History of Tradition Preliminary Remark By the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss of 25. February 1803 came the imperial city Biberach and the area of the hospital Biberach with the places Ahlen, Attenweiler, Bergerhausen, Birkendorf, Höfen, Ingerkingen, Laupertshausen, Muttensweiler, Volkersheim then partly Röhrwangen, Warthausen, Winterreute, Ummendorf, Baltringen, 1/3 of Baustetten, Burgrieden and Oberholzheim an Baden, which built out of it a Biberach upper bailiwick assigned to the "upper principality", which divided into the Ratsvogtei (town bailiwick) and the Vogteiamt (official bailiwick). The immediate imperial counties of Metternich-Ochsenhausen, Törring-Gutenzell, Waldbott-Bassenheim-Heggbach and partly Wartemberg-Rot and Sternberg-Schussenried were formed from the area of the Köster, as far as they belonged to the district, and the possessions of the Salem monastery were assigned to the Prince of Thurn und Taxis. The Rhenish Federal Act of 12 July 1806 brought the city of Biberach and the area of the hospital to Württemberg and the immediate imperial counties under Württemberg sovereignty, but the dominions of Erolzheim and Kellmünz on the Iller under Bavarian sovereignty. Through the state treaty with Bavaria, the left bank of the Iller became Württemberg again. According to the State Manual of 1807 and 1808, the following villages and hamlets belonged to the Oberamt Biberach: Biberach, Ahlen, Attenweiler, Aufhofen, Baltringen, Baustetten, Bühl, Bihlafingen, Bergerhausen, Birkendorf, Bronnen, Burgrieden, Donaustetten, Dorndorf, Hagenbuch, Häusern, Höfen, Holzheim, Hüttisheim, Ingerkingen, Laupertshausen, Muttensweiler, Obersulmetingen, Rißegg, Röhrwangen, Steinberg, Stetten a. d. Rottum, Unterweiler, Volkersheim, Westerflach, Wiblingen, Winterreute. In addition, the following were subordinate to the Oberamt: the patrimonial offices Achstetten, Bußmannshausen, Ellmannshausen, Hürbel, Groß- und Kleinlaupheim and Mittelbiberach and the patrimonial superior servant offices Heggbach, Schemmerberg, Sulmingen and Mistingen and Warthausen. After the abolition of the patrimonial offices (1809) the upper office Ochsenhausen was formed with the places Ochsenhausen, Bellamont, Berkheim, Erlenmoos, Gutenzell, Haslach, Horn-Fischbach, Hummertsried, Hürbel, Kirchberg, Kirchdorf, Maselheim, Edenbachen, Reinstetten, Ringschnait, Rot, Schönebürg, Spindelwag, Steinbach, Tannheim and Ummendorf. The newly created lower office Wiblingen with the villages Wiblingen, Aufhofen, Bihlafingen, Bronnen, Bühl, Donaustetten, Dorndorf, Hüttisheim, Steinberg, Stetten an der Rottum, Unterweiler and the Burgvogtei Illerrieden was subordinated to the upper office Biberach. Already after one year the upper office Ochsenhausen was abolished by the organization manifesto of 27 October 1810 again and subordinated as lower office to the upper office Biberach. At the same time the lower office Wiblingen was raised to a higher office. After these extensive changes, which placed the upper office administratively under the control of the 11th Landvogtei, the "an der Donau", with seat in Ulm, the following municipalities belonged to the upper office Biberach: Biberach, Äpfingen, Ahlen, Altheim, Aßmannshardt, Attenweiler, Aufhofen, Bellament, Bergerhausen, Birkendorf, Birkenhard, Erlenmoos, Erolzheim, Füramoos, Gutenzell, Grodt, Höfen, Hürbel, Ingerkingen, Kirchberg an der Iller, Langenschemmern, Laupertshausen, Maselheim, Mettenberg, Mittelbiberach, Mittelbuch, Muttensweiler, Obersulmetingen, Ochsenhausen, Reinstetten, Reute, Ringschnait, Rißegg, Rottum, Schemmerberg, Steinhausen an der Rottum, Ummendorf, Unterdettingen, Untersulmetingen, Volkersheim, Warthausen, as well as the Thurn und Taxissche Amtsgericht and Amt Obersulmetingen. The Unteramt Ochsenhausen was abolished, like all Unterämter in Württemberg, by the II. organization edict over the Oberamtsverfassung of 31 December 1818. By the law about the change of the upper office districts from 6 July 1842 Alberweiler came from the upper office Ehingen and Stafflangen from the upper office Waldsee to the upper office Biberach. The following reunions were carried out: 1836 a clean-up in the area of the communities Dietmanns and