Rheingau

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For the wine region, see Rheingau (wine region).
County of the Rhine district,
The Rhinegraviate

Grafschaft der Rheingau,
Rheingrafschaft
937–1866
The Rheingau shown on a 1905 map of Hesse-Nassau
The Rheingau shown on a 1905 map of Hesse-Nassau
StatusState of the Frankish Empire
State of the Holy Roman Empire
CapitalRheingrafenstein in Kreuznach; later Eltville
GovernmentPrincipality
Historical eraMiddle Ages
• Established
ca 937 937
• :
   given to Abp Mainz
 
983
• Archbishopric dissolved;
   to Duchy of Nassau
 
1806
• Prussia annexes Nassau
   into Hesse-Nassau
 
1866 1866
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Monogram of Charlemagne Kingdom of the Franks
Kingdom of Prussia

The Rheingau (German: [ˈʁaɪ̯nɡaʊ̯] (About this soundlisten), literally "Rhine District") consists of the district on the Northern side of the Rhine between the German towns of Wiesbaden and Lorch near Frankfurt, reaching from the Western Taunus to the Rhine. It is situated in the German state of Hesse and is part of the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis administrative district. It is famous for Rheingau wines, especially the "Rheingauer Riesling," and its many taverns.

History[]

The Rheingau was as a Gau or county of the Frankish Empire, bordered by the Niddagau, the , the , and the Lahngau; the counts of the Rheingau were known as Rhinegraves. The first Rhinegrave on record is (937–960).[1]

In 983, Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor, gave the Rheingau, together with other territories, to the Archbishopric of Mainz during the Diet of Verona. When the Archbishopric was dissolved in 1806, the Rheingau was given to the Duchy of Nassau.

Following the marriage between (1383–1428) and Adelheid, scion of the Wildgraves of Kyrburg, (1476–95) inherited several territories in the , to the left of the Rhine (from the Nahegau, on the river Nahe and in the Alsace) from the Wildgraves and the counts of Salm, and these territories were also linked to their name, with the counts using the title "Wild- and Rhinegraves of Salm".[1]

Gallery[]

  • Rheingau valley with the Rhine

  • Rheinberg castle keep ruins, near Lorch

  • View from the Niederwald-Monument into the Rheingau

  • Schloss Vollrads near Oestrich-Winkel

  • The Drosselgasse in Ruedesheim

  • Electoral castle in Eltville

Events[]

  • The Rheingau Musik Festival takes place every year in July and August in many locations throughout the region.
  • The Rheingau Wine Festival takes place in Wiesbaden every year in August.
  • Most towns celebrate their own annual wine festival.

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b (in German) Rheingraf at Meyers Konversationslexikon, 1888

External links[]

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