Facts

Population 4 million. Area 19,849 sq. km.

Famous Facts

The region produces two-thirds of Germany’s wine. Germany’s national epic ‘the Nibelungenlied’ is set in this region. The siren songs of Lorelei floated out across the waters of the Rhine here, luring sailors to a watery grave. Gutenberg, inventor of the first printing press and creator of the Gutenberg Bible, was born in the state capital Mainz. Martin Luther’s famous Diet sat at Worms in 1521. Here Luther defended his writings before the Emperor Charles and all the dignitaries of the Empire. Hildegard von Bingen, composer, dramatist, feminist, writer, preacher and New Age philosopher, was born in Bermersheim in 1098. ... >> more