Idstein
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Idstein () is a town of about 25,000 inhabitants in the
Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis 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 R ...
in the ''
Regierungsbezirk A ' () means "governmental district" and is a type of administrative division in Germany. Four of sixteen ' ( states of Germany) are split into '. Beneath these are rural and urban districts. Saxony has ' (directorate districts) with more res ...
'' of
Darmstadt Darmstadt () is a city in the States of Germany, state of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Area, Rhine-Main-Area (Frankfurt Metropolitan Region). Darmstadt has around 160,000 inhabitants, making it th ...
in
Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major histor ...
, Germany. Because of its well preserved historical Altstadt (Old Town) it is part of the ''Deutsche Fachwerkstraße'' (
German Timber-Frame Road The German Timber-Frame Road (German: ''Deutsche Fachwerkstraße'') is a German tourist route leading from the river Elbe in the north to the Black Forest and Lake Constance in the south. Numerous cities and towns each with examples of the vernacu ...
), connecting towns with fine
fachwerk Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...
buildings and houses. In 2002, the town hosted the 42nd
Hessentag The Hessentag (; en, Hesse Day) is an annual event, both fair and festival, organized by the German state of Hesse to represent the different regions of Hesse. The events are shown for a week to the visitors, with an emphasis on cultural displ ...
state festival.


Geography


Location

Idstein lies in the
Taunus The Taunus is a mountain range in Hesse, Germany, located north of Frankfurt. The tallest peak in the range is ''Großer Feldberg'' at 878 m; other notable peaks are ''Kleiner Feldberg'' (825 m) and ''Altkönig'' (798 m). The Taunus range spans ...
mountain range, about north of
Wiesbaden Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...
. The town's landmark is the ''Hexenturm'' (
Witches' Tower Witch tower or Witches' Tower (german: Hexenturm) is a common name or description in English and other European languages for a tower that was part of a medieval town wall or castle, often used as a prison or dungeon. History The name is derive ...
), a 12th-century
bergfried ''Bergfried'' (plural: ''bergfriede''; English: ''belfry''; French: ''tour-beffroi''; Spanish: ''torre del homenaje'') is a tall tower that is typically found in castles of the Middle Ages in German-speaking countries and in countries under German ...
and part of
Idstein Castle Idstein Castle (german: Burg Idstein), later the Renaissance style ''Schloss Idstein'', is located in Idstein in the county of Rheingau-Taunus, Germany. The hill castle was the '' residenz'' of the counts of Nassau-Idstein. The castle's Witche ...
. The Old Town is found between the two brooks running through town, the Wolfsbach in the east and the Wörsbach in the west, on a high ridge reaching up to above
sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...
. This comes to an end in the Old Town's north end with the castle and palace crags, behind which the two brooks run together. On the Wolfsbach, remnants of the like-named, now forsaken village can still be made out. The estate agent Gassenbach in the town's south goes back to an old settlement called Gassenbach; for the last few years, it has belonged to the ''Domäne Mechtildshausen'', an
organic farming Organic farming, also known as ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and re ...
operation. West of town, beyond the Wörsbach valley, lies another high ridge with peaks ranging from the Hohe Kanzel () to the Roßberg () and the Rügert () to the Rosenkippel (); to the south, the Galgenberg () forms another high area over to the Dasbach Heath. Just under the western heights run the
Autobahn The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. ...
A 3 and the Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed rail line (in the Idsteintunnel along the slope). On the other side of the Rügert are the constituent communities of Oberauroff and Niederauroff in the valley of the Auroffer Bach. North of Idstein, the Wörsbach valley reaches into the ''Goldener Grund'', fertile cropland that stretches all the way to the
Lahn The Lahn is a , right (or eastern) tributary of the Rhine in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia (23.0 km), Hesse (165.6 km), and Rhineland-Palatinate (57.0 km). It has its source in t ...
valley.


Neighbouring communities

Idstein borders in the north on the town of
Bad Camberg Bad or BAD may refer to: Common meanings *Evil, the opposite of moral good * Erroneous, inaccurate or incorrect *Unhealthy, or counter to well-being *Antagonist, the threat or obstacle of moral good Acronyms * BAD-2, a Soviet armored trolley ...
(
Limburg-Weilburg Limburg-Weilburg is a Kreis (district) in the west of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Lahn-Dill, Hochtaunuskreis, Rheingau-Taunus, Rhein-Lahn, Westerwaldkreis. History *1867 the ''Oberlahnkreis'', capital Weilburg was created *1886 the d ...
) and the community of
Waldems Waldems () is a municipality in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. The municipality's administrative seat is Waldems-Esch. Geography Location Waldems is located in the Taunus in a widely woode ...
(Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis), in the east on the community of Glashütten (
Hochtaunuskreis The Hochtaunuskreis is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the middle of Hesse, Germany and is part of the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Neighbouring districts are Lahn-Dill, Wetteraukreis, district-free Frankfurt, Main-Taunus, Rheingau-Taunus, ...
), in the southeast on the town of
Eppstein Eppstein is a town in the Main-Taunus-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. Eppstein lies west of Frankfurt am Main, around 12 km north east of the state capital Wiesbaden, and is at the edge of the Taunus mountains. The ruins of the Eppstein castle is ...
(
Main-Taunus-Kreis Main-Taunus is a Kreis (district) in the middle of Hessen, Germany and is part of the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region as well as the Frankfurt urban area. Neighboring districts are Hochtaunuskreis, district-free Frankfurt, Groß-Gerau, d ...
), in the south on the community of
Niedernhausen Niedernhausen im Taunus is a municipality in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany, with almost 15,000 inhabitants. Geography Location Niedernhausen lies in the Rhein-Taunus Nature Park in the west o ...
, in the southwest on the town of
Taunusstein Taunusstein () is the biggest town in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hessen, Germany. It has 30,068 inhabitants (2020). Geography Location Taunusstein lies roughly 10 km northwest of Wiesbaden and abo ...
and in the west on the community of
Hünstetten Hünstetten is a municipality in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. Neighbouring communities Hünstetten borders in the north on the community of Hünfelden, in the northeast on the town of Bad C ...
(all three in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis).


