The municipality of Dietzhölztal is the northernmost municipality in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Hesse , Germany .
103-413: The community is located in a valley of the same name, only a few kilometres east of the border with North Rhine-Westphalia . Rittershausen has 952 inhabitants, representing 14.2% of Dietzhölztal's population (as of 31 December 2005), making it the constituent community with the smallest population, but with a rural area of 1 847 ha (Dietzhölztal: 3 744 ha), that is, 49.3%, Rittershausen
206-534: A border with North Rhine-Westphalia: North Rhine-Westphalia has a population of approximately 18.1 million inhabitants (more than the entire former East Germany , and slightly more than the Netherlands ) and is centred around the polycentric Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region , which includes the industrial Ruhr region with the largest city of Dortmund and the Rhenish cities of Bonn , Cologne and Düsseldorf . 30 of
309-552: A castle, probably from the early Middle Ages, around which the city had developed. While nothing is known of the former castle, remains of it were uncovered during excavations after World War II. The new town hall was built in 1887. A tile mosaic in front of the town hall shows the heraldic eagle of the Kingdom of Prussia (of which Wiesbaden was a part at the time), the coat of arms of the Prussian Province of Hesse-Nassau , and
412-545: A century, for in 1489, about a kilometre south of where the old village had stood, came the refounding of Mandeln by the widow von Hutzmanns Heinz with her son Henn, and Gerlach, a certain Mr. Palmenie's son-in-law from Roth in Hesse. The population grew steadily, with the odd slight swing, between 1489 and 2005. The greatest change, and the only major one in a short time, came in 1597 when the population fell from about 100 to about 20 owing to
515-800: A coalition of Germanic tribes from beyond the Limes , captured the fort around 260. Later, in the 370s, when the Romans and Alamanni were allied, the Alemanni gained control of the Wiesbaden area and were in charge of its defense against other Germanic tribes. After the Franks under Clovis I defeated the Alamanni in the Battle of Tolbiac in 496, the Franks eventually displaced the Alamanni in
618-606: A combined population exceeding 5.8 million. The city is located on the Rhine ( Upper Rhine ), at the foothills of the Taunus , opposite the Rhineland-Palatine capital of Mainz , and the city centre is located in the wide valley of the small Salzbach stream. Wiesbaden lies in the Rheingau wine-growing region , one of Germany's 13 wine regions . Three of Wiesbaden's boroughs were part of
721-711: A deep of 293 m below sea level. At the same time, this is the deepest human-made dip in Germany. The most important rivers flowing at least partially through North Rhine-Westphalia include: the Rhine , the Ruhr , the Ems , the Lippe , and the Weser . The Rhine is by far the most important river in North Rhine-Westphalia: it enters the state as Middle Rhine near Bad Honnef, where still being part of
824-549: A framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic republic. The two main parties are, as on the federal level, the centre-right Christian Democratic Union and the centre-left Social Democratic Party . From 1966 to 2005, North Rhine-Westphalia was continuously governed by the Social Democrats or SPD-led governments. The state's legislative body is the Landtag ("state parliament house"). It may pass laws within
927-531: A general election to elect at least 181 members of the Landtag. Only parties who win at least 5% of the votes cast may be represented in parliament. The Landtag, the parliamentary parties and groups consisting of at least 7 members of parliament have the right to table legal proposals to the Landtag for deliberation. The law that is passed by the Landtag is delivered to the Minister-President, who, together with
1030-518: A mild climate. It has been called the " Nice of the North" because of its climate and architecture. The city of Wiesbaden is one of the wealthiest cities in Germany and one of those with above-average purchasing power. The United States Army Europe and Africa headquarters are located in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim . Wiesbaden is situated on the right (northern) bank of the Rhine , above the confluence of
1133-840: A planned " Fluxus " publication with concerts of antique musical instruments, the “Fluxus Internationale Festspiele Neuester Music” (Fluxus International Festival of Newest Music) at the Museum Wiesbaden. Fourteen concerts were performed on four weekends between 1 and 23 September which marked the beginning of the Fluxus movement. Work by musicians such as John Cage , György Ligeti , Krzysztof Penderecki , Terry Riley , Brion Gysin and others were performed alongside new performance pieces written by Higgins, Knowles, George Brecht , Nam June Paik , Ben Patterson , Robert Filliou , Emmett Williams , and others. One performance in particular, "Piano Activities" by Philip Corner , became notorious by challenging
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#17328802923621236-497: A population of 86,100, hosted 126,000 visitors annually. Famous visitors to the springs included Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , Fyodor Dostoevsky , Richard Wagner , Johannes Brahms , and Henrik Pontoppidan . In those years, more millionaires were living in Wiesbaden than in any other city in Germany. Gambling followed bathing en suite , and in the 19th century, Wiesbaden was famous for both. Its casino ( Spielbank ) rivalled those of Bad Homburg , Baden-Baden , and Monaco . In 1872,
