Oppenheim
Encyclopedia
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.
in Rhenish Hesse between Mainz
and Worms
. It is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Nierstein-Oppenheim
.
village had its first documentary mention in the Lorsch codex
in connection with a donation by Charlemagne
to the Lorsch Abbey
, to which in 774 further parts of Oppenheim eventually went. In 1008, Oppenheim was granted market rights. In October 1076 Oppenheim earned special importance in the Investiture Controversy
. At the princely session of Trebur
and Oppenheim, the princes called on King Henry IV
to undertake the "Walk to Canossa
". After Oppenheim was given back to the Empire
in 1147, it became in 1225 a Free Imperial City
during the Staufer emperor Frederick II’s
time. At this time, the town was important for its Imperial castle and the Burgmann
en who lived there.
In the 14th century, the town was pledged to Electoral Mainz
, and beginning in 1398 it belonged to the territory of Electoral Palatinate.
In 1621, the Oppenheim town chronicle reports a meteorite impact on the edge of town that unleashed a great fire in which the Oppenheim Town Hall was almost utterly destroyed. The Electoral Oberamt archive, too, was lost in the fire, and so it was moved to Mainz.
On 14 September 1620, Spanish
troops overran the town in the Thirty Years' War
. The Spaniards occupied Oppenheim until 1632. In 1688, French
troops overran the town in the Nine Years' War (1688–1697). On 31 May 1689, Landskrone Castle and the town were utterly destroyed by the French under General Mélac
. Until 1797, Oppenheim remained an Electoral Palatinate holding. After being in French hands, Oppenheim passed in 1816 to the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt
. It remained Hessian until 1945.
In March 1945, American
troops managed to build a crossing over the Rhine near Oppenheim and to hold it.
, Saône-et-Loire
, France
Adnet
, Salzburg
, Austria
Werder
, Potsdam-Mittelmark
, Brandenburg
Calp, Alicante
, Spain
Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella
, Province of Verona
, Veneto
, Italy
might be described thus: Or an eagle displayed sable.
All town seals up until 1925 showed a crowned king’s head, but for one, from 1266, that showed the Emperor on his throne. Nevertheless, the town adopted arms with this composition while still using the king’s head seal. The arms have not changed since their adoption.
The arms have been borne since 1609.
. The town of Ansbach
and the city of Osnabrück
followed. To revive this wine sponsorship and to give thanks for the commitment to the town of Oppenheim, the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit
, was “knighted” on 11 March 2006 by Mayor Marcus Held, earning the title Wine Knight (Weinritter).
The sponsorship finds active expression in, among other things, the town’s participation in the estate festivals held by the Senate of Berlin
in 2007 and 2008, each time with a wine stand. At Governing Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit’s invitation, a citizens’ delegation under Mayor Marcus Held took part in the festivities at the German Embassy in Paris
on German Unity Day
and on the jubilee of the Berlin-Paris city partnership.
Extraordinary is the Oppenheimer Kellerlabyrinth (“Oppenheim Cellar Labyrinth”) under the Old Town. On changing levels underground passageways, stairways and rooms link the houses and facilities with each other. In the Old Town’s heart, in the area of the Town Hall, there are altogether roughly 650 m of cellar passageways open to visitors and largely preserved in their historical state. It is believed, though, that what has been opened to the public is only about 3% of the total cellar area. The exact extent of the underground passageways is still not known with any great certainty, despite investigations commissioned by the town, but the length is at least 40 km. Guided tours through this unique underground labyrinth are offered all year round by the town’s tourism and festival play bureau. There are likewise town tours and night watchman tours.
. Found here is everything worth knowing about wine.
), FSV Oppenheim (football), and the one founded as early as 1846 that may well have the most members, TV Oppenheim. TV Oppenheim is successful well beyond its home region in gymnastics, swimming, cycling sports and above all, basketball.
Also held every year are an Easter Market early in the year, and late in the year Saint Catherine’s Market in the Old Town.
Other regular events in town are:
is found in Oppenheim.