Constituent communities

The town is made up of a main town bearing the same name as the whole and eleven other, formerly independent villages: Until 1977, Idstein belonged to the Untertaunuskreis (district seat,
Bad Schwalbach Bad Schwalbach (called Langenschwalbach until 1927) is the district seat of Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. Geography Geographic location Bad Schwalbach is a spa town some 20 km northwest of Wiesbaden. It lies at 289 to 465&nbs ...
), which in the course of district reform was merged with the Rheingau-Kreis into the new
Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis 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 R ...
. With about 25,700 inhabitants, Idstein is the second biggest town in the district (after
Taunusstein Taunusstein () is the biggest town in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hessen, Germany. It has 30,068 inhabitants (2020). Geography Location Taunusstein lies roughly 10 km northwest of Wiesbaden and abo ...
).


History

Idstein, which had its first documentary mention in 1102 as ''Etichenstein'', was granted town and market rights in 1287 by King
Rudolph of Habsburg Rudolf I (1 May 1218 – 15 July 1291) was the first King of Germany from the House of Habsburg. The first of the count-kings of Germany, he reigned from 1273 until his death. Rudolf's election marked the end of the Great Interregnum which h ...
. Besides the ''Hexenturm'' near the old Nassau castle that has already been mentioned, the town has a
mediaeval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
town centre with many
timber-frame Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...
buildings. The town's oldest preserved house was originally built in 1410. From the documentary mention in 1102 until 1721, Idstein was, with interruptions, residence of the Counts of Nassau-Idstein and other Nassau lines. One of the Counts,
Adolf of Germany Adolf (c. 1255 – 2 July 1298) was the count of Nassau from about 1276 and the elected king of Germany from 1292 until his deposition by the prince-electors in 1298. He was never crowned by the pope, which would have secured him the imperial ...
, was, as a compromise candidate, the
Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...
from 1292 to 1298, later falling in battle against the anti-king Albrecht I of Habsburg. The Nassau Counts' holdings were subdivided many times among heirs, with the parts being brought together again whenever a line died out. This yielded an older Nassau-Idstein line from 1480 to 1509, later merging once again with Nassau-Wiesbaden and Nassau-Weilburg and, from 1629 to 1721, a newer Nassau-Idstein line. In the 17th century, Count Johann of Nassau-Idstein persecuted witches in Idstein. In 1721, Idstein passed to Nassau-Ottweiler, and in 1728 to Nassau-Usingen, thereby losing its status as a residence town, although it became the seat of the Nassau Archives and of an '' Oberamt''. Nassau-Usingen was united with Nassau-Weilburg in 1806 into the
Duchy of Nassau The Duchy of Nassau (German: ''Herzogtum Nassau'') was an independent state between 1806 and 1866, located in what is now the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. It was a member of the Confederation of the Rhine and later of the G ...
, becoming a member of the
Confederation of the Rhine The Confederated States of the Rhine, simply known as the Confederation of the Rhine, also known as Napoleonic Germany, was a confederation of German client states established at the behest of Napoleon some months after he defeated Austria an ...
. After the
Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War, also by many variant names such as Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), (; "German war of brothers") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 186 ...
in 1866,
Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
annexed the Duchy as the Prussian province of
Hesse-Nassau The Province of Hesse-Nassau () was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1868 to 1918, then a province of the Free State of Prussia until 1944. Hesse-Nassau was created as a consequence of the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 by combining the p ...
. The residential palace from the 17th century is used by the ''Pestalozzischule'' as a school building. It was expanded with a new building below the palace. From the late 18th century to the mid 20th, Idstein was the centre of an important leather industry. During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, many women became
forced labour Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...
for work in the tanneries. In 1959, the dominant tannery in the middle of the town core was shut down for economic reasons. The lands right at the edge of the Old Town lay empty and were used until the 1980s as a carpark. Today, new shops and apartments surround the Löherplatz, which is now a marketplace. The private ''Kalmenhof'' clinic in Idstein was drawn into the
Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
Euthanasia Euthanasia (from el, εὐθανασία 'good death': εὖ, ''eu'' 'well, good' + θάνατος, ''thanatos'' 'death') is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different eut ...
programme. Under
Action T4 (German, ) was a campaign of mass murder by involuntary euthanasia in Nazi Germany. The term was first used in post-war trials against doctors who had been involved in the killings. The name T4 is an abbreviation of 4, a street address of ...
, the Kalmenhof served as a way station for Hadamar killing centre. After the gassings at Hadamar came to an end in the face of public protests, especially from the churches, the Kalmenhof itself, in the course of ''
Aktion Brandt ''Aktion Brandt'' (Operation Brandt) is an umbrella term for the decentralized murders of sick people in sanatoriums in Nazi Germany. In some institutions, sick people were deliberately subjected to overcrowding, neglect, and malnutrition; in o ...
'', became a killing institute; patients here were murdered with poison injections. Shortly after the war, reports of young wards being mishandled came to light. Eleven formerly independent villages were merged as of 1971 into Idstein, under the framework of municipal reform.


