasse cycle route run through the city.

Leisure and sports facilities

Zwingenberg has a sports area with artificial turf and a complete athletics facility and football field. There are also several tennis courts and two sports halls. Rodau also has a lawn. A new modern sports park is planned by 2015, in which all local sports are represented.

Personalities

Honorary citizen

The first honorary citizen of the city was Pastor Adam Höfle (1900–1999).

sons and daughters of the town

Theodor Loos around 1920

Personalities associated with the community

  • Heinrich von Gagern (1799–1880), politician, in the pre-parliament of the Frankfurt Paulskirche for the constituency of Zwingenberg.
  • Henry Kissinger , who as a liaison officer for counterintelligence worked in Bensheim, several months lived in this requisitioned Arthur Sauer Villa in Zwingenberg.
  • Arthur Sauer (chemist), joined the pharmaceutical factory "Deutsche Milchwerke" founded by the Worms pharmacist Rudolf Pizzala in 1897 and took over the company in 1898. This later became the Fissan factory (1924). In 1934 the company already had 160 workers and employees, as well as 50 commercial employees. Arthur Sauer died on November 29, 1946; his vehicle is now in the Speyer Technology Museum.
  • Wilhelm Büchner (1816–1892), pharmacist, chemist and politician, in Zwingenberg apprentice in the pharmacy on the market square.
  • Fritz Graßhoff (born December 9, 1913 in Quedlinburg ; † February 9, 1997 in Hudson , Canada ) was a draftsman , painter , writer and writer . He lived in Zwingenberg from 1967 to 1983.

literature

  • Matthias Markert: Zwingenberg on Bergstrasse and the surrounding area. ISBN 3-932199-00-6 .
  • Rudolf Kunz: The Bergstrasse: The Northern Part. Seeheim, Jugenheim, Bickenbach, Alsbach, Hähnlein, Zwingenberg. (Picture folder)
  • Fritz Kilthau: In the middle of us: Zwingenberg on Bergstrasse from 1933 to 1945. ISBN 3-922781-85-3 .
  • Karl Wilfried Hamel: Auerbach Castle - Urberg Fortress - the most important castle complex in the Upper County of Katzenelnbogen. AAA-Verlag, Bensheim-Auerbach 1997, ISBN 3-9803139-0-5 .
  • Ludwig March: Zwingenberg. Self-published illustrated book
  • Monika Vogt: Opening the door to modern times. Encounters with Philip the Magnanimous in Hesse. Ed .: Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Hessen-Thüringen / State Office for Monument Preservation Hessen , Wiesbaden 2003, pp. 29–31.
  • Norbert Mischlich: Those were the days on the Bergstrasse! Volume 2: The past - worth knowing - eventful from the corner of the eye of a 13 year old. 1st edition. Self-published, Zwingenberg 2010, ISBN 978-3-00-032457-4 .
  • Literature about Zwingenberg in the Hessian Bibliography
  • Literature on Zwingenberg in the catalog of the German National Library

Web links

Commons : Zwingenberg (Bergstraße)  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files
Wikivoyage: Zwingenberg (Bergstrasse)  - travel guide
Wikisource: Zwingenberg in Merian's Topographia Hassiae  - Sources and full texts

