Deidesheim

Member of the German National Network

Representatives of Network

Tourist Service GmbH, Bahnhofstrasse 5, 67146 Deidesheim
Stefan Wemhoener, 

Administrative district: Bad Dürkheim
Region: Rhineland palatinate
Slow Food presidia: Thomas Metzger, Weinstrasse 148, 67434 Neustadt,
Tel: 06321 – 7220, Fax: 06321 – 86032
Email: pfalz@slowfood.de

 

Geography
Deidesheim is a small town ( population approx 4000 ) and municipality in the ditrict of Bad Dürkheim, in Rhineland- Palatinate, Germany, located on the German Wine Route. The area surrounding Deidesheim extends over the three landscapetypes of the Palatinate forest, the Haardt Mountainsand, the alluvial flat land alongside the River Rhine.

History
The first documentary evidence of Deidesheim is found in a document for the monasteries Lorsch and Fulda dating from 699 ( codex of the monastery of Weissenburg ). As a "daughter" town of Niederkirchen, Deidesheim was founded around the 10th century on a former Roman mountain road. In 1360, Deidesheim was granted the right of fortification and, in 1395, King Wenzel of Bohemia graded the town its character. The town was destroyed in 1689 during the War of the Palatinate succession and also in 1792 – 1796. After being under French rule from 1801 – 1814, these places became part of the Rheinkreis, which was governed by Bavaria. The Rheinkreis only been called " Palatinate " since 1838, and the term "Palatinate Wine" did not exist before this date. In the course of the 19th century, the population was growing continously and a railway connection from Deidesheim to the Ludwigshafen area was set up in 1865. Deidesheim has been a seat of a municipality with more than 11.000 resicents since 1st January 1973. The municipality comprises Deidesheim, Forst, Meckenheim, Niederkirchen and Ruppertsberg.

Economy 
Viticulture has a long history in Deidesheim. Claims exist of fossiled remnants from a vine type plant more than four million years old. In our own century a beneficial synergy endures between viticulture and the other pillar of the local economy, tourism: along the length of the German Wine road, the expectionally favourable climate is the trump card for both activities.
There are currently 85 wine businesses with workable areas: in total the town has 485 hectars of vineyard. White wine still predominates, but the proportion of land devoted to red wine types has increased fom 2 % to 16 % since the early 1980s. The vineyards are dominately by Riesling grapes Rivaner, Silvaner, Spätburgunder, Blauer Portugieser, Weißburgunder, Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer based wines are also produced here.

Tourism
The other principal economic activities locally are those involving tourism. It is the unique combination of ( wine ) culture, love of nature, Mediterranean joie de vivre, sense of tradition and opening mindedness that make this "other paradies" so very charming.The surrounding countryside has a natural year-round beauty. At the start of the summer the blossom on the fruit trees is considered a particulary attractive feature of the district. The most obvious manifestations of tourism, especially during summer , the annual Weinfest each August and the "Deidesheimer Advent" ( Christmas Market ) each December. Deidesheim contains several interesting monuments including the intriguing "Geißbock" ( billy goat ) fountain which may splash the unwary. Between the "Geißbock"fountain the low key war memorial is to be found the nineteenth century synagoge, recently restored. Deidesheim`s unique symbol is most certainly its Barock town hall, the most beautiful and famous buildings on the German Wine Route. Unlike many other stately Baroque buildings of German princes, the castle of Deidesheim looks rather plain. The Palatinate Prince Elector Carl Theodor´s stay in 1770 was probably the greatest event in the short history of the Barock Castle. Today you will find a vinery and a restaurant. Museum of Wine Culture: instead of just collecting wine – related exhibits, this museum attempts to illustrate the manifold interrelation man and wine.