1339-562: A relatively small part of Westphalia, consisting instead mostly of Hessian and Eastphalian regions. After the Congress of Vienna , the Kingdom of Prussia received a large amount of territory in the Westphalian region and created the province of Westphalia in 1815. The northernmost portions of the former kingdom, including the town of Osnabrück , had become part of the states of Hanover and Oldenburg . The flag of North Rhine-Westphalia
1442-506: A warehouse full of 4,000 cases of champagne. After the war's end, American rock artist Elvis Presley was stationed in Friedberg and often visited Wiesbaden. After World War II, the state of Hesse was established (see Greater Hesse ), and Wiesbaden became its capital, though nearby Frankfurt am Main is much larger and works as Hesse's economic and financial centre. Wiesbaden however suffered much less than Frankfurt from air bombing. There
1545-553: Is a state ( Land ) in Western Germany . With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the most populous state in Germany. Apart from the city-states ( Berlin , Hamburg and Bremen ), it is also the most densely populated state in Germany. Covering an area of 34,084 km (13,160 sq mi), it is the fourth-largest German state by size. North Rhine-Westphalia features 30 of the 81 German municipalities with over 100,000 inhabitants, including Cologne (over 1 million),
1648-547: Is a persistent rumour that the U.S. Army Air Force spared the town with the intention of turning it into a postwar HQ, but USAAF sources claim this to be a myth, arguing that Wiesbaden's economic and strategic importance simply did not justify more bombing. Wiesbaden was host to the Headquarters, U.S. Air Forces, Europe based at the former Lindsey Air Station from 1953 to 1973. American armed forces have been present in Wiesbaden since World War II. The U.S. 1st Armored Division
1751-627: Is almost as big as the three other communities of Ewersbach, Mandeln and Steinbrücken put together. The reason for this relates to what happened in the Late Middle Ages (see History below). Dietzhölztal borders in the northwest on the town of Netphen , in the north on the town of Bad Laasphe (both in Siegen-Wittgenstein district in North Rhine-Westphalia), in the east on the community of Breidenbach ( Marburg-Biedenkopf ), in
1854-451: Is at an elevation of 115 metres (377 ft). Wiesbaden covers an area of 204 km (79 sq mi). It is 17.6 kilometres (10.9 mi) from north to south and 19.7 kilometres (12.2 mi) from west to east. In the north are vast forest areas, which cover 27.4% of the urban area. In the west and east are vineyards and agricultural land, which cover 31.1% of the area. Of the municipality's 79 kilometres (49.1 mi)-long border,
1957-621: Is below the national average in GRDP per capita . The state of North Rhine-Westphalia was established by the British military administration 's "Operation Marriage" on 23 August 1946 by merging the province of Westphalia and the northern parts of the Rhine Province , both being political divisions of the former state of Prussia within the German Reich . On 21 January 1947, the former state of Lippe
2060-505: Is divided almost equally between Catholicism and Protestantism. After the defeat of the Prussian Army at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt , the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807 made the Westphalian territories part of the Kingdom of Westphalia from 1807 to 1813. It was founded by Napoleon and was a French vassal state . This state only shared the name with the historical region; it contained only
2163-505: Is green-white-red with the combined coats of arms of the Rhineland (white line before green background, symbolizing the river Rhine), Westfalen (the white horse) and Lippe (the red rose). After the establishment of North Rhine-Westphalia in 1946, the tricolor was first introduced in 1948, but was not formally adopted until 1953. The plain variant of the tricolor is considered the civil flag and state ensign, while government authorities use
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#17328802923622266-580: Is hosted in Cologne . It is the largest video game convention in Europe. North Rhine-Westphalia has always been Germany's powerhouse with the largest economy among the German states by GDP figures . In the 1950s and 1960s, Westphalia was known as Land von Kohle und Stahl ( Land of Coal and Steel ). In the post-World War II recovery, the Ruhr was one of the most important industrial regions in Europe, and contributed to
2369-470: Is now Rhineland-Westphalia and neighbouring Belgium and the Netherlands . In spite of its dismembered condition and the sufferings it underwent at the hands of its French neighbours in various periods of warfare, the Rhenish territory prospered greatly and stood in the foremost rank of German culture and progress. Aachen was the place of coronation of the German emperors, and the ecclesiastical principalities of
2472-419: Is one of the oldest spa towns in Europe. Its name translates to "meadow baths", and there are 15 mineral springs —14 of which are hot springs —in the city centre. With a yield of around 2 million liters daily, Wiesbaden is the second-most productive German spa after Aachen . Its location in a mountain basin at the southern foot of the Taunus , protected by the mountains in the north and west, gives Wiesbaden
2575-506: Is the NRW-Nordpunkt near Rahden in the northeast of the state. The Nordpunkt has located the only 100 km to the south of the North Sea coast. The deepest natural dip is arranged in the district Zyfflich in the city of Kranenburg with 9.2 m above sea level in the northwest of the state. Though, the deepest point overground results from mining. The open-pit Hambach reaches at Niederzier
