Palatine Wine Queen

Gabi Klein, Palatine Wine Queen in 2009/10, with two of her princesses at the Neustadt Wine Festival Parade

The Palatine Wine Queen (German: Pfälzische Weinkönigin), sometimes also called the Palatinate Wine Queen,[1][2] is the annually elected representative of the Palatine wine region, one of currently 13 recognized wine regions in Germany. She is eligible to participate, the following year, in the competition for the German Wine Queen.

History

In 1931 the Palatinate region of Germany nominated a wine queen in the town of Neustadt an der Weinstraße at the initiative of the publisher, Daniel Meininger, becoming the first of the German wine-growing regions to do so. The first wine queen was Ruth Bachrodt[3] of Pirmasens in the Southwest Palatinate. This part of the Palatinate has no vineyards and Bachrodt owed her election to the fact that the organizers felt she was the prettiest girl in the audience in the festival hall (the Saalbau in Neustadt) and the judges upheld their proposal.[4] The candidate had previously been asked the question, "What does a wine queen in all circumstances?" Bachrodt had replied, "you definitely need a pair of good shoes, so you can work in the vineyard." With that she also impressed the Pirmasens shoe manufacturer, Daniel Theysohn, and they were married in 1938.[3]

Because the Palatine Wine Queen in Germany was the only wine queen for many years, she also represented German wine as a whole until 1939 and then again from 1947 to 1949 without needing to go through any further competition. In 1949, too, there was only one competition, but subsequently Elisabeth Kuhn, later Gies from Diedesfeld officially became the German Wine Queen and was thus the only person to hold the titles of Palatine Wine Queen and German Wine Queen in the same year.[5]

Competition process

The election of the Palatine Wine Queen traditionally takes place during the German Wine Festival, in the Saalbau in the town of Neustadt an der Weinstraße, on the Friday of the first weekend of the festival at the end of September or early Oktober. After her year in office the Palatine Wine Queen, together with the wine queens of the other twelve German wine regions, takes part in the competition to choose the German Wine Queen. In two years, the outgoing Palatine Wine Queen has been chosen as the German Wine Queen: Sylvia Benzinger in 2005 and Katja Schweder in 2006.

List of Palatine wine queens

Julia Becker, Palatine Wine Queen in 2007/08

The following list shows all Palatine Wine Queens since the competition began in 1931:[6]

