A weekday morning street scene, with the Stephanskirche in the background.

Simmern (pronounced [ˈzɪmən]) is a town in Germany with 8,000 inhabitants. It is located in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate, 630 km from Berlin and 55 km west from Mainz. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x1356, 295 KB) Photo of Simmern, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, taken August 2003 by User:Stan Shebs File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Simmern User:Stan Shebs/Gallery... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x1356, 295 KB) Photo of Simmern, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, taken August 2003 by User:Stan Shebs File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Simmern User:Stan Shebs/Gallery... The Rhenish Palatinate (Rheinpfalz, sometimes Lower Palatinate or Niederpfalz) occupies rather more than a quarter of the German Bundesland (federal state) of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) and contains the towns of Ludwigshafen, Kaiserslautern, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Pirmasens, Landau and Speyer. ... This article is about Germanys largest city. ... Mainz is a city in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. ...

Simmern is seat of the Rhein-Hunsrück district (German: Kreis), and also of the Verbandsgemeinde ("collective municipality") Simmern. Rhein-Hunsrück is a district (Kreis) in the middle of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. ... There are 439 German districts, administrative units in Germany. ... A Verbandsgemeinde (plural Verbandsgemeinden) is an administrative unit unique to the German Bundesland (federal state) of Rhineland-Palatinate. ...

Since 1969, the town has officially been known as Kreisstadt Simmern-Hunsrück, as a result of the merger of Simmern and St. Goar districts to create the single Rhein-Hunsrück district. The town is located exactly on the 50th parallel. 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Rhein-Hunsrück is a district (Kreis) in the middle of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. ...

Simmern has grown tremendously in the last twenty years as more people and new industries have relocated to the area.

Profile

Simmern is centrally located in the Hunsrück and serves as the commercial, industrial, educational, cultural, and administrative center for the district and the Verbandsgemeinde Simmern (see below). A typical view of the Hunsrück countryside. ...

The town's proximity to the Frankfurt region (including the cities Mainz and Wiesbaden) as well as its well-travelled road links to Koblenz, Luxembourg, and Trier have allowed it to experience dramatic economic growth in the last twenty years whereas many areas and regions in Germany have lagged behind. Slate mining and agriculture have been the traditional industries of the district, but recent growth in the optical, pharmacutical and bio-chemical industries has transformed the local economy. Skyline of Frankfurt at night is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany. ... Mainz is a city in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. ... Wiesbaden is a city in central Germany. ... Koblenz (also Coblenz in pre-1926 German spellings; French Coblence; from ) is situated on the left bank of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck (German Corner) and its monument are situated. ... The city of Trier (Latin: Augusta Treverorum; French: ; Luxembourgish Tréier; Italian: ; Spanish: ) is situated on the western bank of the Moselle River in a valley between low vine-covered hills of ruddy sandstone. ...

The reopening of nearby Hahn Airport (20 km away) for commercial aviation and the widening of Bundesstrasse B-50 to four lanes have given the district and the town even greater economic potential for the future. Future plans include a possible extension of the A-60 autobahn to facilitate traffic from the Frankfurt metropolitan area to Simmern and the Benelux countries. The town is serviced by National road B 50 and is approximately 10 minutes from the A 61 motorway (autobahn'). Passenger rail service ended in the 1980s but will be reinstated in 2005 due to increasing traffic to and from Hahn. The German and Austrian autobahn sign The Swiss autobahn sign Autobahn ( ) (pronounced in IPA) is the German word for a major high-speed road restricted to motor vehicles and having full control of access, similar to a motorway or freeway in English-speaking countries. ... Satellite image of the Benelux countries Belgium Netherlands Luxembourg Benelux Benelux (or Bénélux) is an economic union in Western Europe comprising three neighbouring monarchies, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. ...

Points of interest

In spite of its small size, Simmern offers some attractions that rival any town or small city in Germany. The Hunsrückmuseum includes local artifacts and unique historical images of the city. The Neues Schloss or New Official Residence holds a collection of artwork from Friedrich-Karl Stroeher, arguably Simmern's most famous son. The Protestant Stephanskirche is a charming late Gothic church constructed in 1486 by Duke Johann I. The 18th century Catholic Pfarrkirche St. Josef is famous for its bright ceiling frescoes. Schinderhannesturm is a former prison, gaining fame for once holding the infamous robber Johannes Bückler. The local Freizeitbad is among the most popular and visited in Rhineland-Palatinate. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... See also Gothic art. ... Events Tízoc, Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan dies. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

History

The town was founded in the 13th century on the banks of the Simmerbach, of which the town name is derived from. A well fortified town, Simmern did not suffer tremendous hardship in the Thirty Years' War, in spite of its switch from Catholic to Lutheran leadership during the Reformation. (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... Combatants Protestantism: Sweden,Denmark, France, Scotland and protestant German countries like Saxony Roman Catholic Church: Holy Roman Empire, Spain Commanders Gustav II Adolf Ferdinand II The Thirty Years War was fought between 1618 and 1648, principally on the territory of todays Germany, also involving most of the major European... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ...

