Rüsselsheim
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
| Coat of Arms | Map |
|---|---|
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| Basic Data | |
| State: | Hessen |
| Regierungsbezirk: | Darmstadt |
| County: | Groß-Gerau |
| Location: | 50° 00' N. Latitude 08° 26' E. Longitude |
| Elevation: | 88 m above sea level |
| Area: | 58.3 km² |
| Population: | 59,703 (December 31, 2003) |
| Population density: | 1,024 people per km² |
| Postal code: | 65428 |
| Area code: | 06142 |
| Car designation: | GG
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| Address of the city administration: | Marktplatz 4 65428 Rüsselsheim |
| Website: | www.stadt-ruesselsheim.de |
| E-Mail Address: | mailto:oeffentlichkeitsarbeit@stadt-ruesselsheim.de |
| Politics | |
| Mayor: | Stefan Gieltowski |
Rüsselsheim is the largest city in the Groß-Gerau district in the Rhein-Main region of Germany.
It is one of seven special status cities in Hessen and is located on the Main, only a few kilometers from its mouth in Mainz. The suburbs Bauschheim and Königstädten are a part of Rüsselsheim, along with the city proper. Rüsselsheim has attained interational recognition through the presence of the automobile manufacturer Opel.
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History
Rüsselsheim emerged from a settlement of the Count of Katzenelnbogen.
The name of the city evolved over the course of time:
- 764/5 Rucile(n)sheim
- before 1130 Ruozcelenesheim
- 1336 Ruzelnsheim
- 1275 Ruozelsheim
- 1640 Ruselsem
- 1840 Rüsselsheim
Politics
Coat of Arms
In the city's coat of arms there is a silver "Doppelhaken" (a double check-mark) and two silver stars on a blue background.
The "Doppelhaken" is also called a "Wolfsangel" (wolf hook), however, it is not clear whether or not it was actually used to kill wolves. Some also see the "Doppelhaken" as a grappling hook.
The two stars indicate that Rüsselsheim used to belong to Katzenelnbogen County, which also bore these stars on its crest.
Mayor
- 1966-1981 Karl-Heinz Storsberg, SPD
- 1981-1994 Norbert Winterstein, SPD
- 1994-1999 Ottilia Geschka, CDU
- 1999-present: Stefan Gieltowski, SPD
City Partnerships
Since 1961 Ruesselsheim has taken part in an international city partnership. A regular exchange of culture and sports takes place between the four partner cities. Among other things, there are regular competitions between the four cities.
The first partnership began in 1961 with the French city Evreux, the capital of the Département of Eure, with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Evreux is about 100km from both Paris and the Normandy Coast. In terms of history, Evreux offers historical monuments from the Gallo-Roman period (3rd century) and a cathedral from the 13th century. The economy of the city is based on business from the printing, electronics and pharmaceutical industries.
In 1977 Rugby (England) was added as the second partner city. The city has a population of about 70,000 and is located in Warwickshire County. It became well-known because of the public school with same name, as well as the sport "rugby." Rugby is a transportation junction between London, Birmingham and the north of England and its economy is based on industry and agriculture.
In 1979 the city of Varkaus, in Finland, was added. A quarter of the city is water, and as a city with bridges and canals, Varkaus is a favorite tourist destination, both in summer (baths and boot tours) as well as in winter (100km cross-country ski runs).
In 1991 the city Kecskemét formed a partnership with Ruesselsheim and is the most recent addition. Kecskemét is the capital of the Hungarian komitat Bács-Kiskun, with a population of about 100,000. Kecskemét is located in the national park Kiskunság between Donau and Theiss. Well-know people from the city include the playwright József Katona, the painter János Muroközy, and the composer Zoltán Kodály. Art, education and agriculture shape the city.
The attempt to add the Turkish spa city Bodrum as a fifth city failed.
Economy
The automobile manufacturer Opel and the ideal transportation location with many highway connections and direct train connections to Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Wiesbaden and Darmstadt have resulted in the establishment of many businesses and the attraction of many communters in Rüsselsheim.
Local Companies
Opel
Above all, Ruesselsheim is known for the automobile manufacturer Opel. The founder, Adam Opel, began as a trainee mechanic and originally founded a sewing machine factory. The first cars were built in 1898.
Hyundai
The European Center of the Korean automobile manufacturer Hyundai was inaugarated in 2003.
EDS - Electronic Data Systems
The German center of the America outsourcing company EDS is located in Rüsselsheim.
Public Facilities
Culture
The Ruesselsheim Theater provides 865 seats in stalls and tiers in the big hall. The theater’s programming consists of plays, concerts, operas, operettas, musicals, ballets and dancing.
The Ruesselsheim Museum, which was designated in 1980 with the Council of Europe’s museum award as a "Model Museum," focuses in particular on the development of labor procedures and labor conditions from prehistory to the present.
Educational institutions
Fachhochschule Wiesbaden
The Fachhochschule Wiesbaden is an advanced technical college which has a branch in the city of Rüsselsheim. The techinical departments of the Fachhochschule Wiesbaden are primarily located here.
Courses of study:
- Television engineering and electronic media
- Autmotive, industrial, energy, and design engineering
- Environmental technology
- Physical technology, nanotechnology, computational engineering and medical technology
- Air traffic systems, marketing and control
- Media technology, information technology and electrical engineering
Recreational and Sports Facilities
Event spaces: Walter-Köbel-Halle (2500 spectators)
Swimming pools: Freizeitbad an der Lache, Waldschwimmbad, Opelbad (no longer in use)
Stadiums: Stadion am Sommerdamm, with a field including bleachers and an artificial field for hockey
Boathouses: Bootshaus des Rudervereins Rüsselsheim am Main
Clubs
Rüsselsheim features a large number of clubs. Some of them are members of national and international leagues.
- tg 1862 Rüsselsheim is the biggest of Rüsselsheim's clubs with approx. 4,000 members. 30 sports are offered in 12 divisions. The volleyball and dacing teams are members of their respective national leagues.
- JC Rüsselsheim offeres judo and other martial arts. A few German champions, as well as world champions, originate from this club.
- Rüsselsheimer Ruderklub is best known for hockey. The women's and men's teams have won German championships and were the winners of the European Cup.
- Flug-Sport-Club Rüsselsheim flies from its airfield on the Hoherodskopf.
In 2004 the Volunteer Fire Department of the city of Rüsselsheim was 125 years old.
Development of the downtown
Additions
- 1951 Haßloch
- 1956 Königstädten
- 1970 Bauschheim
People
Honorary citizens
- Ludwig Dörfler, former mayor of Rüsselsheim
- Roland Plaisance, former mayor of Rüsselsheim's partner city Evreux
Sons and Daughters of the City
- Adam Opel, founder of Adam Opel AG (1837 - 1895)
- Dr. Norbert Blüm, politician (CDU) and retired Federal Minister (1935)
- Klaus Fuchs, physicist, convicted of espionage
- Andrea Ypsilanti, politician
- Kai Hundertmarck, cyclist with the Deutsche Telekom team (1969)
People who have had influence in Rüsselsheim
- Diether Ritzert, painter und designer (1927-1987)
- Wilhelm Hammann, Buchenwald prisoner, district administrator of Groß-Gerau (1897-1955)
- Ottmar Hörl, artist (1950)
References
- This article is based on a translation of the corresponding article from the German Biocrawler, retrieved on May 10, 2005.
External links
- Official site (http://www.stadt-ruesselsheim.de)sv:Rüsselsheim