2678-490: The 80 largest cities in Germany are located within North Rhine-Westphalia. The state's capital is Düsseldorf; the state's largest city is Cologne. In 2022, there were 164,496 births and 234,176 deaths. The following table shows the ten largest cities of North Rhine-Westphalia: The following table shows the population of the state since 1930. The values until 1960 are the average of the yearly population, from 1965
2781-660: The Confessing Church resistance movement against the Nazis, is an Honorary Citizen of Wiesbaden. He presented his last sermon before his arrest in Wiesbaden's Market Church. In World War II, Wiesbaden was the headquarters for Germany's Wehrkreis XII . This military district included the Eifel , part of Hesse , the Palatinate , and the Saarland . After the Battle of France , this Wehrkreis
2884-649: The Cugerni were later settled on the west side of the Rhine in the Roman province of Germania Inferior . Julius Caesar conquered the tribes on the left bank, and Augustus established numerous fortified posts on the Rhine, but the Romans never succeeded in gaining a firm footing on the right bank, where the Sugambri neighboured several other tribes including the Tencteri and Usipetes . North of
2987-595: The Holy Roman Empire ). The town was part of Franconia , the heartland of East Francia. In the 1170s, the Count of Nassau , Walram I, received the area around Wiesbaden as a fiefdom . When Franconia fragmented in the early 13th century, Nassau emerged as an independent state as part of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1232 Wiesbaden became a Reichsstadt , an imperial city, of the Holy Roman Empire. However, in 1242, during
3090-534: The Limes Germanicus , which was a line of Roman frontier fortifications in the Taunus . Wiesbaden is just south of the Taunus. The capital of the province of Germania Superior , Mogontiacum (present-day Mainz ), base of 2 (at times 3) Roman legions, was just over the Rhine and connected by a bridge at the present-day borough of Mainz-Kastel (Roman " castellum "), a strongly fortified bridgehead. The Alamanni ,
3193-584: The Luftwaffe was stationed here. In the Kristallnacht pogrom on 10 November 1938, Wiesbaden's large synagogue on Michelsberg was destroyed. The synagogue had been designed by Phillip Hoffmann and built in 1869. Another synagogue in Wiesbaden-Bierstadt was also destroyed. When the Nazis came to power in Germany, there were 2,700 Jews living in Wiesbaden. By June 1942 nearly all of them had been deported to
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3296-567: The Main , where the Rhine's main direction changes from north to west. The city is across the Rhine from Mainz, the capital of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate . Frankfurt am Main is located about 38 kilometres (23.6 mi) east. To the north of the city are the Taunus Mountains, which trend in a northeasterly direction. The city center, the Stadtmitte , is located in the north-easternmost part of
3399-619: The Mittelrhein wine region . It changes into the Lower Rhine near Bad Godesberg and leaves North Rhine-Westphalia near Emmerich at a width of 730 metres. Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands, the Rhine splits into many branches. The Pader , which flows entirely within the city of Paderborn , is considered Germany's shortest river. For many, North Rhine-Westphalia is synonymous with industrial areas and urban agglomerations. However,
3502-887: The North German Plain . A few isolated hill ranges are located within these lowlands, among them the Hohe Mark, the Beckum Hills , the Baumberge and the Stemmer Berge . The terrain rises towards the south and in the east of the state into parts of Germany's Central Uplands . These hill ranges are the Weser Uplands – including the Egge Hills , the Wiehen Hills , the Wesergebirge and
3605-546: The Plague . A greater than average rise in population was seen in the 1970s due to the eviction of the weekend cottage area of Ebachseite and the arrival of guest workers' families. An upswing also came with German Reunification and the inflow of ethnic Germans from the former Soviet Union . In 2004, there were 1430 people living in Mandeln in 450 houses. For Rittershausen's age, one must look at historical evidence stretching across
3708-846: The Randstad , the Flemish Diamond and the Frankfurt Rhine-Main Region . North Rhine-Westphalia was established in 1946 after World War II from the Prussian provinces of Westphalia and the northern part of Rhine Province ( North Rhine ), and the Free State of Lippe by the British military administration in Allied-occupied Germany and became a state of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949. The city of Bonn served as
3811-793: The Teutoburg Forest in the east, the Sauerland , the Bergisches Land , the Siegerland and the Siebengebirge in the south, as well as the left-Rhenish Eifel in the southwest of the state. The Rothaargebirge in the border region with Hesse rises to height of about 800 m above sea level. The highest of these mountains are the Langenberg , at 843.2 m above sea level, the Kahler Asten (840.7 m) and
3914-450: The Thirty Years' War . The concept of nation-state sovereignty resulting from the treaty became known as " Westphalian sovereignty ". As a result of the Protestant Reformation , there is no dominant religion in Westphalia. Catholicism and Lutheranism are on relatively equal footing. Lutheranism is strong in the eastern and northern parts with numerous free churches. Münster and especially Paderborn are thought of as Catholic. Osnabrück
