Hockenheim

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Country:	Germany
Hockenheim

Coordinates:	49° 19′ N, 8° 33′ E
Time zone:	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Administration
State:	Baden-Württemberg
Administrative region:	Karlsruhe
District:	Rhein-Neckar-Kreis
Lord Mayor:	Dieter Gummer
Basic Statistics
Area:	34.84 km² (13 sq.mi.)
Population:	20,787 (31 Dec. 2005)
- Density:	597 /km² (1,545 /sq.mi.)
Elevation:	102 m (335 ft)
Further Information
Postal codes:	68754–68766
Area code:	06205
Licence plate code:	HD
Website:	www.hockenheim.de

Hockenheim is a German city in northwest Baden-Württemberg, about 20 km south of Mannheim.

Hockenheim is one of the six largest towns in the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis district. In 1999, the number of inhabitants exceeded the 20,000 threshold, thus in 2001, the Hockenheim government agreed upon a central administrative body with neighbouring municipalities Altlußheim, Neulußheim and Reilingen. It is twinned with the French town of Commercy.

1 Politics
2 Coat of arms
3 Sport
4 Places of interest
5 Twin Towns

[edit] Politics

As of the last local election on June 13, 2004, the local council of Hockenheim has 22 members, who hold the title "Stadtraetin/Stadtrat". Leading the city is the mayor, who is elected directly by the population every 8 years. Its Permanent Representative is the "Erste Beigeordnete", with the office designation "Bürgermeister".

[edit] Coat of arms

Adopted in 1609, the coat of arms of Hockenheim has diagonally crossed silver hooks in a sign, above a crowned golden lion. The lion is the animal of the Electoral Palatinate (Kurpfalz), to which Hockenheim belonged; the hooks are probably derived from the place name. The form of the symbols was changed several times, but has been specified in its current form by municipal law since 1895.

[edit] Sport

The Hockenheimring, a grand prix race course built in 1932, has become the home of the Formula One German Grand Prix. It hosted its first F1 event in 1970, and has hosted the event 28 times in the last 35 years, including every race since 1986.

[edit] Places of interest

In 1986, the motorsport museum opened at the Hockenheimring. The city's water tower, constructed in 1910 in art nouveau, is the landmark of the city. Other buildings of historical significance include the Evangelist town church, a 1906 neo-baroque by architect Hermann Behaghel; the Catholic church (1910), done in art nouveau with a high tower, by Johannes Schroth; and the old Catholic church (1817), serving as a community center today, which has a late Gothic choir tower in classical hall construction.