
Idstein () is a town of about 25,000 inhabitants in the
Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis
Rheingau-Taunus is a Kreis (Districts of Germany, district) in the west of Hesse, Germany. Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis is part of the Darmstadt (region), Darmstadt region; its main administrative seat is Bad Schwalbach. Outposted sections of the local ad ...
in the ''
Regierungsbezirk
A ' (, 'governmental district') is a type of administrative division in Germany. Currently, four of sixteen ' (states of Germany) are split into '. Beneath these are rural and urban districts
' (plural, ) serve as regional mid-level local gov ...
'' 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 the ...
in
Hesse
Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...
, Germany. Because of its well preserved historical Altstadt (Old Town) it is part of the ''Deutsche Fachwerkstraße'' (
German Timber-Frame Road), connecting towns with fine
fachwerk buildings and houses. In 2002, the town hosted the 42nd
Hessentag state festival.
Geography
Location
Idstein lies in the
Taunus
The Taunus () is a mountain range in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, located north west of Frankfurt and north of Wiesbaden. The tallest peak in the range is '' Großer Feldberg'' at 878 m; other notable peaks are '' Kleiner Feldberg' ...
mountain range, about north of
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden (; ) is the capital of the German state of Hesse, and the second-largest Hessian city after Frankfurt am Main. With around 283,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 24th-largest city. Wiesbaden form ...
. The town's landmark is the ''Hexenturm'' (
Witches' Tower), a 12th-century
bergfried and part of
Idstein Castle.
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 mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
. 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 organic agriculture or ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2024 on organic production and labelling of ...
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 , ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'.
Much of t ...
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 States of Germany, federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia (23.0 km), Hesse (165.6 km), and Rhineland-Palatinate (57.0 km).
...
valley.
Neighbouring communities
Idstein borders in the north on the town of
Bad Camberg (
Limburg-Weilburg) and the community of
Waldems (Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis), in the east on the community of
Glashütten (
Hochtaunuskreis), in the southeast on the town of
Eppstein (
Main-Taunus-Kreis), in the south on the community of
Niedernhausen, in the southwest on the town of
Taunusstein
Taunusstein () is the biggest town in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the of Darmstadt (region), Darmstadt in Hessen, Germany. It has 30,068 inhabitants (2020).
Geography
Location
Taunusstein lies roughly 10 km northwest of Wiesbaden and abou ...
and in the west on the community of
Hünstetten (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&n ...
), which in the course of district reform was merged with the Rheingau-Kreis into the new
Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis
Rheingau-Taunus is a Kreis (Districts of Germany, district) in the west of Hesse, Germany. Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis is part of the Darmstadt (region), Darmstadt region; its main administrative seat is Bad Schwalbach. Outposted sections of the local ad ...
. 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 of Darmstadt (region), Darmstadt in Hessen, Germany. It has 30,068 inhabitants (2020).
Geography
Location
Taunusstein lies roughly 10 km northwest of Wiesbaden and abou ...
).
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. Besides the above-mentioned ''Hexenturm'' near the old Nassau castle, the town has a
mediaeval town centre with many
timber-frame 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 imperi ...
, was, as a compromise candidate, the
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...
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 language, German: ''Herzogtum Nassau'') was an independent state between 1806 and 1866, located in what became the Germany, German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. It was a States of the Confederation of th ...
, becoming a member of the
Confederation of the Rhine
The Confederated States of the Rhine, simply known as the Confederation of the Rhine or Rhine Confederation, was a confederation of German client states established at the behest of Napoleon some months after he defeated Austrian Empire, Austria ...
. After the
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War (German: ''Preußisch-Österreichischer Krieg''), also known by many other names,Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Second War of Unification, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), ''Deutsc ...
in 1866,
Prussia
Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
annexed the Duchy as the Prussian province of
Hesse-Nassau
The Province of Hesse-Nassau () was a Provinces of Prussia, 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 ...
.
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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, many women became
forced labour 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 (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
Euthanasia
Euthanasia (from : + ) is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering.
Different countries have different Legality of euthanasia, euthanasia laws. The British House of Lords Select committee (United Kingdom), se ...
programme. Under
Action T4
(German, ) was a campaign of Homicide#By state actors, mass murder by involuntary euthanasia which targeted Disability, people with disabilities and the mentally ill in Nazi Germany. The term was first used in post-WWII, war trials against d ...
, 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'', 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 inescutcheon is a smaller Escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon that is placed within or superimposed over the main shield of a coat of arms, similar to a Charge (heraldry), charge. This may be used in the following cases:
* as a sim ...
is the arms borne by the
House of Nassau
The House of Nassau is the name of a European aristocratic dynasty. The name originated with a lordship associated with Nassau Castle, which is located in what is now Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Nassau in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With t ...
. 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 Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a city 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, Do ...