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hessian State Statistical Office: Population status on December 31, 2019 (districts and urban districts as well as municipalities, population figures based on the 2011 census) ( help ).
  2. ↑ History of Zwingenberg. In: website. City of Zwingenberg, accessed December 2019 .
  3. ^ JJ Winkelmann: History of the Hessenland.
  4. ^ Map of the County of Katzenelnbogen. Private website, accessed October 2019 .
  5. ↑ Headlines from Bensheim on the 175th anniversary of the "Bergsträßer Anzeiger" 2007. "A school location with tradition", p, 70
  6. ↑ Headlines from Bensheim on the 175th anniversary of the "Bergsträßer Anzeiger" 2007. (PDF 8.61 MB) When court was still held in Zwingenberg. P. 37 , archived from the original on October 5, 2016 ; accessed on December 28, 2014 .
  7. ^ A b c Georg Wilhelm Justin Wagner : Statistical-topographical-historical description of the Grand Duchy of Hesse: Province of Starkenburg . tape 1 . Carl Wilhelm Leske, Darmstadt October 1829, OCLC 312528080 , p. 269 ( online at google books ).
  8. ↑ Headlines from Bensheim on the 175th anniversary of the "Bergsträßer Anzeiger" 2007. "The emergence of the Bergstrasse district", p. 109.
  9. ↑ Headlines from Bensheim on the 175th anniversary of the "Bergsträßer Anzeiger" 2007. "Churches in the pioneering role, p. 108"
  10. ↑ Headlines from Bensheim on the 175th anniversary of the "Bergsträßer Anzeiger" 2007. "When fruit and vegetables boomed", p, 28
  11. ↑ Headlines from Bensheim on the 175th anniversary of the Bergsträßer Anzeiger 2007: Die Bergstraße - ein Trümmerfeld , p. 64.
  12. ↑ Headlines from Bensheim on the 175th anniversary of the "Bergsträßer Anzeiger" 2007: "Frisches Birkengrün, wehende Fahnen", p. 66.
  13. ^ History of the Jewish community in Zwingenberg. In: "Alemannia Judaica". Accessed October 2019 .
  14. ↑ Series of articles in the Bergstrasse Gazette from 2005 about the end of the war on Bergstrasse. Mountain road. Bergsträßer Anzeiger, accessed on December 20, 2014 .
  15. ^ Incorporation of the Rodau community into the city of Zwingenberg, Begstrasse district on January 7, 1971 . In: The Hessian Minister of the Interior (ed.): State Gazette for the State of Hesse. 1971 No. 4 , p. 143 , point 187 ( online at the information system of the Hessian state parliament [PDF; 6.3 MB ]).
  16. ↑ a b main statute. (PDF; 629 kB) § 4. In: Website. City of Zwingenberg, accessed February 2019 .
  17. ↑ Headlines from Bensheim on the 175th anniversary of the "Bergsträßer Anzeiger" 2007. "Bata Illic congratulations on the city anniversary", p. 65.
  18. ↑ a b c d Zwingenberg, Bergstrasse district. Historical local dictionary for Hessen. (As of May 24, 2018). In: Landesgeschichtliches Informationssystem Hessen (LAGIS).
  19. ^ Michael Rademacher: German administrative history from the unification of the empire in 1871 to the reunification in 1990. State of Hesse. (Online material for the dissertation, Osnabrück 2006).
  20. ^ Grand Ducal Central Office for State Statistics (ed.): Contributions to the statistics of the Grand Duchy of Hesse . tape 1 . Großherzoglicher Staatsverlag, Darmstadt 1862, DNB  013163434 , OCLC 894925483 , p. 43 ff . ( Online at google books ).
  21. ↑ a b List of offices, places, houses, population. (1806) HStAD inventory E 8 A No. 352/4. In: Archive Information System Hessen (Arcinsys Hessen), as of February 6, 1806.
  22. ^ A b Population by nationality groups: Zwingenberg, Stadt. In: Zensus2011. Bavarian State Office for Statistics , accessed in September 2019 .
  23. ^ Households by family: Zwingenberg, city. In: Zensus2011. Bavarian State Office for Statistics , accessed in September 2019 .
  24. ↑ Hessen-Darmstadt state and address calendar 1791 . In the publishing house of the Invaliden-Anstalt, Darmstadt 1791, p.  128 ( online in the HathiTrust digital library ).
