Alzey-Worms () is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by (from the east and clockwise) the district Groß-Gerau (Hesse), the city of Worms and the districts of Bad Dürkheim, Donnersbergkreis, Bad Kreuznach and Mainz-Bingen.
History
The territory was in
Roman Empire times part of the province of Germania Superior. The towns of Worms and Alzey go both back to Roman
. In medieval times the region was part of the Electorate of the Palatinate. After the French occupation (1797–1814) it was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Hesse and formed a part of its province
Rhenish Hesse.
Two districts named Alzey and Worms were established in 1835. In the reorganisation of the districts of Rhineland-Palatinate in 1969 the new district of Alzey-Worms was formed by merging parts of the former districts.
Geography
The district is named after the city of Worms (which is neighboring, but not belonging to the district) and the town of
Alzey (which is the seat of the district). The
Rhine forms the eastern boundary. From there the land gently rises to the
Alzey Hills in the west, which is the northernmost extension of the Palatinate Forest. The westernmost portion of the district is crossed by several brooks and covered with forests; it is called the
Rheinhessische Schweiz (Rhenish-Hessian Switzerland).
Coat of arms
The coat of arms displays a dragon and the fiddle. The
Western dragon is the heraldic symbol of the city of Worms, while the fiddle stands for
Alzey. Both themes occur in the
Nibelungenlied, the old German
epic poem playing in the region. The hero
Sigurd killed
Fafnir the dragon and gained wisdom from drinking its blood. The fiddle belongs to Volker the minstrel, another character of the Nibelungenlied, who allegedly had lived in Alzey.
Towns and municipalities
Verband-free towns:
-
Alzey
|
| | | | | |
| 1seat of the Verbandsgemeinde; 2town |
External links