Unterschwarzach, 1844 Winterreute from Ummendorf to Ringschnait, 1846 conversion from Hauerz to Ellwangen, 1854 the Glaserhof from Gutenzell to Oberbalzheim, 1861 the wood mill from Burgrieden to Oberholzheim, 1864 Westerflach from Ingerkingen to Untersulmetingen, 1933 the Halbertshof from Wain to Unterbalzheim, 1933 Ziegolz from Dietmanns to Unterschwarzach, 1933 the book from Steinach (today Kr. Ravensburg) to Mühlhausen, 1951 Rindenmoos from Reute to Rißegg. The following incorporation took place: 1864 Birkendorf into the town of Biberach 1934 Bergerhausen into the town of Biberach 1934 Gemeinde Oberdorf into Mittelbiberach, which had replaced it in 1899, 1935 Gemeinde Hummertsried into Mühlhausen. Steinhausen was connected to Schussenried until 1892. Laupheim became a town in 1869, Schussenried in 1947 and Ochsenhausen in 1950. According to the law of 25 April on the division of the territory, the district of Biberach comprises all the municipalities of the former Oberamtsbezirk with the exception of Volkersheim, which was transferred to the Ehingen district administration; it received the municipalities from the Laupheim district: Achstetten, Altheim, Baltringen, Baustetten, Bihlafingen, Bronnen, Bühl, Burgrieden, Bußmannshausen, Großschafhausen, Laupheim, Mietingen, Oberbalzheim, Oberholzheim, Orsenhausen, Rot v. Laupheim, Schönenbürg, Schwendi, Sießen, Sinningen, Stetten, Sulmingen, Unterbalzheim, Wain and Walpertshofen; from the district of Leutkirch the municipalities: Berkheim, Ellwangen, Haslach, Kirchdorf, Rot an der Rot, Spindelwag and Tannheim; from the district Waldsee the municipalities: Dietmanns, Eberhardzell, Oberessendorf, Otterswang, Schussenried, Schweinhausen, Steinhausen, Unteressendorf, Unterschwarzach, Winterstettendorf and Winterstettenstadt. The files listed below were handed over to the Sigmaringen State Archives by the Biberach/Riß District Office on 9 November 1948, 4 February 1949, 3 October 1958 and 24 August 1959. The 1948 and 1949 deliveries were already set up in May 1949 in the State Archives according to the principle of provenance. The 1959 Accession was exclusively for steam boiler files, which were further expanded by a delivery from the Sigmaringen Trade Supervisory Office in 1960 (Acc. 24/1960). The present collection comprises 847 numbers in 23, 85 linear metres and the period from 1806-1950. Files of the same provenance from earlier deliveries for the period from 1806 to about 1925 are kept in the Ludwigsburg State Archives in fonds F 155. The order and indexing was carried out by government inspector Kungl, Reinschrift und Register, who was responsible for the order and indexing. Sigmaringen, January 1966 Kungl Government Inspector Supplement to the Foreword The official assembly records with the earlier signatures Wü 65/5 T 3 No. 54-64 and the building records with the earlier signatures Wü 65/5 T 3 No. 387-477 were handed over to the Kreisarchiv Biberach. In the years 2009/2010, the typewritten finding aid was digitized as part of the German Research Foundation (DFG) funded project for the retroconversion of archived finding aids. In cooperation with the Retroconversion Coordination Office at the Marburg School of Archives and the Baden-Württemberg State Archives, the finding aid book was prepared for publication on the Internet. Corinna Knobloch and Silke Schöttle carried out the necessary reworking. The development data has been available on the Internet since June 2010. The citation of the inventory is: Wü 65/5 T 3 Nr. [Order number] Contents and rating Contains: German Reich: elections, referendums; König-Karl-Jubiläumsstiftung; statistics; Oberamt und Amtskörperschaft: personnel and remuneration, accommodation, diaries, Oberamtspflege, Pensionskasse für Körperschaftsbeamte, Oberamtssparkasse; municipality: Local heads, community officials, community colleges, community property, citizen benefits and burdens, community visitation, expenditure and income management, budget plans, debt level; nobility; citizenship and emigration; awards and honors; Germans abroad; surveyors and marker border adjustments; trade tax; military affairs: Recording, military monitoring, neighbourhood services, damage to land, medical care, care