The State Office for Environment, Water Management and Trade Control, the Mannheim
Water and Shipping Office and Mainz-Bingen
District Vehicle Licensing each have a location in town.
institutions or kindergartens (among which two municipal daycare centres), there is the “Am Gautor” primary school.
There are in Oppenheim the Gymnasium
zu St. Katharinen, the Professional School for Winegrowing and Agrarian Sciences, the Matthäus-Merian-Hauptschule
and the Landskronschule, a special school.
) with local reporting and its own offices. Furthermore, there is the weekly Rheinhessisches Wochenblatt, likewise published by the Verlagsgruppe Rhein Main.
9, which broadly leads from the Dutch
border near Kleve
to the French
border near Kandel
. Locally it serves foremost as a link to the nearby cities of Mainz
and Worms
and the Mainzer Autobahnring in the north and A 6
in the south.
Linking Oppenheim to rail transport is a railway station on the Mainz-Ludwigshafen line. Running on it is the RB 44 Mainz-Worms-Ludwigshafen-Mannheim. Furthermore, ORN regional bus routes run from Dalheim
to Wörrstadt
by way of Oppenheim and towards Guntersblum
and Undenheim
.
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 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
The town lies on the Upper RhineUpper Rhine
The Upper Rhine is the section of the Rhine in the Upper Rhine Plain between Basel, Switzerland and Bingen, Germany. The river is marked by Rhine-kilometers 170 to 529 ....
in Rhenish Hesse 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...
. It is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Nierstein-Oppenheim
Nierstein-Oppenheim
Nierstein-Oppenheim is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Mainz-Bingen in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approx...
.
History
In 765, the FrankishFranks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
village had its first documentary mention in the Lorsch codex
Lorsch codex
The Lorsch Codex is an important historical document created between about 1175 to 1195 AD in the Monastery of Saint Nazarius in Lorsch, Germany. It consists of 460 pages in large format containing more than 3800 entries...
in connection with a donation by Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
to the Lorsch Abbey
Lorsch Abbey
The Abbey of Lorsch is a former Imperial Abbey in Lorsch, Germany, about 10 km east of Worms, one of the most renowned monasteries of the Carolingian Empire. Even in its ruined state, its remains are among the most important pre-Romanesque–Carolingian style buildings in Germany...
, to which in 774 further parts of Oppenheim eventually went. In 1008, Oppenheim was granted market rights. In October 1076 Oppenheim earned special importance in the Investiture Controversy
Investiture Controversy
The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was the most significant conflict between Church and state in medieval Europe. In the 11th and 12th centuries, a series of Popes challenged the authority of European monarchies over control of appointments, or investitures, of church officials such...
. At the princely session of Trebur
Trebur
Trebur is a community in Groß-Gerau district in Hesse, Germany. It is 13 km southeast of Mainz, and 8 km south of Rüsselsheim.-Location:Trebur is located in the Frankfurt Rhein-Main Region...
and Oppenheim, the princes called on King Henry IV
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
to undertake the "Walk to Canossa
Walk to Canossa
The Walk to Canossa refers to both the trek itself of Henry IV of the Holy Roman Empire from Speyer to the fortress at Canossa in Emilia Romagna and to the events surrounding his journey, which took place in and around January 1077.-Historical background:When, in his early...
". After Oppenheim was given back to the Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
in 1147, it became in 1225 a Free Imperial City
Free Imperial City
In the Holy Roman Empire, a free imperial city was a city formally ruled by the emperor only — as opposed to the majority of cities in the Empire, which were governed by one of the many princes of the Empire, such as dukes or prince-bishops...
during the Staufer emperor Frederick II’s
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
time. At this time, the town was important for its Imperial castle and the Burgmann
Burgmann
A Burgmann was a member of the low aristocracy in the Middle Ages who guarded and defended castles. They were hired by a lord of the castle to take on the burghut, the guarding and defense of a castle....
en who lived there.
In the 14th century, the town was pledged to Electoral Mainz
Archbishopric of Mainz
The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780–82 and 1802. In the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, the Archbishop of Mainz was the primas Germaniae, the substitute of the Pope north of the Alps...
