View source for Alzey

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox German location
|type               = Stadt
|image_coa = DEU Alzey COA.svg
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
  | total_width            = 280
  | border                 = infobox
  | perrow                 = 1/2/2
  | caption_align          = center
  | image1                 = Alzey - Altstadt m Stiftskirche v O.jpg
  | caption1               = old town and church
  | image2                 = WartbergturmAlzey.jpg
  | caption2               = Wartberg tower 
  | image3                 = Rossmarkt.jpg
  | caption3               = ''Rossmarkt'' square 
  | image4                 = Alzey, Weingut der Stadt Alzey.jpg
  | caption4               = winery of the city
  | image5                 = SchlossAlzey.jpg
  | caption5               = Alzey Castle 
  }}
|coordinates       = {{coord|49|44|45|N|8|6|55|E|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan = Alzey in AZ.svg
|state        = Rhineland-Palatinate
|district         = Alzey-Worms
|elevation              = 194
|area            = 35.22
|postal_code               = 55219–55232
|area_code           = 06731
|licence      = AZ
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 07 3 31 003
|divisions         = 4 
|website           = [https://www.alzey.de/ www.alzey.de]
|mayor             = Steffen Jung<ref>[https://www.wahlen.rlp.de/de/kw/direktwahlen/wahl-der-buergermeister-verbandsfreier-gemeinden/ Wahlen der Bürgermeister der verbandsfreien Gemeinden], Landeswahlleiter Rheinland-Pfalz. Retrieved 5 June 2023.</ref>
|leader_term       = 2022&ndash;30
|party             = SPD
}}
'''Alzey''' ({{IPA|de|ˈaltsaɪ|-|De-Alzey.ogg}}) is a ''Verband''-free town – one belonging to no ''[[Verbandsgemeinde]]'' – in the [[Alzey-Worms]] district in [[Rhineland-Palatinate]], [[Germany]]. It is the fifth-largest town in [[Rhenish Hesse]], after [[Mainz]], [[Worms, Germany|Worms]], [[Ingelheim am Rhein]] and [[Bingen am Rhein|Bingen]].

Alzey is one of the ''Nibelungenstädte'' – towns associated with the {{Lang|de|[[Nibelungenlied]]}} – because it is represented in this work by the character [[Volker von Alzey]]. Hence, Alzey is also known as ''Volkerstadt''.

== Geography ==

=== Location ===
Alzey lies in [[Rhenish Hesse]] on the western edge of the northern part of the [[Upper Rhine Plain]]. It is surrounded by the northern part of the [[Alzey Hills]], which meets the Rhenish Hesse Hills towards the south and the [[North Palatine Uplands]] towards the east. The town is found some 30&nbsp;km southwest of [[Mainz]] and some 22&nbsp;km ([[as the crow flies]], in each case) northwest of [[Worms, Germany|Worms]]. Through Alzey, in places underground, flows the river [[Selz (river)|Selz]], a left-bank tributary to the [[Rhine]].

=== Climate ===
Alzey has an [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfb''; [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]]: ''Dobk''). Yearly [[Precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] in Alzey amounts to {{Convert|535.3|mm}}, which is rather low, falling into the lowest fourth of the precipitation chart for all of Germany. At 18% of the [[Deutscher Wetterdienst|German Weather Service]]'s weather stations, even lower figures are recorded. The driest month is April. The most rainfall comes in July. In that month, precipitation is 1.9 times what it is in February. Precipitation varies moderately. At 41% of the weather stations, lower seasonal swings are recorded.

The Alzey weather station has recorded the following extreme values:<ref name=sklima/>
* Its highest temperature was {{convert|37.8|C|F}} on 7 August 2015 and  [[2019_European_heatwaves#Germany|25 July 2019]].
* Its lowest temperature was {{convert|-25.1|C|F}} on 2 February 1956.
* Its greatest annual precipitation was {{convert|733.7|mm|in|abbr=on}} in 1965.
* Its least annual precipitation was {{convert|265.2|mm|in|abbr=on}} in 1953.
* The longest annual sunshine was 2214 hours in 2022.
* The shortest annual sunshine was 1400 hours in 1977.