4017-416: The Upper Rhine Valley at the spurs of the Taunus mountains, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the Rhine. The landscape is formed by a wide lowland between the Taunus heights in the north, the Bierstadter Höhe and the Hainerberg in the east, the Mosbacher Mountain in the south, and the Schiersteiner Mountain in the west, an offshoot of the Taunus range. The downtown is drained only by the narrow valley of
4120-508: The extermination camps in German-occupied Poland . General Ludwig Beck from Wiesbaden was one of the planners of the 20 July 1944 assassination attempt of Adolf Hitler . Beck was designated by his fellow conspirators to be future Head of State (Regent) after elimination of Hitler. The plot failed, however, and Beck was forced to commit suicide. Today, the city annually awards the Ludwig Beck prize for civil courage in his honor. Lutheran pastor and theologian Martin Niemöller , founder of
4223-493: The state flag ( Landesdienstflagge ) which is defaced with the state's coat of arms . The state ensign can easily be mistaken for a distressed flag of Hungary , as well as the former national flag of Iran (1964–1980). The same flag was used by the Rhenish Republic (1923–1924) as a symbol of independence and freedom. The horse on the coat of arms is a reference to the Saxon Steed , a heraldic motif associated with both Westphalia and Lower Saxony . The horse first featured in
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4326-469: The 15th century coat of arms of the Duchy of Westphalia, before being inherited by the Prussian province of Westphalia and finally the modern state of North Rhine-Westphalia. North Rhine-Westphalia encompasses the plains of the Lower Rhine region and parts of the Central Uplands ( die Mittelgebirge ) up to the gorge of Porta Westfalica . The state covers an area of 34,083 km (13,160 sq mi) and shares borders with Belgium ( Wallonia ) in
4429-441: The Allied occupation of the Rhineland and was occupied by the French army in 1918. In 1921, the Wiesbaden Agreement on German reparations to France was signed in the city. In 1925, Wiesbaden became the headquarters of the British Army of the Rhine until the withdrawal of occupying forces from the Rhineland in 1930. In 1929, an airport was constructed in Erbenheim on the site of a horse-racing track. In 1936, Fighter Squadron 53 of
4532-402: The Clemensberg (839.2 m). The planimetrically determined centre of North Rhine-Westphalia is located in the south of Dortmund- Aplerbeck in the Aplerbecker Mark (51° 28' N, 7° 33' Ö). Its westernmost point is situated near Selfkant close to the Dutch border, the easternmost near Höxter on the Weser . The southernmost point lies near Hellenthal in the Eifel region. The northernmost point
4635-409: The Count of Nassau-Usingen granted a concession for gambling in Wiesbaden. In 1810, the Wiesbaden Casino (German: Spielbank ) was opened in the old Kurhaus. Gambling was later outlawed by Prussian authorities in 1872. As a result of Napoleon 's victory over Austria in the Battle of Austerlitz , the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved in 1805. On 12 July 1806, 16 states in present-day Germany, including
4738-526: The Dietzhölze Valley. Thus the "Hammerweiher" was dammed up at Steinbrücken. Even today, a few metalworking companies are still represented in the Dietzhölze Valley, among them Kreck Metallwarenfabrik GmbH in Rittershausen. As of 1 January 2004, Ewersbach had 3,329 inhabitants. It was first documented mention under the name Ebirspach in 1302. Ewersbach itself was an amalgamation of three former villages, Bergebersbach, Straßebersbach, and Neuhütte. The last-named former village's name means "new foundry", reflecting
4841-425: The German Wirtschaftswunder . As of the late 1960s, repeated crises led to contractions of these industrial branches. On the other hand, producing sectors, particularly in mechanical engineering and metal and iron working industry, experienced substantial growth. Despite this structural change and an economic growth which was under national average, the 2018 GDP of 705 billion euro (1/4 of the total German GDP) made NRW
4944-551: The House of Nassau and thereby, Wiesbaden, received the right of coinage from Holy Roman Emperor Louis the Bavarian . In 1355, the County of Nassau-Weilburg was divided among the sons of Gerlach. The County of Nassau's holdings would be subdivided many times among heirs, with the parts being brought together again whenever a line died out. Wiesbaden became the seat of the County of Nassau-Wiesbaden under Count Adolf I (1307–1370), eldest son of Gerlach. It would eventually fall back to Nassau-Weilburg in 1605. Due to its participation in
5047-432: The House of Nassau-Usingen. In 1806, the city became the capital of the Duchy of Nassau . Since 1841, the newly built Wiesbaden City Palace was the principal Nassauian residence. From 1868 to 1944, the city lay in the Prussian Province of Hesse-Nassau , and from 1944 to 1945, it was the capital of the Province of Nassau . In 1945, it became the capital of Greater Hesse and subsequently, in 1946, of Hesse . Wiesbaden
5150-416: The Perfgau, whose political and ecclesiastical centre was Breidenbach. This old village, under the name Moyndille, lasted until at least 1298, but the village's downfall eventually came, presumably as a result of a dispute between the Landgraves of Hesse and the Counts of Nassau, putting the date of the destruction sometime between 1433 and 1443. The village lay waste, though, for hardly any longer than half
5253-422: The Prussian-dominated imperial government closed down all German gambling houses. The Wiesbaden casino was reopened in 1949. The Schloßplatz ("palace square") is situated in the center of the city, surrounded by several outstanding buildings. The ducal palace was begun under William, Duke of Nassau . Its foundations were laid in 1837 and it was completed in November 1841 (two years after William's death). For
