Sinsheim (German pronunciation:[ˈzɪnshaɪ̯m],South Franconian:Sinse) is a town in southwesternGermany, in theRhine Neckar Area of the stateBaden-Württemberg about 22 kilometres (14 mi) southeast ofHeidelberg and about 28 kilometres (17 mi) northwest ofHeilbronn in thedistrict Rhein-Neckar.

Sinsheim
Town
Panoramic view
Coat of arms
Location of Sinsheim withinRhein-Neckar-Kreis district
Sinsheim Show map of Germany Sinsheim Show map of Baden-Württemberg
Coordinates:49°15′N08°53′E / 49.250°N 8.883°E /49.250; 8.883
Country	Germany
State	Baden-Württemberg
Admin. region	Karlsruhe
District	Rhein-Neckar-Kreis
Government
• Lord mayor(2020–28)	Jörg Albrecht[1] (Ind.)
Area
• Total	127.01 km2 (49.04 sq mi)
Elevation	154 m (505 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)[2]
• Total	36,601
• Density	290/km2 (750/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	74871-74889
Dialling codes	07260, 07261, 07265, 07266, 07268
Vehicle registration	HD
Website	www.sinsheim.de

Sinsheim consists of a town centre and 12 suburbs with a total population of 36,780 (as of March 2023). Its area encompasses 127 square kilometers (49 sq mi). TheElsenz, an unnavigable left-bank tributary of the Neckar, flows through the town, reaching the Neckar at Neckargemünd.

The list below shows the 12 suburban villages (Stadtteile).^[3] Population data was as of 31 December 2020 and the one of Sinsheim (the town proper) was of 12,914.^[4]

The region around Sinsheim has been settled since 700,000 BC, as shown by the finding of the fossilHomo heidelbergensis in the village of Mauer, about 12 km (7 miles) north of Sinsheim. TheRomans ruled the area from 90 AD to 260 AD. The city was possibly founded in about 550 AD by theFrankish nobleman Sunno. It was first historically mentioned in 770 AD in theCodex of the cloister Lorsch. Since 1192, the town had city rights, a privilege first granted byHenry IV, Holy Roman Emperor.

Sinsheim was affected by wars and poverty from the 1500s to the 1700s. Sinsheim-born revolutionaryFranz Sigel became a famous Union general in theAmerican Civil War.

TheElsenz Valley Railway andSinsheim station were opened in 1868 and the nearbySteinsfurt–Eppingen line was opened in 1900; electricity and public water pipes were introduced into the city from 1910 on. TheWorld Wars and theGreat Depression kept Sinsheim from growing until the A6Autobahn was built in 1968. It connected Sinsheim to national and international roads, withMannheim,Stuttgart,Frankfurt am Main,Heilbronn,Heidelberg,Ludwigshafen all now within an hour by car. While traditionally being an agricultural town, the highway made it into a small industrial centre, but it has been hit byrecession and internationaloutsourcing in recent years.

The numbers are estimates, census results(¹) or official data of the statistical offices (only primary residences).

¹ census results

Sinsheim's main tourist attraction is theSinsheim Auto & Technik Museum situated in the suburb Steinsfurt, displaying a collection of historic vehicles to over 1 million visitors per year. In 1989, atrade fair area was established that features various industrial and popular events.

Additionally, Sinsheim has a medieval city core; theAltes Rathaus (old Town Hall) is a museum for the town and its role in the1848 revolution. An old fortress,Burg Steinsberg in the village of Weiler, overlooks Sinsheim. With its octagonal tower, dating back to the 13th century, the fortress has sometimes been called the "compass" of theKraichgau region, and nowadays contains a restaurant.

On September 19, 2006, the mayor of Sinsheim announced a stadium would be built not far from theSinsheim Auto & Technik Museum, for the town's most successfulfootball clubTSG 1899 Hoffenheim. Construction of the€100 million stadium, which seats 30,164, was funded byDietmar Hopp, a co-founder and major share holder of software giantSAP and a former player in the youth system of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. The club christened their new stadium "Rhein Neckar-Arena" on 31 January 2009 with a 2–0 win overEnergie Cottbus.

Sinsheim istwinned with:^[5]

•  Barcs, Hungary
•  Longué-Jumelles, France

• Hans Seyffer (c.1460–1509), stone sculptor and wood carver
• Franz Sigel (1824–1902), U.S. Army General in the American Civil War.^[6]
• Franz Bachelin (1895–1980), a German art director.
• Walter Horn (1908–1995), German-Americanmedievalist scholar
• Volker Kauder (born 1949), politician (CDU)

• Christian Eichner (born 1982), football player and manager, played 230 games
• Matthias Krieger (born 1984), a paralympic judoka and bronze medallist at the2012 Summer Paralympics.
• Sarai Linder (born 1999), footballer, played 12 games for theGermany women's national football team

• Liquido (1996-2009), rock band

  Media related toSinsheim at Wikimedia Commons