Gernsheim

For the composer, see Friedrich Gernsheim.

Gernsheim
Town
Town hall
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Gernsheim within Groß-Gerau district <imagemap>File: Gernsheim in GG.svg | 240x240px poly 118 182 137 177 155 168 181 169 182 182 174 185 182 190 177 204 183 212 200 214 232 217 215 228 213 244 206 244 206 254 180 262 164 217 Ginsheim-Gustavsburg poly 184 170 213 166 248 205 251 209 263 212 264 215 270 213 278 221 270 221 268 219 253 221 239 215 214 225 228 217 204 214 204 215 192 215 188 211 184 213 176 205 181 193 173 185 184 182 Bischofsheim poly 211 166 248 203 250 209 274 212 278 221 263 219 250 221 239 216 213 227 215 236 212 242 218 258 227 256 235 265 251 254 271 253 282 258 283 269 290 275 299 271 304 259 347 245 359 230 380 225 386 218 403 212 399 200 413 197 407 176 414 176 425 188 429 188 435 194 446 191 437 182 458 167 454 140 458 140 459 131 434 137 392 139 393 146 386 148 394 160 350 169 344 188 339 188 338 167 317 167 307 169 296 158 271 177 Rüsselsheim am Main poly 298 158 312 152 348 137 353 116 363 110 374 116 364 125 375 128 390 124 392 146 387 147 392 161 350 170 347 187 339 184 337 167 320 167 306 168 298 157 Raunheim poly 355 113 362 103 403 86 431 60 423 38 428 29 451 43 453 51 461 58 460 78 464 88 422 109 423 113 416 117 419 125 415 126 419 135 389 140 389 125 380 129 365 128 374 114 363 109 Kelsterbach poly 183 261 184 278 199 317 178 368 197 404 230 413 248 405 270 380 266 374 284 360 281 343 287 342 293 325 310 330 307 318 321 308 315 293 294 287 290 275 281 269 282 259 261 251 238 265 227 257 223 259 212 243 205 243 205 254 Trebur poly 291 276 302 269 302 257 348 245 360 230 381 226 388 217 404 210 407 223 428 226 429 236 402 239 377 248 357 260 345 286 329 294 313 291 295 289 Nauheim poly 458 129 459 137 454 140 457 168 436 180 443 188 435 192 431 185 428 188 415 176 407 174 413 195 399 199 405 209 407 223 428 225 429 236 457 230 460 260 490 258 494 269 505 266 500 251 517 248 533 233 551 232 564 227 554 200 536 182 529 149 519 143 498 143 494 148 485 129 Mörfelden-Walldorf poly 230 412 240 425 227 467 247 499 272 494 285 479 314 466 317 469 332 464 355 479 371 489 377 503 374 512 400 515 396 536 425 531 440 537 440 522 455 512 455 503 447 497 455 476 437 447 433 426 417 402 417 393 410 387 397 392 386 390 373 404 356 404 347 392 333 404 317 398 295 401 299 392 293 383 287 382 282 375 Riedstadt poly 455 229 430 236 402 239 379 246 359 258 347 286 336 292 317 292 323 307 306 314 308 330 293 325 288 341 281 341 284 359 267 375 267 383 282 374 287 383 299 389 296 401 312 398 332 402 347 392 357 404 374 402 385 389 393 390 405 386 419 392 424 390 412 375 402 373 391 356 391 307 397 299 406 299 408 293 419 291 431 270 460 263 Groß-Gerau poly 494 269 490 257 461 260 460 263 431 269 430 274 418 291 407 291 406 299 395 299 392 308 391 356 404 372 413 373 422 392 433 390 461 380 461 375 476 373 477 365 466 344 466 335 458 334 458 309 486 305 485 286 481 286 480 272 Büttelborn poly 249 497 274 540 287 518 293 518 297 522 328 507 347 520 382 528 383 522 398 523 399 517 375 512 378 506 371 490 353 477 347 477 333 464 316 469 315 466 288 476 271 493 Stockstadt