, and beginning in 1398 it belonged to the territory of Electoral Palatinate.
In 1621, the Oppenheim town chronicle reports a meteorite impact on the edge of town that unleashed a great fire in which the Oppenheim Town Hall was almost utterly destroyed. The Electoral Oberamt archive, too, was lost in the fire, and so it was moved to Mainz.
On 14 September 1620, Spanish
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...
troops overran the town in the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
. The Spaniards occupied Oppenheim until 1632. In 1688, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
troops overran the town in the Nine Years' War (1688–1697). On 31 May 1689, Landskrone Castle and the town were utterly destroyed by the French under General Mélac
Ezechiel du Mas, Comte de Melac
Ezéchiel du Mas, Comte de Mélac was a career soldier in the French army under King Louis XIV and war minister Louvois....
. Until 1797, Oppenheim remained an Electoral Palatinate holding. After being in French hands, Oppenheim passed in 1816 to the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt
Grand Duchy of Hesse
The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine , or, between 1806 and 1816, Grand Duchy of Hesse —as it was also known after 1816—was a member state of the German Confederation from 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was elevated to a Grand Duchy, until 1918, when all the German...
. It remained Hessian until 1945.
In March 1945, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
troops managed to build a crossing over the Rhine near Oppenheim and to hold it.
Town partnerships
GivryGivry, Saône-et-Loire
Givry is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.-Geography:Located from Chalon-sur-Saône , Givry is a small town, famous for its listed monuments and its wines...
, Saône-et-Loire
Saône-et-Loire
Saône-et-Loire is a French department, named after the Saône and the Loire rivers between which it lies.-History:When it was formed during the French Revolution, as of March 4, 1790 in fulfillment of the law of December 22, 1789, the new department combined parts of the provinces of southern...
, 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...
Adnet
Adnet
Adnet, a town in Austria, is a community of 3.324 people, located near Hallein, Salzburg . It is famous for its marble and there is a marble museum in the middle of the town.-Geography:...
, Salzburg
Salzburg (state)
Salzburg is a state or Land of Austria with an area of 7,156 km2, located adjacent to the German border. It is also known as Salzburgerland, to distinguish it from its capital city, also named Salzburg...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
Werder
Werder (Havel)
Werder , is a town in the state of Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Havel river in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, west of the state's capital Potsdam.Werder has a long and rich history and is a nationally recognized Erholungsort – a government designation given to...
, Potsdam-Mittelmark
Potsdam-Mittelmark
Potsdam-Mittelmark is a Kreis in the western part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring are the district Havelland, the district free cities Brandenburg and Potsdam, the Bundesland Berlin, the district Teltow-Fläming, and the districts Wittenberg, Anhalt-Bitterfeld and Jerichower Land in...
, Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
Calp, Alicante
Alicante (province)
Alicante or Alacant is a province of eastern Spain, in the southern part of the Valencian Community. It is bordered by the provinces of Murcia on the southwest, Albacete on the west, Valencia on the north, and the Mediterranean Sea on the east...
, 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...
Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella
Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella
Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella is a comune in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about 120 km west of Venice and about 15 km northwest of Verona....
, Province of Verona
Province of Verona
The Province of Verona is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Verona.-Overview:The province has an area of 3,109 km², and a total population of 912,981...
, Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
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: Or an eagle displayed sable.
All town seals up until 1925 showed a crowned king’s head, but for one, from 1266, that showed the Emperor on his throne. Nevertheless, the town adopted arms with this composition while still using the king’s head seal. The arms have not changed since their adoption.
The arms have been borne since 1609.
Wine sponsorship
In Oppenheim, wine was given hefty publicity by Mayor Dr. Heinz Scheller after he took office in 1935: For him, the only suitable city for sponsoring the town’s wine was none other than the capital, BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. The town of Ansbach
Ansbach
Ansbach, originally Onolzbach, is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is situated southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the Fränkische Rezat, a tributary of the Main river. As of 2004, its population was 40,723.Ansbach...
and the city of Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
followed. To revive this wine sponsorship and to give thanks for the commitment to the town of Oppenheim, the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit
Klaus Wowereit
Klaus Wowereit is a German politician, member of the SPD , and has been the Mayor of Berlin since the 2001 state elections, where his party won a plurality of the votes, 29.7%. He served as President of the Bundesrat in 2001/02. His SPD-led coalition was re-elected in the 2006 elections...