, Netherlands
*
Lana, Italy
*
Åžile
Åžile is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 800 km2, and its population is 43,464 (2022). Bordering Åžile is the province of Kocaeli Province, Kocaeli (districts of G ...
, Turkey
*
Uglich, Russia
*
Zwijndrecht, Belgium
Economy and infrastructure
Transport
Idstein has an
interchange on the
Autobahn
The (; German , ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'.
Much of t ...
A 3 north of
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden (; ) is the capital of the German state of Hesse, and the second-largest Hessian city after Frankfurt am Main. With around 283,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 24th-largest city. Wiesbaden form ...
between
Niedernhausen and
Bad Camberg, and a
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
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 Hesse between the Taunus and the Westerwald on the river Lahn.
The t ...
,
Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
and
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden (; ) is the capital of the German state of Hesse, and the second-largest Hessian city after Frankfurt am Main. With around 283,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 24th-largest city. Wiesbaden form ...
.
The building of a bypass, ''
Bundesstraße
''Bundesstraße'' (, ), 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'' are labelled with re ...
'' 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, a rotary and a traffic circle are types 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 junct ...
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 most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
of Hesse.
Local transport
Within Idstein town limits are two railway stations on the
Main-Lahn Railway
The Main-Lahn railway (), 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, a borough of Limbur ...
(''Main-Lahn-Bahn''), Idstein and Wörsdorf. Hourly trains serving the Frankfurt/Wiesbaden–Niedernhausen–Limburg line run into the evening. In
Niedernhausen there is also a transfer point with S-Bahn line S2 towards
Dietzenbach 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. Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is referred to as a boy.
Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the f ...
. 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–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 (formerly 5465)
*233 Idstein/
Bad Camberg–Esch–Wüstems
*239 Idstein–
Waldems
*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, Motorola Solutions Germany GmbH, Serviceware SE,
Jack Wolfskin
Jack Wolfskin is a German producer of outdoor wear and equipment headquartered in Idstein, Germany. Founded in 1981, it has now become one of the biggest suppliers and most successful franchisers of outdoor products including sports equipment, ...
, DG-Verlag (distribution and logistics), ERNST SCHMITZ Logistics & Technical Services GmbH,
Black & Decker
Black+Decker is an American manufacturer of power tools, accessories, hardware, home improvement products, home appliances, and fastening systems, headquartered in Towson, Maryland, north of Baltimore, where the company was originally establis ...
Deutschland GmbH, INGENIUMDESIGN, Hochschule Fresenius gGmbH, Lebensmittelmärkte Uwe Georg e.K. and
Titleist.
Another important employer and factor in the economy is the ''Landeswohlfahrtsverband Hessen'' (Hesse State Welfare Federation) with its SPZ (
paediatric 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 Hesse between the Taunus and the Westerwald on the river Lahn.
The t ...
and
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden (; ) is the capital of the German state of Hesse, and the second-largest Hessian city after Frankfurt am Main. With around 283,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 24th-largest city. Wiesbaden form ...
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'', ''Frankfurt/Rhein-Main'' or ''FrankfurtRheinMain'', abbreviated FRM), is the third-l ...
in direct competition with the local retailers.
Major building projects
In the course of the 2002
Hessentag, 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'' (, ), 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'' are labelled with re ...
'' 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, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
) 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)
*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 and associated activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built abo ...
) with
biomass
Biomass is a term used in several contexts: in the context of ecology it means living organisms, and in the context of bioenergy it means matter from recently living (but now dead) organisms. In the latter context, there are variations in how ...
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 electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...
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 am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
(completed: April 2008)
Public institutions
* Idstein
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
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 Emergency management, civil protection organisation of Germany. It is legally part of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (Germany), Federal Ministry of the Inte ...
(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 is a secondary school for pupils aged 11–16 or 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 restricted on the basis ...
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
Real school (, ) 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''), F ...
branches)
* Grundschule Auf der Au (primary school)
* Erich Kästner-Schule (school for those in need of learning help)
*
Pestalozzischule (
Gymnasium)
* Hochschule Fresenius (college)
* Volkshochschule Rheingau-Taunus (
folk high school
Folk high schools (also ''adult education center'') are institutions for adult education that generally do not grant academic degrees, though certain courses might exist leading to that goal. They are most commonly found in Nordic countries and i ...
)
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 most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
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'' (, ), 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'' are labelled with re ...
'' 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 ( ) , is Germany's busiest international airport by passenger numbers, located in Frankfurt, Germany's fifth-largest city. Its official name according to the German Aeronautical Information Publication is Frankfurt Main Airpor ...
.
