Rheingau-Taunus is a Kreis (district) in the west of Hesse, Germany. Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis is part of the Darmstadt region; its main administrative seat is Bad Schwalbach. Outposted sections of the local administration are located in Idstein and Rüdesheim am Rhein.
Neighbouring districts are the Hessian districts of Limburg-Weilburg, Hochtaunuskreis, Main-Taunus-Kreis, district-free Wiesbaden and Mainz-Bingen and Rhein-Lahn which are located in Rhineland-Palatinate.
History From 983 to 1803, the Rheingau area belonged to the Electorate of Mainz and was then merged into the new Duchy of Nassau.
The Untertaunus region was part of the Earldom of Katzenelnbogen. From 1816 onward, the whole area of the district became part of the Duchy of Nassau. After the 1866 Austro-Prussian war, Nassau was annexed by Prussia and formed the new province of Hesse-Nassau.
In 1867, the province was divided into districts. Therefore, the districts of Rheingau and Untertaunus were created.
After the Second World War and the creation of Hesse in 1946, these two districts remained unchanged. Only in 1977, because administrative borders were redrawn, the districts of Rheingau and Untertaunus merged and thus formed the Rheingau-Taunus district.
Geography
The district covers the western part of the Taunus mountains. The river Rhine forms the district's border in the south.
Politics
District council Recent district elections had the following results:Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt: Final result of district election (in German).
Parties and voter communities %2016 Seats2016 %2011 Seats2011 %2006 Seats2006 %2001 Seats2001CDUChristian Democratic Union35.32135.82239.82439.128SPDSocial Democratic Party24.11530.81933.62037.226 GRÜNE Alliance 90/The Greens11.2718.91210.3610.07 FDP Free Democratic Party6.845.036.146.55 DIE LINKE The Left3.222.31————FWGFreie Wähler Gemeinschaft Rheingau-Taunus (Independent Voters Community)6.047.247.554.53REPThe Republicans————2.722.72AFDAlternative for Germany13.48——————Total100.061100.061100.061100.071Voter turnout %53.251.450.055.6
Coat of arms The coat of arms combines the coat of arms of the two former districts - in the bottom right the Mainz wheel taken from the Rheingau district, in the top left the lion of Nassau from the former Untertaunuskreis.
Subdivisions
Towns Bad Schwalbach Eltville Geisenheim Idstein Lorch Oestrich-Winkel Rüdesheim Taunusstein
Municipalities Aarbergen Heidenrod Hohenstein Hünstetten Kiedrich Niedernhausen Schlangenbad Waldems Walluf
Transport
The disteict is a member of the transport association Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV).
References
External links
Official website (in German) Rheingau Daily Photo Blog