Meisenheim

Meisenheim
Meisenheim
Location of the town of Meisenheim within Bad Kreuznach district
Coordinates	49°43′N 7°40′E / 49.71667°N 7.66667°E / 49.71667; 7.66667Coordinates: 49°43′N 7°40′E / 49.71667°N 7.66667°E / 49.71667; 7.66667
Administration
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
District	Bad Kreuznach
Municipal assoc.	Meisenheim
Mayor	Volkhard Waelder
Basic statistics
Area	10.34 km2 (3.99 sq mi)
Elevation	232 m  (761 ft)
Population	2,822 (31 December 2010)[1]
- Density	273 /km2 (707 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	KH
Postal code	55590
Area code	06753
Website	www.meisenheim.de

Meisenheim is a town 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.

Sights

• Schloßkirche
• historical town centre

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 of Meisenheim are a combination of the lion of the counts of Veldenz and a canting (heraldic punning) symbol of a Meise, or tit. 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.

Meisenheim became a city in 1315. The city rights were granted by King Ludwig of Bavaria. The town was owned since the 12th century by the counts of Veldenz.

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.

Burials

• Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken

Literature

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

Weblinks

Media related to Meisenheim at Wikimedia Commons

1. ^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden am 31.12.2010" (in German). Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz. 31 December 2010. http://www.statistik.rlp.de/fileadmin/dokumente/berichte/A1033_201022_hj_G.pdf.