{{Weather box
|location = Alzey (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–present)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 15.3
|Feb record high C = 19.6
|Mar record high C = 24.8
|Apr record high C = 29.2
|May record high C = 32.3
|Jun record high C = 37.8
|Jul record high C = 38.4
|Aug record high C = 38.4
|Sep record high C = 33.0
|Oct record high C = 27.1
|Nov record high C = 23.0
|Dec record high C = 16.7
|year record high C = 38.4
|Jan avg record high C = 11.7
|Feb avg record high C = 13.5
|Mar avg record high C = 18.5
|Apr avg record high C = 23.8
|May avg record high C = 27.9
|Jun avg record high C = 31.2
|Jul avg record high C = 33.6
|Aug avg record high C = 32.8
|Sep avg record high C = 27.1
|Oct avg record high C = 21.5
|Nov avg record high C = 15.7
|Dec avg record high C = 12.5
|year avg record high C = 34.8
|Jan high C = 4.3
|Feb high C = 6.2
|Mar high C = 10.8
|Apr high C = 15.7
|May high C = 19.6
|Jun high C = 23.1
|Jul high C = 25.7
|Aug high C = 25.3
|Sep high C = 20.3
|Oct high C = 14.4
|Nov high C = 8.5
|Dec high C = 5.1
|year high C = 14.9
|Jan mean C = 1.8
|Feb mean C = 2.8
|Mar mean C = 6.2
|Apr mean C = 10.4
|May mean C = 14.3
|Jun mean C = 17.5
|Jul mean C = 19.6
|Aug mean C = 19.2
|Sep mean C = 14.9
|Oct mean C = 10.1
|Nov mean C = 5.7
|Dec mean C = 2.7
|year mean C = 10.5
|Jan low C = -0.8
|Feb low C = -0.4
|Mar low C = 2.1
|Apr low C = 5.1
|May low C = 8.8
|Jun low C = 11.9
|Jul low C = 13.8
|Aug low C = 13.6
|Sep low C = 10.0
|Oct low C = 6.4
|Nov low C = 2.8
|Dec low C = 0.2
|year low C = 6.1
|Jan avg record low C = -9.0
|Feb avg record low C = -7.0
|Mar avg record low C = -3.7
|Apr avg record low C = -1.4
|May avg record low C = 2.6
|Jun avg record low C = 6.7
|Jul avg record low C = 8.8
|Aug avg record low C = 8.4
|Sep avg record low C = 4.6
|Oct avg record low C = -0.5
|Nov avg record low C = -3.4
|Dec avg record low C = -7.4
|year avg record low C = -11.3
|Jan record low C = -21.4
|Feb record low C = -25.1
|Mar record low C = -14.2
|Apr record low C = -6.1
|May record low C = -1.7
|Jun record low C = 1.0
|Jul record low C = 3.5
|Aug record low C = 3.5
|Sep record low C = -1.4
|Oct record low C = -5.9
|Nov record low C = -12.4
|Dec record low C = -19.4
|year record low C = -25.1
|precipitation colour = green	
|Jan precipitation mm = 35.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 34.6
|Mar precipitation mm = 36.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 31.5
|May precipitation mm = 54.3
|Jun precipitation mm = 49.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 60.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 53.0
|Sep precipitation mm = 44.8
|Oct precipitation mm = 44.4
|Nov precipitation mm = 41.6
|Dec precipitation mm = 49.4
|year precipitation mm = 535.3
|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 13.6
|Feb precipitation days = 12.3
|Mar precipitation days = 13.1
|Apr precipitation days = 11.1
|May precipitation days = 12.6
|Jun precipitation days = 11.5
|Jul precipitation days = 13.1
|Aug precipitation days = 11.8
|Sep precipitation days = 10.8
|Oct precipitation days = 13.0
|Nov precipitation days = 14.5
|Dec precipitation days = 15.1
|year precipitation days = 152.5
|Jan snow depth cm = 4.3
|Feb snow depth cm = 3.5
|Mar snow depth cm = 2.8
|Apr snow depth cm = 0
|May snow depth cm = 0
|Jun snow depth cm = 0
|Jul snow depth cm = 0
|Aug snow depth cm = 0
|Sep snow depth cm = 0
|Oct snow depth cm = trace
|Nov snow depth cm = 0.9
|Dec snow depth cm = 4.3
|year snow depth cm = 9.0
|humidity colour = green
|Jan humidity = 85.3
|Feb humidity = 80.9
|Mar humidity = 74.0
|Apr humidity = 66.8
|May humidity = 69.0
|Jun humidity = 69.2
|Jul humidity = 66.6
|Aug humidity = 68.3
|Sep humidity = 75.0
|Oct humidity = 83.3
|Nov humidity = 87.3
|Dec humidity = 87.3
|year humidity = 76.1
|Jan sun = 46.5
|Feb sun = 78.5
|Mar sun = 139.5
|Apr sun = 196.6
|May sun = 220.2
|Jun sun = 227.3
|Jul sun = 238.3
|Aug sun = 229.9
|Sep sun = 166.9
|Oct sun = 96.5
|Nov sun = 48.2
|Dec sun = 38.8
|year sun = 1727.4
|source 1= [[Deutscher Wetterdienst]] / SKlima.de<ref name=sklima>{{cite web 
|url = http://sklima.de/datenbank_auswertung.php?tab=2
|title = Monatsauswertung 
|website = sklima.de 
|publisher = SKlima 
|language = de 
|access-date = 13 October 2024}}</ref>}}

