Rheingau-Taunus
District
Flag of Rheingau-Taunus
Flag
Coat of arms of Rheingau-Taunus
Coat of arms
Map
CountryGermany
StateHesse
Adm. regionDarmstadt
CapitalBad Schwalbach
Area
 • Total811.11 km2 (313.17 sq mi)
Population
 (31 December 2022)[1]
 • Total189,614
 • Density230/km2 (610/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Vehicle registrationRÜD, SWA
Websitewww.rheingau-taunus.de

Rheingau-Taunus is a Kreis (district) in the west of Hesse, Germany. Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis is part of the Darmstadt region; its main administrative seat is Bad Schwalbach. Outposted sections of the local administration are located in Idstein and Rüdesheim am Rhein.

Neighbouring districts are the Hessian districts of Limburg-Weilburg, Hochtaunuskreis, Main-Taunus-Kreis, district-free Wiesbaden and Mainz-Bingen and Rhein-Lahn which are located in Rhineland-Palatinate.

History

From 983 to 1803, the Rheingau area belonged to the Electorate of Mainz and was then merged into the new Duchy of Nassau.

The Untertaunus region was part of the Earldom of Katzenelnbogen. From 1816 onward, the whole area of the district became part of the Duchy of Nassau. After the 1866 Austro-Prussian war, Nassau was annexed by Prussia and formed the new province of Hesse-Nassau.

In 1867, the province was divided into districts. Therefore, the districts of Rheingau and Untertaunus were created.

After the Second World War and the creation of Hesse in 1946, these two districts remained unchanged. Only in 1977, because administrative borders were redrawn, the districts of Rheingau and Untertaunus merged and thus formed the Rheingau-Taunus district.

Geography

Highest point of the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis:629,3 m high mountain Windhain above Waldems-Wüstems' roofs; on the right in the back Großer Feldberg is visible, the highest mountain of the entire Taunus mountain range.

The district covers the western part of the Taunus mountains. The river Rhine forms the district's border in the south.

Politics

District council

Recent district elections had the following results:[2]

Parties and voter communities %
2016 		Seats
2016 		%
2011 		Seats
2011 		%
2006 		Seats
2006 		%
2001 		Seats
2001
CDU Christian Democratic Union 35.3 21 35.8 22 39.8 24 39.1 28
SPD Social Democratic Party 24.1 15 30.8 19 33.6 20 37.2 26
GRÜNE Alliance 90/The Greens 11.2 7 18.9 12 10.3 6 10.0 7
FDP Free Democratic Party 6.8 4 5.0 3 6.1 4 6.5 5
DIE LINKE The Left 3.2 2 2.3 1 — — — —
FWG Freie Wähler Gemeinschaft Rheingau-Taunus (Independent Voters Community) 6.0 4 7.2 4 7.5 5 4.5 3
REP The Republicans — — — — 2.7 2 2.7 2
AFD Alternative for Germany 13.4 8 — — — — — —
Total 100.0 61 100.0 61 100.0 61 100.0 71
Voter turnout % 53.2 51.4 50.0 55.6

Coat of arms

The coat of arms combines the coat of arms of the two former districts - in the bottom right the Mainz wheel taken from the Rheingau district, in the top left the lion of Nassau from the former Untertaunuskreis.

Subdivisions

Lorch am RheinRüdesheim am RheinGeisenheimOestrich-WinkelKiedrichEltvilleWallufSchlangenbadBad SchwalbachHeidenrodAarbergenHohensteinTaunussteinHünstettenIdsteinNiedernhausenWaldemsRhineland-PalatinateWiesbadenLimburg-WeilburgMain-Taunus-KreisHochtaunuskreisGroß-Gerau (district)
Clickable map of towns and municipalities in the district

Towns[edit]

  1. Bad Schwalbach
  2. Eltville
  3. Geisenheim
  4. Idstein
  5. Lorch
  6. Oestrich-Winkel
  7. Rüdesheim
  8. Taunusstein

Municipalities[edit]

  1. Aarbergen
  2. Heidenrod
  3. Hohenstein
  4. Hünstetten
  5. Kiedrich
  6. Niedernhausen
  7. Schlangenbad
  8. Waldems
  9. Walluf

References

  1. ^ "Bevölkerung in Hessen am 31.12.2022 nach Gemeinden" (XLS) (in German). Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt. June 2023.
  2. ^ Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt: Final result of district election (in German).

External links

50°08′54″N 8°04′24″E / 50.148403°N 8.073267°E / 50.148403; 8.073267

Urban and rural districts in the state of Hesse in Germany
Authority control databases
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