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Bensheim () is a town in the Bergstraße district in southern Hessen, Germany. Bensheim lies on the Bergstraße and at the edge of the
Odenwald The Odenwald () is a low mountain range in the German states of Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Location The Odenwald is located between the Upper Rhine Plain with the Bergstraße and the ''Hessisches Ried'' (the northeastern section ...
mountains while at the same time having an open view over the Rhine plain. With about 40,000 inhabitants (2016), it is the district's biggest town.


Geography


Location

The town lies at the eastern edge of the Rhine rift on the slopes of the western
Odenwald The Odenwald () is a low mountain range in the German states of Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Location The Odenwald is located between the Upper Rhine Plain with the Bergstraße and the ''Hessisches Ried'' (the northeastern section ...
on the Bergstraße. The nearest major cities are
Darmstadt Darmstadt () is a city in the States of Germany, state of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Area, Rhine-Main-Area (Frankfurt Metropolitan Region). Darmstadt has around 160,000 inhabitants, making it th ...
(some to the north), Heidelberg (some to the south), Worms (some to the west) and Mannheim (some to the southwest). The district seat of Heppenheim lies roughly to the south. The Lauter flows through Bensheim, coming from the Lauter valley from the east, which after it passes through Bensheim is known as the Winkelbach. In the south of town runs the Meerbach, also coming from the Odenwald (but from the Zell valley). Mostly channelled underground and only coming above ground at the western edge of town is the ''Neuer Graben'', or “New Channel”, which branches off the Lauter.


Neighbouring communities

Bensheim borders in the north on the town of Zwingenberg and the communities of
Alsbach-Hähnlein Alsbach-Hähnlein is a municipality in southern Hesse (Germany) in the district Darmstadt-Dieburg. It resulted from a merger of the two separate municipalities (''Gemeinden'') Alsbach and Hähnlein. Sister city * Diósd, Hungary Hunga ...
und Seeheim-Jugenheim (both in Darmstadt-Dieburg), in the east on the community of Lautertal, in the south on the town of Heppenheim and in the west on the town of Lorsch and the community of Einhausen.


Constituent communities

Bensheim is roughly subdivided thus: * The main town east of the railway line (old town and outskirts) with many modern town expansion developments (for example the neighbourhoods of Brunnenweg, Metzendorf, Griesel, Meerbach and Hemsberg); * The ''Weststadt'' (“West Town”) west of the railway line (for example the neighbourhoods of Port Arthur, Marokko, Leibweh and Kappesgärten); * The outlying centre of Auerbach to the north of the main town on the Bergstraße; * The outlying centres of Hochstädten, Schönberg, Wilmshausen, Gronau and Zell in the nearer Odenwald valleys; * The outlying centres of Langwaden, Fehlheim and Schwanheim in the ''Hessisches Ried'' (part of the Rhine rift in Hesse).


Climate

Bensheim is especially well known, like other places along the Bergstraße as well, for its particularly mild and sunny climate with roughly 2,000 hours of sunshine yearly and Germany's earliest onset of spring. Under the Odenwald's protection, kiwifruit,
almond The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genus ...
s, figs and peaches thrive here, giving the Bergstraße the nickname “Germany’s Riviera”. The town of Bensheim fosters almond tree cultivation, to name one example, in people's front gardens. Each year in Bensheim, there is even a ''Blütenkönigin'' (“Blossom Queen”). She is put forth every year by the Bensheim Automobile Club and for decades has been Bensheim's hallmark both within the country and abroad.


History

Bensheim has grown out of a village that had its first documentary mention in the 8th century. In the 14th century, Bensheim was granted town rights. On 26 March 1945, much of the Old Town was destroyed by incendiary bombs.


Settlement history

The South Hesse area was settled quite early on. The many finds from
archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
digs stretch back to the time of the
Linear Pottery The Linear Pottery culture (LBK) is a major archaeological horizon of the European Neolithic period, flourishing . Derived from the German ''Linearbandkeramik'', it is also known as the Linear Band Ware, Linear Ware, Linear Ceramics or Inc ...
and Corded Ware cultures (roughly 2500 to 1500 BC), peoples who raised crops and livestock.


