BAD DüRKHEIM

'Bad Dürkheim' is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, capital of the eponymous district. It is located on the eastern edge of the Palatinate forest, to the west of Ludwigshafen.

Contents

History

Main sights

Economy and infrastructure

Traffic

Twin towns

Famous residents

Events

Other

Footnotes

History

Main sights

Economy and infrastructure

The main industry in Bad Dürkheim is viticulture. Tourism and health also play a large role in the town's economy, and Bad Dürkheim is one of the few places in Germany in which a graduation tower is still in use. There is also some paper and wood industry in the surrounding area, as well as various technology enterprises.

Traffic

Bad Dürkheim is connected with Ludwigshafen via an overland tramway run by the Rhein-Haardt-Bahn. There is also a motorway connection (A650) to Ludwigshafen.

Twin towns

Bad Dürkheim is twinned with the following towns:

★ Paray-le-Monial, France

★ Wells, United Kingdom

★ Kluczbork, Poland

★ Kempten, Germany
Bad Dürkheim also has a town cooperation with Bad Berka (Germany), and maintains town friendships with Michelstadt (Germany) und Emmaus (USA).

Famous residents

★ Robert Wilhelm Bunsen, 1861, discoverer of the elements rubidium and caesium (discovered whilst investigating the salt springs of Bad Dürkheim, including the "Maxquelle" spring)

★ Kurt Dehn (
★ 1920, † 2000), Palatine dialect poet, composer and singer

★ Prof. Otto Dill (
★ 1884, † 1957), painter, honorary citizen of Bad Dürkheim

★ Philipp Fauth (
★ 1867, † 1941), astronomer

★ Torsten Lieberknecht (
★ 1973), football player

★ Waltraud Meißner (
★ 1940), Palatine dialect poet

★ Helmut Metzger (
★ 1917, † 1995), Palatine dialect poet

★ Valentin Ostertag, founder of Germany's oldest social foundation

★ Ralf Stegner (
★ 1959), minister in Schleswig-Holstein

★ Peter Frankenberg Geographer and Minister in Baden-Württemberg.

Events

The '''Wurstmarkt'''^[1] held annually each September for ten days over two weeks is biggest winefest worldwide. The first Wurstmarkt was held - hovewer not yet under this name - in 1417.

Other

★ Until 1981 there was an aerial tramway at Bad Dürkheim.


★ On the night of April 6, 2007 the 250-year-old Saltern, or "Saline" (graduation tower) of Bad Dürkheim was completely destroyed by a fire. It was considered the most famous building and tourist attraction in Bad Dürkheim. This event was covered all over German media, especially after the Saline had been completely restored once before after suspected Arson in 1992.

Footnotes

1. http://www.duerkheimer-wurstmarkt.de/impressionen.html