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Rüsselsheim is the largest town in the Groß-Gerau district in the Rhein-Main region of Germany.

It is one of seven special status towns in Hessen and is located on the Main, only a few kilometers from its mouth in Mainz. The suburbs of Bauschheim and Königstädten are included in Rüsselsheim. Rüsselsheim has attained international recognition through the presence of the car manufacturer Opel.

History

Rüsselsheim emerged from a settlement of the Count of Katzenelnbogen.

The name of the town evolved over the course of time:

  • 764/5 Rucile(n)sheim
  • before 1130 Ruozcelenesheim
  • 1336 Ruzelnsheim
  • 1275 Ruozelsheim
  • 1640 Ruselsem
  • 1840 Rüsselsheim

Politics

Coat of arms

In the towns coat of arms, there is a silver "Doppelhaken" (a double check-mark) and two silver stars on a blue background.

The "Doppelhaken" is also called a "Wolfsangel" (wolf hook); however, it is not clear whether or not it was actually used to kill wolves. Some also see the "Doppelhaken" as a grappling hook. It is actually forbidden in Germany to use this symbol on the grounds that it has been used in the past to stand for certain right-wing extremist groups, also now banned. Civic coats of arms or similar, which have traditionally used the Wolfsangel, are exempt from the ban.*

The two stars indicate that Rüsselsheim used to belong to Katzenelnbogen County, which also bore these stars on its crest.

Mayor

Town partnerships

Since 1961 Rüsselsheim has taken part in an international town partnership. A regular exchange of culture and sports takes place between the four partner cities. Among other things, there are regular competitions between the four towns.

The first partnership began in 1961 with the French town Évreux, the capital of the département of Eure, with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Evreux is about 100km from both Paris and the Normandy Coast. In terms of history, Evreux offers historical monuments from the Gallo-Roman period (3rd century) and a cathedral from the 13th century. The economy of the town is based on business from the printing, electronics and pharmaceutical industries.

In 1977 Rugby (England) was added as the second partner town. The town has a population of about 70,000 and is located in Warwickshire County. It became well-known because of the public school with same name, as well as the sport "rugby." Rugby is a transportation junction between London, Birmingham and the north of England and its economy is based on industry and agriculture.

In 1979 the town of Varkaus, in Finland, was added. A quarter of the town is water, and as a town with bridges and canals, Varkaus is a favorite tourist destination, both in summer (baths and boot tours) as well as in winter (100km cross-country ski runs).

In 1991 the town Kecskemét formed a partnership with Rüsselsheim and is the most recent addition. Kecskemét is the capital of the Hungarian komitat Bács-Kiskun, with a population of about 100,000. Kecskemét is located in the national park Kiskunság between Donau and Theiss. Well-know people from the town include the playwright József Katona, the painter János Muroközy, and the composer Zoltán Kodály. Art, education and agriculture shape the town.

The attempt to add the Turkish spa town Bodrum as a fifth town failed.

Economy

The Car manufacturer Opel and the ideal transportation location with many Motorway connections and direct train connections to Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Wiesbaden and Darmstadt have resulted in the establishment of many businesses and the attraction of many communters in Rüsselsheim.

Local companies

Opel

Above all, Rüsselsheim is known for the car manufacturer Opel. The founder, Adam Opel, began as a trainee mechanic and originally founded a sewing machine factory. The first cars were built in 1898.

Hyundai

The European Centre of the Korean car manufacturer Hyundai was inaugarated in 2003.

EDS - Electronic Data Systems

The German centre of the America outsourcing company EDS is located in Rüsselsheim.

Public facilities

Culture

The Rüsselsheim Theater provides 865 seats in stalls and tiers in the big hall. The theater’s programming consists of plays, concerts, operas, operettas, musicals, ballets and dancing.

The Rüsselsheim Museum, which was designated in 1980 with the Council of Europe’s museum award as a "Model Museum," focuses in particular on the development of labor procedures and labor conditions from prehistory to the present.

Educational institutions

Fachhochschule Wiesbaden
The Fachhochschule Wiesbaden is an advanced technical college which has a branch in the town of Rüsselsheim. The techinical departments of the Fachhochschule Wiesbaden are primarily located here.

Courses of study:

  • Television engineering and electronic media
  • Autmotive, industrial, energy, and design engineering
  • Environmental technology
  • Physical technology, nanotechnology, computational engineering and medical technology
  • Air traffic systems, marketing and control
  • Media technology, information technology and electrical engineering

Recreational and sports facilities

Event spaces: Walter-Köbel-Halle (2500 spectators)
Swimming pools: Freizeitbad an der Lache, Waldschwimmbad, Opelbad (no longer in use)
Stadiums: Stadion am Sommerdamm, with a field including bleachers and an artificial field for hockey
Boathouses: Bootshaus des Rudervereins Rüsselsheim am Main

Clubs

Rüsselsheim features a large number of clubs. Some of them are members of national and international leagues.

  • tg 1862 Rüsselsheim is the biggest of Rüsselsheim's clubs with approx. 4,000 members. 30 sports are offered in 12 divisions. The volleyball and dancing teams are members of their respective national leagues.
  • JC Rüsselsheim offeres judo and other martial arts. A few German champions, as well as world champions, originate from this club.
  • Rüsselsheimer Ruderklub is best known for hockey. The women's and men's teams have won German championships and were the winners of the European Cup.
  • Flug-Sport-Club Rüsselsheim flies from its airfield on the Hoherodskopf.
  • DPSG Stamm Partner Erde is the Scout Group in Rüsselsheim. It is a member of the Deutsche Pfadfinderschaft Sankt Georg, the German Catholic Scout Association and as such a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. It has around 80 members and its headquarters at Georg-Jung-Str. 64.

In 2004, the Volunteer Fire Brigade of the town of Rüsselsheim was 125 years old.

Development of the town

Additions

  • 1951 Haßloch
  • 1956 Königstädten
  • 1970 Bauschheim

People

Honorary citizens

  • Ludwig Dörfler, former mayor of Rüsselsheim
  • Roland Plaisance, former mayor of Rüsselsheim's partner city Evreux

Sons and Daughters of the Town

People who have had influence in Rüsselsheim

  • Diether Ritzert, painter und designer (1927-1987)
  • Wilhelm Hammann, Buchenwald prisoner, district administrator of Groß-Gerau (1897-1955)
  • Ottmar Hörl, artist (1950)

References

  • This article is based on a translation of the Rüsselsheim from the German Wikipedia, retrieved on May 10, 2005.

External links

Towns in Hesse

Rüsselsheim | Rüsselsheim | Rüsselsheim | Rüsselsheim | Rüsselsheim | Rüsselsheim

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Rüsselsheim".

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