Middle Ages

In 765, ''Basinsheim'' had its first documentary mention in the Lorsch Abbey’s '' Codex Laureshamensis''. Its founding may go back to a knight named ''Basinus'', who received the rights to found a settlement. The name changed from ''Basinsheim'' to ''Basinusheim'' and then to ''Besensheim'', finally becoming Bensheim. Noteworthy is that town rights were granted early on by Emperor Otto I on 5 March 956. It can be inferred from the document text that Otto I, on the occasion of his stay in Frankfurt am Main, with his wife Adelheid’s intervention, awarded the Lorsch Abbey’s oldest market privilege. The concept, called ''publicae mercationes'' in the original, indicates the community, where public buying and selling was allowed. It still cannot be assumed that this led to a regular yearly or weekly market. Great parts of the town were destroyed in the siege of 1301 by King Albrecht I. When Friedrich II enfeoffed the territory of the now derelict Lorsch
Imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texa ...
Abbey to Archbishop Siegfried III of Eppstein, Bensheim became part of the Electorate of Mainz's domains and likely received town rights only a few decades later, which is, however, only proved by a certificate issued in 1320.


Early modern times

In today’s outlying centres of Auerbach and Schönberg, Bensheim borders on what were the Upper County – “Upper” here refers to geography, not rank – of the Counts of Katzenelnbogen and domains of the ''Schenken'' of Erbach. When the Katzenelnbogens died out in 1479, the Landgraviate of Hesse became a neighbour to the north. In 1532, the Erbachs were raised to counts and the County of Erbach became a neighbour to the east. In the time of the pledging to the counts palatine of the Rhine from 1461 to 1650, Bensheim experienced a boom, but as a Palatinate town, however, it was embroiled in the Bavarian-Palatine war of succession in 1504, and for eleven days was unsuccessfully besieged by the Landgrave of Hesse, who was charged with the execution of the ban of the Empire, and his confederates, the Dukes Henry of Brunswick and Henry of Mecklenburg. From this year, two yearly markets and one weekly can be established; a third yearly market came in 1619. With the introduction of the Reformation in the Landgraviate of Hesse in 1526 and in the County of Erbach in 1544, Bensheim got not only a territorial border with these neighbours, but also a denominational one. The Thirty Years' War put an end to all the positive developments mentioned above. On 20 November 1644, Bensheim was occupied by
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
troops, who were driven out again on 2 December by Bavarian units. Later, the legend of the ''Fraa vun Bensem'' arose (the “woman from Bensheim” is said to have led the Bavarians into town through a secret route). In 1650, after just under 200 years of being pledged to the Electorate of the Palatinate, Bensheim was once again redeemed by the
Archbishopric of Mainz The Electorate of Mainz (german: Kurfürstentum Mainz or ', la, Electoratus Moguntinus), previously known in English as Mentz and by its French name Mayence, was one of the most prestigious and influential states of the Holy Roman Empire. In the ...
.


Modern times

By the
Reichsdeputationshauptschluss The ' (formally the ', or "Principal Conclusion of the Extraordinary Imperial Delegation"), sometimes referred to in English as the Final Recess or the Imperial Recess of 1803, was a resolution passed by the ' (Imperial Diet) of the Holy Roman Em ...
in 1803, Bensheim passed to the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, who joined the Confederation of the Rhine in 1806 and was raised to Grand Duke. In 1822, there was a great fire in which 16 buildings were destroyed and 15 others were heavily damaged. Bensheim became the seat of the ''Landratsbezirk'' (an administrative region) of Bensheim in the province of Starkenburg, which in 1832 was merged with the ''Landratsbezirk'' of Heppenheim to form the district of Bensheim (''Kreis Bensheim'') with Bensheim as its seat. In 1918, the Grand Duke was removed and out of the
Grand Duchy of Hesse The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine (german: link=no, Großherzogtum Hessen und bei Rhein) was a grand duchy in western Germany that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Grand Duchy originally formed from the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1806 ...
the People's State of Hesse was formed. On 1 November 1938, the districts of Bensheim and Heppenheim were merged into one district,
Kreis Bergstraße Kreis is the German word for circle. Kreis may also refer to: Places * , or circles, various subdivisions roughly equivalent to counties, districts or municipalities ** Districts of Germany (including and ) ** Former districts of Prussia, al ...
with Heppenheim as its seat. To offset Bensheim's loss of the status of district seat, the town got the district leadership of the Nazi Party. During Kristallnacht on 9 November 1938, the
synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
was destroyed, while the one in Auerbach survived. In 1939, Auerbach, Schönberg and Zell were amalgamated, raising the population to just under 16,500. In Auerbach, a subcamp of Natzweiler-Struthof Concentration Camp was built. On 24 March 1945, twelve people were taken to the Kirchberg (mountain) where they were
murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
ed by the Gestapo. Two days later, on 26 March 1945, Saint George's Parish Church, the Town Hall and parts of the Old Town were destroyed by incendiary bombs. On 27 March, the town was occupied by United States troops. As the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps agent, Henry Kissinger was the most important representative of the occupying power, after the official town commander. In 1945, Bensheim passed to the newly formed state of Hesse. After the Second World War ended in 1945, a displaced persons camp was established in Bensheim, first for Polish former forced labourers, later for Jewish displaced persons. The camp was dissolved in 1949. In 1971, the population rose to some 34,000 with the amalgamation of Langwaden, Schwanheim, Fehlheim, Hochstädten, Gronau and Wilmshausen. From 1859 to 1987 on the Nibelungenstraße towards Schönberg stood the ''Guntrum Bräu Bensheim'' brewery. In 1979, the brewery was taken over by Binding Bier Mainz, and then closed and torn down in 1987. Today, the former premises are home to a number of houses.


