Dolgesheim
# Dolgesheim

Dolgesheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

## Geography

### Location

Dolgesheim lies on the Gaustraße – Landesstraße (state road) 425 – halfway between Mainz and Worms. There is a further link by Bundesstraße 9 from Oppenheim by way of Dienheim, Uelversheim and Weinolsheim, or from Guntersblum by way of Eimsheim. Dolgesheim can also be reached from the A 61, Alzey interchange, by way of Gau-Odernheim and Hillesheim.

The greatest elevation is the Kreuzberg at 211 m above sea level.

## History

Founded in the 5th century by Frankish tribes, the place known as Dulgisheim had its first documentary mention in 769 with a donation to the Lorsch Abbey. At this time, a Theo und Unsetz donated 2 morgens of cropland “in pago Wormat in Dulgisheimer Mark”. Early on, Dolgesheim belonged to the Counts of Leiningen, but passed in 1816 to the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Between 1825 and 1931, the building of the Gaustraße between Mainz and Worms brought good links to Rhenish Hesse’s cities. Dolgesheim was also thereby joined to the water (1907) and electricity (1913) networks early on.

## Politics

### Municipal council

The council has since the municipal election held in 2004 been made up of 12 council members, 5 from the Bürgerliste Dolgesheim and 7 from the SPD.

### Mayor

The mayor is Klaus Backhaus, elected in May 2019.

### Coat of arms

The municipality's arms might be described thus: Per fess at the nombril point azure an eagle displayed argent in each talon a sceptre sable with heads of the second, one a lily sceptre and the other a staff of oath, in base Or a plough of the first.

The silver eagle is the charge borne by the Counts of Leiningen and represents their former lordship over Dolgesheim. The lily sceptre stands for purity and the Church, while the staff of oath stands for the municipality's duty and loyalty. The plough stands for the ancient working of the land and the municipality's links with agriculture.

## Culture and sightseeing

### Buildings

* The church is the oldest building in the community. The foundation walls go back to the 13th century. After it was renovated it became a jewel among Evangelical churches in Rhenish Hesse.
* In the middle of the community, on the Gaustraße, stands the Town Hall, built in 1594.
* On the Kreuzberg (mountain) in more recent times, a Calvary cross has been put up.