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#17328802923625356-403: The Reverend Karl Nebe, with sponsorship from councillor of commerce and local landowner Gustav Jung, and under the leadership of the State Museum in Wiesbaden , carried out a number of digs around the Ley (≈ cliff or crag). Ceramic objects, tools and jewellery were unearthed from what turned out to be a ringwall, as these structures are known, from Celtic times, between 450 and 250 BC, in
5459-425: The Rhine bulked largely in German history. Prussia first set foot on the Rhine in 1609 by the occupation of the Duchy of Cleves and about a century later Upper Guelders and Moers also became Prussian. At the peace of Basel in 1795, the whole of the left bank of the Rhine was resigned to France, and in 1806, the Rhenish princes all joined the Confederation of the Rhine . After the Congress of Vienna, Prussia
5562-412: The Rhine makes up 10.3 kilometres (6.4 mi). Wiesbaden has a temperate - oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ; Trewartha : Dobk ) with relatively cold winters and warm summers. Its average annual temperature is 9.8 °C (49.6 °F), with monthly mean temperatures ranging from 1.2 °C (34.2 °F) in January to 18.9 °C (66.0 °F) in July. The Wiesbaden weather station has recorded
5665-427: The Salzbach, a tributary of the Rhine, on the eastern flanks of the Mosbacher Mountain. The city's main railway line and the Mainz road ( Mainzer Straße ) follow this valley. Several other streams drain into the Salzbach within the city center: the Wellritzbach, the Kesselbach, the Schwarzbach, the Dambach, and the Tennelbach, as well as the outflow of many thermal and mineral springs in the Kurhaus (spa) district. Above
5768-449: The Sigambri and the Rhine region were the Bructeri . As the power of the Roman empire declined, many of these tribes came to be seen collectively as Ripuarian Franks and they pushed forward along both banks of the Rhine, and by the end of the fifth century had conquered all the lands that had formerly been under Roman influence. By the eighth century, the Frankish dominion was firmly established in western Germany and northern Gaul, but at
5871-434: The Theological Seminary and the Allianz-Mission (Evangelical missionary society), part of the Bund Freier evangelischer Gemeinden in Deutschland (League of Free Evangelical Communities in Germany) have their head offices in Ewersbach. Moreover, there are many clubs. [REDACTED] Ishibashi , Japan North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia , commonly shortened to NRW ,
5974-446: The Wiesbaden area over the course of the 6th century. In the 8th century, Wiesbaden became the site of a royal palace of the Frankish kingdom. The first documented use of the name Wiesbaden is by Einhard , the biographer of Charlemagne , whose writings mention "Wisabada" sometime between 828 and 830. When the Frankish Carolingian Empire broke up in 888, Wiesbaden was in the eastern half, called East Francia (which would evolve into
6077-468: The area of Westphalia. Charlemagne is thought to have spent considerable time in Paderborn and nearby parts. His Saxon Wars also partly took place in what is thought of as Westphalia today. Popular legends link his adversary Widukind to places near Detmold , Bielefeld , Lemgo , Osnabrück, and other places in Westphalia. Widukind was buried in Enger , which is also a subject of a legend. Along with Eastphalia and Engern , Westphalia ( Westfalahi )
6180-510: The area's traditional industry. Mandeln, with 1200 years of history behind it, is one of the district's oldest villages. It had its first documentary mention on 13 July 800 according to the Lorsch Codex ( Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, HL Mainz 19, folg. 210 v. [12th century]). A landlord named Lager and his wife Duda donated to the Nazarius Monastery at Lorsch (near Heppenheim ) under Richbodo's abbacy three farmyards, as many subsistence farms and five bound farmers in Mauventelina (Mandeln) in
6283-420: The city became the ducal residence. Building activity started to give the city a magnificent appearance. Most of the historical center of Wiesbaden dates back to this time. In the Revolutions of 1848 , 30,000 citizens of Nassau assembled in Wiesbaden on 4 March. They demanded a constitution from the Duke, which they received. In the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Nassau took Austria's side. This decision led to
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#17328802923626386-412: The city center, the Salzbach is better known as the Rambach. The highest point of the Wiesbaden municipality is located northwest of the city center near the summit of the Hohe Wurzel, with an elevation of 608 metres (1,995 ft) above sea level . The lowest point is the harbour entrance of Schierstein at 83 metres (272 ft) above sea level. The central square (the Schlossplatz , or palace square)
6489-419: The city of Mainz until 1945, and still bear the designation "Mainz" in their names—the so-called AKK-boroughs of Mainz-Amöneburg , Mainz-Kastel , and Mainz-Kostheim . This so-called AKK-Konflikt ( de:AKK-Konflikt ) is the main cause for the rivalry between Mainz and Wiesbaden. Wiesbaden Main Station is connected to Frankfurt am Main by the Rhine-Main S-Bahn rapid transit system. Historically, Wiesbaden
6592-409: The city. Many wealthy persons chose Wiesbaden as their retirement seat, as it offered leisure and medical treatment alike. In the latter part of the 19th century, Wiesbaden became the German city with the most millionaires. In 1894, the present Hessian State Theater, designed by the Vienna architects Fellner and Helmer, was built on behalf of Kaiser Wilhelm II. After World War I, Wiesbaden fell under