Politics


Town council

The municipal election held on 27 March 2011 yielded the following results: The ''Magistrat'' (roughly “town executive”) is made up of nine councillors and the mayor Rolf Richter (CDU). The two full-time councillors are Helmut Sachwitz (CDU) and Adil Oyan (Grüne Liste Bensheim). The other seats are shared among the CDU (3), the SPD (1), the Grüne Liste Bensheim (2) and the FWG (1).


Mayors

When the Municipal Order of the Grand Duchy of Hesse came into force on 30 June 1821, Bensheim citizens were allowed to choose their mayor. * 1822–1825: Philipp Meißel * 1825–1837: Philipp Werle * 1837–1840: Adam Fertig * 1840–1857: Johannes Traupel * 1857–1859: Joseph August Hainz * 1860–1870: Franz Heinz * 1871–1902: Aloys van Gries * 1902–1912: Ignaz Frenay * 1913–1922: Karl Löslein * 1922–1933: Rudolf Angermeier * 1933–1934: Heinrich Nachtigall * 1934–1938: Georg Brückmann * 1938–1945: Ernst Missler * 1945–1945: Theodor Kräge * 1945–1946: Willy Klapproth * 1946–1954: Joseph Treffert, CDU * 1954–1972: Wilhelm Kilian, CDU * 1972–2002: Georg Stolle, CDU * 2002–2014: Thorsten Herrmann, CDU * 2014–2020: Rolf Richter, CDU * 2020–incumbent: Christine Klein


Coat of arms

The town's
arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...
might be described thus: Gules a knight with kontos, held in both hands, and armour Or astride a steed salient argent, the whole sinister, below which a dragon statant reguardant sinister vert, the knight's kontos thrust through it. The German blazon says that the kontos, or lance, is golden, and that the dragon is green, although the achievement shown here, whose source is the town administration itself, shows different tinctures for these two charges. The red field refers to the Mainz coat of arms, as the town was owned by the Bishopric of Mainz until 1802. The knight slaying the dragon represents Saint George, who was said in earlier times to have been Bensheim's patron saint.


Town partnerships

* Beaune,
Côte-d'Or Côte-d'Or (; literally, "Golden Slope") is a département in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of Northeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 534,124.France, since 1960 *
Amersham Amersham ( ) is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Buckinghamshire, England, in the Chiltern Hills, northwest of central London, from Aylesbury and from High Wycombe. Amersham is part of the London commuter belt. ...
,
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...
, United Kingdom, since 1977 * Mohács, Baranya County, Hungary, since 1987 * Riva del Garda, Trentino, Italy, since 1989 * Kłodzko, Lower Silesia, Poland, since 1996 *
Hostinné Hostinné (german: Arnau) is a town in Trutnov District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,300 inhabitants. It lies on the Elbe river. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument ...
, Hradec Králové Region, Czech Republic, since 2002 Moreover, some outlying centres have their own separate partnerships.


Sponsorship

On 29 April 1956, a ''Patenschaft'' (roughly, “sponsorship”) was set up for
Sudeten Germans German Bohemians (german: Deutschböhmen und Deutschmährer, i.e. German Bohemians and German Moravians), later known as Sudeten Germans, were ethnic Germans living in the Czech lands of the Bohemian Crown, which later became an integral part ...
driven out of the town of Arnau (now
Hostinné Hostinné (german: Arnau) is a town in Trutnov District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,300 inhabitants. It lies on the Elbe river. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument ...
in the Czech Republic) on the Elbe in the Hohenelbe district.


