Meisenheim

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Meisenheim
Coat of arms Location
Coat of arms of Meisenheim
Meisenheim (Germany)
Meisenheim
Administration
Country Flag of Germany Germany
State Rhineland-Palatinate
District Bad Kreuznach
Municipal assoc. Meisenheim
Mayor Volkhard Waelder
Basic statistics
Area 10.34 km² (4 sq mi)
Elevation 232 m  (761 ft)
Population 2,912  (31/12/2006)
 - Density 282 /km² (729 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate KH
Postal code 55590
Area code 06753
Website www.meisenheim.de

Coordinates: 49°43′00″N 07°40′00″E / 49.716667, 7.666667

Meisenheim is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the river Glan, approx. 25 km south-west of Bad Kreuznach.

Meisenheim is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde ("collective municipality") Meisenheim.

[edit] Sights

  • Schloßkirche
  • historical town centre

[edit] History

Meisenheim was probably founded in the 7th century and first mentioned in 1154. It was chartered in 1315. Meisenheim was the capital of the county of Veldenz since the 12th century. In 1444, the Dukes of Zweibrücken inherited Veldenz.

From 1815 till 1866 the Amt Meisenheim was, caused by the Congress of Vienna, part of the Landgrafschaft Hessen-Homburg; it was inherited by the Grand-Duchy of Hessia (Hessen-Darmstadt) in early 1866 and seceded to Prussia after the Austro-Prussian war.

The arms are a combination of the lion of the counts of Veldenz and a canting symbol (Meise=tit) The Meisen is a Tufted Titmouse. The Titmouse (Parus bicolor) is a small, active and noisy bird with a tufted crest and is related to the nuthatches.

Meisenheim became a city in 1315. The city rights were granted by King Lügwig of Bavaria. The town was owned since the 12th century by the counts of Veldenz. The arms are based on the first seal of the town, dating from the 14th century. It already showed the lion and the tit. In the 18th century other arms appeared on the seal of the town. The arms showed the lion over a cross-chequered field. The tit was placed on the escutcheon. The arms thus reflected the fact that the counts of Veldenz were replaced by the Wittelsbach family in 1444. (Valdenz) The arms of the Wittelsbach family are a cross-chequered field of white and blue (see also the arms of Bavaria). The old arms were restored in 1935.

Literature: Stadler, K.: Deutsche Wappen-Bunderesrepublik Deutschland. Angelsachsen Verlag, 1964-1971, 8 Volumes.

Copyright Ralf Hartemink, 1997, 1998 Edited by David L. Misenheimer 15 August 2000

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