of war-affected and surviving dependants, war graves, consequences of war, requisitions; churches: Diaconate, divine service, church and parsonage construction, furnishings, church assets, pastor, sacristan, church and state, congregations, church care, foundations, levies; free religious community; elementary school: Teachers and salaries, school building construction; work schools; secondary schools; welfare for the poor, youth and migrants; welfare for refugees and displaced persons; support, foundations, hospitals; charities; unemployment and voluntary work; civil servants in construction; fire brigade; agriculture and forestry: Field cleaning, irrigation and drainage, field paths, crossing and stairway rights, irrigation, fruit growing, agricultural associations, local livestock insurance associations, goods traders and debt relief, forest management plans, agricultural workers; river and water police: rivers, ditches, bridges, wells, jackdaws; roads: Construction and maintenance, personnel, forced expropriations, snowmobiles; municipal and security police, police hour; political parties; confiscation of printed matter; gypsies; health police: doctors, mentally ill persons, gravediggers, morgue, ambulance crews; veterinarians; commercial, trade and traffic police: Concessions, mill supplies, steam boilers; old-age and disability insurance; health insurance; accident insurance; executions; Jews; provenance royal taxissches Gemeinschaftsliches Amt Obersulmetingen betr. Schemmerberg.

Inventory description: Dept. 227 Collection Ertel (Westhofen) Scope: 122 units (= 10 archive cartons = 1.5 m) Duration: 1716 - 1990 To be taken over On 5 February 2013 Mr. Georg-Jakob Ertel from Westhofen handed over two large cartons with documents on the history of the Catholic parish of Westhofen as a deposit to the municipal archive of Worms. With this material, the basis for the Ertel collection was laid in the city archives as an archive collection of Dept. 227, since further later levies are intended. According to Mr. Ertel himself, he had fished the documents out of a large quantity of papers, which - coming from the provenance of the parish of Westhofen - were intended for disposal a few years ago, in order to evaluate the contents of the documents for research purposes. Since an archival processing also seemed to make sense with regard to a further possible scientific use, an agreement was reached between him and the City Archives on the deposit. A handwritten parish chronicle, led by Pastor Geeb/Geb (1803) and continued by Pastor Schott (1857), Mr. Ertel wished to keep it for the time being for provisional processing, a later addition to the collection is intended. Mr. Ertel had already drawn up a list of 33 envelopes and two files in advance, in which almost all the pieces were listed. The numbering of this list was adopted as an old signature in the course of the redrawing. There were now 122 units of description, which comprise 1.5 linear metres in ten archive cartons. The duration ranges from 1716 to 1990; blocking periods had to be set for some files for data protection reasons. The material originates mainly from the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. The two former file folders, for which Mr Ertel had produced his own tables of contents, were dissolved and the documents were transferred to acid-free folders, which were to be preferred for conservation purposes. Several units of description were formed, which are linked by means of old signatures and attached copies of Ertel's folder lists. The classification was created after the indexing on the basis of the main content. In some fascicles, partially damaged file aprons [sheets used rather than aprons] contained references to a previous classification system based on simple numbering; the main subjects used there are essentially also to be found in the present classification. Content The archival documents concern the content of the Catholic parish of Westhofen with its branch parishes of Monzernheim and Blödesheim [today Hochborn]. The classification has created five thematic focal points, which are briefly outlined below. On the one hand, there are numerous ordinances, decrees, communications