Culture and sightseeing


Theatre

The ''Parktheater'' was built in 1968 and is a linchpin in offering various cultural activities. Besides the municipal programme of plays, freelance producers, clubs and schools bring a multifaceted programme in the fields of spoken theatre, musical theatre and dance theatre. From October 1998 to December 1999, the ''Parktheater'' was optically, technologically and artistically made over from the ground up and now shines in new splendour. Furthermore, Bensheim also has the ''PiPaPo Theater'' ( cabaret), the ''Vornerum Theater'', the ''Varieté Pegasus'' and the ''Autorenkollektiv Laufkundschaft''.


Museums

Besides the ''Museum der Stadt Bensheim'' (municipal museum), there is also the old
synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
in Auerbach which nowadays houses a museum.


Music

The Bensheim Music School was founded in 1979. By taking part in various contests, the students at this municipal music school regularly find themselves among the prizewinners at both the state and national level. Many ensembles promote the music school's community spirit.


Buildings (secular)

Bensheim, along with all its outlying centres has all together 557 cultural monuments. The following is a selection of the town's most important buildings: * ''Alte Faktorei'', Mainz cathedral chapter's former factory (in the sense of “commercial outpost”) * ''Alte Gerberei'' (Old Tannery), from 1873 * ''Bismarckturm'' (tower), from 1902, on the Hemsberg (262 m) * ''Dalberger Hof'', former noble estate * “''Luginsland''” (''Blaues Türmchen'' or ''Eckturm'' ower on the Höhenweg above Baßmannpark, built in 1910 * ''Hohenecker Hof'', former noble estate from 1756 * ''Kirchberghäuschen'' (220 m), built in 1849, dedicated in 1857 * ''Metzendorf-Villen'' (villas) * ''Rinnentorturm'' (tower), from the 13th or 14th century * ''Rodensteiner Hof'', stately home with park * ''Roter Turm'', watchtower from the old town wall, from the 13th century * ''Walderdorffer Hof'', southern Hesse's oldest timber-frame house, built in 1395 * ''Wambolter Hof'', former noble estate from about 1732/33 The Landgraves of Hesse once used the ''Fürstenlager'' near Bensheim-Auerbach as a spa. It is an artistic combination of simple buildings clustered like a village around the Good Well in the middle of a picturesque landscaped park. Like many territorial overlords of their day, its owners sought the peace of a rural idyll far removed from the pomp and circumstance of court.


Buildings (ecclesiastical)

* Saint George's Parish Church (''Pfarrkirche St. Georg''), from 1830 * Saint Joseph's Hospital Church (''Hospitalkirche St. Joseph''), from the 14th century * Saint Crescentius's Graveyard Church (''Friedhofskirche St. Crescens''), from 1618 * Saint Michael's Church (''Michaelskirche''), from 1863 * Saint Lawrence's Catholic Parish Church (''Katholische Pfarrkirche St. Laurentius''), from 1965 All the above churches are Catholic, except Saint Michael's, which is Evangelical. All 557 cultural monuments are listed in the ''Liste der Kulturdenkmäler in Bensheim''. File:Dalberger Hof 02.jpg, Dalberger Hof File:Walderdorffer Hof Bensheim.jpg, Walderdorffer Hof File:Wambolter Hof.jpg, Wambolter Hof File:Metzendorf Villa Ernst 1905.jpg, Villa Ernst (Ludwigstraße) by Heinrich Metzendorf, 1905 File:Haus Fleck Bensheim.jpg, ''Flecksches Haus'' File:Roter Turm Bensheim2.jpg, ''Rote Turm'' from about 1300 File:Kirchberghaeuschen bensheim.jpg, Kirchberghäuschen File:Fürstenlager Bensheim.jpg, ''Fürstenlager'' near Bensheim File:Schloss Auerbach.jpg, Auerbach Castle


Sport

Nationally known is the HSG Bensheim/Auerbach women's
handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...
team, which plays in the ''2. Handball-Bundesliga (Frauen)''. Bensheim and its outlying centres are also home to many other sport clubs.


