German Wine Route: Kirchheim Germany

Kirchheim with its 1500 inhabitants lies on the junction of 2 old routes for commerce on a small stream named Eckbach in Germany.

Numerous artifacts from roman times have been found during archeological excavations, but the area was settled from Neolithic times (4000 B.C.) to the La Tene culture (500 B.C.) what is proved by several grave sites that were found in 1880.

The village was first documentary mentioned in 764 in the Lorsch codex. In this time the people where already growing wine. Nowadays wine is growing on approximate 240 ha, the best known areas are Schwarzerde, Steinacker, Roemerstrasse, Kreuzkopf and Geisskopf.

The Thirty Year War from 1618 – 1648 and the War of the Grand Alliance from 1688 – 1697 brought despoilment and pillage to Kirchheim that belonged to the counts of Leiningen until 1795. The palace of the counts that was built in 1785 was destroyed in 1793 by soldiers of Napoleon Bonaparte in the french revolution.

The knights of Templar and the Order of St. John owned land in Kirchheim boundaries

The settlement of Kirchheim was erected from about 1740 to 1790. Especially the main street with its old winery’s and timbered houses is an area protected by monument conservation.

The evangelic church St. Andreas was built in the 16th century, the steeple of the church was built in 1761. Remarkable is the organ from the 18th century, an altar shrine from 1524 and a sacrament shrine from 1520

Vineyards of Kirchheim, Kirchheimer Weinlagen

  • Schwarzerde, Grosslage; 16 ha
  • Geisskopf; 75,4 ha
  • Kreuz; 74,3 ha
  • Roemerstrasse; 50,2 ha
  • Steinacker; 57,4 ha