Diedenbergen

Hofheim (; officially known as Hofheim am Taunus) is the administrative centre of Main-Taunus-Kreis district, in the south of the German state of Hesse. Its population in September 2020 was 39,946.

Geography

Location

The town is located on the south side of the Taunus hills, 17 km west of Frankfurt and 17 km east of both Wiesbaden and Mainz; Frankfurt Airport is 12 km to the southeast.

Hofheim is located in the Rhine Main Area, one of the fastest-growing regions in Germany in terms of population and also in regard to economic productivity. Unemployment is the second lowest in the state of Hesse and one of the lowest in Germany.

It is mainly surrounded by forest and open country. As well as being the administrative centre of the district, Hofheim is the economic hub of the ''Main-Taunus-Kreis''.

History

Settlements in the region can be traced back to the Old Stone Age. In the first century AD, the Romans built a fort near today's town centre, which was probably meant to secure the ''Römerstraße'', an important route for travel and trade.

The town was first mentioned in 1254 as ''Hoveheim''.

In 1972, the villages Diedenbergen, Langenhain and Lorsbach got incorporated; in 1977, Wallau and Wildsachsen followed.

Town districts

The town's borough comprises the villages of Marxheim, Diedenbergen, Lorsbach, Langenhain (where the European Bahá'í House of Worship is located), Wallau and Wildsachsen.

Politics

Town council

The municipal election held on 14 March 2021 yielded the following results:

Head of the town council is Andreas Hegeler (CDU).

Mayor

Christian Vogt (CDU) was elected mayor in 2019.

District town

The ''Kreishaus'' (district administration) of the ''Main-Taunus-Kreis'' is located in the district town Hofheim.

Public transport

The city of Frankfurt is easily accessible by public transportation through overland trains and S-Bahn line S 2 (stations in " Hofheim" and "Lorsbach" on the Main-Lahn Railway) and via the A66 motorway.

Several bus lines run from or via the central bus terminal next to the train station to the town's districts and surrounding municipalities, including Bad Homburg and Wiesbaden. Near the station stand the headquarters of the Rhine-Main Transport Association (''Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund; RMV'').

Education

Hofheim has secondary schools and several facilities for further education.

Leisure

Hofheim has numerous pubs and boasts one of the biggest swimming pools (the ''Rhein-Main Therme'') in the Frankfurt metropolitan area. The pool is located at the northern area of the town.

Events

*A highlight used to be the annual 'Waeldchestag' festival which was celebrated the week after Corpus Christi and was a local public holiday with schools being closed. The celebration involved traditional local customs. Due to several political and financial reasons the festival was abolished in 2014 and replaced with a smaller event, the "Altstadtfest" (old town fair), taking place in the core of the old town.
* The Alois Kottmann Award for classical violin pieces in the canto-style is an international award bestowed following a competition during the International Days of Music Hesse Main-Taunus Hofheim which take place annually in May or June.
* In 1988, the town hosted the 28th ''Hessentag'' state festival.

Sights

* The ''Wasserschloss'' ( Water Castle) is located in the centre of the town. The castle was built in the 14th century and consists only of the walls today; the moat does not exist any more.
* The ''Kellereigebäude'' (Winery Building) from the 18th century neighbours the ''Wasserschloss''. It contains the older ''Hexenturm'' ( Witch Tower).
*The ''Altes Rathaus'' (Old Town Hall) stands in the old main street. Having been built in the 16th century, it acquired its contemporary half timbered look by a renovation in 1900.
*''St. Peter und Paul'' church dominates the panorama of the old town. It originated in the 15th century and passed through many changes in its design and accessories.
*The '' Baháì Haus der Andacht'' (Bahá’í House of Worship) is the European temple of the Bahá’í community and is known for its special modern design. It is located in Langenhain.
*The town museum displays permanent exhibitions about Hofheim's past as well as changing ones, which are usually related to the region.
*The ''Bergkapelle'' (Hill Chapel) looks down on Hofheim from the forest on ''Kapellenberg'' (Chapel Hill) in the northwest of the old town. It dates back to the 17th century when it was built to express relief and gratitude for having not been struck by Black Death.

Twin towns – sister cities

Hofheim is twinned with:
* Chinon, France (1967)
* Tiverton, England, United Kingdom (1980)
* Buccino, Italy (1980)
* Pruszcz Gdański, Poland (2012)

References

External links

Official homepage
*
*

{{Authority control

Towns in Hesse
Main-Taunus-Kreis