Denominational Institute

Since 1947, Bensheim has been home to the Evangelical Federation's ''Konfessionskundliches Institut'' (“Denominational Institute”), Europe’s biggest
ecumenical Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...
institute. It was housed at ''Wolfgang-Sucker-Haus'' from 1947 to 1967 and also has been once again since November 2007.


Youth culture

Bensheim has many offerings for children up to 14 years old, with, for example, a new youth centre, opened on 26 January 2006 offering ample possibilities, busying itself with this. The old, bigger youth centre on Wilhelmstraße was then closed. For youths, there is relatively little on offer. However, work has begun on the new ''Skate/BMX-park'', on the same site where the old one was. The park was promoted and planned by youths themselves. ''Bandsheim'' (“Band Home”) has afforded the youth music scene an outlet that regularly hosts “newcomer” concerts in Bensheim. Besides ''Bandsheim'' there is also an outlet in ''Party-Bensheim'', which offers a venue for youths to get to know each other, have discussions and make arrangements. Both these outlets were founded by youths themselves. Bensheim does host an “unofficial” youth club. Since the early 1980s there has been “McSlobos”, an inn that had its beginnings in the “Germania-Hof”, which has now been torn down. With many live concerts by famous local bands and the guests’ active engagement in political issues, this inn has grown into an attraction for many youths. Nevertheless, many youths feel left out, as they must pay for all leisure activities. Hence there has also been for some time the will to create a self-administering youth centre. To this end, various action groups and campaigns have been started, such as, for example ''SKJuz'', a “promotional club for a self-administering culture and youth centre in Bensheim”, and the action group ''BürgerMaiStar''. In 2010 about 50 young people from the region occupied a derelict army complex in order to establish ''a self-organised youth centre''. However, the occupation was broken up by police several hours after it had begun. As a follow-up to the SKJuz club the ''JUKUZ Bensheim e.V.'' was formed, which is still actively promoting the idea of a self-administered, self-organised youth centre.


Regular events

The nationally known ''Bergsträßer Winzerfest'' (“Bergstraße Vintners’ Festival”) is held every first week in September throughout the inner town. The festival, which begins on the Saturday, lasts nine days. On the first Sunday there is a great festive parade, and on the second Saturday, fireworks are lit on the Kirchberg. The first ''Bergsträßer Winzerfest'' was held from 19 to 22 October 1929. Even at this first festival there were a festive parade and fireworks on the Kirchberg. Bensheim is in an area where wine grapes are grown extensively. The ''Bürgerfest'' (“Citizens’ Festival”), which was introduced on the occasion of the opening of the pedestrian precinct in 1975, has been regularly celebrated in early summer since 1977. Great popularity is enjoyed by the ''Auerbacher Bachgassenfest'', an outdoor
gastronomical Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. One who is well versed in gastr ...
event put on by those who live on the Bachgasse (“Brook Lane”) in Auerbach, first held in 1987. Since 1986, in memory of Gertrud Eysoldt, a German actress and director, the
Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring The Ringelband Foundation has been awarding the Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring with the city of Bensheim and the German Academy of the Performing Arts since 1986. The award is endowed with €10,000. The jury is annually changing. The prize is awarded for a ...
, one of Germany's most important theatrical prizes, has been awarded yearly. Since 2003, the ''Maiway'' has been held every year. This is a gastronomical festival at which many pubs in Bensheim have musical groups perform.


Culinary specialities

Bensheim has ''Zwewwelkuche à la Fraa vun Bensem'' (“onion cake à la woman from Bensheim”). The first word is a local form of the German
Zwiebelkuchen Zwiebelkuchen (German for "onion cake") is a savory German onion cake made of steamed onions, diced bacon, cream, and caraway seeds on either a yeast or leavened dough. See also * Flammkuchen Similar Alsatian and South-Western German dish * List ...
, and the woman is the one mentioned under ''History'' (see above).