In the late 17th century, the town was reportedly flooded by Huguenots from Alsace, Lorraine, and Flanders; escaping persecution by Louis XIV in France. Arguably due to overcrowding conditions from these refugees, the town suffered a terrible fire in 1689. Simmern received nationwide notoriety in the early 1800s when the famous German robber baron Johannes Bückler escaped from the inescapable Schinderhannesturm jail cell and proceeded to continue to rob wealthy land-owners in the duchy. Bückler and his bandits would eventually be caught and hung by Napoleon's armies in Mainz in 1803. (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name of Huguenots came to apply to members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France, or historically as the French Calvinists. ... Capital Strasbourg Land area¹ 8,280 km² Regional President Adrien Zeller (UMP) (since 1996) Population  - Jan. ... Lorraine coat of arms location of the Lorraine province Lorraine (French: Lorraine; German: Lothringen) is a historical area in present-day northeast France. ... Flanders (Dutch: Vlaanderen) has several main meanings: the social, political and cultural community of the Flemings, through its social and political organizations, its media, universities, ... ; some prefer to call this the Flemish community, other refers to this as the Flemish nation; a constituent governing institution of the federal Belgian... Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné) (September 5, 1638 – September 1, 1715), reigned as King of France and of Navarre from May 14, 1643 until his death at the age of 77. ... Events Louis XIV of France passed the Code Noir, allowing the full use of slaves in the French colonies. ... A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess. ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... 1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Simmern fell under Prussian administration after the annexation of the Rheinland in 1867, but retained its status of district seat. Simmern became a major transit point for soldiers on the western front during the First World War. After the war, Simmern maintained its district seat but suffered from a loss of population due to the dramatic economic and agricultural conditions after the war. Flag of Prussia (1894 - 1918) The Kingdom of Prussia existed from 1701 until 1918, and from 1871 was the leading kingdom of the German Empire, comprising in its last form almost two-thirds of the area of the Empire. ... The Rhineland (Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. ... 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire France Italy Russia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total dead: 8 million Military dead: 4 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total dead: 7 million The First World War, also known as...

Simmern did suffer a sizable amount damage from allied advance in World War II due to its railroad connections and proximity to the Nazi airfield Hahn. First occupied by American military forces in 1945, the town fell under French administration with military support from Moroccan colonial soldiers. The United States did maintain a presence in the area, occupying Hahn airfield and creating a military base for the newly formed U.S. Air Force. French occupation ended in 1949 with the creation of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), but American presence at Hahn continued until the middle of the 1990s. Combatants Allies: Soviet Union, United Kingdom, France/Free France, United States, China, Canada, India, Australia, Poland, New Zealand, South Africa, Greece, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, Bulgaria, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Burma, Slovakia Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8... The United States Air Force (or USAF) is the aerospace branch of the United States armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ...

Simmern did manage to rebuild quickly after the war and by 1960 its population exceeded its pre-war total. In 1992, Hahn was reopened for cargo traffic and was renovated and opened for civilian travel in 1994 under the authority of Fraport, the operating company of Frankfurt International Airport. Today known as Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, the airport is the tenth busiest in Germany for passenger traffic and the third busiest for cargo transport. As a result of increasing traffic at Hahn, new companies have located distribution and research centers in Simmern. In 2002, the town completed a high-capacity bypass around the southern part of the town and began construction on an industrial park to further entice clean industry to Simmern. 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Frankfurt International Airport (German: Flughafen Frankfurt am Main) is located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. ... Frankfurt International Airport Frankfurt International Airport (IATA: FRA, ICAO: EDDF), known in German as Rhein-Main-Flughafen or Flughafen Frankfurt am Main, is located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. ... Image:Frankfurt-hahne-terminal. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... An industrial park is an area of land set aside for industrial development. ...

Simmern and other parts of the Hunsrück are vividly portrayed in Heimat, a German movie and mini-series portraying a family and a fictional village in the Hunsrück over the course of 20th Century German history. Heimat is a trilogy of episodic films by Edgar Reitz which views life in Germany between 1919 and 2000 through the eyes of a family from the Hunsrück area of the Rhineland. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

Verbandsgemeinde Simmern

Emmelshausen is also the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde ("collective municipality") Emmelshausen, which consists of the following Ortsgemeinden ("local municipalities"): A Verbandsgemeinde (plural Verbandsgemeinden) is an administrative unit unique to the German Bundesland (federal state) of Rhineland-Palatinate. ...

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Simmern/ Hunsrück