6695-434: The competency of the state, e.g. cultural matters, the education system, matters of internal security, i.e. the police, building supervision, health supervision and the media; as opposed to matters that are reserved to Federal law. North Rhine-Westphalia uses the same electoral system as the Federal level in Germany: " Personalized proportional representation ". Every five years the citizens of North Rhine-Westphalia vote in
6798-407: The court district of Ewersbach by the Lords of Bicken to the Counts of Nassau, Langenbach is not mentioned, and there has been no further mention of it. To this day, there is a field called Dorfwiese – "Village Meadow" – even though the village disappeared centuries ago. These former villages' rural areas are now attached to Rittershausen. Aside from the Evangelical and Catholic church parishes,
6901-422: The districts and municipalities, while the Landschaftsverband has a directly elected assembly. The five government regions of North Rhine-Westphalia each belong to one of the two Landschaftsverbände : The state's area covers a maximum distance of 291 km from north to south, and 266 km from east to west. The total length of the state's borders is 1,645 km. The following countries and states have
7004-404: The economically strongest state of Germany by GRP figures , as well as one of the most important economical areas in the world. Of Germany's top 100 corporations, 37 are based in North Rhine-Westphalia. On a per capita base, however, North Rhine-Westphalia remains one of the weaker among the Western German states. North Rhine-Westphalia attracts companies from both Germany and abroad. In 2009,
7107-411: The end of the duchy. After the Austrian defeat, Nassau was annexed by Prussia and became part of the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau . The deposed duke Adolph of Nassau in 1890 became the Grand Duke of Luxembourg (see House of Nassau ). This turned out to be a fortunate change for the city, as it then became an international spa town. A rise in construction commenced after the aristocracy followed
7210-400: The federal capital until the reunification of Germany in 1990 and as the seat of government until 1999. Culturally, North Rhine-Westphalia is not a uniform area; there are significant differences, especially in traditional customs, between the Rhineland region on the one hand and the regions of Westphalia and Lippe on the other. Its economy is the largest among German states by GRDP but
7313-444: The following extreme values: While evidence of settlement at present-day Wiesbaden dates back to the Neolithic era, historical records document continuous occupancy after the erection of a Roman fort in 6 AD which housed an auxiliary cavalry unit. The thermal springs of Wiesbaden are first mentioned in Pliny the Elder 's Naturalis Historia . They were famous for their recreation pools for Roman army horses and possibly as
7416-469: The important status of the piano in post-war German homes. Wiesbaden has long been famous for its thermal springs and spa. Use of the thermal springs was first documented by the Romans. The business of spring bathing became important for Wiesbaden near the end of the Middle Ages . By 1370, 16 bath houses were in operation. By 1800, the city had 2,239 inhabitants and 23 bath houses. By 1900, Wiesbaden, with
7519-614: The interior ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia reported that the number of mosques with a Salafist influence had risen from 3 to 9, which indicated both an actual increase and improved reporting. According to German authorities, Salafism is incompatible with the principles codified in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany , in particular: democracy , the rule of law , and political order based on human rights . The politics of North Rhine-Westphalia takes place within
7622-751: The kingdom of Lotharingia . By the time of Otto I (d. 973), both banks of the Rhine had become part of the Holy Roman Empire , and the Rhenish territory was divided between the duchies of Upper Lorraine on the Moselle and Lower Lorraine on the Meuse. The Ottonian dynasty had both Saxon and Frankish ancestry. As the central power of the Holy Roman Emperor weakened, the Rhineland split into numerous small, independent, separate vicissitudes and special chronicles. The old Lotharingian divisions became obsolete, although
7725-432: The largest part of the state is used for agriculture (almost 52%) and forests (25%). The state consists of five government regions ( Regierungsbezirke ), divided into 31 districts ( Kreise ) and 23 urban districts ( kreisfreie Städte ). In total, North Rhine-Westphalia has 396 municipalities (1997), including the urban districts, which are municipalities by themselves. The government regions have an assembly elected by
7828-544: The lead of the Hohenzollern emperors, who began annual trips to Wiesbaden. The period around the turn of the 20th century is regarded as the heyday of the city. Kaiser Wilhelm II visited the city regularly in summer, such that it became an unofficial "summer residence". The city was also popular among the Russian nobility. In the wake of the imperial court, numerous nobles, artists, and wealthy businessmen increasingly settled in
7931-1080: The ministers involved, is required to sign it and announce it in the Law and Ordinance Gazette. These are the minister-presidents of North Rhine-Westphalia : For the current state government, see Wüst cabinet . The state has Aachen Cathedral , the Cologne Cathedral , the Zeche Zollverein in Essen , the Augustusburg Palace in Brühl and the Imperial Abbey of Corvey in Höxter which are all World Heritage Sites . North Rhine-Westphalia hosts film festivals in Cologne , Bonn, Dortmund , Duisburg , Münster , Oberhausen and Lünen . Other large festivals include Rhenish carnivals , Ruhrtriennale . Every year Gamescom