  25. ↑ Hessen-Darmstadt state and address calendar 1800 . In the publishing house of the Invaliden-Anstalt, Darmstadt 1800, p.  133 ( online in the HathiTrust digital library ).
  26. ^ Ph. AF Walther : Alphabetical index of the residential places in the Grand Duchy of Hesse . G. Jonghaus, Darmstadt 1869, OCLC 162355422 , p. 98 ( online at google books ).
  27. ^ Local elections 1972; Relevant population of the municipalities on August 4, 1972 . In: The Hessian Minister of the Interior (ed.): State Gazette for the State of Hesse. 1972 No.  33 , p. 1424 , point 1025 ( online at the information system of the Hessian state parliament [PDF; 5.9 MB ]).
  28. ↑ Local elections 1977; Relevant population figures for the municipalities as of December 15, 1976 . In: The Hessian Minister of the Interior (ed.): State Gazette for the State of Hesse. 1976 No.  52 , p. 2283 , point 1668 ( online at the information system of the Hessian state parliament [PDF; 10.3 MB ]).
  29. ^ Local elections 1985; Relevant population of the municipalities as of October 30, 1984 . In: The Hessian Minister of the Interior (ed.): State Gazette for the State of Hesse. 1984 No.  46 , p. 2175 , point 1104 ( online at the information system of the Hessian state parliament [PDF; 5.5 MB ]).
  30. ↑ local elections 1993; Relevant population of the municipalities as of October 21, 1992 . In: The Hessian Minister of the Interior (ed.): State Gazette for the State of Hesse. 1992 No.  44 , p. 2766 , point 935 ( online at the information system of the Hessian state parliament [PDF; 6.1 MB ]).
  31. ^ The population of the Hessian communities (June 30, 2005). In: Hessian State Statistical Office . Archived from the original . ;
  32. ^ The population of the Hessian communities (June 30, 2010). In: Hessian State Statistical Office . Archived from the original . ;
  33. ^ The population of the Hessian communities (June 30, 2015). In: Hessian State Statistical Office . Archived from the original . ;
  34. ^ Religious affiliation : Zwingenberg, city. In: Zensus2011. Bavarian State Office for Statistics , accessed in September 2019 .
  35. ^ Community data sheet : Zwingenberg. (PDF; 222 kB) In: Hessisches Gemeindelexikon. HA Hessen Agency GmbH ;
  36. ^ Result of the municipal election on March 6, 2016. 431022 Zwingenberg, Stadt. Hessian State Statistical Office, accessed in April 2016 .
  37. ^ Result of the municipal election of March 27, 2011. 431022 Zwingenberg, Stadt. Hessian State Statistical Office, accessed in September 2019 .
  38. ^ Result of the municipal election of March 26, 2006. 431022 Zwingenberg, Stadt. Hessian State Statistical Office, accessed in September 2019 .
  39. ↑ Approval to change the municipal coat of arms of the city of Zwingenberg, Bergstrasse district, Darmstadt administrative district from March 22, 1963 . In: The Hessian Minister of the Interior (ed.): State Gazette for the State of Hesse. 1963 No. 14 , p. 410 , point 343 ( online at the information system of the Hessian state parliament [PDF; 4.3 MB ]).
  40. ^ Karl Ernst Demandt , Otto Renkhoff : Hessisches Ortswappenbuch. C. A. Starke Verlag, Glücksburg / Ostsee 1956, p. 159.
  41. ↑ Hans Otto Korn: Hessische Forschungen 13. The Hessian city arms from Wilhelm Wessel's book of arms from 1623 .; Ed .: Association for Hessian History and Regional Studies eV, Kassel, 1984; Page 95ff.
  42. ↑ State Office for the Preservation of Monuments Hesse (ed.): Kulturdenkmäler in Zwingenberg In: DenkXweb, online edition of cultural monuments in Hessen
  43. ↑ Former synagogue, Wiesenstrasse 5th Zwingenberg Synagogue Working Group, accessed in October 2019 .
  44. ↑ Hessisches Statistisches Informationssystem In: Statistics.Hessen.