Sponheim
Municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sponheim is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate in western Germany.
Sponheim | |
|---|---|
View of Sponheim with the abbey | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Sponheim
within Bad Kreuznach district
| |
 Location of Sponheim | |
  Sponheim  Sponheim | |
| Coordinates: 49°50′45″N 7°43′35″E | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Rhineland-Palatinate |
| District | Bad Kreuznach |
| Municipal assoc. | Rüdesheim |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2019–24) | Bernhard Haas[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 14.35 km2 (5.54 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Population (2023-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 761 |
| • Density | 53.0/km2 (137/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 55595 |
| Dialling codes | 06758 |
| Vehicle registration | KH |
| Website | www.sponheim.de |
History
Sponheim was the capital of the County of Sponheim.
Sponheim Abbey
There was a Benedictine abbey which was founded in 1101 by Stephan II, Count of Sponheim not far from the comital residence at Castle Sponheim. Johannes Trithemius was one of the abbots.[3] Traveling from university to his home town in 1482, he was surprised by a snowstorm and took refuge in the Benedictine abbey of Sponheim near Bad Kreuznach. He decided to stay and was elected abbot in 1483, at the age of twenty-one. In his time, the abbey library increased from around fifty items to more than two thousand. However, his efforts were not met with praise, and his reputation as a magician did not further his acceptance. Increasing differences with the convent led to his resignation in 1506.