and circulars on parish administration, which were sent mainly by the higher spiritual authorities to deaneries and parishes, but also by civil authorities. On the other hand, correspondence and other documents are available which directly concern the parish of Westhofen, its administration and the work of the respective pastors and the church council, as well as various statistical information. Correspondence, circulars, etc. from the tenure of Pastor W. Oestreicher provide information about church life during the Nazi era. Church accounts are available on a larger scale, some of which even form a series (1797 - 1806, 1819 - 1825, 1869 - 1872 [without 1871]), and further documents on asset management. In addition there are foundations to the parish, here the Blanck'sche Stiftung is mentioned, to which also material can be found in the estate Kirschbaum (StadtA Wo Abt. 170/46), and above all extensive directories about Mess-Stiftungen in the Catholic church in Westhofen and in the Filialgemeinden. Fascicles that deal with the Haubische Gült and the Arnsteiner or the Duboische Gült in Osthofen in favour of the Westhofener church are to be emphasized (StadtA Wo Abt. 227 Nr. 47, Nr. 48 u. Nr. 119). A further content section deals with building issues of the church and other buildings belonging to the Catholic parish and their furnishings (including inventories). The establishment of the sisters' house in 1902 and the activities of the sisters (sewing school, infant school) are also reflected in the files. Information about the Catholic school can be obtained about the building, as well as about teaching (rather general), about the school assets and various statistical data, furthermore about the establishment of a simultaneous school in Westhofen against the protest of the Catholics. A legal dispute with Jacob Weisheimer, who lived in the immediate vicinity of the schoolyard, is documented in detail (StadtA Wo Abt. 227 Nr. 58; 1838 - 1848). Church life is reflected in various directories of sermons and catecheses held and in books of preaching. In addition, various documents are available on pilgrimages, processions, retreats, confirmation classes and the activities of ecclesiastical associations (e.g. Brotherhood to the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of Mary [StadtA Wo Abt. 227 Nr. 65]). Important for individuals and individual families was the necessary granting of a dispensary for marriages and the religious upbringing of children from mixed-confessional marriages. Various publications and newspapers or newspaper cuttings were incorporated into the last classification group. Worms, March 2013 Margit Rinker-Olbrisch Supplementary archive holdings Stadtarchiv Worms: Dept. 170/46 Kirschbaum family estate (concerning Blanck'sche Foundation) Landesarchiv Speyer (currently): Gemeindearchiv Westhofen Hess. State Archives DA: Dept. G 15 here: No. 15/2 with inspection reports, statistical data (e.g. on the community of Westhofen, 1898) Literature EBERSMANN, Jakob: History of Westhofen, Monzernheim and Blödesheim, Worms, 1909 GRÜNEWALD, Julius/ STROH, Heinrich: Chronicle of the market town Westhofen: Contributions to the history of the community of Westhofen, Westhofen, 1974 GRÜNEWALD, Christoph Julius Johannes: Von Westhofener Häusern und Leuten, Westhofen, 1984

Inventory description: Abt. 242 Gemeindearchiv Nieder-Flörsheim Scope: 162 archive boxes and 1 linear metre of oversized formats (= 763 units of description) = 21.5 linear metres (additional m. N) Duration: 1705 - 1945 Place of storage: Ernst-Ludwig-Schule Zur Ortsgeschichte The town of Nieder-Flörsheim was first documented in 768 in a deed of donation in the Lorscher Codex. "On 05.11.768 Gerolf and his brother Emino awarded their parents and their sister Seghelinda a farm ride, 10 days work of arable land and field suitable for planting a vineyard on it for the salvation of their souls. Mention of the vineyard proves that at that time the Franks were already engaged in viticulture and could dispose of their estates. The place used to be called Fletersheim, Flaridesheim, Ilersheim, Nieder-Flersheim. In addition to Lorsch, the Cyrikusstift Neuhausen also owned estates in Flörsheim. Nieder-Flörsheim