, was “knighted” on 11 March 2006 by Mayor Marcus Held, earning the title Wine Knight (Weinritter).
The sponsorship finds active expression in, among other things, the town’s participation in the estate festivals held by the Senate of Berlin
Senate of Berlin
The Senate of Berlin is the executive body governing the city of Berlin, which at the same time is a state of Germany. According to the Constitution of Berlin the Senate consists of the Governing Mayor of Berlin and up to eight Senators appointed by the Governing Mayor, two of whom are appointed ...
in 2007 and 2008, each time with a wine stand. At Governing Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit’s invitation, a citizens’ delegation under Mayor Marcus Held took part in the festivities at the German Embassy in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on German Unity Day
German Unity Day
The Day of German Unity is the national day of Germany, celebrated on 3 October as a public holiday. It commemorates the anniversary of German reunification in 1990, when the goal of a unity of Germany that originated in the middle of the 19th century, was fulfilled. Therefore, the name addresses...
and on the jubilee of the Berlin-Paris city partnership.
Culture and sightseeing
Worth seeing are- Saint Catherine’s Church (Katharinenkirche) with its stained glass (the "Oppenheim Rose"), the most outstanding Gothic churchGothic architectureGothic 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....
on the Rhine between the Cologne CathedralCologne CathedralCologne Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and is a World Heritage Site...
and the Strasbourg CathedralStrasbourg CathedralStrasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Strasbourg, France. Although considerable parts of it are still in Romanesque architecture, it is widely consideredSusan Bernstein: , The Johns Hopkins University Press to be among the finest...
; * * Landskron Castle’s ruins with a lovely view over the Rhine rift and of the other church buildings in Oppenheim, also a venue for festival plays and other cultural events; - the Old Town with its marketplace, Town Hall from 1621 (with a column from Landskron Castle’s hall in front, which reputedly came from the Ingelheim Imperial Palace), the former town fortifications with Gautor, Rheintorpforte (gates), clocktower and town wall remnants, and unique museums (German Viticultural Museum, Town Museum.
Extraordinary is the Oppenheimer Kellerlabyrinth (“Oppenheim Cellar Labyrinth”) under the Old Town. On changing levels underground passageways, stairways and rooms link the houses and facilities with each other. In the Old Town’s heart, in the area of the Town Hall, there are altogether roughly 650 m of cellar passageways open to visitors and largely preserved in their historical state. It is believed, though, that what has been opened to the public is only about 3% of the total cellar area. The exact extent of the underground passageways is still not known with any great certainty, despite investigations commissioned by the town, but the length is at least 40 km. Guided tours through this unique underground labyrinth are offered all year round by the town’s tourism and festival play bureau. There are likewise town tours and night watchman tours.
Theatre
Yearly between August and October, the Oppenheimer Theaterfestspiele (“Oppenheim Theatre Festival Plays”) take place in the town’s Kulturkeller (“Culture Cellar”) and at Landskron Castle’s ruins.Museums
Particularly worth visiting, besides Saint Catherine’s Church, the Town Museum and the underground labyrinth, is the German Viticultural Museum (Deutsches Weinbaumuseum) with the region’s oldest winepress from the Geistermühle, a centuries-old mill in FlonheimFlonheim
Flonheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
. Found here is everything worth knowing about wine.
Music
In the Kultursommer (“Culture Summer”), there are regular concerts on the town’s historic marketplace before the Town Hall. Furthermore there is the Oppenheim Trombone Choir.Sport
In Oppenheim are several sport clubs, among others TC Rot-Weiß Oppenheim (tennisTennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
), FSV Oppenheim (football), and the one founded as early as 1846 that may well have the most members, TV Oppenheim. TV Oppenheim is successful well beyond its home region in gymnastics, swimming, cycling sports and above all, basketball.