am Rhein poly 275 539 275 557 293 571 359 570 371 558 388 552 396 537 395 524 385 522 383 528 347 520 328 507 296 523 288 517 Biebesheim am Rhein poly 357 572 361 579 320 626 334 641 345 637 341 632 353 626 357 627 353 637 363 637 383 647 422 644 437 644 442 656 449 656 446 650 452 650 468 637 462 582 470 574 471 566 451 572 451 567 456 554 439 551 437 540 427 532 396 536 389 548 371 557 Gernsheim poly 214 -1 213 3 237 0 234 7 238 11 245 32 230 56 225 57 218 50 202 56 213 86 231 81 239 89 217 103 223 105 201 116 199 111 173 125 174 167 152 167 117 182 56 122 0 110 5 -1 Wiesbaden poly 237 -1 234 5 238 11 245 32 231 56 216 49 205 55 213 84 228 82 239 91 217 102 222 106 202 115 200 112 174 125 173 169 227 168 267 177 298 157 347 131 362 102 398 86 421 67 398 44 398 34 386 26 377 27 359 -1 Main-Taunus-Kreis poly 358 0 380 26 390 24 395 32 397 43 426 65 432 56 423 34 431 29 449 42 461 58 464 87 423 109 417 126 419 136 436 136 484 128 494 149 517 143 515 128 521 102 533 105 558 79 621 77 671 70 665 -1 Frankfurt poly -1 113 4 673 233 673 290 656 327 614 360 579 356 571 287 569 273 557 274 537 226 464 239 423 230 412 195 403 177 367 200 317 181 261 162 215 55 121 Rhineland-Palatinate poly 232 673 290 655 320 623 333 642 346 638 340 632 352 625 357 627 354 635 361 638 383 648 435 644 441 657 449 657 445 650 449 650 468 638 470 643 506 641 517 629 524 635 533 628 571 644 578 639 592 645 605 636 618 643 635 634 628 611 656 593 656 602 664 614 673 614 673 668 Bergstraße (district) poly 672 69 635 75 614 78 556 78 539 95 535 107 524 100 514 129 517 144 522 144 530 149 534 177 553 200 565 218 565 227 550 233 602 257 614 254 635 261 673 257 Offenbach (district) poly 671 257 671 416 618 455 617 477 630 478 615 491 624 503 612 504 599 518 584 523 575 511 560 508 562 503 549 491 538 454 518 452 475 464 470 440 482 440 474 430 521 410 528 372 570 348 560 340 563 325 557 320 549 322 548 317 557 317 556 285 566 278 560 278 560 274 593 267 614 266 617 255 643 263 Darmstadt poly 533 235 550 233 603 256 618 255 614 264 560 269 560 277 557 287 557 314 549 314 550 322 558 320 563 329 560 338 569 346 529 373 521 411 473 430 481 440 470 441 476 463 521 449 536 455 552 494 560 500 560 506 578 512 585 524 596 521 620 498 617 492 629 480 617 479 618 454 671 416 672 613 667 613 656 602 655 593 627 610 636 633 616 643 604 637 590 645 578 639 569 643 532 628 533 634 524 634 518 629 506 641 470 642 464 583 473 575 473 565 452 569 460 554 439 551 440 523 457 515 458 504 450 495 452 482 458 476 436 446 434 425 419 402 421 389 461 380 461 377 476 374 477 366 467 346 464 335 460 333 460 308 485 305 485 286 482 285 480 272 506 268 500 255 503 254 501 251 Darmstadt-Dieburg desc top-left </imagemap>
Gernsheim Gernsheim
Coordinates: 49°45′N 08°29′E
Country	Germany
State	Hesse
Admin. region	Darmstadt
District	Groß-Gerau
Government
• Mayor (2022–28)	Peter Burger (CDU)
Area
• Total	40.11 km2 (15.49 sq mi)
Elevation	88 m (289 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)
• Total	11,024
• Density	270/km2 (710/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	64579
Dialling codes	06258
Vehicle registration	GG
Website	www.gernsheim.de

