Editing Bacharach

{{other uses}}
{{Infobox German location
|type                = Town
|image_photo        = Bacharach from the Postenturm.jpg
|image_caption      = Bacharach from the ''Postenturm''.
|image_coa             = DEU Bacharach COA.svg
|coordinates        = {{coord|50|04|N|07|46|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan = Bacharach in MZ.svg
|state         = Rhineland-Palatinate
|district          = Mainz-Bingen
|Verbandsgemeinde   = [[Rhein-Nahe]]
|elevation               = 70 
|area             = 23.65
|postal_code                = 55422
|area_code            = 06743
|licence                = MZ
|Gemeindeschlüssel  = 07 3 39 003
|website            = [http://www.bacharach.de/ www.bacharach.de]
|mayor      = 
}}
[[File:Bacharach Luftbild 092.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Aerial photograph 2007]]
[[File:Bacharach town river.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Rhine in Bacharach, view from [[Castle Stahleck]]]]

'''Bacharach''' ({{pronunciation|Bacharach.ogg}}, also known as ''Bacharach am Rhein'') is a town in the [[Mainz-Bingen]] district in [[Rhineland-Palatinate]], [[Germany]]. It belongs to the [[Rhein-Nahe|''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Rhein-Nahe]], whose seat is in [[Bingen am Rhein]], although that town is not within its bounds.

The original name ''Baccaracus'' suggests a [[Celts|Celtic]] origin. Above the town stands [[Stahleck Castle]] (''Burg Stahleck''), now a [[youth hostel]].

== Geography ==

=== Location ===
The town lies in the [[Rhine Gorge]], 48&nbsp;km south of [[Koblenz]].

=== Constituent communities ===
Bacharach is divided into several ''[[Ortsteil]]e''. The outlying centre of Steeg lies in the Steeg Valley (''Steeger Tal'') off to the side, away from the [[Rhine]]. This glen lies between Medenscheid and Neurath to the south and Henschhausen to the north on the heights.

== History ==
In the early 11th century, Bacharach had its first documentary mention.<ref>Urkunde Nr. 658. In: Friedrich Wilhelm Oediger (Bearb.): ''Die Regesten der Erzbischöfe von Köln im Mittelalter''. Band 1: 313–1099. Hanstein, Bonn 1954–61.</ref> It may have been that as early as the 7th century, the kingly domain passed into Archbishop of Cologne Kunibert’s ownership; pointing to this is a ''Kunibertskapelle'' ([[chapel]]) on the spot where now stands the ''Wernerkapelle''. The ''[[Vogt|Vögte]]'' of the Cologne estate were the [[Elector of the Palatinate]], who over time pushed back Cologne’s influence. Count Palatine already had so much influence that he resided at Stahleck Castle. His successor Konrad von Staufen’s daughter secretly wed at Stahleck Castle a son of the Welfs, who were family foes, leading to Bacharach’s, and indeed the whole County Palatine’s, falling for a short time to [[Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine|Henry of Brunswick]]. In 1214 the [[House of Wittelsbach|Wittelsbachs]] became Bacharach’s new lords. Together with the ''[[Amt (country subdivision)|Unteramt]]'' of Kaub they received here their most important toll and revenue source. In 1314 it was decided to choose [[Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Louis the Bavarian]] as the German king. Furthermore, Bacharach was the most important transfer point for the wine trade, as barrels were offloaded here from the smaller ships that were needed to get by the ''Binger Loch'' (a [[quartzite]] reef in the Rhine upstream near Bingen) and loaded onto bigger ones. From then on, the wine bore the designation ''Bacharacher''. The timber trade from the [[Hunsrück]] also brought Bacharach importance, and in 1356, Bacharach was granted town rights.
[[File:Tombleson Bacharach Werner.jpg|thumb|left|''Wernerkapelle'' in an engraving by [[William Tombleson]]]]
Widely visible is the ''Wernerkapelle'', a ''Rheinromantik'' landmark of the town, lying on the way up to Stahleck Castle from the town. It is the expanded ''Kunibertkapelle'', and is still an unfinished [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] ruin today. Its namesake is [[Werner of Oberwesel]], known in connection with pogroms triggered by his death. According to the Christian [[blood libel]], which was typical of the times, a 16-year-old Werner was murdered on [[Maundy Thursday]] 1287 by members of the local [[Judaism|Jewish]] community, who then used his blood for [[Passover]] observances. On the grounds of this alleged ritual murder, there arose an anti-Semitic mob who waged a [[pogrom]], wiping out Jewish communities in the Middle and Lower Rhine and [[Moselle]] regions. In folk Christianity arose the cult of Werner, which was only stricken from the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Trier|Bishopric of Trier]] calendar in 1963.

