Neustadt an der Donau
Neustadt an der Donau is a town in Lower Bavaria on the Danube in Bavaria, Germany. Lying on the western border of Landkreis Kelheim, Neustadt is primarily known for the thermal spa Bad Gögging. Neustadt had a population of 12,753 as of ...
in the district of
Kelheim
Kelheim () is a town and municipality in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the district Kelheim and is situated at the confluence of the rivers Altmühl and Danube. Kelheim has a population of around 16,750 (2020).
History
Kelheim is t ...
in
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
, Germany.
Location
Hienheim is located at an altitude of above sea level on the left bank of the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
opposite the village of Eining, on the road connecting Neustadt to
Essing
Essing is a municipality in the district of Kelheim in Bavaria in Germany. It lies on the river Altmühl
The Altmühl (, la, Alchmona, Alcmana, Almonus)Altmühl valley. Regensburg is about to the east,
Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt (, Austro-Bavarian: ) is an independent city on the Danube in Upper Bavaria with 139,553 inhabitants (as of June 30, 2022). Around half a million people live in the metropolitan area. Ingolstadt is the second largest city in Upper Ba ...
to the west.
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
is approximately south.
History
Excavations by Leiden University revealed that there was a Neolithic settlement, dating from around 5000 BC, in the area of Hienheim.
The place is referred to in several sources as early as 1097/98 as "Hohenheim" ("village on the hill").
The Roman
limes
Limes may refer to:
* the plural form of lime (disambiguation)
Lime commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a ...
, the border fortification against the Germanic tribes, began near Hienheim. The long Rhaetian Limes, from Hienheim to Lorch, consisted primarily of stone walls up to three meters (ten feet) high and wooden watchtowers, while the Upper Germanic Limes (running from Lorch northwest to
Bonn
The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ru ...
) was mostly composed of earthen ramparts, trenches and palisades. While the construction of Roman Limes fortifications was already begun in 1 AD, the Germanic Limes dates from 84 AD. From the year 260 AD, the Limes had to gradually be abandoned because of Alemannic raids.
The beginning of the border wall is marked by the so-called "Hadrian's Column" (''Hadriansäule''), a monument erected in 1856 on the road to Kelheim. The heyday of the limes occurred under the Emperors
Trajan
Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...
Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes
The Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes (german: Obergermanisch-Raetischer Limes), or ORL, is a 550-kilometre-long section of the former external frontier of the Roman Empire between the rivers Rhine and Danube. It runs from Rheinbrohl to Eining on th ...
has been declared an historic monument, and since 2005 a
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
. In 1979, the small , part of the fortifications, was discovered by
aerial archaeology
Aerial archaeology is the study of archaeological remains by examining them from a higher altitude. In present day, this is usually achieved by satellite images or through the use of drones.
Details
Aerial Archaeology involves interpretation an ...
.
Nearby is a monument of a very different kind, the 17th–18th century "Iron Hand" (''Eiserne Hand''). According to legend, a
seamstress
A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes custom clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician.
Not ...
on her way to work regularly met a wolf for whom she always brought a piece of bread. One time she had no bread, and the wolf was said to have mangled and devoured her, all except for her right hand, which had always fed him.
The previously independent municipality of Hienheim was dissolved on 1 January 1978. The larger portion was assigned to the city of Neustadt; a smaller part with fewer than 25 inhabitants went to Kelheim.
Infrastructure
Hienheim is an elongated village with approximately 700 inhabitants and a predominantly rural character.
Some craft shops have located here or carry on the traditions. There is also a sports field for the local football club. Beyond the borders of Hienheim is a sail plane facility near the village, which attracts aviation fans from all over Germany in summer.
A ferry across the Danube connects Hienheim with Eining. On May 4, 2006 this ferry sank; However, the four people on board were rescued without major injuries.
The German Limes Cycle Route leads through the village. This follows the
Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes
The Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes (german: Obergermanisch-Raetischer Limes), or ORL, is a 550-kilometre-long section of the former external frontier of the Roman Empire between the rivers Rhine and Danube. It runs from Rheinbrohl to Eining on th ...
over from
Bad Hönningen
Bad Hönningen () is a municipality in the district of Neuwied, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Rhine, approx. 15 km (10 mi) northwest of Neuwied, and 30 km (20 mi) southeast of Bonn ...
Hienheim's Catholic Church of St. George has a Romanesque choir tower, probably dating from the 12th century. In the 16th and again in the 19th centuries, the church was further expanded, provided with a cemetery wall, and last restored in 1985.
North of the church is the Sebastianskapelle, originally Late
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
but later structurally altered into the Baroque style.
People from Hienheim
*Edith Prock (born December 5, 1949 in Hienheim), a singer of popular traditional music.
*Georg Schwaiger (born January 23, 1925 in Hienheim), Catholic church historian.
Hienheim Neustadt Do Hadrianssäule.JPG, Hadrian's Column
Hienheim Neustadt Do Eiserne Hand.JPG, "The Iron Hand"
Hienheim Neustadt Do Donaufähre.JPG, Danube Ferry
Hienheim Neustadt Do LimesWachturm.JPG, Replica Limes watchtower, burned 2009
Römerturm in Hienheim.jpg, Replica Limes Watchtower in Hienheim, built in 2013
{{Authority control
Populated places on the Danube