Gernsheim (German pronunciation: [ˈɡɛʁnsˌhaɪ̯m] ) is a town in Groß-Gerau district and Darmstadt region in Hesse, Germany, lying on the Rhine.

Geography

Location

The Schöfferstadt Gernsheim, as Gernsheim may officially call itself – it was Peter Schöffer's birthplace – lies 18 km southwest of Darmstadt and 16 km northeast of Worms, right on the Rhine's east bank, south of the Old Rhine near Stockstadt am Rhein in the Frankfurt Rhein-Main Region.

Neighbouring communities

Gernsheim borders in the north on the communities of Biebesheim and Riedstadt, in the east on the town of Pfungstadt and the communities of Bickenbach and Alsbach-Hähnlein (all in Darmstadt-Dieburg), in the south on the town of Bensheim and the communities of Einhausen and Groß-Rohrheim (all in Kreis Bergstraße) and in the west on the community of Hamm (Alzey-Worms).

Constituent communities

Gernsheim consists of the centres of Allmendfeld, Gernsheim and Klein-Rohrheim.

History

In the first century, there was Roman settlement in what is now Gernsheim. By the 7th century, this had given way to Frankish settlement. In 852, Gernsheim had its first documentary mention, and was also later mentioned in the Lorsch codex.

In 1356, Gernsheim was granted town rights by Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor. In 1425, Peter Schöffer, later to be well known as one of Johannes Gutenberg's colleagues, was born.

In 1937, the village of Allmendfeld, now part of Gernsheim but originally a separate municipality, was founded. It is Hesse's newest town (in the common sense, if not the administrative). It is named after the commons (die Allmende in German).

Amalgamated communities

• Allmendfeld, since 1971 (founded 1937)
• Klein-Rohrheim, since 1971 (about 1200 years old)

Politics

Coat of arms

Gernsheim's civic coat of arms might heraldically be described thus: Gules, a six-spoked wheel argent.

Gernsheim was among Mainz's many landholdings for centuries (1232–1802). The charge in these arms is the Wheel of Mainz, a common heraldic charge in the region, given the history, but unlike many others, Gernsheim's arms have only this one charge. The town's oldest known seal, from the 14th century, already showed the wheel, as have all seals that later followed. The arms were officially granted in 1925.[1]

Gernsheim has the same arms as Höchst, a constituent community of Frankfurt am Main.

Partnerships

• Bar-sur-Aube, Champagne-Ardenne, France since 1976
• Świecie, Poland since 2011

Culture and sightseeing

Buildings

• Wallfahrtskirche Maria Einsiedel (pilgrimage church, 1431)
• Museum (Peter Schöffer Haus)
• Rathaus (Town Hall)
• Stadthalle (guildhall)
• Old electricity works (Mario Derra)

Nature

• Rhine
• Town Forest

Regular events

• Rhenish Fishing Festival (Rheinisches Fischerfest) – since 1948, the biggest fishing festival on the Rhine (first weekend in August)
• Street Carnival (Straßenfastnacht, with parade)
• Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt)
• Church Fair (Kerb)
• Downtown Festival (Innenstadtfest)

Economy and infrastructure

Transport

Roads serving Gernsheim include Federal Highways (Bundesstraßen) B 44, B44a and B 426. Gernsheim is also connected to the Autobahn A 67, as well as to State Highway (Landesstraße) L 3112 and the K 206.

Gernsheim lies on the Mannheim–Frankfurt railway. There are also bus connections to Darmstadt, Bensheim, Goddelau and Lampertheim.

Gernsheim's riverfront on the Rhine is home to a container port with a railway connection. There are also ferries across the Rhine to Eich in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Known Gernsheimer Personalities

• Peter Schöffer (c. 1425 – c. 1503), printer, publisher and bookseller, born in Gernsheim
• Joseph Schmitt (c. 1734-1791), composer and music publisher, born in Gernsheim
• Jürgen Walter (* 1968), politician, living in Gernsheim
• Verena Weis (* 1979), singer Indira, temporarily residing in Gernsheim

External links

• (in German)
• Rheinisches Fischerfest
• Gernsheim at Curlie