In 1344, building work began on the town wall, and was already finished about 1400. In 1545, the town, along with the Palatinate, became [[Protestantism|Protestant]] under Count Palatine [[Frederick II, Elector Palatine|Friedrich II]]. Stahleck Castle and the town wall could not stop Bacharach from undergoing eight changes in military occupation in the [[Thirty Years' War]], nor the war’s attendant [[Looting|sackings]]. Moreover, further destruction was wrought by several town fires. Then, in 1689, [[France|French]] troops fighting in the [[Nine Years' War]] blew Stahleck Castle and four of the town wall’s towers up.
[[File:Tombleson Bacharach.jpg|thumb|left|Bacharach about 1832 in an engraving by William Tombleson]]
In 1794, [[French Revolution]]ary troops occupied the Rhine’s left bank and in 1802, Bacharach became temporarily French. During the [[War of the Sixth Coalition]] the [[Prussia]]n [[Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher|Field Marshal Blücher]], after crossing the Rhine near Kaub, came through Bacharach and the Steeg Valley on New Year’s Night 1813-1814 with his troops on the way to France. Recalling this event is a monument stone somewhat downstream, across from Kaub. After the [[Congress of Vienna]], the town went, along with the Rhine’s left bank, up to and including [[Bingerbrück]], to [[Prussia]]. After the harbour silted up, Bacharach fell into a slumber from which it only awoke in the course of the ''Rheinromantik''. Among the first of the prominent visitors at this time was the French writer [[Victor Hugo]].
[[File:Max Liebermann Illustration Der Rabbi von Bacherach.jpg|thumb|Illustration by [[Max Liebermann]] for [[Heinrich Heine]]'s historical novel ''Der Rabbi von Bacherach'' (The Rabbi of Bacherach)]]
Caring for and maintaining Bacharach’s building monuments, spurred on in the early 20th century by the Rhenish Association for Monument Care and Landscape Preservation (''Rheinischer Verein für Denkmalpflege und Landschaftsschutz'') which took on the then highly endangered town wall and Stahleck Castle ruin jobs, and the great dedication of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate to the ''Wernerkapelle'' have seen to it that Bacharach is still a jewel of the ''Rheinromantik'' and a multifaceted documentary site of [[Middle Ages|mediaeval]] architecture on the Middle Rhine. The ''Wernerkapelle'' ruin is under monumental protection and before it a plaque has been placed recalling the inhuman crimes against Jewish residents and also containing a quotation from a prayer by [[Pope John XXIII]] for a change in Christians’ thinking in their relationship with the Jews:

<blockquote>“We recognize today that many centuries of blindness have shrouded our eyes, so that we no longer saw the goodliness of Thy Chosen People and no longer recognized our firstborn brother’s traits. We discover now that a mark of Cain stands on our forehead. In the course of the centuries our brother Abel has lain in blood that we spilt, and he has wept tears that we brought forth, because we forgot Thy love. Forgive us the curse that we unrightfully affixed to the Jews’ name. Forgive us for nailing Thee in their flesh for a second time to the Cross. For we knew not what we did........."</blockquote>

Today Bacharach thrives on tourism and wine from Bacharach is still enjoying international popularity. Not to be overlooked, however, are problems arising from a shrinking population, itself brought about by a lack of prospects.

=== Amalgamations ===
On 7 June 1969, the formerly self-administering municipality of Steeg was amalgamated with Bacharach.

=== Town partnerships ===
*{{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Overijse]], [[Flemish Brabant]], [[Belgium]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Santenay, Côte-d'Or|Santenay]], [[Côte-d'Or]], [[France]]

=== Coat of arms ===
The town’s [[Coat of arms|arms]] might be described thus: Per fess at the nombril point sable a lion rampant Or armed, langued and crowned gules, and bendy lozengy argent and azure.

==Population development==
The number 1871-1987 are census results
<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.infothek.statistik.rlp.de/MeineHeimat/zeitreihe.aspx?l=3&id=3537&key=0733901003&kmaid=2408&topic=2047&subject=20 |title=Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz &#124; template |access-date=2016-12-02 |archive-date=2016-12-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202233455/http://www.infothek.statistik.rlp.de/MeineHeimat/zeitreihe.aspx?l=3&id=3537&key=0733901003&kmaid=2408&topic=2047&subject=20 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
{| border="0"
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0em;"
! Year !! Inhabitants
|-
| 1815 || align="right" | 1.794
|-
| 1835 || align="right" | 2.342
|-
| 1871 || align="right" | 2.511
|-
| 1905 || align="right" | 2.859
|-
| 1939 || align="right" | 2.746
|-
| 1950 || align="right" | 3.091
|}
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0em;"
! Year !! Inhabitants
|-
| 1961 || align="right" | 2.853
|-
| 1970 || align="right" | 2.712
|-
| 1987 || align="right" | 2.184
|-
| 1997 || align="right" | 2.268
|-
| 2005 || align="right" | 2.097
|-
| {{EWDJ|DE-RP}} || align="right" | {{EWZT|DE-RP|07339003}} 
|}
|}