Population development

(as of 31 December)


Politics


Coat of arms

The town's
arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...
might be described thus: Azure a round castle wall embattled with two portcullises open, the wall enclosing two towers, the whole Or, with peaked roofs gules, between the portcullises an inescutcheon azure with a lion rampant Or armed and langued gules among six billets Or. The
inescutcheon In heraldry, an escutcheon () is a shield that forms the main or focal element in an achievement of arms. The word can be used in two related senses. In the first sense, an escutcheon is the shield upon which a coat of arms is displayed. In the s ...
is the arms borne by the
House of Nassau The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled "Count o ...
. The town's flag also bears this design set against orange and blue, Nassau's colours.


Twin towns – sister cities

Idstein is twinned with: *
Heusden Heusden () is a municipality and a town in the South of the Netherlands. It is located between the towns of Waalwijk and 's-Hertogenbosch. The municipality of Heusden, including Herpt, Heesbeen, Hedikhuizen, Doeveren, and Oudheusden, merged with ...
, Netherlands *
Lana Lana may refer to: *Lana (given name) *Francesco Lana de Terzi (1631–1687), Italian Jesuit priest and scientist *Lana (wrestler), professional wrestler and pro wrestling manager *''Wild Energy. Lana'', a 2006 Ukrainian fantasy novel Sciences *L ...
, Italy *
Şile Şile is a city and district in Istanbul, Turkey. According to the 2007 census, the population of the district was 25,169, of which 9,831 lived in the city of Şile, 2,096 in the nearby town of Ağva (Yeşilçay) and 13,242 in surrounding village ...
, Turkey *
Uglich Uglich ( rus, У́глич, p=ˈuɡlʲɪtɕ) is a historic town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located on the Volga River. Population: History The city was first documented in 1148 as ''Ugliche Pole'' (''Corner Field''). The town's name is though ...
, Russia * Zwijndrecht, Belgium


Economy and infrastructure


Transport

Idstein has an interchange on the
Autobahn The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. ...
A 3 north of
Wiesbaden Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...
between
Niedernhausen Niedernhausen im Taunus is a municipality in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany, with almost 15,000 inhabitants. Geography Location Niedernhausen lies in the Rhein-Taunus Nature Park in the west o ...
and
Bad Camberg Bad or BAD may refer to: Common meanings *Evil, the opposite of moral good * Erroneous, inaccurate or incorrect *Unhealthy, or counter to well-being *Antagonist, the threat or obstacle of moral good Acronyms * BAD-2, a Soviet armored trolley ...
, and a
railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
with direct connections to
Limburg an der Lahn Limburg an der Lahn (officially abbreviated ''Limburg a. d. Lahn'') is the district seat of Limburg-Weilburg in Hesse, Germany. Geography Location Limburg lies in western Hessen between the Taunus and the Westerwald on the river Lahn. The to ...
,
Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
and
Wiesbaden Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...
. The building of a bypass, ''
Bundesstraße ''Bundesstraße'' (German for "federal highway"), abbreviated ''B'', is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways. Germany Germany's ''Bundesstraßen'' network has a total length of about 40,000 km. German ''Bundesstraßen'' ...
'' 275, lessened the traffic in the historic Old Town. However, the traffic volume in the town core is still very high. At intersections in the town core,
roundabout A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford En ...
s have improved the traffic flow, in some places noticeably. The ''Südtangente'' (south "tangent" road), which had been planned since 1981, was completed in 2009, reducing traffic in town further. It links two new development areas. Of the €9,000,000 for the project, roughly 60% was borne by the
state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
of Hesse.