Regular events
Each year in the town at Landskron Castle’s ruins, Saint Catherine’s Church, the Kulturkeller under the courthouse square and the marketplace, the Festspiele Oppenheim (“Oppenheim Festival Plays”) take place.Also held every year are an Easter Market early in the year, and late in the year Saint Catherine’s Market in the Old Town.
Other regular events in town are:
- The Easter Artists’ Market (Osterkünstlermarkt), a fortnight before Easter;
- The well known and well loved Oppenheim Wine Festival (Oppenheimer Weinfest) on the second weekend in August;
- Mittelalterspectaculum (“Mediaeval Spectacle”) in early May;
- Rhine Bicycle Ride between WormsWorms, GermanyWorms 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...
and Oppenheim in mid May; - Fairytale Christmas Market (Märchenweihnachtsmarkt) at the historic Town Hall, Saint Catherine’s Church and the marketplace on the third day of Advent.
Public institutions
The administration of the Verbandsgemeinde of Nierstein-OppenheimNierstein-Oppenheim
Nierstein-Oppenheim is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Mainz-Bingen in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approx...
is found in Oppenheim.
The State Office for Environment, Water Management and Trade Control, the Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
Water and Shipping Office and 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 Vehicle Licensing each have a location in town.
Education
Besides three kindergartenKindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
institutions or kindergartens (among which two municipal daycare centres), there is the “Am Gautor” primary school.
There are in Oppenheim the Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
zu St. Katharinen, the Professional School for Winegrowing and Agrarian Sciences, the Matthäus-Merian-Hauptschule
Hauptschule
A Hauptschule is a secondary school in Germany and Austria, starting after 4 years of elementary schooling, which offers Lower Secondary Education according to the International Standard Classification of Education...
and the Landskronschule, a special school.
Media
Appearing in Oppenheim is the Allgemeine Zeitung (MainzMainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
) with local reporting and its own offices. Furthermore, there is the weekly Rheinhessisches Wochenblatt, likewise published by the Verlagsgruppe Rhein Main.
Transport
Oppenheim lies on BundesstraßeBundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
9, which broadly leads from the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
border near Kleve
Kleve
Kleve , is a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Dutch border and the River Rhine. From the 11th century onwards, Kleve was capital of a county and later a duchy...
to the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
border near Kandel
Kandel
Kandel is a town in the district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated near the border with France, approx. 18 km north-west of Karlsruhe, and 15 km south-east of Landau....
. Locally it serves foremost as a link to the nearby cities of 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...
and the Mainzer Autobahnring in the north and A 6
Bundesautobahn 6
, also known as Via Carolina is a 477 km long German autobahn. It starts at the French border near Saarbrücken in the west and end at the Czech border near Waidhaus in the east....
in the south.
Linking Oppenheim to rail transport is a railway station on the Mainz-Ludwigshafen line. Running on it is the RB 44 Mainz-Worms-Ludwigshafen-Mannheim. Furthermore, ORN regional bus routes run from Dalheim
Dalheim, Rhineland-Palatinate
Dalheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
to Wörrstadt
Wörrstadt
Wörrstadt is a town in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :The town lies in Rhenish Hesse on the northwest edge of the Upper Rhine Plain...
by way of Oppenheim and towards Guntersblum
Guntersblum
Guntersblum is an Ortsgemeinde– a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
and Undenheim
Undenheim
Undenheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Johann von Dalberg (1455–1503), 1480 cathedral provost in Worms and Chancellor of the University of Heidelberg, 1482 Chancellor of Elector Philipp of the Palatinate, 1482 Bishop of Worms, made Heidelberg and Worms into the then centres of humanism.
- Kaspar Sturm (1481–1523), Imperial herald, guided Martin Luther in 1521 on his way to the Diet of WormsDiet of WormsThe Diet of Worms 1521 was a diet that took place in Worms, Germany, and is most memorable for the Edict of Worms , which addressed Martin Luther and the effects of the Protestant Reformation.It was conducted from 28 January to 25 May 1521, with Emperor Charles V presiding.Other Imperial diets at...
and back. - Johann Paulsackel (1805–1855), champion of democratic freedom rights.