Economy and infrastructure


Established businesses

Bensheim is part of the economically strong
Rhine Neckar Area The Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region (german: Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar, ), often referred to as Rhein-Neckar-Triangle, is a polycentric metropolitan region located in south western Germany, between the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region to the North ...
and is together with various neighbouring towns and communities (among others, Heppenheim, Lorsch and Lautertal) identified as a middle centre in South Hesse regional planning. The town has in its favour good economic data – even in relation to the Rhine Neckar Area's as a whole – above-average employment figures and an especially high proportion of graduates in the resident population's above-average buying power. Sirona Dental Systems GmbH has its head office in Bensheim. The enterprise is the district's biggest employer and produces goods and services for dentists. Kern GmbH manufactures enveloping systems for banks, insurance companies, telecommunications businesses and information technology service providers and is also headquartered in Bensheim. Offering services to pharmaceutical businesses is Cegedim Deutschland GmbH, which also has its head office in Bensheim. Furthermore, there are the electronics firm Tyco Electronics AMP GmbH, SAP AG, which is active in the information technology field, the ''Institut für Organisationskommunikation'' (IFOK) and HTV GmbH, which tests and programs semiconductors for manufacturers from almost all fields of electronics. Also, the auto manufacturer
Suzuki is a Japan, Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, All-terrain vehicle, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs ...
International Europe GmbH is headquartered in Bensheim. The cars in the company's national television advertising bear registrations beginning with “HP” (Heppenheim/Kreis Bergstraße) for this reason, which is seldom otherwise seen in this context. Deutsche Papier Vertriebs GmbH, which belongs to PaperlinX, runs, as a nationally active paper wholesaler, one of Germany's most modern high-bay warehouses. GGEW, a service-providing business for electricity, natural gas and drinking water, has its head office in Bensheim.


Media

Local happenings are reported in Bensheim and the surrounding area are reported by the ''Bergsträßer Anzeiger'', a newspaper belonging to the Mannheimer Morgen publishing group. The paper's address is Rodensteinstraße 6 and it is published from Monday to Saturday.


Transport

Bensheim lies at the crossroads of federal highways B 3 and B 47. Through the town's west end runs Autobahn A 5, from which Bensheim can be reached by two exits: in the north the Zwingenberg – Bensheim-Auerbach exit, and in the south the Bensheim exit. A few kilometres farther west, running parallel to the A 5, is the A 67, when Bensheim can be reached through the Lorsch exit. From
Bensheim station Bensheim station is in the town of Bensheim on the Main-Neckar Railway, connecting Frankfurt and Heidelberg, in the German state of Hesse. The station is also the beginning and end of the single-track non-electrified Worms–Bensheim line (Nibelu ...
, the town is linked to the German InterCity network by the Frankfurt am Main–Heidelberg line. The station is also the end of the
Nibelungen Railway The Nibelung Railway (german: Nibelungenbahn) is a 23.9 km long electrified line between Worms Central Station, Worms in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate and Bensheim station, Bensheim in Hesse. Its name refers to the fact that the li ...
from Worms to Bensheim. The outlying centre of Auerbach has its own station, Bensheim-Auerbach, on the Frankfurt-Heidelberg line, but only Regionalbahn trains stop there. Frankfurt Airport lies just under away by road, north of Bensheim. There is a gliderport at Bensheim for gliders, motor gliders and other, smaller aircraft, managed by a nonprofit gliding club (SFG Bensheim).


Education

Bensheim is a school town, with five Gymnasien: the ''Altes Kurfürstliches Gymnasium'', the ''Geschwister-Scholl-Schule'' (coöperative
comprehensive school A comprehensive school typically describes a secondary school for pupils aged approximately 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is res ...
with Gymnasium upper level), the ''Goethe-Gymnasium Bensheim'' (Gymnasium from class 5 with Gymnasium upper level), the ''Karl-Kübel-Schule'' (commercial schools with Gymnasium for economics, technology and health) and the ''Liebfrauenschule'' (private Catholic Gymnasium for girls). The town also has the ''Schillerschule'', which is a primary school, Hauptschule and Realschule. Offering adult education are the ''Volkshochschule Bensheim'' and the ''Frauen- und Familienzentrum Bensheim'', with about 2,000 participants each year the biggest family meeting place in
Kreis Bergstraße Kreis is the German word for circle. Kreis may also refer to: Places * , or circles, various subdivisions roughly equivalent to counties, districts or municipalities ** Districts of Germany (including and ) ** Former districts of Prussia, al ...
. ;Primary schools * Grundschule Kappesgärten * Hemsbergschule * Joseph-Heckler Schule * Kirchbergschule * Schloßbergschule ;Primary school/Hauptschule/Realschule * Schillerschule ;Cooperative comprehensive school * Geschwister Scholl Schule ;Vocational schools * Berufsbildungszentrum * Heinrich-Metzendorf-Schule ;Advisory and advocacy centres * Behindertenhilfe Bergstraße GmbH (help for the handicapped) * Schule für Lernhilfe (school for help with learning) * Seebergschule für praktisch Bildbare (practically educable)


