County of the Rhine district;
The Rhinegraviate
Grafschaft der Rheingau;
Rheingrafschaft
c.937–1866
The Rheingau shown on a 1905 map of Hesse-Nassau
The Rheingau shown on a 1905 map of Hesse-Nassau
StatusState of the Frankish Empire
State of the Holy Roman Empire
CapitalRheingrafenstein in Kreuznach; later Eltville
GovernmentPrincipality
Historical eraMiddle Ages
 Established
c.937
 Donation of Verona: given to Abp Mainz
983
 Archbishopric dissolved; to Duchy of Nassau
1806
 Prussia annexes Nassau into Hesse-Nassau
1866
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Monogram of Charlemagne Kingdom of the Franks
Kingdom of Prussia

The Rheingau (German: [ˈʁaɪnɡaʊ] ; lit.'Rhine County') is a region on the northern side of the Rhine between the German towns of Wiesbaden and Lorch near Frankfurt, reaching from the Western Taunus to the Rhine. It is situated in the German state of Hesse and is part of the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis administrative district. It is famous for Rheingau wines, especially the "Rheingauer Riesling," and its many taverns.

History

The Rheingau was a Gau or county of the Frankish Empire, bordered by the Niddagau, the Maingau, the Oberrheingau, and the Lahngau; the counts of the Rheingau were known as Rhinegraves. The first Rhinegrave on record is Hato VI (937–960).[1]

In 983, Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor, gave the Rheingau, together with other territories, to the Archbishopric of Mainz during the Diet of Verona. When the Archbishopric was dissolved in 1806, the Rheingau was given to the Duchy of Nassau.

Following the marriage between John III (1383–1428) and Adelheid, scion of the Wildgraves of Kyrburg, John V (1476–95) inherited several territories in the Obersalm Wasgau, to the left of the Rhine (from the Nahegau, on the river Nahe and in the Alsace) from the Wildgraves and the counts of Salm, and these territories were also linked to their name, with the counts using the title "Wild- and Rhinegraves of Salm".[1]

Events

References

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