== History ==

=== From the Neolithic to the early first millennium ===
[[File:Volker Islan.jpg|thumb|[[Volker von Alzey]] (right) from ''[[Legends about Theodoric the Great]]'']]
[[File:Altzey merian 1645.jpeg|thumb|Copper etching by [[Matthäus Merian]] 1645]]

The earliest traces of settlement in the Alzey area go back as far as the [[Neolithic]]. Alzey was founded as a [[Vicus (Rome)|''vicus'' (village)]] in the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] province of [[Germania Superior]] in the lands surrounding Mogontiacum ([[Mainz]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.students.uni-mainz.de/graefen/arbeiten/sonderdruck1.pdf|title=Alzey - Geschichte der Stadt|accessdate=3 May 2023}}</ref>

The name of Alzey is first mentioned on a ''Nymphenstein'' (a Roman altar stone dedicated to nymphs),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.andracor.com/|title=Andracor ✦ Der Onlineshop für LARP, Mittelalter und Reenactment|website=andracor.com|accessdate=3 May 2023}}</ref> dedicated on 22 November 223 by the ''Vicani Altiaienses'' ("Villagers of Alzey").<ref>{{CIL|13|06265}}</ref> The name ''Altiaia'' could well originate from the name of an older, pre-Roman [[Celts|Celtic]] settlement of about 400&nbsp;BC, although the name's exact origins have not been passed down to the present day. Over the ruins of the Roman village, which was destroyed about 350, a [[Castra|fort]], [[Castra Alteium]], was built about 390. In 406 and 407, the [[Burgundians]], together with the [[Vandals]], crossed the [[Rhine]] and settled in Mainz, Alzey and Worms as Roman confederates. The area was secured for them by treaty. In 436, the Burgundian kingdom was destroyed by the [[Western Roman Empire|Western Roman]] ''[[magister militum]]'' [[Flavius Aëtius]] with help from [[Huns|Hunnish]] troops. These events were worked into the ''Nibelungenlied'' and form the origin of the legendary figure Volker von Alzey, the [[gleeman]] in the ''Nibelungenlied''. After 450, Alzey passed to the [[Alamanni]] and the [[Franks]] when they took over the land. After [[Clovis I]]'s death in 511, the Frankish Empire fell apart into separate smaller kingdoms, and Alzey became part of [[Austrasia]], whose capital was at [[Metz]]. Following the unification of the Frankish kingdoms in the mid-8th century, Alzey was assigned by the 843 [[Treaty of Verdun]] to the [[East Francia|Kingdom of the East Franks]], a forerunner of the German Empire. In 897, Alzey was first mentioned as an Imperial fief.

