JOHANNISBERG

johannisberg, a village of germany, in the prussian province of hesse-nassau, in the rheingau, on the right bank of the rhine, 6 m. s. of rudesheim by railway. the place is mainly celebrated for the beautiful schloss which crowns a hill overlooking the rhine valley, and is surrounded by vineyards yielding the famous johannisberger wine. the schloss, built in 1757-1759 by the abbots of fulda on the site of a benedictine monastery founded in 1090, was bestowed, in 1807, by napoleon upon marshal kellermann. in 1814 it was given by francis, emperor of austria, to prince metternich, in whose family it still remains. john (heb. [hebrew: yohanan]), _yohanan_, "yahweh has been gracious," gr. [greek: ioannes], lat. _joannes_, ital. _giovanni_, span. _juan_, port. _joao_, fr. _jean_, ger. _johannes_, _johann_ [abbr. _hans_], gael. _ian_, pol. and czech _jan_, hung. _janos_), a masculine proper name common in all christian countries, its popularity being due to its having been borne by the "beloved disciple" of christ, st john the evangelist, and by the forerunner of christ, st john the baptist. it has been the name of twenty-two popes--the style of popes john xxii. and xxiii. being due to an error in the number assumed by john xxi. (q.v.)--and of many sovereigns, princes, &c. the order followed in the biographical notices below is as follows: (1) the apostle, (2) the baptist, (3) popes, (4) roman emperors, (5) kings; john of england first, the rest in the alphabetical order of their countries, (6) other sovereign princes, (7) non-sovereign princes, (8) saints, (9) theologians, chroniclers, &c. these princes who are known by a name in addition to john (john albert, &c.) will be found after the article john, gospel of.