  1. 1931/32: Ruth Bachrodt, later Theysohn (born 9 Mar 1913; died 5 Mar 1997),[3][7][8] Pirmasens
  2. 1932/33: Cilly Seitz, Rhodt
  3. 1933/34: Gertrud Dörr, Wachenheim
  4. 1934/35: Trudel Knauber, Billigheim
  5. 1935/36: Hilde Köhler, Gimmeldingen
  6. 1936/37: Elisabeth Fitz, later Keller, Edenkoben
  7. 1937/38: Gustel Hauptmann, Haardt
  8. 1938/39: Maria Poh, Hambach
  9. 1947/48: Ilse Kurz, Mußbach
  10. 1948/49: Cäcilia Hormuth, St. Martin
  11. 1949/50: Elisabeth Kuhn, later Gies, Diedesfeld
  12. 1950/51: Trudel Keller, Bad Dürkheim
  13. 1951/52: Marlies Lack, Bad Dürkheim
  14. 1952/53: Anneliese Bender, Gleisweiler
  15. 1953/54: Ingrid Schreck, later Seyler, Deidesheim
  16. 1954/55: Rosemarie Reibold, Freinsheim
  17. 1955/56: Annemarie Müller, Haardt
  18. 1956/57: Ilse Reinig, later Rodach, Edesheim
  19. 1957/58: Doris Christmann, St. Martin
  20. 1958/59: Renate Poh, Hambach
  21. 1959/60: Christel Koch, Ungstein
  22. 1960/61: Bärbel Christa Härle, Mußbach
  23. 1961/62: Sieglinde Jung, Siebeldingen
  24. 1962/63: Inge Bender, Kallstadt
  25. 1963/64: Waltraud Lohr, Obrigheim
  26. 1964/65: Waltraud Hey, Oberotterbach
  27. 1965/66: Heidi Eberle, Laumersheim
  28. 1966/67: Ulrike Klein, Rhodt
  29. 1967/68: Christa Jung, Siebeldingen
  30. 1968/69: Heidrun Reim, Mußbach
  31. 1969/70: Gretel Stachel, Maikammer
  32. 1970/71: Ruth Kröther, Freinsheim
  33. 1971/72: Melitta Engel (born 24 Mar 1952; died 8 Sep 2012), Obrigheim
  34. 1972/73: Helga Weber, Weisenheim am Sand
  35. 1973/74: Siegrid Betz, Wachenheim
  36. 1974/75: Annette Oehl, later Göb, Forst
  37. 1975/76: Maritta Müller, Hambach
  38. 1976/77: Ingrid Grimm, Schweigen
  39. 1977/78: Heidrun Winkelmann, Gimmeldingen
  40. 1978/79: Christa Brauch, Birkweiler
  41. 1979/80: Heike Bohnenstiel, later Voss, Herxheim am Berg
  42. 1980/81: Hildegard Weber, Gönnheim
  43. 1981/82: Gaby Brückmann, Freinsheim
  44. 1982/83: Claudia Hänling, Heuchelheim
  45. 1983/84: Sigrun Stutzmann, Einselthum
  46. 1984/85: Heidrun Wolf, Birkweiler
  47. 1985/86: Maria Bergold, Wachenheim
  48. 1986/87: Ulrike Peter, Bad Dürkheim
  49. 1987/88: Annette Borell, later Borell-Diehl, Hainfeld
  50. 1988/89: Anne Brauner, later Fischer, Göcklingen
  51. 1989/90: Birgit Schehl, later Rebholz-Schehl (born 1969), Hainfeld
  52. 1990/91: Diane Blaul, later Fehling (born 25. Juli 1973), Gönnheim
  53. 1991/92: Birgit Weisbrod, later Lorenz, Freinsheim
  54. 1992/93: Christine Schneider (born 5 Jun 1972), Edenkoben
  55. 1993/94: Claudia Heupel, later Hoffmann, Nußdorf
  56. 1994/95: Silke Gerner, later Wolz (born 1972), Weisenheim am Sand
  57. 1995/96: Monika Metz, Pleisweiler
  58. 1996/97: Sonja Freund, later Freund-Kuhmann, Bad Dürkheim
  59. 1997/98: Jasmin Müller, Landau
  60. 1998/99: Eva Wendel (born 1 Aug 1975), Bissersheim
  61. 1999/2000: Birgit Winkler, Steinweiler
  62. 2000/01: Anke Schmitt, Bad Dürkheim
  63. 2001/02: Tanja Schmidt, Deidesheim
  64. 2002/03: Barbara Klein (born 28 Dec 1981), Hainfeld
  65. 2003/04: Tina Kiefer (born 26 Feb 1981), Ranschbach
  66. 2004/05: Sylvia Benzinger, later Benzinger-Kugler (born 16 Aug 1978), Kirchheim
  67. 2005/06: Katja Schweder (born 15 Jun 1980), Hochstadt
  68. 2006/07: Susanne Winterling (born 1 Dec 1986), Niederkirchen
  69. 2007/08: Julia Becker (born 28 Sep 1982), Edesheim
  70. 2008/09: Patricia Frank (born 1 Oct 1985), Bockenheim
  71. 2009/10: Gabi Klein (born 8 Mar 1987), Diedesfeld
  72. 2010/11: Karen Storck (born 23 Feb 1988), Einselthum
  73. 2011/12: Anna Katharina Hochdörffer (born 27 Sep 1988), Nußdorf
  74. 2012/13: Andrea Römmich (born 30 Nov 1988), Edenkoben

German Wine Queens from the Palatinate

Katja Schweder als German Wine Queen

To date the following representatives from the Palatine wine region have been crowned as German Wine Queen:

  1. 1949/50: Elisabeth Kuhn, later Gies
  2. 1955/56: Irmgard Mohler (did not previously hold the title of Palatine Wine Queen)
  3. 1960/61: Christel Koch
  4. 1965/66: Waltraud Hey
  5. 1971/72: Ruth Kröther
  6. 1981/82: Hildegard Weber
  7. 1990/91: Birgit Schehl
  8. 2005/06: Sylvia Benzinger
  9. 2006/07: Katja Schweder

References

  1. ↑ An International Guide to the Wines of the World by John Morrell (1975)
  2. ↑ The Bulletin, Vols 19-21 by the Germany (West) Press and Information Office, 1971.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lilo Hagen. "Die Theysohns" (in German). Retrieved 2012-09-13. Reference for the correct spelling of the name Bachrodt – mit dt
  4. ↑ pfaelzische-weinkoenigin.de. "Historisches" (in German). Retrieved 2012-09-13.
  5. ↑ Arthur Wirtzfeld (2010-09-01). "Im königlichen Rückblick: Elisabeth Gies – German Wine Queen vor 60 Jahren" (in German). Retrieved 2012-09-13.
  6. ↑ Alle pfälzischen Weinköniginnen seit 1931 at www.pfaelzische-weinkoenigin.de. Accessed on 29 Sep 2013.
  7. ↑ Südwestrundfunk. "Unternehmer: Daniel Theysohn – Archiv" (in German). Retrieved 2012-09-13.
  8. ↑ Dieter Schehl. "Wasgauer Gespräche" (in German). Retrieved 2012-09-13. Word document with Bachrodt’s DOB, reference for correct spelling of the name of Bachrodt – mit dt

External links