=== 12th century to early 20th century ===
In 1156, Alzey belonged to the [[Electorate of the Palatinate]], and [[Conrad, Count Palatine of the Rhine|Konrad von Staufen]] attained the rank of Count Palatine in the Imperial castle, which had been completed in 1118. In 1277, Alzey attained the rank of town from [[Rudolph I of Germany|Rudolf von Habsburg]]. In 1620, Count [[Ambrogio Spinola, 1st Marquis of the Balbases|Spinola]] sided with the [[Roman Catholicism|Catholic]] Emperor in the [[Thirty Years' War]] against the [[Protestantism|Protestant]] Electorate of the Palatinate and also conquered Alzey. In 1689, the town and the castle, under the [[France|French]] troops' scorched-earth policy, were burnt down in the [[Nine Years' War]], when [[Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV]]'s armies had to leave areas conquered earlier. In 1798, areas west of the Rhine, among them those that until this time had been parts of the Electorate of the Palatinate, were annexed to [[France]]. Alzey belonged until 1814 to the Department of [[Mont-Tonnerre]] (or Donnersberg in [[German language|German]]). In 1816, Alzey was attached to the [[Grand Duchy of Hesse]]. In 1909, the winemaking school (now the ''Landesanstalt für Rebenzüchtung'') was founded. Its first head was Georg Scheu, after whom the grape variety [[Scheurebe]] is named.

=== Third Reich ===
On [[Kristallnacht]] (9 November 1938), the Alzey [[synagogue]] was destroyed and the fittings were burnt in front of the building. The ruin was removed in the 1950s. A rescued [[Torah]] scroll can nowadays be found in the museum. On 8 January 1945, in [[World War II]], the town narrowly missed being destroyed when 36 [[B-17 Flying Fortress|Boeing B-17 bombers]] had been sent to take out a railway bridge in Alzey. Owing to bad weather and a landmark misinterpretation – the crew mistook the top of the old watchtower for the church steeple – the bombers ended up dropping their load on the Wartberg, a nearby hill, giving rise to the legend of the Wartbergturm – the old tower – as Alzey's saviour.

=== Since 1945 ===
Since 1947, Alzey has no longer been Hessian, but rather it became the seat of Alzey District in the newly formed state of [[Rhineland-Palatinate]].

Since the merger of the old Alzey and Worms Districts in 1969, Alzey has been the seat of the new [[Alzey-Worms]] District and the seat of the [[Alzey-Land|''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Alzey-Land]], although as a ''Verband''-free town, it does not actually belong to the ''Verbandsgemeinde''.

=== Amalgamations ===
On 22 April 1972, the formerly autonomous centres of Weinheim, Heimersheim and Dautenheim were amalgamated with Alzey. The outlying centre of Schafhausen had already been a ''[[Ortsteil|Stadtteil]]'' (constituent community) of Alzey since the [[Middle Ages]].

=== Religion ===

On 31 January 2008, the townsfolk's religious affiliations broke down thus:<ref name="StatBer2008Bev">Stand: 31. Januar 2008, Quelle: www.kommwis.de</ref>
* 8,927 [[Evangelical Church in Germany|Evangelical]]
* 3,684 [[Roman Catholicism|Catholic]]
* 2,996 none or no affiliation established in public law
* 1,322 other affiliations established in public law
* 6,809 other
* 988 no data
* sundry
* 50 Alzey Free [[Religious humanism|Religious-Humanist]] Association
* 4 [[Old Catholic Church|Old Catholic]]
* 2 [[Judaism|Jewish]]
* 1 Mainz Free Religious-Humanist Association