8034-777: The name survives for example in Lorraine in France, and throughout the Middle Ages and even into modern times, the nobility of these areas often sought to preserve the idea of a preeminent duke within Lotharingia, something claimed by the Dukes of Limburg , and the Dukes of Brabant . Such struggles as the War of the Limburg Succession therefore continued to create military and political links between what
8137-467: The old city hall, was built in 1609 and 1610. No older buildings are preserved due to two fires in 1547 and 1561. In 1648, at the end of the devastating Thirty Years' War , chronicles tell that Wiesbaden had barely 40 residents left. In 1659, the County of Nassau-Weilburg was divided again. Wiesbaden became part of the County of Nassau-Usingen. In 1744, the seat of Nassau-Usingen was moved to Biebrich . In 1771,
8240-563: The population at year end is used. Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes Und der Länder As of 2020 , 50% of the population of the state adhered to the Roman Catholic Church , 25% to the Protestant Church in Germany , and 28% of the population is irreligious or adheres to other denominations or religions. North Rhine-Westphalia ranks first in population among German states for both Roman Catholics and Protestants. In 2016,
8343-642: The remaining counties of Nassau-Usingen and Nassau-Weilburg, formally left the Holy Roman Empire and joined in the Confederation of the Rhine . Napoleon was its "protector". Under pressure from Napoleon, both counties merged to form the Duchy of Nassau on 30 August 1806. At the 1815 Congress of Vienna , the Duchy of Nassau joined the German Confederation . The capital of Nassau was moved from Weilburg to Wiesbaden, and
8446-519: The republican rule of the French. In 1920, the districts of Eupen and Malmedy were transferred to Belgium (see German-speaking Community of Belgium ). Around AD 1, numerous incursions occurred through Westphalia and perhaps even some permanent Roman or Romanized settlements. The Battle of Teutoburg Forest took place near Osnabrück and some of the Germanic tribes who fought at this battle came from
8549-515: The same time, to the north, Westphalia was being taken over by Saxons pushing south. The Merovingian and Carolingian Franks eventually built an empire which controlled first their Ripuarian kin, and then the Saxons. On the division of the Carolingian Empire at the Treaty of Verdun , the part of the province to the east of the river fell to East Francia , while that to the west remained with
8652-563: The second-largest Hessian city after Frankfurt am Main . With around 283,000 inhabitants, it is Germany's 24th-largest city . Wiesbaden forms a conurbation with a population of around 500,000 with the neighbouring city of Mainz . This conurbation is in turn embedded in the Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region —Germany's second-largest metropolitan region after Rhine-Ruhr —which also includes the nearby cities of Frankfurt am Main , Darmstadt , Offenbach am Main , and Hanau , and has
8755-613: The source of a mineral used for red hair dye (which was very fashionable around the turn of BC/AD among women in Rome). The Roman settlement is first mentioned using the name Aquae Mattiacorum ( Latin for "Waters of the Mattiaci") in 121. The Mattiaci were a Germanic tribe , possibly a branch of the neighboring Chatti , who lived in the vicinity at that time. The town also appears as Mattiacum in Ptolemy 's Geographia (2.10). The Roman Empire built
8858-549: The southeast on the community of Eschenburg , and in the southwest on the town of Haiger (both in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis). The community consists of the following centres: In the Middle Ages , the upper Dietzhölze Valley ( German : Dietzhölztal – the community's namesake), owing to its great number of trees, was an important centre for metal production. The ores were mined in the Dillenburg area and smelted in furnaces in
8961-473: The southwest and the Netherlands ( Limburg , Gelderland and Overijssel ) in the west and northwest. It has borders with the German states of Lower Saxony to the north and northeast, Rhineland-Palatinate to the south and Hesse to the southeast. Approximately half of the state is located in the relative low-lying terrain of the Westphalian Lowland and the Rhineland , both extending broadly into
9064-638: The state capital Düsseldorf (630,000), Dortmund and Essen (about 590,000 inhabitants each) and other cities predominantly located in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area , the largest urban area in Germany and the fourth-largest on the European continent . The location of the Rhine-Ruhr at the heart of the European Blue Banana makes it well connected to other major European cities and metropolitan areas like
9167-428: The state had the most foreign direct investments ( FDI ) anywhere in Germany. Around 13,100 foreign companies from the most important investment countries control their German or European operations from bases in North Rhine-Westphalia. Wiesbaden Wiesbaden ( German pronunciation: [ˈviːsˌbaːdn̩] ; lit. ' meadow baths ' ) is the capital of the German state of Hesse , and
9270-611: The time of the La Tène culture . Rittershausen's first documentary mention came in 1344 when the Mann- und Zinsbuch der Herren von Bicken ("Man and Interest Book of the Lords of Bicken") mentioned that in Ruderszhausen disz seyt der Bach ( ie "this side of the brook"), the Lords were entitled to Groß- und Kleinzehnt (great and small tithes ). Within the fields attached to Rittershausen once lay