Notable people

* Jakob Adam (1568–1618), reformed preacher and minister (in Bensheim 1598 to 1603) * Gerhard Beetz (1918–2005), General secretary of the Evangelical Federation * Hermann von Beisler (1790–1859), Bavarian military officer and politician *
Nicolai Borger Nicolai may refer to: *Nicolai (given name) people with the forename ''Nicolai'' *Nicolai (surname) people with the surname ''Nicolai'' *Nicolai (crater), a crater on the Moon See also * Niccolai, a surname * Nicolae (disambiguation) * Nicolao * ...
(born 1974), writer, director and actor * Sir William Curtius (1599–1678), 1st Curtius Baronet of Sweden, FRS, diplomat * Moritz Edelmann (1891–1973), National Socialist historical didactic *
Friedrich von Eichheimer Georg Friedrich von Eichheimer (18 August 1764 – 13 October 1854) was a Bavarian military physician and Generalstabsarzt (Surgeon General) of the Army. Eichheimer was born in Bensheim. He joined the Bavarian army as a Feldsher on 21 August 1786 a ...
(1764–1854), Bavarian military physician and Surgeon General of the Bavarian army * Wilhelm Euler (1847–1934), paper manufacturer, member of the Landtag, patron and member of the city council of Bensheim * Friedrich Wilhelm Euler (1908–1995), archivist, genealogist and endowment founder *
Elsa Fraenkel Elsa Fraenkel née Rothschild (1892–1975) was a German–born British sculptor raised in Heidelberg, Germany. Education and Marriage Elsa Fraenkel's interest in art began when she was a young girl. She received the support of her family in th ...
(1892–1975), sculptor * Steffen Gebhardt (born 1981), pentathlete * Leo Grewenig (1898–1991), painter, student of Kandinsky and Klee * Willi Harwerth (1894–1982), graphic artist and illustrator * Eduard Haßloch (1887–1944), businessman, journalist and Bensheim local poet * Joseph Heckler (1786–1857), Grand Duchy of Hesse collector, “homeland researcher” (''Heimatforscher'') * Heinz Jost (1904–1964), SS-Brigadeführer, major general of the police, Amtschef in the SD-Hauptamt Amt III (
Abwehr The ''Abwehr'' (German for ''resistance'' or ''defence'', but the word usually means ''counterintelligence'' in a military context; ) was the German military-intelligence service for the ''Reichswehr'' and the ''Wehrmacht'' from 1920 to 1944. A ...
), Chief of RSHA-Amt VI * Karl Ernst Knodt (1856–1917), poet * Paul Kleinschmidt (1883–1949), painter * Michael Klemm (born 1953), author, director and actor * Karl Kunkel (1913–2012), Catholic theologian * Klaus Kübler (1936–2007) Member of the Bundestag (SPD) * Father Dirk Kranz (born 1969), Catholic priest *
Matthias Lorenz Matthias Lorenz (born 11 June 1964) is a German Cello, cellist. Life Born in Bensheim, Lorenz studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main with Gerhard Mantel and participated in courses given by Siegfried Palm ...
(born 1964), classical cellist * Hugo Lindemann (1867–1949), college teacher and social democratic politician * Michael Meister (born 1961), Member of the Bundestag (CDU) * Georg Metzendorf (1874–1934), architect * Franz Heinrich Metzendorf (1866–1923), architect, “Building Master of the Bergstraße” * Marcus Morlinghaus (born 1965), German actor, author and director *
Norbert Müller-Everling Norbert Müller-Everling (born 27 March 1953) is a contemporary German artist working with concrete art. Time line Style Norbert Müller-Everling is an artist characterised by his unique philosophy and usage of colour in his work. 1973 ...
(born 1953), sculptor * Arthur von Oettingen (1836–1920), Baltic-German physicist, musical theorist and biographer *
Wilhelm Ringelband Wilhelm Ringelband (1921–1981) was a German theater critic and endower of the Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring. The actress Gertrud Eysoldt was a close friend and adviser to him. When Ringelband died, he left extensive archives of German film- and theatre hi ...
(1921–1981), theatre critic, endower of the Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring * Joseph Stoll (1879–1956), local poet, “homeland researcher”, cofounder of the Bensheimer Winzerfest, NSDAP local politician * Bernhard Trares (born 1965), footballer and football trainer * Heinrich Werlé (1887–1955), choir director and music critic *
Otto-Werner Mueller Otto-Werner Mueller (23 June 1926 – 25 February 2016) was a German-born conducting, conductor. He was a professor of conducting at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, as well as at the Juilliard School in New York City. Mueller was bo ...
(born 1926), conductor and musical educator * Wilhelm Weyrauch (1914–2003), regional history researcher, municipal politician