==== Jewish History ====
The town's Jewish congregation is dated to the 14th century. In 1349, during the [[Black Death]], the town's Jews were murdered in the cause of a [[blood libel]].<ref name="jewishgen.org">{{Cite web|url=http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/Pinkas_germany/ger3_00072.html|title = Pinkas Hakehillot Germany: Alzey, Germany}}</ref> A few years after, the community renewed and a document from 1377 depicted a Jew named Yitschak of Alzey who sued the town of [[Worms, Germany|Worms]] for not paying its debt to him.<ref name="jewishgen.org"/> In 1389, a "Jew Alley" is first mentioned, depicting a kind of [[Ghetto]] with a gate, which closes at night. 
[[File:Synagoge-Alzey-01.JPG|thumb|Synagoge-Alzey]]
Jews appeared once again in town only by the 17th century, and the first synagogue was built only by 1791.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1346-alzey|title=ALZEY - JewishEncyclopedia.com|website=jewishencyclopedia.com|accessdate=3 May 2023}}</ref> Several documents from around 1670, depict disputes between Joseph Simon Jessel, a Jew who lived in Alzey and the town butchers, regarding his wish to open a business. On another dispute between him and a neighbor who sold his house to Jessel but refused to evacuate, the verdict blamed both sides - Jessel for it was "unthinkable that a Jew will hit a Christian", and the neighbor for not evacuating the house.<ref name="jewishgen.org"/> Nevertheless, the [[Palatine Zweibrücken|Count of Palatine Zweibrücken]] protected the Jews, whose high taxes were a dominant factor of his income.
In 1789, there were 21 Jewish households in town.<ref>[[Palatine Zweibrücken]]</ref> 
During the 18th century, most of the town Jews were established if not rich. in 1710, a Jew called Simcha Deidesheimer founded a large [[Matzah|Matzo]] factory that existed until 1925 and exported its products to [[France]] and [[Italy]].<ref name="jewishgen.org"/> In addition, two brothers named Levy opened a porcelain factory in town in 1770. 
The community had a [http://www.iajgsjewishcemeteryproject.org/rheinland-pfalz-rhineland-palatinate/alzey.html local cemetery] Alzey was the hometown of well-known family [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2832-belmont Belmont]; In 1844, Jewish Shimon Belmont (the ancestor of American politicians [[August Belmont]] and [[August Belmont, Jr.|August Belmont JR.]] was elected as the president of the 'Narhalle' carnival, which he initiated, intended for the town's high classes. He donated some money to the cemetery and other community facilities.  
Eight of Alzey Jews died as soldiers during [[World War I]].<ref name="jewishgen.org"/>
According to town municipality, 76 Jews were expelled from the town to [[Nazi concentration camps]] around [[Europe]].
In 1954, one [[Jew]] returned to Alzey.<ref name="jewishgen.org"/>

== Politics ==

=== Town council ===
The council is made up of 32 part-time council members who were elected at the municipal election held on 26 May 2019, and the full-time mayor as chairman. The seats are apportioned thus:<ref>[http://wahlen.rlp.de/kw/wahlen/2009/gemeinderatswahlen/ergebnisse/3310000300.html Kommunalwahl Rheinland-Pfalz 2009, Stadt- und Gemeinderatswahlen]</ref>
{| class="wikitable" width="500"
! Year || &nbsp;[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]&nbsp; || &nbsp;[[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]]&nbsp; || &nbsp;[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]&nbsp; || [[Alliance '90/The Greens|Greens]] || [[The Left (Germany)|LINKE]] || &nbsp;[[Free Voters|FWG]]&nbsp; || Total
|- align="center"
| 2009 || 11 ||  9 || 2 || 2 || 1 || 7 || 32 seats 
|- align="center"
| 2004 || 12 || 11 || 1 || 2 || - || 6 || 32 seats 
|}

=== Mayors ===
* (1982–1990) Walter Zuber (SPD)
* (1990–2006) Knut Benkert (SPD)
* (2006–2022) Christoph Burkhard (independent CDU candidate)
* (2022–) Steffen Jung (SPD)

=== Coat of arms ===
The town's [[Coat of arms|arms]] might be described thus: Per fess sable a demi-lion rampant Or armed, langued and crowned gules, and argent a vielle bendwise of the third.

The lion recalls the town's former overlord, the [[Electorate of the Palatinate]]. The [[vielle]], a kind of [[fiddle]], stands for the noble families by the name of Truchseß, or Truchsess (Volker von Alzey), ''Winter and Wilch'', who were formerly resident in the town.

