Landkreis Südliche Weinstraße

Geschichte

Südliche Weinstraße is a district in the south of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighboring districts are Südwestpfalz, Bad Dürkheim, the district-free city Neustadt , Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, Germersheim, and the French département Bas-Rhin. The district-free city Landau is surrounded by the district.HistoryOn May 27, 1832 the Hambacher Fest took place in the castle of Hambach, an event which marks the beginning of the German democracy. The district was formed in 1969 by merging the districts Landau and Bergzabern. At first the name of the new district was Landau-Bad Bergzabern, it was renamed to Südliche Weinstraße in 1978.GeographyThe district is named after the first touristic route built in Germany in the 1930s, the German Wine Route (Deutsche Weinstraße). It starts in Bockenheim an der Weinstraße, goes through Bad Dürkheim, Deidesheim, and after 85 kilometers ends in Schweigen-Rechtenbach (near Bad Bergzabern).