Local transport

Within Idstein town limits are two railway stations on the
Main-Lahn Railway The Main-Lahn railway (german: Main-Lahn-Bahn), also called the Limburg railway (''Limburger Bahn''), is a double-track, electrified main railway line in Germany. The long line extends from Frankfurt Central Station (''Hauptbahnhof'') to Eschhofen ...
(''Main-Lahn-Bahn''), Idstein and Wörsdorf. There are hourly trains serving the Frankfurt/Wiesbaden–Niedernhausen–Limburg run into the evening. In
Niedernhausen Niedernhausen im Taunus is a municipality in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany, with almost 15,000 inhabitants. Geography Location Niedernhausen lies in the Rhein-Taunus Nature Park in the west o ...
there is also a transfer point with S-Bahn line S2 towards
Dietzenbach Dietzenbach is the seat of Offenbach district in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany and lies roughly 12 km southeast of Frankfurt am Main on the waterstream Bieber. Before the Second World War, the current town was ...
through the Frankfurt and Offenbach S-Bahn tunnels. The Idstein town bus (''de Idstaaner'') serves 3 lines: *221 Railway station–Eisenbach–Taubenberg–Gänsberg–ZOB Schulgasse–Railway station (formerly 401) *222 Railway station–ZOB Schulgasse–Gänsberg–Taubenberg–Eisenbach–Railway station (formerly 402) *223 (booster line) Railway station–Dasbach–Heftrich–Niederrod (formerly 403) The town bus is run by ORN (''Omnibusverkehr Rhein-Nahe''). It uses mainly Midi low-floor buses built by
MAN A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromos ...
. Most journeys made by bus 223 are arranged in response to demand. Moreover, many regional buses also serve Idstein, linking important areas not served by the town bus as they go. *220 Idstein–
Niedernhausen Niedernhausen im Taunus is a municipality in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany, with almost 15,000 inhabitants. Geography Location Niedernhausen lies in the Rhein-Taunus Nature Park in the west o ...
–Oberjosbach (formerly 5460) *224 Idstein–Ehrenbach–Görsroth–Idstein *225 Railway station–ZOB–Nassauviertel–Hünstetten–Neuhof–(Wiesbaden) *226 Railway station–ZOB–Nassauviertel–Wallrabenstein–Ketternschwalbach (formerly 103) *227 Görsroth–Idstein *230 Idstein–Esch–
Bad Camberg Bad or BAD may refer to: Common meanings *Evil, the opposite of moral good * Erroneous, inaccurate or incorrect *Unhealthy, or counter to well-being *Antagonist, the threat or obstacle of moral good Acronyms * BAD-2, a Soviet armored trolley ...
(formerly 5465) *233 Idstein/
Bad Camberg Bad or BAD may refer to: Common meanings *Evil, the opposite of moral good * Erroneous, inaccurate or incorrect *Unhealthy, or counter to well-being *Antagonist, the threat or obstacle of moral good Acronyms * BAD-2, a Soviet armored trolley ...
–Esch–Wüstems *239 Idstein–
Waldems Waldems () is a municipality in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. The municipality's administrative seat is Waldems-Esch. Geography Location Waldems is located in the Taunus in a widely woode ...
*271 ZOB–Railway station–Am Wörtzgarten–Neuhof–Platte–Wiesbaden main railway station (formerly 5461) Since timetable changes in July 2007, many journeys, particularly on weekends or in the evening, have been served by demand-responsive buses. Bus services in the countryside around Idstein (the ''Idsteiner Land'') are likewise run by ORN, which contracts the work out to companies such as Omnibus Mester from Eppstein-Bremthal, Omnibus Weber, Paul-Reisen or Wahl-Reisen (all from Hünstetten).


Established businesses

Roughly 200 small and midsize businesses, mainly in crafts and retail sales, characterize Idstein's business life; four out of every five have fewer than ten employees. Among the bigger businesses in town are, for instance, RS systeme GmbH, Motorola GmbH,
Jack Wolfskin Jack Wolfskin is a German producer of outdoor wear and equipment headquartered in Idstein. It was founded in 1981 and is now one of the biggest suppliers and successful franchisers of outdoor products including sports equipment, mountain and le ...
, DG-Verlag (distribution and logistics), E. Schmitz Trading & Technical Services GmbH,
Black & Decker Black+Decker Inc. is an American manufacturer of power tools, accessories, hardware, home improvement products, home appliances and fastening systems headquartered in Towson, Maryland, north of Baltimore, Maryland, USA, where the company was o ...
/ELU-Gruppe (Elektrowerkzeuge) and Thermoplast + Apparatebau GmbH (thermoplastic injection-moulded articles). Another important employer and factor in the economy is the ''Landeswohlfahrtsverband Hessen'' (Hesse State Welfare Federation) with its SPZ (
paediatric Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until the ...
centre) Kalmenhof, an institution aiding youths and people with handicaps. As an historically important and modern middle centre and the heart of the ''Idsteiner Land'', Idstein has at its disposal a multi-faceted retail structure. Its location on the Frankfurt/Wiesbaden – Limburg railway and the A 3 and a great number of commuters put the great shopping centres in
Limburg an der Lahn Limburg an der Lahn (officially abbreviated ''Limburg a. d. Lahn'') is the district seat of Limburg-Weilburg in Hesse, Germany. Geography Location Limburg lies in western Hessen between the Taunus and the Westerwald on the river Lahn. The to ...
and
Wiesbaden Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...
as well as those throughout the
Frankfurt Rhine Main Region The Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region, often simply referred to as Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Frankfurt Rhine-Main area or Rhine-Main area (German: ''Rhein-Main-Gebiet'' or ''Frankfurt/Rhein-Main'', abbreviated FRM), is the second-largest metropolitan re ...
in direct competition with the local retailers.