=== Town partnerships ===
*{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Harpenden]], [[Hertfordshire]], [[England]], [[United Kingdom]] since 1963
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Josselin]], [[Morbihan]], [[France]] since 1973
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Lembeye]], [[Pyrénées-Atlantiques]], France, with the outlying centre of Weinheim, since 1980
*{{flagicon|Austria}} [[Rechnitz]], [[Burgenland]], [[Austria]] since 1981
*{{flagicon|Poland}} [[Kościan]], [[Greater Poland Voivodeship]], [[Poland]] since 1990
*{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Kamenz]], [[Saxony]] since 1990

== Culture and sightseeing ==

=== Awards and prizes ===
The town of Alzey regularly bestows the following awards and prizes:
*''Elisabeth-Langgässer-Literaturpreis'' (since 1988 every three years)
*''Georg-Scheu-Plakette'' (yearly at the winemakers' festival)

=== Music ===
The town's links with wine are even shown in the ''Alser Lied'', a town song, which is always sung on the Friday of the opening of the winemakers' festival. One version sung by former mayor Walter Zuber could be found on the jukebox at the Alzey traditional pub, ''Zur Gretel'' for a decade.

=== Theatre ===
* Gerry-Jansen-Theater

=== Museums ===
* ''Geschichtsmuseum der Stadt Alzey'' (Town of Alzey History Museum)

=== Buildings ===
<gallery>
 File:Rossmarkt.jpg|''Alzey Rossmarkt'' (Horse Market)
 File:FischmarktAlzey.jpg|''Alzeyer Fischmarkt'' (Fish Market)
 File:WartbergturmAlzey.jpg|''Wartbergturm''
 File:SchlossAlzey.jpg|Alzeyer Schloss (castle)
 File:KlKircheAlzey.jpg|Kleine Kirche ("Little Church")
</gallery>

==== The Old Town ====
Alzey has a well-kept old town with many [[Timber framing|timber-frame]] houses, restaurants, cafés and shops, surrounded by ruins of the [[Middle Ages|mediaeval]] town wall. The town's midpoint is the ''Rossmarkt'' ("Horse Market") with the bronze horse by artist Gernot Rumpf. A sculpture of an [[Ondine (mythology)|ondine]] by [[Karlheinz Oswald]] stands at the ''Fischmarkt'' ("Fish Market") in front of the old town hall.

=== Sport ===
The ''Wartbergstadion'' is the town's biggest sporting facility. It has a type-B competition running track with a large grass playing field, a 400&nbsp;m loop track, [[track and field]] areas (plastic) and stands. Here can also be found the leisure swimming pool ''Wartbergbad''. Nearby there is a riding club with stalls, paddocks and a riding hall, and a tennis club with seven clay courts.

Moreover, Alzey has at its disposal a newly built artificial-turf playing field, which is used mainly by the [[Field hockey|hockey]] and [[Association football|football]] clubs and an American Football club. There is also a multipurpose sporting ground and at schools several more hard courts.

=== Regular events ===

==== ''Weinbergshäuschen Wanderung'' ====
The so-called ''Weinbergshäuschen Wanderung'' ("Vineyard Cottage Hike"), or ''Wingertshaisje Wanderung'' in the local speech, is a hike through the hilly Rhenish-Hessian countryside between Alzey and the outlying centres of Weinheim and Heimersheim. It is held each September on the first Sunday in that month. Along the network of paths, vineyard cottages are operated between 11:00 and 18:00 by winemaking estates and clubs. On offer at these times are both cold and warm foods and drinks, including the Rhenish-Hessian wine typical of the region.

==== Winemakers' festival ====
The ''Winzerfest'' is held each year on the third weekend in September and lasts from Friday to the following Tuesday. It is the biggest event of its kind in Alzey. On the wine and [[sekt]] terrace are presented selected regional wines. Parallel with this is a yearly market with rides and games of all kinds.

=== Culinary specialities ===
Being the centre of a winegrowing region, the specialities are first and foremost wines and dishes that are made with wine, such as the ''Backesgrumbeere'', a seasoned potato casserole with bacon, wine and sour cream, which is found throughout [[Rhenish Hesse]]. The winegrowing engineer Georg Scheu named a variety of grapevine after his workplace, the [[Perle (grape)|Perle von Alzey]].

