DEUTSCHLAND	GERMANY
Bundesland: Hessen	Hesse
Regierungsbezirk: Darmstadt
Kreis: Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis

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Rüdesheim am Rhein is situated on the right bank of the Rhine river opposite of Bingen. Rüdesheim was first mentioned in 1074. The official status of a town was obtained in 1818.

The parish church Sankt Jakob [right, no. 1959: centre background] goes back to a church of the 11th century. The only remainder of this is the Romanesque chapel in the lower part of the north tower of the church. The present church itself was built around 1400. The vaulting dates from 1489; at the same time the northern side aisle was added. The church was enlarged towards east and south in 1912. During World War II, in 1944, the church burnt out. It was restored in 1946–1956. The roof of the tower was added in 1959.

The Adlerturm (Eagle Tower) [right, no. 1959: far left; and left, no. 1381: background right] was built in the 15th century and is a remnant of the town's fortifications. Its height is 20.5 metres.

The Nationaldenkmal (Germania Monument) on top of the Niederwald (Taunus; 350 m) was created by the sculptor Johannes Schilling and the architect Karl Weisbach between 1877 and 1883. It was inaugurated on 28 September 1883 in the presence of Emperor Wilhelm I, and was dedicated to the victory of Germany over France in the war of 1870/71 and to the foundation of the German Empire in 1871. The cast-bronze sculpture of Germania (12.4 m high, weight 32,000 kg) is supported by a base of 25 m. The relief on the base shows more than 200 life-size figures, among them Wilhelm I, Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and all sovereigns of the German states. A rack railway was built in 1884 to ease the access of tourists to the monument. Later, the railway was replaced by a funicular.