Walluf
Walluf is a municipality in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. With 5,581 residents in its 6.74 square kilometer area, it is the most densely populated community in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis.
Geography
Location
Walluf, also known as Pforte des Rheingaus, lies on the southern slope of the Taunus Mountains and on the north bank of the Rhine River. Walluf is the Rheingau's easternmost community. It is made up of the two formerly independent communities of Niederwalluf and Oberwalluf.Walluf lies in the valley of a creek also named the Walluf. The creek rises in the foothills of the Taunus southwest of Schlangenbad-Bärstadt. It flows past Eltville-Martinsthal and the Walluf district of Oberwalluf, flowing into the Rhine at Niederwalluf.
Neighbouring communities
Walluf borders in the north and east on the boroughs of Schierstein and Frauenstein of the district-free city of Wiesbaden and in the west on the town of Eltville. In the south, the Rhine forms the boundary with the community of Budenheim.History
In 1932, in the immediate vicinity of the so-called Johannisfeld below the ruins of St. John’s Church, the remains of a characteristic Ottonian tower castle were excavated. The investigations also revealed traces of Celtic, Roman, and Carolingian settlements as well as a royal palace. Pottery fragments attest to settlement as early as the La Tène period.Walluf was first mentioned in writing in 770 under the name Waltaffa. Viticulture has been practiced there since that time, making Walluf the oldest wine-growing community in the Rheingau. In this earliest surviving documentary reference, it is not clearly established whether the later Niederwalluf or Oberwalluf is meant; the designation Nidenwaldoff does not appear until 1304.
The first mention of a church or chapel dates from the time of the Archbishop of Mainz, Willigis. The original St. John’s Church was built around the year 1000 but today survives only as a ruin. It is possible that a church or baptistery already existed at this site in 744, as tradition names the location as the place of baptism of the later Benedictine monk Gerhardus, who received the name “Fidelis” at his baptism. St. John’s Church remained the parish church of Walluf until 1719.
The exact date of construction of the Walluf tower castle in Niederwalluf is unknown; however, its origin is also presumed to be around the year 1000.
In the early Middle Ages, the area of present-day Walluf was politically divided. Only the western part of the settlement near today’s parish church belonged from the outset to the Rheingau and was under the authority of the Archbishopric of Mainz. The larger portion lay originally east of the Walluf stream and did not belong to the Rheingau but to the Königssondergau. This area later passed into the possession of the Counts of Lindau. Here began the Rheingau Gebück, the Rheingau landwehr established by the Archbishops of Mainz, consisting of an impenetrable hedge. One of the most important routes into the Rheingau passed through Walluf. Its passage through the Gebück was formed by a heavily fortified gate structure known as the “Backofen” because of its shape. For this reason, Walluf is also known as the “Gateway to the Rheingau”.
In the 11th century, another settlement developed above the village, later becoming the independent municipality of Oberwalluf. The older settlement on the Rhine was later called Niederwalluf; the designation Nidenwaldoff is documented only from 1304 onward. The name Waldaffo Superior has been recorded since 1211.
Originally, the settlement east of the Walluf stream was located around the present-day ruins of St. John’s Church and the tower castle, but it appears to have been relocated to the western side under the protection of the Rheingau Gebück as early as the 12th century. As a result, what later became Niederwalluf became part of the Electorate of Mainz’s Rheingau territory.
After the expansion of the Adelheid Chapel—probably built in the 13th century and now the parish church of St. John the Baptist—it was consecrated in 1314. The church rests on Gothic foundations. From that time onward, religious life shifted to the church located further west and more centrally within the village.
The town hall of the formerly independent municipality of Oberwalluf was first constructed in 1412 and rebuilt in 1616. It has survived to the present day. Its façade displays the coat of arms of Oberwalluf, featuring the Mainz Wheel on the left and a key on the right.
Also noteworthy in Oberwalluf is the parish church of St. Martin, which has housed the valuable penitential garment of Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia since 1803.