== Economy and infrastructure ==
The town's main branches of industry are [[winegrowing]], the resident specialized clinic, the building firm Wilhelm Faber GmbH & Co. KG, a [[Anton Schlecker|Schlecker]] distribution centre, a [[Plus (supermarket)|Plus]] distribution centre, an administrative seat of the [[Real (hypermarket)|hypermarket chain real,-]] and [[Lufthansa]] daughter companies [[Lufthansa Technik|Lufthansa Technik AERO Alzey]] and [[LSG Sky Chefs|LSG Sky Food]]. Moreover, Alzey is the region's service provision centre with a very broad array, for the town's size, of shopping, which is concentrated mainly in the industrial area.

=== Agriculture ===
Alzey is characterized by winegrowing and with 769&nbsp;ha of vineyards currently worked, 69% with [[white wine]] varieties and 31% with [[red wine|red]], it ranks sixth in size among winegrowing centres in [[Rhineland-Palatinate]], and after [[Worms, Germany|Worms]] (1&nbsp;490&nbsp;ha) and [[Nierstein]] (783&nbsp;ha), it is the third biggest winegrowing centre in [[Rheinhessen (wine region)|Rhenish Hesse]].

=== Transport ===
Alzey is found near the ''Autobahnkreuz Alzey'', an [[Autobahn]] [[interchange (road)|interchange]] at which the two Autobahnen [[Bundesautobahn 61|A&nbsp;61]] ([[Venlo]], [[Koblenz]], [[Bingen am Rhein|Bingen]], Alzey, [[Ludwigshafen]], [[Hockenheim]]) and [[Bundesautobahn 63|A&nbsp;63]] ([[Mainz]], Alzey, [[Kaiserslautern]]) cross.

[[Alzey station]] has direct connections to [[Mainz Central Station]] by [[Regional-Express]] and [[Regionalbahn]] services on the [[Alzey–Mainz railway]], and on the [[Worms–Bingen Stadt railway|Rheinhessenbahn]] (railway) to [[Bingen (Rhein) Stadt station|Bingen]] and [[Worms Central Station|Worms]]. The Donnersbergbahn has connected Alzey with [[Kirchheimbolanden]] again since 1999. On weekends and holidays, trips on the Elsass-Express ("Alsace Express") to [[Wissembourg]] are possible.

The town belongs to the [[Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Neckar|VRN]]. This tariff can also be used for trips to and from the [[Rhein-Nahe-Nahverkehrsverbund]] (RNN) area as far as Alzey.

=== Public institutions ===
*DRK Krankenhaus Alzey (hospital)
*Rheinhessen-Fachklinik Alzey (specialized clinic)
*Seat of [[Alzey-Worms|Alzey-Worms district council]]
*Seat of the [[Alzey-Land|''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Alzey-Land]]
*Seat of the branch office of the Bingen-Alzey finance office

=== Education ===
*[[Primary school]]s:
** Albert-Schweitzer-Schule
** Nibelungenschule
** St. Marienschule
*[[Secondary school]]:
** Gustav-Heinemann-Schulzentrum with:
*** [[Hauptschule]]
*** [[Realschule]]
** [[Elisabeth Langgässer]] [[Gymnasium (school)|Gymnasium]]
** Gymnasium am Römerkastell
** Staatliches Aufbaugymnasium (state training Gymnasium)
* Other:
** two special schools (Volkerschule and Schule im Rotental)
** District music school
** Berufsbildende Schule Alzey ([[vocational school]])
** Rheinhessen Fachklinik nursing school

== Famous people ==

=== Honorary citizens ===
 [[File:Schnatz.JPG|thumb|''Schnatz vum Kroneplatz'']]
*Georg Scheu
*Willi Bechtolsheimer
*Kurt Neumann
*Walter Zuber
*[[Karl-Heinz Kipp]]