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 (; 316/3368 November 397) was the third bishop of Tours. He is the patron saint of many communities and organizations across Europe, including France's Third French Republic, Third Republic. A native of Pannonia (present-day Hung ...
as a monastery church, reaches back to the 13th century. In the mid 14th century a new building in the
Gothic 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 a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
. 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 school of
Rubens
Sir Peter Paul Rubens ( ; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens' highly charged compositions reference erudite aspects of clas ...
. 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 National (formerly the Scottish National Gallery) 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 William Henry Playfa ...
in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
.
The church's name refers to the church union declared in Idstein in 1817 whereby the
Reformed and
Lutheran
Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
churches in the
Duchy of Nassau
The Duchy of Nassau (German language, German: ''Herzogtum Nassau'') was an independent state between 1806 and 1866, located in what became the Germany, German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. It was a States of the Confederation of th ...
united to the
Protestant Church in Nassau, today the
Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau.
Residence palace

The
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
-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'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 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 castles that were fortified residen ...
, known as the ''Hexenturm'', tall, walls more than thick, even given overall diameter of just under , is Idstein's oldest building.
Dendrochronological 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 is the use of magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meaning. According to ''Enc ...
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". The term came to apply special ...
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 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 ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
, 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 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 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
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 Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, a new church St. Martin was built instead, designed by the architect
Johannes Krahn, resembling a
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
The (Latin for ''Germanic frontier''), or 'Germanic Limes', is the name given in modern times to a line of frontier () fortifications that bounded the ancient Roman provinces of Germania Inferior, Germania Superior and Raetia, dividing the Roman ...
, a line of frontier forts begun in AD 86 by the Romans which stretched from near
Bonn
Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...
on the
Rhine
The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...
to near
Regensburg
Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...
on the
Danube
The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...
. It divided the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
from the unconquered
Germanic tribes
The Germanic peoples were tribal groups who lived in Northern Europe in Classical antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. In modern scholarship, they typically include not only the Roman-era ''Germani'' who lived in both ''Germania'' and parts ...
. 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 of Darmstadt (region), Darmstadt in Hessen, Germany. It has 30,068 inhabitants (2020).
Geography
Location
Taunusstein lies roughly 10 km northwest of Wiesbaden and abou ...
is likewise found such a replica near Orlen, right beside the remains of the
castrum
''Castra'' () is a Latin language, Latin term used during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire for a military 'camp', and ''castrum'' () for a 'Fortification, fort'. Either could refer to a building or plot of land, used as a fortified milita ...
''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
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
.
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
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
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 twice a year, such as Orff's ''
Carmina Burana'' and Bach's ''
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
The Tag des offenen Denkmals (Day of Open Monuments) is an annual event all over Germany. The day of action has been coordinated by the Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz since 1993. Historic monuments are open to the public free of charge. It takes ...
, including a series of
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
's symphonies. The
Rheingau Musik Festival staged concerts here with
Elizabeth Parcells,
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
The ''St Matthew Passion'' (), BWV 244, is a '' Passion'', a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander. It sets the 26th and 27th chapters of th ...
'' 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
In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; ,
; ,
; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...
'', 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
The Rheingau (; ) is a region on the northern side of the Rhine between the German towns of Wiesbaden and Lorch, Hesse, Lorch near Frankfurt, reaching from the Western Taunus to the Rhine. It is situated in the German state of Hesse and is part ...
.
Every other year, in the spring, the ''Idsteiner Hexenmarkt'' (Witches' Market) is held in the castle and palace area, an event with
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
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
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
Dirrrty Franz & die B-Side Boyz
*
Karl Hill (1831–1893), operatic baritone, who created Klingsor in ''
Parsifal'' in
Bayreuth
Bayreuth ( or ; High Franconian German, Upper Franconian: Bareid, ) is a Town#Germany, town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtel Mountains. The town's roots date back to 11 ...
* 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 of Nassau (c. 1255–1298), used Idstein Castle as one of his two main residences before 1292, when he became
King of the Romans
King of the Romans (; ) was the title used by the king of East Francia following his election by the princes from the reign of Henry II (1002–1024) onward.
The title originally referred to any German king between his election and coronatio ...
*
Arnold I, Count of Laurenburg
Arnold I of Laurenburg, (died before 1154),Hesselfelt (1965). was count of Laurenburg and an ancestor of the House of Nassau.
Life
Arnold was a son of Dudo of Laurenburg () and the fourth of the seven daughters of count Louis I of Arnstein, pos ...
(died c. 1148), was from 1124
Vogt
An , sometimes simply advocate, (German, ), or (French, ), was a type of medieval office holder, particularly important in the Holy Roman Empire, who was delegated some of the powers and functions of a major feudal lord, or for an institutio ...
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 (1939–2001), physician,
health informatics
Health informatics combines communications, information technology (IT), and health care to enhance patient care and is at the forefront of the medical technological revolution. It can be viewed as a branch of engineering and applied science. ...
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 (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