Major building projects

In the course of the 2002
Hessentag The Hessentag (; en, Hesse Day) is an annual event, both fair and festival, organized by the German state of Hesse to represent the different regions of Hesse. The events are shown for a week to the visitors, with an emphasis on cultural displ ...
, many great building (and sometimes conversion) projects were undertaken. The building of the connecting road ''Tiergartenspange'' reduced traffic in the Old Town. Three new building areas have been developed: *Nassau-Viertel (mixed-use area in the town's northwest along ''
Bundesstraße ''Bundesstraße'' (German for "federal highway"), abbreviated ''B'', is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways. Germany Germany's ''Bundesstraßen'' network has a total length of about 40,000 km. German ''Bundesstraßen'' ...
'' 275) *South bypass road *Taunusviertel (in the town's southeast)


Major building projects since ''Hessentag''

*New building work on the ''Grundschule Auf der Au'' (
primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
) and the ''Erich-Kästner-Schule'' (completed 2005) *New building work on the police station (inner town, completed 2006) in connection with conversion work on the ''Amtsgericht'' (court, still in progress) *Conversion work on the former ''Geldmacher-Gelände'' (piece of real estate, diagonally across from the Kappus complex): fast-food restaurant (
Burger King Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based res ...
, not far from the
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
, which has been there a while longer), automotive parts dealer and a discount market (completed June/August 2007) *New building work on the Campus Europa Hochschule Fresenius (college in the inner town, under construction) *New building work on the Tournesol-Allwetterbad (
swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built ...
) with
biomass Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms bi ...
power station A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid. Many p ...
in the Nassau-Viertel *New building work on the health centre/hospital *''Kappus-Anlage'' (at the "railway station roundabout"): doctors' centre and discount market (completed 2008) *Ramp onto the A 3 from ''Bundesstraße'' 275 towards
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
(completed: April 2008)


Public institutions

* Idstein
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
parish * Idstein St. Martin Catholic parish * Idstein volunteer fire brigade * Idstein youth centre


State institutions

* ''Amtsgericht'' (court) *
Technisches Hilfswerk The (THW, English: ''Federal Agency for Technical Relief'') is the federal civil protection organisation of Germany. It is controlled by the German federal government. 99% of its 79,543 members (2019) are volunteers. Tasks The tasks of the ...
(THW) * ''Sozialpädagogisches Zentrum Kalmenhof'' (State Welfare Federation institution)


Education

* Taubenbergschule (primary school) * Alteburgschule Heftrich (primary school) * Franz-Kade-Schule (Wörsdorf primary school) * Limesschule (cooperative
comprehensive school A comprehensive school typically describes a secondary school for pupils aged approximately 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is res ...
with
Hauptschule A ''Hauptschule'' (, "general school") is a secondary school in Germany, starting after four years of elementary schooling (''Grundschule''), which offers Lower Secondary Education (Level 2) according to the International Standard Classification ...
and
Realschule ''Realschule'' () is a type of secondary school in Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia (''realna gimnazija''), the Austrian Empire, the German Empire, Denmark and Norway (''realskole''), Sweden (''realskola''), ...
branches) * Grundschule Auf der Au (primary school) * Erich Kästner-Schule (school for those in need of learning help) *
Pestalozzi Pestalozzi is the surname of an Italian family originally based in Gravedona and Chiavenna who settled in Switzerland during the Counter-Reformation. Members of this family include: * Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746–1827), Swiss pedagogue an ...
schule ( Gymnasium) * Hochschule Fresenius (college) * Volkshochschule Rheingau-Taunus (
folk high school Folk high schools (also ''Adult Education Center'', Danish: ''Folkehøjskole;'' Dutch: ''Volkshogeschool;'' Finnish: ''kansanopisto'' and ''työväenopisto'' or ''kansalaisopisto;'' German: ''Volkshochschule'' and (a few) ''Heimvolkshochschule;'' ...
)


Hospital

In 2008, the hospital moved into a new €22,000,000, 90-bed building on an plot on Robert-Koch-Straße. The
state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
provided a subsidy of €17,200,000 (earlier, €3,000,000 came from the district, which had forgone part of the buying price for the former district hospitals at Idstein und Bad Schwalbach).


Swimming pool

A partly prefabricated all-weather pool came into being (after some delays) in spring 2010 in the Nassau-Viertel for €19,000,000. The town is subsidizing the more than €2,500,000 plot on ''
Bundesstraße ''Bundesstraße'' (German for "federal highway"), abbreviated ''B'', is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways. Germany Germany's ''Bundesstraßen'' network has a total length of about 40,000 km. German ''Bundesstraßen'' ...
'' 275 and the yearly €500,000 operating costs. For the manufacturer, it is, with its cupola, biomass power plant and natural bathing pond a demonstration project near
Frankfurt Airport Frankfurt Airport (; german: link=no, Flughafen Frankfurt Main , also known as ''Rhein-Main-Flughafen'') is a major international airport located in Frankfurt, the fifth-largest city of Germany and one of the world's leading financial centres ...
.