== Economy and infrastructure ==

=== Transport ===
Bacharach lies on the Rhine’s left bank and can be reached by ''[[Bundesstraße]]'' 9 or the Rhine. Running regularly to and from Bacharach are the excursion ships of the ''Köln-Düsseldorfer-Rheinschiffahrt''<!--Yes, I know. Under the new spelling rules there should be three Fs, but this is a company name, and I guess they chose not to change it.-->, or KD for short.

Transport routes on the other side of the river can be reached by ferry from the ''Engelsburg'' (castle) over to Kaub.

The town belongs to the ''Rhein-Nahe-Nahverkehrsverbund'' – a local transport association. Bacharach lies on the [[West Rhine Railway]] and is served by [[Cologne Hauptbahnhof|Cologne]] - [[Koblenz]]—[[Boppard]]—'''Bacharach'''—[[Bingen am Rhein]]—[[Mainz]] [[Regionalbahn]] trains (as of August 2022).

== Culture and sightseeing==
[[File:Bacharach2.jpg|thumb|130px|Saint Peter’s]]
[[File:Bacharach3.jpg|thumb|130px|''Wernerkapelle'']]
[[File:Blücher Gedenkstein.JPG|thumb|130px|Blücher monument stone]]
*[[Timber framing|Timber-frame]] houses, which can be found throughout the town. A whole row of them borders Bacharach along with the town wall along the Rhine.
*''Altes Haus'' (“Old House”), [[Middle Ages|mediaeval]] timber-frame house from 1368
*''Haus Utsch'' from 1585; in its time, Friedrich Wilhelm Utsch, the ''Jäger aus Kurpfalz'' (“Hunter from the [[Electorate of the Palatinate]]” – a character in a well known song) lived there.
*Old postal station
*Old marketplace
*[[Electorate of the Palatinate]] ''[[Amt (country subdivision)|Amt]]'' wine cellar
*Former [[Electorate of the Palatinate]] [[mint (coin)|mint]]
*Toll yard with [[Saint Nicholas]]’s [[Roman Catholicism|Catholic]] Church
*Saint Peter’s [[Evangelical Church in Germany|Evangelical]] Church
*Ruin of the [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] ''Wernerkapelle''
*[[Saint Joseph]]'s [[Roman Catholicism|Catholic]] Chapel
*Town wall ringing Bacharach, parts of which may be visited
*Town wall towers: ''Diebesturm'' (“Thief’s Tower”, remnants), ''Zehnt-turm'' (“Tithe Tower”), ''Spitzenturm'' (“Pointed Tower”, remnants), ''Postenturm'' (“Post Tower”), ''Holztor'' (“Wooden Gate”, also called ''Steeger Tor''), ''Liebesturm'' (“Love Tower”), ''Halbturm'' (“Half Tower”, remnants), ''Kühlbergturm'' (“Kühlberg Tower”, remnants), ''Sonnenturm'' (“Sun Tower”, remnants), ''Hutturm'' (“Hat Tower”), ''Zollturm'' (no longer existing), ''Kranentor'', ''Markttor'' (“Market Gate”), ''Münztor'' (“Mint Gate”), ''Winandturm'' (“Winand’s Tower”). The town fortifications are among the best preserved in Rhineland-Palatinate.
*Island in the Rhine, the ''Bacharacher Werth''.
*[[Stahleck Castle]] (''Burg Stahleck'')
*Remnants of a [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] road up from Stahleck Castle
*Stahlberg Castle (''Burg Stahlberg'') above Bacharach-Steeg
*Blücher monument stone at the Rhine ferry