Twin towns – sister cities

Bensheim is
twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...
with: *
Amersham Amersham ( ) is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Buckinghamshire, England, in the Chiltern Hills, northwest of central London, from Aylesbury and from High Wycombe. Amersham is part of the London commuter belt. ...
, England, United Kingdom * Beaune, France *
Hostinné Hostinné (german: Arnau) is a town in Trutnov District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,300 inhabitants. It lies on the Elbe river. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument ...
, Czech Republic * Kłodzko, Poland * Mohács, Hungary * Riva del Garda, Italy


References


Further reading

* Joseph Stoll: ''Bensheimer Idiotikon, Eine Sammlung von Wörtern und Ausdrücken der Bensheimer Mundart mit Nachweisungen ihres Ursprungs und lokalgeschichtlichen Anmerkungen.'' Museumsverein Bensheim 1984, . * Diether Blüm: ''Bensheimer Schulhäuser im Wandel der Jahrhunderte.'' Verlag Bergsträßer Anzeiger, Bensheim 1992. * Diether Blüm: ''Adelsfamilien im alten Bensheim.'' K+G Verlag GmbH, Bensheim 1995. * Rudolf Köster und Wilhelm Weyrauch: ''Ältere Flurnamen von Bensheim und seinen Stadtteilen bis zur Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts.'' Hrsg. v. Museumsverein Bensheim in Verbindung mit der Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Geschichts- und Heimatvereine im Kreis Bergstraße, Sonderband 17 in der Reihe der Geschichtsblätter Kreis Bergstraße, Verlag Laurissa Lorsch 995 * Rudolf Köster: ''Die Namen der Bensheimer Straßen, Wege, Plätze und Passagen von A–Z erläutert.'' Museumsverein Bensheim, 1996, . *
Manfred Berg Manfred Berg is a German historian who serves as the Curt Engelhorn Chair in American History at Heidelberg University. He has also served as Heidelberg University's dean of faculty. He previously taught at the Free University of Berlin and served ...
: ''Bensheim – Die Reihe Archivbilder.'' Sutton-Verlag GmbH, Erfurt 1998, . * Dorothea Schües: ''Der korrupte Kommerzienrat ohann Maria Schlinck, Bürger und Stadtrat in BensheimEin Zeitbild um 1800.'' R. G. Fischer Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 2002, . * Manfred Berg: ''Bensheim erleben – Ein Führer zu den historischen Sehenswürdigkeiten.'' Edition Diesbach, Weinheim 2002, . * Wilhelm Weyrauch: ''Das frühe Bensheim - Vorträge und Aufsätze zur Entwicklungsgeschichte der Stadt - mit zahlreichen historischen Abbildungen.'' VVB Laufersweiler Verlag, Gießen 2004. * Rudolf Köster: ''Bensheimer Familiennamen.'' Hrsg. v. Museumsverein Bensheim in Verbindung mit der Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Geschichts- und Heimatvereine im Kreis Bergstraße, Sonderband 23 in der Reihe der Geschichtsblätter Kreis Bergstraße, Verlag Laurissa Lorsch 2004, . * Manfred Berg: ''Bensheim entdecken - Ein Malbuch für Schulkinder.'' Eigenverlag Berg, Bensheim 2005, . * Geschichtswerkstatt Geschwister Scholl (Hrsg.) unter Leitung v. Schäfer, Franz Josef und Lotz, Peter: ''Jakob Kindinger - Ein politisches Leben.'' Druckhaus Diesbach GmbH, Weinheim 2006, . * Reiner Maaß und Manfred Berg (Hrsg.): ''Bensheim – Spuren der Geschichte.'' EditionDiesbach, Weinheim 2006, , * Diether Blüm: ''Wenn Steine erzählen könnten...'' Verlag der Wochenzeitung "Der Bensemer"


External links

* *
Hesse state castles and gardens




{{Authority control Bergstraße (district) Grand Duchy of Hesse Displaced persons camps in the aftermath of World War II