- Paul WallotPaul WallotPaul Wallot was a German architect of Huguenot descent, best known for designing the Reichstag building in Berlin, erected between 1884 and 1894...
(1841–1912), German architect, builder of the Reichstag building in Berlin. - Johanna SenfterJohanna SenfterJohanna Senfter was a German composer.Johanna Senfter was born and died in Oppenheim. From 1885 she studied composition under Knorr, violin under Rebner, piano under Friedberg and organ at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt am Main. This gave her a considerable amount of musical training when in...
(1879–1961), outstanding composer of the 20th century - Carl Wilhelm Witterstätter (1884–1964), aviation pioneer.
- Jakob Steffan (1888–1957), Sozial Democratic politician, beginning in 1933 arrested several times, organized the civil anti-Nazi resistance in South Hesse and Rhenish Hesse, (1946–1950) Interior and Social Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate.
- Paul Witterstätter (1892–1966), expressionist (later realist) painter.
- Susanne Völker (b. 1974), German Wine Queen 1998/1999
Persons who have worked here
- Madern GerthenerMadern GerthenerMadern Gerthener was a German stonemason and late Gothic architect.Gerthener was born in Frankfurt to Johann Gerthener, a stonemason whose business the younger Gerthener took over by 1391. In 1395 he entered the city payroll, and soon took a leading role in the city's large construction works...
(b. about 1360; d. 1430), City master builder of the Free Imperial City of Frankfurt am Main, sculptor and one of the most important artists of the Late Gothic on the Middle Rhine, created the west quire at Saint Catherine’s Church, beginning in 1414 - Johannes PauliJohannes PauliJohannes Pauli was a German Franciscan writer.-Life:What little is known of his life rests upon unreliable information...
(b. 1450/54; d. after 1530), Franciscan monk, Schwank poet, trailblazer for the comic, pointed short story (Fazetie) in Early RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
Germany (1499 preacher at the Oppenheim Franciscan convent). - Jakob Köbel (1460–1535), beginning in 1494 active in Oppenheim as town clerk (chancellery chairman), book printer, publisher, important (mathematical) writer, member of the humanistic association Sodalitas litteraria Rhenana and hospes of the Oppenheim section.
- Anton PraetoriusAnton PraetoriusAnton Praetorius was a German Calvinist pastor who spoke out against the persecution of witches and against torture.-Life and writings :...
(1560–1613), clergyman in Oppenheim (1589–1592), fighter against witch trials and torture. - Johann Theodor de BryJohann Theodor de BryTheodorus de Bry was an engraver, goldsmith and editor who traveled around Europe, starting from the city of Liège , then to Strasbourg, Antwerp, London and Frankfurt, where he settled....
(1561–1623), worked from 1609 to 1619 as publisher and copper engraver in Oppenheim, which was sympathetic to Calvinistic religious refugees. speciality: the richly illustrated scientific book. 1617 Matthäus Merian’s father-in-law. - Hieronymus Galler, printer from Basel, left Frankfurt with Johann Theodor de Bry in 1609 and from 1610 to 1620 ran a highly productive printshop in Oppenheim.
- Albert Molnár (1574–1634), reformed theologian and itinerant academic from Hungary, from 1615 to 1619 cantor and rector of the Latin school in Oppenheim.
- Matthäus MerianMatthäus MerianMatthäus Merian der Ältere was a Swiss-born engraver who worked in Frankfurt for most of his career, where he also ran a publishing house.-Early life and marriage:...
(1593–1650), worked from 1616 to 1619 as copper engraver in Oppenheim. - Friedrich Koch (1786–1865), apothecary, inventor of industrial quinine manufacture.
- Carl Koch (1833–1910), pharmaceutical manufacturer, winery owner, mayor, member of the second chamber of the Hessian Landstände, honorary citizen, Patriarch with social conscience, Friedrich Koch’s son.