HEPPENHEIM

heppenheim, a town of germany, in the grand-duchy of hesse-darmstadt, on the bergstrasse, between darmstadt and heidelberg, 21 m. n. of the latter by rail. pop. (1905), 6364. it possesses a parish church, occupying the site of one reputed to have been built by charlemagne about 805, an interesting town hall and several schools. on an isolated hill close by stand the extensive ruins of the castle of starkenburg, built by the abbot, ulrich von lorsch, about 1064 and destroyed during the seven years' war, and another hill, the landberg, was a place of assembly in the middle ages. heppenheim, at first the property of the abbey of lorsch, became a town in 1318. after belonging to the rhenish palatinate, it came into the possession of hesse-darmstadt in 1803. hops, wine and tobacco are grown, and there are large stone quarries, and several small industries in the town.