9373-473: The twenty-six remaining years of ducal authority it was the residence of the ruling family. It later served as a secondary residence for the King of Prussia 1866 to 1918. It was later used as a headquarters for French and British occupying forces after World War I, then as a museum. Since 1945, the building has served as Landtag (parliamentary building) for the state of Hesse. The site of the palace had been that of
9476-540: The uprisings of the German Peasants' War of 1525, Wiesbaden lost all its privileges for over 40 years. During this time, Wiesbaden became Protestant with the nomination of Wolf Denthener as first Lutheran pastor on 1 January 1543. The same day, the first Latin school was opened, preparing pupils for the gymnasium in Idstein . In 1566, the privileges of the city were restored. The oldest remaining building of Wiesbaden,
9579-458: The villages of Langenbach, Dunnenbach, Hilgeshausen, and possibly also Kirsebach. Nobody quite knows when these places were abandoned, but according to the aforesaid Reverend Karl Nebe, who was reporting local oral history, Langenbach was destroyed by the Plague, and the last few survivors moved to Rittershausen. Langenbach is mentioned in a list of nobles from about 1400, but in the record of the sale of
9682-645: The war of Emperor Frederick II against the Pope, the Archbishop of Mainz , Siegfried III , ordered the city's destruction. Wiesbaden returned to the control of the House of Nassau in 1270 under Count Walram II, Count of Nassau . However, Wiesbaden and the castle at Sonnenberg were again destroyed in 1283 in conflict with Eppstein . Walram's son and successor Adolf would later become king of Germany from 1292 until 1298. In 1329, under Adolf's son Gerlach I of Nassau-Weilburg
9785-554: The whole time period from the 8th to 13th centuries. The old form of the name, Rudershusz , the favoured location in the Dietzhölze Valley, and the village's persistence even during the period of abandonments (due to an agrarian depression) in the Late Middle Ages all suggest that Rittershausen was founded in the 9th century, or at the latest, the 10th. There were, however, people living in the area much longer ago. About 1912,
9888-447: Was a Nassauian city. From 1170 to 1629, it lay in the County of Nassau , and from 1629 to 1721, it was in the county and later principality of Nassau-Idstein, all of which were territories within the Holy Roman Empire ruled by branches of the House of Nassau . In 1728, the city found itself in the principality of Nassau-Usingen , and in 1744, Biebrich Palace became the main residence of
9991-493: Was attacked by both RAF and United States Air Force bombers on 66 days. In the attacks, about 18% of the city's homes were destroyed. During the war, more than 25% of the city's buildings were damaged or worse and 1,700 people were killed. Wiesbaden was the location of a camp for Sinti and Romani people (see Romani Holocaust ), and two subcamps of the Hinzert concentration camp , mostly for Luxembourgish prisoners. Wiesbaden
10094-482: Was awarded the entire Rhineland , which included the Grand Duchy of Berg , the ecclesiastic electorates of Trier and Cologne , the free cities of Aachen and Cologne, and nearly a hundred small lordships and abbeys. The Prussian Rhine province was formed in 1822 and Prussia had the tact to leave the lower Rhenish districts in undisturbed possession of the liberal institutions to which they had become accustomed under
10197-434: Was captured by U.S. Army forces on 28 March 1945. The U.S. 317th Infantry Regiment attacked in assault boats across the Rhine from Mainz while the 319th Infantry attacked across the river Main near Hochheim am Main . The attack started at 01:00 and by early afternoon the two forces of the 80th U.S. Infantry Division had linked up with the loss of only three dead and three missing. The Americans captured 900 German soldiers and
10300-522: Was extended to include Lorraine , including Nancy , and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg . The commander was General der Infanterie Walther Schroth . Wehrkreis XII was made up of three subordinate regions: Bereich Hauptsitze Koblenz , Mannheim and Metz . During the war, Wiesbaden was, between August 1940 and the end of 1942, bombed by the Royal Air Force and from 1943 through to March 1945,
10403-663: Was headquartered at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield , just off the autobahn toward Frankfurt, until the Division completed relocation to Fort Bliss, Texas, in 2011. Wiesbaden is now home to the U.S. Army Europe Headquarters and the General John Shalikashvili Mission Command Center. In 1962, the American artists George Maciunas , Dick Higgins and Alison Knowles traveled to Europe to promote
10506-568: Was merged with North Rhine-Westphalia. The constitution of North Rhine-Westphalia was then ratified through a referendum . The first written account of the area was by its conqueror, Julius Caesar , the territories west of the Rhine were occupied by the Eburones and east of the Rhine he reported the Ubii (across from Cologne) and the Sugambri to their north. The Ubii and some other Germanic tribes such as
10609-564: Was originally a district of the Duchy of Saxony . In 1180, Westphalia was elevated to the rank of a duchy by Emperor Barbarossa . The Duchy of Westphalia comprised only a small area south of the Lippe River . Parts of Westphalia came under Brandenburg-Prussian control during the 17th and 18th centuries, but most of it remained divided duchies and other feudal areas of power. The Peace of Westphalia of 1648, signed in Münster and Osnabrück, ended
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