Culture and sightseeing


Buildings


Unionskirche

The ''Unionskirche'', whose outer appearance is quite plain, holds within its splendour. The building history of the church, originally consecrated to Saint
Martin of Tours Martin of Tours ( la, Sanctus Martinus Turonensis; 316/336 – 8 November 397), also known as Martin the Merciful, was the third bishop of Tours. He has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints in France, heralded as the ...
as a monastery church, reaches back to the 13th century. In the mid 14th century a new building in the
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
style arose, which was remodeled in the 17th century. Unionskirche Idstein facing altar.JPG, Inside of the Unionskirche towards the main altar. Unionskirche Idstein organ and ceiling.jpg, Walcker organ and ceiling IdsteinUnionskircheDeckengemaelde.jpg, Ceiling IdsteinUnionskircheSeitenkapelle.jpg, ''Reiterchörlein'' In 1553 Idstein turned
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
. The church was decorated in Baroque style in the 17th century, unusually rich for a Protestant church. The ceiling in the main nave was thoroughly covered with large-scale oil paintings from the
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
school of
Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque traditio ...
. Several well known works by Rubens form the basis of scenes from the life of Christ on the walls and ceiling; for example ''The Wedding at Cana'' on the south wall is largely based on Rubens's painting ''The Feast of Herod'' which hangs today in the
National Gallery of Scotland The Scottish National Gallery (formerly the National Gallery of Scotland) is the national art gallery of Scotland. It is located on The Mound in central Edinburgh, close to Princes Street. The building was designed in a neoclassical style by Wi ...
in
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
. The church's name refers to the church union declared in Idstein in 1817 whereby the
Reformed Reform is beneficial change Reform may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine *''Reforme'' ("Reforms"), initial name of the ...
and
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
churches in the
Duchy of Nassau The Duchy of Nassau (German: ''Herzogtum Nassau'') was an independent state between 1806 and 1866, located in what is now the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. It was a member of the Confederation of the Rhine and later of the G ...
united to the Protestant Church in Nassau, today the
Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau The Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau (german: Evangelische Kirche in Hessen und Nassau, EKHN) is a United Protestant church body in the German states of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate. There is no bishop and therefore no cathedral. One of it ...
.


Residence palace

The
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
-style ''Schloss'' was built in 1614–1634 by Jost and Henrich Heer (Höer) for Count Ludwig (d. 1627) and his son Count Johann (d. 1677) by incorporating older building materials. It stands on a craggy massif between the town's two brooks. It is believed that the crags on which the palace is built were already built up in the 11th century. A bridged gap in the crags separates it from the old castle area from the 11th century; through this gap today runs an important road. During the time when the last Idstein prince, Georg August Samuel von Nassau-Idstein (1665–1721), was ruling, the building was given its interior design under
Maximilian von Welsch Johann Maximilian von Welsch (1671 – 15 October 1745) was a German architect, construction director and fortress master builder. Life Maximilian von Welsch is regarded as a prominent representative of baroque fortress building in the Holy Roman ...
's guidance. The now partly missing ceiling stucco was done by Carlo Maria Pozzi. At the main entrance door is a great alliance coat of arms of Count Johann and his consort from about 1635. The palace has been home to the ''Pestalozzischule'' since 1946 and may be visited on guided tours.


Castle and ''Hexenturm''

The castle in the area stretching from the gateway arch building on the town side to the bridge over to the ''Schloss'' arose between 1497 and 1588. With the remodelling done on the palace itself in the 17th century, this area also underwent far-reaching changes, partly losing its defensive functions, which, it is worth noting, were no longer up to date anyway. The castle's
keep A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...
, known as the ''Hexenturm'', tall, walls more than thick, even given overall diameter of just under , is Idstein's oldest building.
Dendrochronological Dendrochronology (or tree-ring dating) is the scientific method of dating tree rings (also called growth rings) to the exact year they were formed. As well as dating them, this can give data for dendroclimatology, the study of climate and atmos ...
borings show that work began on the tower as early as 1170 (not, as had long been assumed, about 1350). It received its "butter churn" shape, built in stages, about 1500. (Building researchers see in it a rare time capsule, because in the 20th century, almost nothing was changed beyond the last work in 1963, which entailed nothing more than some new plastering outside and small touch-ups with cement inside). No
witch Witchcraft traditionally means the use of Magic (supernatural), magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In Middle Ages, medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually ...
es or
warlock A warlock is a male practitioner of witchcraft. Etymology and terminology The most commonly accepted etymology derives ''warlock'' from the Old English '' wǣrloga'', which meant "breaker of oaths" or "deceiver" and was given special applicatio ...
s were ever imprisoned in the ''Hexenturm''. However, on a cliff wall at the foot of the keep, a plaque has been placed in memory of those murdered after being accused of witchcraft. Idstein was notorious for its witch trials about 1676.


