District of Rhine-Hunsrück (Simmern): Culture and Economy

The Middle-Rhine, a World Heritage Site

The 65 km long upper part of the middle-Rhine valley between Bingen and Koblenz, is, in its uniqueness, of special importance. For this reason, it was entered in the World Heritage list of UNESCO on 27 June 2002. It is an excellent example, worldwide, of a cultural landscape, which in times past sometimes acted as a barrier between cultures, but also one that connected diverse cultures to each another. This is a cultural landscape that is closely linked to the development of the West; a place where one encounters significant evidence of art, urban development, and history, as well as a close interaction between man and nature at every turn. A cultural landscape whose lively history reflects the spiritual, artistic, and literary life of Europe as no other European cultural landscape can. For this reason, UNESCO's decision was accepted by the people with much enthusiasm and celebrated with a grand folk festival along the Rhine.

Frankfurt-Hahn Airport

The only international airport in Rhineland-Pfalz is in the Rhine-Hunsrück area. Hahn airport is officially called Frankfurt-Hahn Airport due to its close connection to the large airport at Frankfurt. It was originally a US Airforce base, which was closed in 1993. The results of the largest conversion project ever undertaken in the country are evident: the freight department of the airport is now the fourth largest in the country, and the number of passengers is climbing steadily. In 2002, there were already about 1.5 million passengers. Due to Ryanair's decision to open a branch at Hahn airport, the Irish airline with its new destinations is expected to increase this number to several million passengers per year. The airport functions as the engine for business and the job market of the region. It has generated more than 2,200 new jobs so far.

Middle-Sized Businesses

The economic backbone of the region on the Rhine and Hunsrück heights consists of several thousands of solid, middle-sized businesses, while large businesses, to a great extent, fail. One important economic sector is handwork. Over 1,100 handwork business offer work to almost 8,000 employees in the Rhine-Hunsrück district. Affordable land prices in increasingly convenient locations (good connections to the A61 autobahn, as well as to the planned federal highways B50 and B327) offer an attractive environment for various kinds of businesses. In addition, a large number of motivated, ambitious, and highly qualified workers can be found in this region. Another important point are the prospects that that the Frankfurt- Hahn airport offers to business and tourism in Hunsrück.

Decrease of Agriculture

The structure of agriculture in the Rhine-Hunsrück district have changed a lot over the last three decades. The decrease in the number of farms is especially noticeable: in 1971 there were 5,039 farms, while in 2001 there were only 1,322 farms where the farmers either worked part- or full-time. At the same time, farming took on a new "form". The percentage of full-time farmers fell from 42.1% to 18.9%. The amount of land used for farming reduced only slightly, meaning that farms today are much larger than just a few decades ago. While in the past almost every family in a village farmed, today there are villages with no farmers living there. The decline in farming is also reflected in the keeping of animals. Between 1970 and 2001, the number of cattle fell from 58,000 to 21,000, this is a reduction of almost one-third. Farms with just a few heads of cattle are rare today. In wine growing, as well, the structural changes have not gone unnoticed. In 1971, in the central Rhine valley of the Rhine-Hunsrück district, there were 256 hectares of land planted with grapes, while in 2002 there were only 148 hectares.