=== Sons and daughters of the town ===
* [[Felix Adler (professor)|Felix Adler]] (1851–1933), philosopher and son of Rabbi [[Samuel Adler (rabbi)|Samuel Adler]]
* [[August Belmont]] (1816–1890), German-American banker and politician. He was from the well known Jewish family Belmont in Alzey as a son of Simon Isaac, who had taken the name Belmont under [[Napoleon]]'s name law.<ref name="Marquis 1607-1896">{{cite book | title = Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896 | publisher = Marquis Who's Who | year = 1967}}</ref>
* [[Gisela Biedermann]] (born 1948), Liechtensteiner physician and politician<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 19, 2017 |title=Biedermann, Gisela |url=https://historisches-lexikon.li/Biedermann,_Gisela |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=Historical Encyclopedia of the Principality of Liechtenstein |language=de}}</ref>
* [[Heinrich Claß]] (1868–1953) was from 1908 to 1939 chairman of the [[Alldeutscher Verband]], the influential nationalistic club in Imperial Germany. Claß was known for, among other things, works published under the [[pseudonym]]s Daniel Frymann and Einhart, in which he propagated his extreme nationalistic and expansionist politics.
* [[Karl-Heinz Kipp]] (1924–2017), entrepreneur, founder of the Massa-Märkte (now belonging to the Metro Group), ranked 154 on Forbes's list of wealthiest people (2008) with an estimated fortune of US$6,300,000,000.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.manager-magazin.de/koepfe/unternehmerarchiv/0,2828,290091,00html|title=Karl-Heinz Kipp|magazine=[[Manager Magazin]]|access-date=3 May 2023|language=de}}</ref>
* [[Elisabeth Langgässer]] (1899–1950), writer
* [[Gunther Metz]] (born 1967), former professional footballer, active in 1 FC Kaiserslautern and Karlsruher SC in the 1990s, today co-trainer of the Lauterer Amateure.
* [[Tarkan Tevetoğlu]],<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=16 November 2022 |title=Tarkan yeni şarkısı Son Durak'ın çıkış tarihini duyurdu |url=https://gazeteoksijen.com/o2/tarkan-yeni-sarkisi-son-durakin-cikis-tarihini-duyurdu-165091 |access-date=8 May 2023 |website=Gazete Oksijen |language=tr-TR}}</ref> (born 1972), Turkish pop musician with more than 15 million CDs sold. In Germany he is particularly well known for the title "Şımarık".

=== Famous people associated with the town ===
[[File:Ludwig Bamberger.jpg|thumb|150px|Ludwig Bamberger]]
* Dr. [[Samuel Adler (rabbi)|Samuel Adler]] (1809–1891) was from 1842 to 1857 [[Rabbi]] of Alzey's Jewish community. He was a supporter of the liberal movement in German Jewry and advocated, for example, the use of German in Jewish worship and a greater role for women. Dr. Adler went as a rabbi to the Temple Emanu-El in New York and became head of the USA's leading Jewish Reform community. Services held by Samuel Adler continued to be in his preferred German. His library is as far as has been possible maintained at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati.
* [[Ludwig Bamberger]] (1823–1899), was a revolutionary, banker and politician. He belonged to the Democrats, who faced down Prussian troops at the Schlosspark in Kirchheimbolanden in 1848. Sentenced to death ''in absentia'', Bamberger later became a banker (founding member of [[Deutsche Bank]]) and one of the leading liberal politicians after the German Empire was founded in 1871. He is described as the "Father" of the German Mark (founding of an independent issuing bank). He was for many years a Member of the Reichstag for the electoral district of Bingen-Alzey (from 1871 to 1893) and married Anna Belmont from Alzey.

== References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== Further reading ==
Volker Gallé / Christine Hinkel / Manfred Hinkel / Gisela Kleinknecht / Wulf Kleinknecht: ''Alzeyer Köpfe.'' Sutton Verlag, Erfurt 2007, {{ISBN|978-3-86680-098-4}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website}} {{in lang|de}}
* [http://www.auswanderung-rlp.de/auswanderungsorte/listen-zu-auswanderern/auswandererliste-zu-suedamerika.html Auswandererliste nach Südbrasilien zu dem Landkreis Alzey-Worms] (German) Institut für Geschichtliche Landeskunde an der Universität Mainz.

{{Cities and towns in Alzey-Worms (district)}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Alzey-Worms]]
[[Category:Rhenish Hesse]]
[[Category:Holocaust locations in Germany]]