Following the dissolution of the Electorate of Mainz, the village passed to Nassau-Usingen in 1803 and, during the period of the Duchy of Nassau, belonged to the Eltville administrative district and later to the Rheingau district.
The Protestant Church of the Redeemer was built in 1902.
During the National Socialist dictatorship, the Wilde dental factory from Niederwalluf operated a company labor camp for forced female laborers in the Grüner Wald inn in Oberwalluf. On 1 April 1943, the camp was occupied by 16 women.
As part of the municipal territorial reform in Hesse, the previously independent municipalities of Niederwalluf and Oberwalluf were merged on 1 October 1971 to form the new municipality of Walluf. Local districts, which would have been possible under the Hessian Municipal Code, were not established.
On 15 December 1988, severe gas explosions shook a residential area of the village. The cause was a gas leak in the supply network, resulting from a switching error that allowed gas to be fed from the long-distance supply network at excessive pressure. Two people were killed in the explosions, and several others were injured. Around 200 residents had to be evacuated for several days.
The historic center of Niederwalluf has repeatedly been flooded by severe high waters. The highest water levels were recorded in February 1970, March 1988, and January 1995. Residential buildings located close to the Rhine could be accessed for days only via temporarily constructed walkways or by inflatable boats.
Infrastructure and economy
Transport
Walluf lies on the East Rhine railway running between Koblenz and Wiesbaden. At Niederwalluf railway station, Regionalbahn trains from the DB Regio AG stop.Likewise running along the Rhine's right bank is Bundesstraße 42, which merges into Autobahn 66 just past the community's eastern limits. From Bundesstraße 42, Bundesstraße 260 branches into the Taunus.
A foot passenger and bicycle ferry operates across the Rhine between Walluf and the Budenheim quay.
Education
- Walluftalschule
- 3 kindergartens
Economy
In the industrial area "Im Grohenstück/In der Rehbach" are trucking companies, as well as establishments producing construction machinery and packaging equipment. There are also various service providers, such as the Customer Service of Siemens Elektrogeräte GmbH, HSGM Heißschneidegeräte und Maschinen GmbH, ASCAD Anwendersoftware GmbH, and ISI Automation GmbH. On the link road "Am Klingenweg" is the so-called press house in which several publishers have their headquarters, and the new building of ENGEL GmbH with its production of small electric motors, precision rotating parts, and electrical systems.
Wine
Walluf is regarded as the oldest wine-growing community in the Rheingau wine region, with numerous Straußwirtschaften and Gutsschänken. Wine is cultivated there on an area of approximately 70 hectares.Riesling is the predominant grape variety, followed by Pinot Noir. Other grape varieties grown on a smaller scale include Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Müller-Thurgau.
Walluf wines are of outstanding quality. Well-known wine estates include Weingut Bonnet, Weingut Becker, Weingut Mehl, Weingut Russler, Weingut Schweibächer, Weingut Arnet, Weingut Klerner und Erben, Weingut Scherer, and Weingut Bug. Some of these estates also operate Straußwirtschaften or estate taverns, where their own wines and typical Rheingau dishes are served.
Vineyards
The following vineyards, belonging to the Rheingau wine region, are located within the municipal boundaries of Walluf:
- Berg-Bildstock: a larger vineyard site in the north–northwest area of the municipality
- Gottesacker: a historic vineyard named after the Rode Monastery
- Langenstück: also a traditionally cultivated vineyard site
- Oberberg: located in the north–northwest part of the municipality
- Vitusberg: with a high proportion of Riesling; named after Saint Vitus
- Walkenberg / Walkenberger: a well-known single vineyard, also classified as a VDP “Grosse Lage” Walkenberg
Politics
Community council
The municipal election held on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results:Mayor
Mayoral elections are held every six years. The most recent mayors were:- 2020–incumbent: Nikolaos Stavridis
- 2002–2020: Manfred Kohl
- 1996–2002: Jürgen Knode
- 1994–1996: Heinz Spiekermann
Town partnerships
- La Londe-les-Maures, Var, France
Culture and sightseeing