Rhenish Hesse orRhine Hesse[1][2] (German:Rheinhessen,pronounced[ʁaɪnˈhɛsn̩]) is a region and a former government district (Regierungsbezirk) in theGerman state ofRhineland-Palatinate. It is made up of territories west of theUpper Rhine river that were part of theGrand Duchy of Hesse and its successor in theWeimar Republic, thePeople's State of Hesse from 1816 to 1945. The hilly countryside is largely devoted to vineyards, comprising theRheinhessen wine region.
Rhine Hesse stretches from theUpper Rhine Plain on the west bank of theRhine up to theNahe andAlsenz rivers in the west and down to the mouth of theIsenach in the south. The region borders on theRhineland in the northwest, on thePalatinate in the southwest, and on SouthHesse beyond the Rhine. TheRhenish-Hessian Hills along theSelz river, also called the "land of the thousand hills", reach up to 358 m (1,175 ft) at the summit of theKappelberg and about 330 m (1,080 ft) inRhenish-Hessian Switzerland.
TheMainz Basin, aCenozoicmarine basin, covered the area about 38 to 12 million years ago. The landscape is characterised by largeLoess andMarl deposits. Due to the favourable climatic conditions of Rhenish Hesse, agriculture covers most of the region. As theHunsrück andTaunus ranges protect it from cold winds,wine and fruit production is practised on a large scale.
The region comprises the cities ofMainz – the Rhineland-Palatinate capital – andWorms, surrounded by theadministrative districts ofMainz-Bingen andAlzey-Worms. Other towns includeBingen,Alzey,Nieder-Olm,Ingelheim,Nierstein,Oppenheim, andOsthofen. Many inhabitants commute to work in Mainz orWiesbaden andFrankfurt in the neighbouring state ofHesse.
The importance of the Rhine Hessian lands increased when they were allotted to KingLouis the German by the 843Treaty of Verdun. The region was part of the core territory ofRhenish Franconia. It comprised theImperial Cathedrals ofWorms andMainz which were erected in theHigh Middle Ages. TheWorms Synagogue and theJewish Cemetery count among the oldest in Europe. Devastated by theThirty Years' War, the area became a patchwork of possessions of the CatholicElectorate of Mainz and thePrince-Bishopric of Worms as well as of the ProtestantElectoral Palatinate.
Rhine Hesse was occupied by theFirst French Republic in 1792, during theWar of the First Coalition. At theCongress of Vienna in 1814–15, Grand DukeLouis I of Hesse was obliged to give up hisWestphalian territories. In compensation, he received the district on the left bank of the Rhine. Because of this addition, he amended his title toGrand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and the name of the region was created. InAllied-occupied Germany, the Rhine Hessian lands were incorporated as a district into the newly established state of Rhineland-Palatinate in 1946.
Each region has developed its owncuisine dependent on geography, climate, soils, seasons and wealth. These vary from plain home cooking with simple dishes to culinary specialties for festive occasions. Rhine Hesse also has a large number of specialties, withWeck, Worscht un Woi having achieved supra-regional fame, not least through theMainz carnival.
Rhine Hesse is the largest of 13 regions producingGerman wine. Outside Germany, it is best known as the home ofLiebfraumilch. Most is made from white varieties such asRiesling,Silvaner,Müller-Thurgau,Kerner, andScheurebe. The best-known white wine area is the Rhine Terrace nearOppenheim andNierstein. Some red varieties are grown, particularly aroundIngelheim andGundersheim, includingPinot noir,Blauer Portugieser,Dornfelder, and the recently establishedRegent.
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