Nierstein

Nierstein
Coat of arms
Nierstein
Location of Nierstein within Mainz-Bingen district
Coordinates: 49°52′10″N 8°20′15″E / 49.86944°N 8.33750°E / 49.86944; 8.33750Coordinates: 49°52′10″N 8°20′15″E / 49.86944°N 8.33750°E / 49.86944; 8.33750
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
District	Mainz-Bingen
Municipal assoc.	Rhein-Selz
Government
• Mayor	Thomas Günther (CDU)
Area
• Total	19.34 km2 (7.47 sq mi)
Elevation	84 m (276 ft)
Population (2015-12-31)
• Total	8,191
• Density	420/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	55283
Dialling codes	06133
Vehicle registration	MZ
Website	www.nierstein.de

Nierstein is a town belonging to the Verbandsgemeinde Rhein-Selz in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

Nierstein lies in Rhenish Hesse on the Rhine between Mainz and Worms. In Nierstein the Flügelsbach empties into the Rhine.

Nierstein’s neighbours are Dexheim, Dienheim, Nackenheim and Oppenheim.

Around Nierstein Permian deposits (Rotliegend times) crop out in which 290,000,000-year-old animal tracks can be made out.

Above Nierstein lies a hillside vineyard described as a “Red Slope”, made as it is a part of the Rotliegend, which stretches from northern Nackenheim to western Schwabsburg.

Two thousand years ago on Nierstein’s current site stood a Roman settlement bearing the name Bauconica Nova. In 742, Nierstein had its first documentary mention. The occasion was the donation of a church and a vineyard to the Bistum Würzburg by the Majordomo Karlmann son of Karl Martell. The Glöck that was herein mentioned is said to be the oldest vineyard complex mentioned in a document in Germany. In 1451, vineyards owned by the Counts of Katzenelnbogen in der Walpe were mentioned.

In the Middle Ages the village Sundheim (or "Suntheym") was located south (Old High German sunt = "south") of Nierstein. Today this place lies inside the old centre of Nierstein near to a brook called "Flügelsbach". The street name "Hinter Sundheim" (about: "Behind Sundheim") still remembers of this village.

The name Schwabsburg was transferred from the castle of the same name at the settlement that already existed there then. The castle was held by the Staufer emperors, whose home was in Swabia. In the Middle Ages, the villages of Dexheim, Schwabsburg and Nierstein formed a municipality administered by the Nierstein knightly court. The municipality had Imperial immediacy.