Other historic buildings

The old town core is small. It is distinguished by a many
timber-frame Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...
buildings, some opulently painted and decorated, in which the Rhenish influences on the Hessian-Franconian timber-frame building style can already be seen. Therefore, Idstein is part of the German Framework Road. The town core stretches between the castle area with its ''Hexenturm'' and the ''Höerhof'', the representative timber-frame building built in 1620–1626 by the palace building master on the heights across from the ''Schloss''. The painter Ernst Toepfer bought the property in 1911 and restored the building. Today, the ''Höerhof'' is a stylish hotel and restaurant with an idyllic inner courtyard. Right at the Nassau castle's gateway arch building, standing over König-Adolf-Platz, is the Town Hall (''Rathaus'') from 1698, in a rather odd way over the passage that separates the Old Town from the castle. Also worth mentioning is the carillon (''Glockenspiel''). A rockslide from the crags destroyed the Town Hall in 1928, but it was rebuilt between 1932 and 1934. König-Adolf-Platz is seamlessly ringed by representative timber-frame houses, mainly dating from about 1600. To the Town Hall's left stands the ''Schiefes Haus'' ("Crooked House"), which was renovated a few years ago, and which Nicolay, the major of the town militia, had built in 1527. On the way out of the square towards the ''Unionskirche'', is the richly adorned ''Killingerhaus'' built in 1527, which has served as a museum and tourism office since 1987. It is one of Germany's most important timber-frame houses with regards to art history. According to one story, the building was originally built in
Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
, and when the owner moved to Idstein, he brought the house with him. The rest of the old downtown core is also characterized by its many timber-frame houses and estate complexes from the 16th and 17th centuries, some of which have been lavishly renovated. This is particularly so along the Obergasse ("Upper Lane"), which leads from König-Adolf-Platz out of the town and meets the old town wall on the Höerhof heights. Somewhat below that stands the ''Stockheimer Hof'', which was built in the late 16th century as the seat of the Lords of Stockheim. After they died out, ownership passed to the family von Calm between 1768 and 1776, giving the property on which it stands its current name, Kalmenhof. Until 2005, the timber-frame building was being used by the ''Sozialpädagogisches Zentrum SPZ Kalmenhof''. On the way from the ''Killingerhaus'' to the ''Höerhof'', one house has a humorous
Dog Latin Dog Latin or cod Latin is a phrase or jargon that imitates Latin, often by "translating" English words (or those of other languages) into Latin by conjugating or declining them as if they were Latin words. Dog Latin is usually a humorous devi ...
inscription. ''"Sita vsvilate inis taberce inis"'' (which is actually a misspelling of ''Sieht aus wie Latein, ist aber keines'' – "Looks like Latin, but is not"). As a last witness to the former leather industry, the ''Gerberhaus'' ("Tanners' House") stands at Löherplatz below the ''Unionskirche''; it is the former storage shed on the Wörsbach. Löherplatz was, beginning in the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
the place where the tanneries and leather processing works were found owing to the demand for water, and also the need to have the works outside town given the attendant stench that went forth from them. The ''Gerberhaus'', after a thorough renovation, nowadays serves as an exhibition and cabaret event venue. Stretching east of the old town core from the marketplace, which itself dates from about 1700, is a
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
town expansion. Its streets match the ideals of town building at that time with right-angled intersections, the timber-frame houses lining them pragmatic and far less decorated than in the town core. Building "sins" and great changes have been avoided, and instead, restoration is what was more often done, thereby preserving an impressive, unbroken ensemble of these buildings.


St. Martin

As the former neogothic Catholic parish church St. Magdalena was too small for a growing population after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, a new church St. Martin was built instead, designed by the architect :de:Johannes Krahn, Johannes Krahn, resembling a Basilica#Christian adoption of the basilica form, Roman basilica with open sandstone walls and a band of windows below the ceiling, consecrated in 1964. In 2006 a new organ was installed by Orgelbau Mebold.


Limes

The municipal area was crossed by the Limes Germanicus, a line of frontier forts begun in AD 86 by the Romans which stretched from near Bonn on the Rhine to near Regensburg on the Danube. It divided the Roman Empire from the unconquered Germanic tribes. The area of the town that stands today lay on the Germanic side. Bearing obvious witness to the Limes is a replica of a watchtower towards Niedernhausen near Dasbach on the Dasbacher Höhe (heights). Even the Dasbach churchtower supposedly stands on the foundation of a Roman watchtower. Within the limits of neighbouring
Taunusstein Taunusstein () is the biggest town in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hessen, Germany. It has 30,068 inhabitants (2020). Geography Location Taunusstein lies roughly 10 km northwest of Wiesbaden and abo ...
is likewise found such a replica near Orlen, right beside the remains of the Castra, castrum ''Zugmantel''. Near the outlying centre of Heftrich stood the castrum ''Alteburg'', of which, however, nothing more is to be seen. On 15 July 2005, the Upper-Germanic-Rhaetian Limes (the Limes Germanicus) was raised to World Heritage Site by UNESCO.


War cemetery

During the Second World War there were two reserve hospitals in Idstein – one in the castle and one in the Kalmenhof. When, towards the end of the war, it was no longer possible to transfer people who had died in the hospital to their hometowns, they were buried in the Idstein cemetery. After the end of the war, the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge built a central memorial in Idstein, where all war dead from the district of Untertaunus were to be reburied. There are a total of 250 graves on the Idstein war cemetery. Of those buried there, 234 people are known by name. 10 dead are civilians. There are also six graves with fallen soldiers and Russian prisoners of war from the First World War. Most of the dead at the Idstein war cemetery died after the fighting ended. There is evidence that prisoners from the Rhine meadow camps ("Rheinwiesenlager") came to the Idstein military hospitals.


