Alsheim
Encyclopedia
Alsheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms
district in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
.
, whose seat is in the like-named municipality
. The village, along with the hamlet
of Hangen-Wahlheim, lies amidst vineyards at the foot of the Rhenish-Hessian Rhine terraces between Mainz
and Worms
. Favoured as it is by its central location between the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region and the Rhine-Neckar conurbation
s, Alsheim has for a long time been growing into a markedly residential community. New housing developments will further strengthen this trend. Nevertheless, winegrowing still defines the village’s character. With more than 700 ha of vineyard, Alsheim is one of Rhenish Hesse’s
most important winegrowing centres in Germany’s biggest wine region. The wines, overwhelmingly from traditional white and red varieties of grape, are widely known for their quality. Hiking trails and a wine heritage trail, together with cycle paths, connect the countryside. There are several inns and winemaking estates. The village is well linked by rail and road to, among other places, Mainz, Oppenheim
, Worms, Speyer
and Heidelberg
.
(as at municipal election held on 7 June 2009)
might be described thus: Azure two bishop’s croziers in saltire, each with a sudarium fringed Or.
(1 490 ha), Nierstein
(783 ha), Alzey
(769 ha) and Westhofen
(764 ha) among Rhenish Hesse’s
biggest winegrowing centres. It is also one of the biggest in the whole of Rhineland-Palatinate
.
A peculiarity in Alsheim’s landscape is to be found in its broad network of sunken lane
s. They stretch on for 11.5 km within the municipal area and were carved into the surrounding land by centuries of human activity wearing the land down. They are available for hiking
and walking even today. In the summer months, there are sunken lane tours on offer, and for avid photographers, also photo excursions.
9, on the main Worms-Mainz tangential road. Reachable within a few minutes are the Autobahnen A 63
through the Biebelnheim interchange
and A 61
through the Worms/Mörrstadt or Gundersheim interchange.
In the heart of Alsheim can be found a railway station, from which travellers can ride VRN
and DB
trains directly to Worms and Mainz.
Municipalities of Germany
Municipalities are the lowest level of territorial division in Germany. This may be the fourth level of territorial division in Germany, apart from those states which include Regierungsbezirke , where municipalities then become the fifth level.-Overview:With more than 3,400,000 inhabitants, the...
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
Verbandsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde is an administrative unit in the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt.-Rhineland-Palatinate:...
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms
Alzey-Worms
Alzey-Worms is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the district Groß-Gerau , the city of Worms and the districts of Bad Dürkheim, Donnersbergkreis, Bad Kreuznach and Mainz-Bingen.- History :...
district in Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Location
The municipality lies in Rhenish Hesse and belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of EichEich (Verbandsgemeinde)
Eich is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Alzey-Worms, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Eich....
, whose seat is in the like-named municipality
Eich, Rhineland-Palatinate
Eich is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
. The village, along with the hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Hangen-Wahlheim, lies amidst vineyards at the foot of the Rhenish-Hessian Rhine terraces between 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...
and 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...
. Favoured as it is by its central location between the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region and the Rhine-Neckar conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
s, Alsheim has for a long time been growing into a markedly residential community. New housing developments will further strengthen this trend. Nevertheless, winegrowing still defines the village’s character. With more than 700 ha of vineyard, Alsheim is one of Rhenish Hesse’s
Rheinhessen (wine region)
Rheinhessen is the largest of 13 German wine regions for quality wines with under cultivation in 2008. Named for the traditional region of Rhenish Hesse, it lies on the left bank of the River Rhine between Worms and Bingen in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate...
most important winegrowing centres in Germany’s biggest wine region. The wines, overwhelmingly from traditional white and red varieties of grape, are widely known for their quality. Hiking trails and a wine heritage trail, together with cycle paths, connect the countryside. There are several inns and winemaking estates. The village is well linked by rail and road to, among other places, Mainz, Oppenheim
Oppenheim
Oppenheim is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The town is well known as a wine town, the site of the German Winegrowing Museum and particularly for the wines from the Oppenheimer Krötenbrunnen vineyards.- Location :...
, Worms, Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
and Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 20 council members, with the honorary mayor as chairman, and 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 Free Voters Free Voters is a German concept in which an association of persons participates in an election without having the status of a registered political party. Usually it is a locally organized group of voters in the form of a registered association . In most cases, Free Voters are active only at the... |
Total | |
| 2009 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 20 seats |
| 2004 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 20 seats |
(as at municipal election held on 7 June 2009)
Coat of arms
The municipality’s armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
might be described thus: Azure two bishop’s croziers in saltire, each with a sudarium fringed Or.
Economy and infrastructure
A considerable portion of Alsheim’s character rests on winegrowing, and with 704 ha of vineyards currently worked, 69.3% with white wine varieties and 30.7% with red, it ranks fifth after WormsWorms, 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...
(1 490 ha), Nierstein
Nierstein
Nierstein is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
(783 ha), 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....
(769 ha) and Westhofen
Westhofen
Westhofen is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
(764 ha) among Rhenish Hesse’s
Rheinhessen (wine region)
Rheinhessen is the largest of 13 German wine regions for quality wines with under cultivation in 2008. Named for the traditional region of Rhenish Hesse, it lies on the left bank of the River Rhine between Worms and Bingen in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate...
biggest winegrowing centres. It is also one of the biggest in the whole 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 ....
.
A peculiarity in Alsheim’s landscape is to be found in its broad network of sunken lane
Sunken lane
A sunken lane is a road which has over time fallen significantly lower than the land on either side. They are created incrementally by erosion, by water and traffic...
s. They stretch on for 11.5 km within the municipal area and were carved into the surrounding land by centuries of human activity wearing the land down. They are available for hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and walking even today. In the summer months, there are sunken lane tours on offer, and for avid photographers, also photo excursions.
Transport
Alsheim lies right on BundesstraßeBundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
9, on the main Worms-Mainz tangential road. Reachable within a few minutes are the Autobahnen 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...
through the Biebelnheim 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...
and 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....
through the Worms/Mörrstadt or Gundersheim interchange.
In the heart of Alsheim can be found a railway station, from which travellers can ride VRN
Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Neckar
Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Neckar is a public transport network covering parts of the German states of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse in south-west Germany...
and DB
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...
trains directly to Worms and Mainz.
Famous people associated with the municipality
- Economic adviser Reinhard Muth, Mayor of Alsheim, President of the German Winegrowing Association and Vice-President of the Assembly of European Winegrowing Regions (AREV), Senior Chief of Rappenhof Wine Estate.