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Bierstadt is a borough of the city of Wiesbaden, capital of the state of Hesse, Germany. It is located in the eastern part of the city, directly east of downtown Wiesbaden, and has about 12,300 inhabitants. Formerly an independent municipality, the settlement was incorporated into Wiesbaden on April 1, 1928. While ''Bierstadt'' can be translated "Beer Town," the name is actually derived from Brigid of Kildare (german: Brigida von Kildare), patron saint of Bierstadt (''Birgidstadt'').


History

The earliest traces of settlement in the Bierstadt area date to the
Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with t ...
. However, Bierstadt was first mentioned in historical records, as "Birgidestad", in a deed of gift on March 12, 927. The town was founded by Irish monks, who named it after the Irish national saint, Brigid of Kildare. In the 11th–12th centuries, the (now Protestant) Church of St. Nicholas was built. The church is not only the oldest existing church in Wiesbaden, but, after the
Roman-era The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
Heathens' Wall in downtown Wiesbaden, is the second oldest building of any kind in the city. In the Middle Ages, Bierstadt came under the dominion of
Nassau Nassau may refer to: Places Bahamas *Nassau, Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas, on the island of New Providence Canada *Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upper Canada from 1788 to 1792 *Nassau Street (Winnipeg), ...
, but was subject to strong influences from the
Archbishop of Mainz The Elector of Mainz was one of the seven Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire. As both the Archbishop of Mainz and the ruling prince of the Electorate of Mainz, the Elector of Mainz held a powerful position during the Middle Ages. The Archb ...
. In the wake of the Protestant Reformation, Bierstadt came fully under the control of Nassau. After the Thirty Years' War, the town had only 17 inhabitants. Efforts at reconstruction were set back through a fire in 1691. By the middle of the 18th century, Bierstadt had about 500 residents. The remains of a medieval watchtower, the ''Bierstadter Warte'', are located on a height between Wiesbaden and the borough. The watchtower is now part of the borough's coat of arms. In 1898, a large observation tower, the Wiesbaden Bismarck Tower, was planned to be built at this site. A temporary wooden tower was constructed in 1910, but funding for the permanent structure could not be obtained. The temporary tower was demolished in 1918. During the Third Reich (1933–1945), Nazism dominated Bierstadt. On November 9, 1938, the synagogue, dating to 1827, was completely destroyed. After the
Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
victory in World War II, about 1,800 apartments were built for U.S. Air Force personnel. The remaining Aukamm and Crestview U.S. military housing areas, transferred to the Army during the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, are located on the northwest and the west side of Bierstadt, respectively.


Infrastructure

Bierstadt has a library and two schools, including one primary school - Grundschule Bierstadt, and a gymnasium named Theodor-Fliedner-Schule which was formerly a middle school. Bierstadt is next to the ''Aukammtal'' and has access to the German Federal Route 455. Bierstadt has two churches. In addition to the Protestant church (formerly the church of St. Nicholas), there is the Roman Catholic church of St. Birgid.


Twin towns – sister cities

Biebrich is twinned with: *
Terrasson-Lavilledieu Terrasson-Lavilledieu (; oc, Terrasson e La Vila Dieu) is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. The commune was created in 1963 by the merger of the former communes Terrasson and Lavilledieu. Terrass ...
, France *
Theux Theux (; wa, Teu) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 11,571 inhabitants. The total area is 83.36 km², giving a population density of 139 inhabitants per km². ...
, Belgium


References


Sources

* adapted from
German Wikipedia The German Wikipedia (german: Deutschsprachige Wikipedia) is the German-language edition of Wikipedia, a free and publicly editable online encyclopedia. Founded on March 16, 2001, it is the second-oldest Wikipedia (after the English Wikipedia), ...


External links

* {{Authority control American diaspora in Europe Boroughs of Wiesbaden Establishments in East Francia Populated places established in the 10th century