Bad Hönningen () is a municipality in the district of Neuwied, in

Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

. It is situated on the right bank of the

Rhine The Rhine ; french: Rhin ; nl, Rijn ; wa, Rén ; li, Rien; rm, label=Sursilvan, Rein, rm, label=Sutsilvan and Surmiran, Ragn, rm, label=Rumantsch Grischun, Vallader and Puter, Rain; it, Reno ; gsw, Rhi(n), including in Alsatian dialect, Al ...

, approx. 15 km (10 mi) northwest of

Neuwied Neuwied () is a town in the north of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, capital of the District of Neuwied. Neuwied lies on the east bank of the Rhine, 12 km northwest of Koblenz, on the railway from Frankfurt am Main to Cologne. Th ...

, and 30 km (20 mi) southeast of

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 ...

. Bad Hönningen is the seat of the ''

Verbandsgemeinde A Verbandsgemeinde (; plural Verbandsgemeinden) is a low-level administrative unit in the German federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt. A Verbandsgemeinde is typically composed of a small group of villages or towns. Rhine ...

'' ("collective municipality") Bad Hönningen. The town contains three other districts called ''Ariendorf'', ''Girgenrath'' and ''Reidenbruch''.

History

Archeological findings suggest that the first settlers lived here over 1800 years ago when the Romans occupied the

Rhineland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhineland ...

. The

limes Limes may refer to: * the plural form of lime (disambiguation) * the Latin word for ''limit'' which refers to: ** Limes (Roman Empire) (Latin, singular; plural: ) is a modern term used primarily for the Germanic border defence or delimitin ...

ran between Bad Hönningen and

Rheinbrohl Rheinbrohl is a municipality in the district of Neuwied, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European ...

, opposite the Vinxtbach, the border between

Germania Inferior Germania Inferior ("Lower Germania") was a Roman province from AD 85 until the province was renamed Germania Secunda in the fourth century, on the west bank of the Rhine bordering the North Sea. The capital of the province was Colonia Agrippine ...

and

Superior Superior may refer to: *Superior (hierarchy), something which is higher in a hierarchical structure of any kind Places * Superior (proposed U.S. state), an unsuccessful proposal for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to form a separate state *Lak ...

. At this point the limes crossed the

and continued on the eastern bank. On this site a small

castellum A ''castellum'' in Latin is usually: * a small Roman fortlet or tower,C. Julius Caesar, Gallic War; 2,30 a diminutive of (' military camp'), often used as a watchtower or signal station like on Hadrian's Wall. It should be distinguished from ...

was built. In 1972 a Roman watchtower was reconstructed from archeological finds. In 1019, the town was documentary mentioned as "Besitztum Hohingen" for the first time. During

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battl ...

in 1632 Bad Hönningen burned down except twelve houses. The first bathhouse for medical treatment opened in 1895. Because of this, the town is legitimated to have the title "Bad" since 1950. On July 12, 1969, it was granted the privileges of a town.

Population development

The data 1871-1987 comes from census results. *1782: 1.398 *1871: 1.794 *1939: 4.312 *1970: 5.732 *1987: 5.454 *2005: 5.733

Castle

The castle in Bad Hönningen is called ''Schloss Arenfels'' and was built in 1258/59 by "Gerlach von Isenburg". During its history, the architectural style converted several times. In 1848, it was changed by its new owner "Ludolf Friedrich von Westerholt" into a neo-gothic castle.

Partner Town

* ''Saint Pierre lès Nemours'' (

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

) since 1980.

Sights

* Castles: "Schloss Arenfels" in Bad Hönningen "Burg Ariendorf" in Ariendorf (built 1840, neo-gothic) * The "Hohe Haus" which was built in 1438 by the archbishop ''Raban von Helmstatt''. Today a museum of the town is in there. * The

began near the city limit of Bad Hönningen. Today there is a museum called "Limes Center". On July 15, 2005 the

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. I ...

made this area 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 ...

. * The ''Schlossberg'' of Bad Hönningen is the biggest vineyard in

Middle Rhine Between Bingen and Bonn, Germany, the river Rhine flows as the Middle Rhine (german: Mittelrhein) through the Rhine Gorge, a formation created by erosion, which happened at about the same rate as an uplift in the region, leaving the river ...

(9 hectare).

Tourism

Roman watchtower, Bad Hönningen, reconstruction

. Tourism is the main branch of the economy. Because of its beautiful landscape, several cycling and hiking paths (such as ''Rheinsteig'') go through Bad Hönningen. In the summer times you can visit the town during a trip with one of the distinctive white ships which travel the

. The town also organizes many events such as funfair and several festivals.

Personality

Born in Bad Hönningen

* August Schoop (1858-1932), historian * Karl-Heinz Thielen (born 1940 in Ariendorf district), football player

Connected to Bad Hönningen

* Willi Fischer (1920-1991), politician; 1958-1963 official mayor in Bad Hönningen * Hermann Ilaender (born 1933), politician, civil servant and forestry association official, 1983-1999 mayor of the municipality * Heinz Schwarz (born 1928 in Leubsdorf) former interior minister of Rhineland-Palatinate

References

External links

Homepage Bad Hönningen
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bad Honningen Neuwied (district) Spa towns in Germany