===Bacharach in art===
* [[Heinrich Heine]]: ''Der Rabbi von Bacherach'' {{sic}} 1840. Text at: [https://web.archive.org/web/20040426053744/http://www.hagalil.com/buch/heine/bacharach.htm], also a further 2 of Heine’s poems on the heritage theme
**dsb., Gedicht "Ich weiß nicht, was soll es bedeuten..." [http://www.tamino-klassikforum.at/thread.php?threadid=6787] also a list of all together 9 musical versions of the Heine poem
* [[Clemens Brentano]]: [[Loreley]]-Gedicht: „Zu Bacharach am Rheine …“
* [[:de:Gerd Hergen Lübben|Gerd Hergen Lübben]]: „DER TEXTFUND ZU BACHERACH [VORSATZ / »VOM [[Werner of Oberwesel|HEILIGEN WERNER]] UND [[Pogrom|POGROM]] IN BACHERACH AM RHEIN« / NACHKLANG]“. In: ''DIE BRÜCKE – Forum for antiracist politics and culture'', Heft 140, 2/2006 (Saarbrücken), S. 126-128
* [[Guillaume Apollinaire]]: poem ''LA LORELEY'' In: Œuvres poétiques, Gallimard, Paris 1965, S. 115f, in German and French in: [http://www.uni-leipzig.de/~musik/web/institut/agOst/docs/mittelost/hefte/Heft7_BildUndText.pdf_046-060.pdf.] S. 48f.- set to music by [[Dmitri Shostakovich]]

=== Regular events ===
[[File:Vierthälermarkt.jpg|thumb|200px|Impression of the ''Vierthälermarkt'' 2007]]
* ''Kulinarische Sommernacht'' (“Culinary Summer Night”, every fourth weekend in August)
* [[Boules]] tournament
* ''Tal to Tal'' – car-free adventure day, upper Rhine Gorge (every last Sunday in June)
* ''Vierthälermarkt'' – mediaeval market in Bacharach

=== Notable people ===
[[File:GerhardVonKügelgen.jpg|thumb|150px|Gerhard von Kügelgen]]
* [[Gerhard von Kügelgen]], (1772–1820), painter
* [[Karl von Kügelgen]], (1772–1832), landscape and historical painter, Russian court and cabinet painter
* [[Hans Meinhard von Schönberg]], (1582–1616), [[Electorate of the Palatinate]] and [[Electorate of Brandenburg]] field colonel (''Feldobrister'') and the [[Frederick V, Elector Palatine|Winter King’s]] ''[[Hofmeister (office)|Hofmeister]]''

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Bacharach Street.JPG|A street in Bacharach
File:Bacharach Farming.jpg|Agriculture on the hills above Bacharach
File:Bararach1.jpg|Bacharach
File:Bacharach rheinblick pano.jpg|View of the Rhine from<br />Stahleck Castle
File:Bacharach Haus zur Post.jpg|Old postal station
File:Bacharach mit der Burg Stahleck.JPG|Bacharach with<br />Stahleck Castle
File:Ortskern_Bacharach_bei_Nacht.jpg|Downtown Bacharach 
File:BacharachStahleck.jpg|Stahleck Castle
File:BacharachAltesHaus.jpg|''Altes Haus'' inn at the market
File:BacharachRheinfront.jpg|Rhine waterfront with town fortifications
File:Bacharach rheinblick.jpg|View of the Rhine
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-13416, Bacharach, Burg Stahleck.jpg|Stahleck Castle 1932
File:Bacharachfromviewtower.jpg
File:Bacharach street.jpg|Bacharach street
File:Bacharach train station.jpg|Bacharach train station
</gallery>

== Further reading ==
* Friedrich Ludwig Wagner (publisher): ''Bacharach und die Geschichte der Viertälerorte: Bacharach, Steeg, Diebach und Manubach''. Verein für die Geschichte der Stadt Bacharach und der Viertäler e.V., 1996. {{ISBN|3-00-000994-9}}

=== Documents ===
* [http://www.dilibri.de/content/pageview/3170 Bild von Bacharach aus J.F. Dielmann, A. Fay, J. Becker (Zeichner): F.C. Vogels Panorama des Rheins, Bilder des rechten und linken Rheinufers, Lithographische Anstalt F.C. Vogel, Frankfurt 1833]
* [http://www.dilibri.de/content/pageview/3171 Bild 2 von Bacharach, dito]
* [http://www.dilibri.de/content/pageview/3172 Bild 3 von Bacharach, dito]
* [http://www.dilibri.de/content/pageview/3173 Bild der Burg Die Pfalz, dito]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikivoyage|Bacharach}}
{{commons category|Bacharach}}
{{EB1911 poster|Bacharach}}
* [http://www.bacharach.de Town’s official webpage]
* [http://www.bacharach-mittelalter.de/ Medieval Festival]

{{Cities and towns in Mainz-Bingen (district)}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Anti-Jewish pogroms in Europe]]
[[Category:Mainz-Bingen]]
[[Category:Districts of the Rhine Province]]
[[Category:Middle Rhine]]