Regular events

As a yearly event highlight, the ''Hessen-Jazz Festival'' or more recently ''Idstein JazzFestival'' has been drawing thousands of visitors for 20 years into the Old Town's laneways. On three days, during the first weekend in the Hesse summer holidays, up to 75 different jazz groups on a dozen stages play from Friday evening to Sunday live in an open-air concert. The Unionskirche is the location for choral concerts of the Idsteiner Kantorei conducted by Carsten Koch (musician), Carsten Koch twice a year, such as Orff's ''Carmina Burana (Orff), Carmina Burana'' and Bach's ''Christmas Oratorio (Bach), Weihnachtsoratorium'' in 2009. For the annual European Heritage Days the "Nassauische Kammerphilharmonie" has performed a Sinfoniekonzert on the occasion of the Tag des offenen Denkmals, including a series of Ludwig van Beethoven, Beethoven's symphonies. The Rheingau Musik Festival staged concerts here with Elizabeth Parcells, Chanticleer (ensemble), Chanticleer and ensemble amarcord, among others. In the church St. Martin an annual choral concert is performed by the combined choirs Chor St. Martin and the chamber choir Martinis, conducted by Franz Fink, such as Bach's ''St Matthew Passion'' in 1998 with Elisabeth Scholl, Andreas Scholl and Max van Egmond and again in 2009 with Andreas Pruys and Klaus Mertens. The concert of 2011 was Handel's ''Messiah (Handel), Messiah'', with soloists Katia Plaschka, Andreas Scholl, Ulrich Cordes and Markus Flaig. Other concerts in the church have included music of Graham Waterhouse, the duo propram of Giora Feidman and organist Matthias Eisenberg in 2008 and a concert of Kalevi Kiviniemi in 2010. Although the town of Idstein hosts only a small vineyard, whose wines are not for sale but poured at special occasions, there is nonetheless a yearly wine festival, mainly presenting wines from the near Rheingau. Every other year, in the spring, the ''Idsteiner Hexenmarkt'' (Witches' Market) is held in the castle and palace area, an event with Middle Ages, medieval crafts and entertainment. In the summer, from June to August on the third day of each of those months, the ''Alteburger Markt'' is held in Idstein-Heftrich, on the site of the Roman castrum Alteburg. The youth centre in Idstein offers a monthly event plan with hip hop, metal, DJ night and punk rock, offering at irregular intervals, for instance live concerts by local bands. Since 2003, the "Monkey Jump Festival" has been held annually. A great number of bands perform in the town's various pubs and restaurants during the festival. Since 2004, the Idstein International Women's Day, Women's Day ''Frauen in Balance'' ("Women in Balance") has been held annually at the ''Gerberhaus'', in collaboration with the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis equality commissioner.


Notable people


Sons and daughters of the town

* Ferdinand Abt (1877–1962), sculptor * Johann Andreas Benignus Bergsträsser (1732–1812), entomologist and Rector of the University of Hanover * Carl Jakob Frankenbach (1861–1937), painter and illustrator * Henriette Maria Luise von Hayn (1722–1782), poet * Patrick van Hecke, alias Dirrrty Franz, namesake of the German crunk group :de:Dirrrty Franz & die b-Side Boyz, Dirrrty Franz & die B-Side Boyz * Karl Hill (1831–1893), operatic baritone, who created Klingsor in ''Parsifal'' in Bayreuth Festival, Bayreuth * Wilhelm August Kobbé (1802–1881), diplomat * Gerhard Krum (born 1947), politician * Marx Löwenstein (1824–1889), German-American multimillionaire *Henriette Charlotte of Nassau-Idstein (1693–1734), consort of Maurice Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg * Klaus-Peter Sattler (born 1941), composer * Walther Schultze (1893–1970), dermatologist * Wilhelm Snell (1789–1851), professor of jurisprudence and politician in Switzerland * Helfrich Bernhard Wenck (1739–1803), historian and educator * Friedrich August Wilhelm Wenck (1741–1810), historian * Stefanie Werner (born 1970), renowned architect in New York


People connected with Idstein

* Adolf, King of Germany, Adolf of Nassau (c. 1255–1298), used Idstein Castle as one of his two main residences before 1292, when he became King of the Romans * Arnold I, Count of Laurenburg (died c. 1148), was from 1124 Vogt of Idstein * Johann Baptist Friedrich Anton von Franqué (1796–1865), physician * Wilhelm Fresenius (1913–2004), chemist and industrialist * Imagina of Isenburg-Limburg (c. 1255–1313), was the consort of Adolf of Nassau * William August Kobbé (1840–1931), U.S. Army general, was the son of Wilhelm Kobbé, born in Idstein * Gustav Kobbé (1857–1918), American author of ''The Complete Opera Book'', was another son of Wilhelm Kobbé * Christiane Kohl, soprano, grew up in Idstein * Karlhans Krohn (1908–2003), sport teacher; popularizer of the game peteca, spent his later years in Idstein * Karl Christian von Langsdorf, mathematician, geologist, and engineer, attended the Gymnasium in Idstein * Wolf Meyer-Erlach (1891–1982), theologian, college teacher, university rector; 1951–1963 parish administrator in Idstein-Wörsdorf * Sebastian Stoskopff (1597–1657), Alsatian painter, lived and died in Idstein * Werner Schuster (politician), Werner Schuster (1939–2001), physician, health informatics specialist and politician * Ernst Toepfer (1877–1955), painter, lived for parts of his life in Idstein and died there


Honorary citizens

* Erivan Haub (born 1932), owner of the Tengelmann Group, lived for some years in Idstein. nominated 2008 * Hermann Müller (Idstein), Hermann Müller (1935–2013), former mayor of Idstein


References


External links

* *
Persecution of witches in Idstein

Unionskirche website
* {{Authority control Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis Timber framed buildings in Germany