belonged to the cathedral of Worms since the Middle Ages. In the 13th century Philipp von Falkenstein depressed the monastery and settled in the village. In 1349 the monastery took over the patronage of the Leiningen family and in 1400 it transferred half of the village to the Palatine Count Ruprecht III in ownership. The other half of the village and the bailiwick belong to the monastery of Neuhausen and when this monastery was abolished by Elector Frederick III in 1566, the other half of the village also came to the Palatinate. It was assigned to the Chief Alzey Office. In 1792 the southwest was again involved in the war, when French revolutionary armies occupied the left bank. Again it came to plunderings and tribute payments at money and Naturalien. The later Rheinhessen and the Kurpfalz formed the Donnersberg department, to which the 24 municipalities of Rheinhessen also belonged. Administrative reform and economic upturn in agriculture shaped people's lives. After Napoleon's defeat Nieder-Flörsheim came to the Grand Duchy of Hesse. 1816 Canton Pfeddersheim, 1835 district Worms, 1848 administrative district Mainz, 1850 administrative district Worms, 1852 - 1969 district Worms (1946 Rhineland-Palatinate). As part of the administrative reform, the municipalities of Nieder-Flörsheim and Dalsheim were merged to form the new municipality of Flörsheim-Dalsheim in 1969. The parish had a parish church dedicated to St. John which was first mentioned in a document in 1234. During the Palatinate division of the church in 1705, the church fell to the Reformed. The Catholics set up an oratory in the town hall. It became a branch of the Catholic Church in Dalsheim. The Lutherans were awarded a parish in Dalsheim. In Nieder-Flörsheim there were two schools, the Reformed with the school building and the Catholic school. The Israelite community built a synagogue in 1817 (Untergasse 10), but sold it to the Häußer family in 1920. The population grew in 1811 to 596 inhabitants. The archival material in the municipality of Nieder-Flörsheim was attempted to be arranged as early as 1838. From the letter of the district council of the district Worms it appears that Mr. Völker from Wersau (Odenwald) had been commissioned to order the municipal registration of Nieder-Flörsheim (No. 0156, s. 13.03.1838). In 1914 the teacher A. Trieb compiled a file index of the municipal archive Nieder-Flörsheim (see Dept. 206 No. 99). After the dissolution of the administrative district of Worms (1969), the two combined municipalities of Nieder-Flörsheim and Dalsheim initially retained their archives in the town hall (in contrast to all other municipalities of the VG which had already deposited their documents in the town archive of Worms). Only after lengthy negotiations with the municipality in 1998 was the valuable archive material handed over to the municipal archive by the municipality of Flörsheim-Dalsheim together with the archives of Dalsheim after the conclusion of a deposit contract. The relatively undisturbed and rich archive material, especially the older ones, was stored in the cellar of the Ernst-Ludwig-Schule, in contrast to many neighbouring communities in both places. The indexing of both community archives began in autumn 2009. First of all, the documents had been prepared in 2008 according to the order of the 1908 registration plan; in 2009/10 the files were successively brought to the Raschi-Haus for processing and processed there. The duration of the project essentially begins in the first third of the 18th century and usually lasts until 1945. The forests of Nieder-Flörsheim are particularly worth mentioning. The Nieder-Flörsheimer forest served the community as a source of income. Numerous records of timber auctions and counts can be found in the documents of the municipal treasury bills. For reasons of data protection, 2 files were provided with a blocking note for use in accordance with the provisions of the Land Archives Act. After completion of the new indexing (Sept. 2009 - April 2010), the holdings comprise 759 units of description (10.7.2012: 763), which are stored in 162 archive boxes. The files are in good condition. No cassations were made. Because of the different file plans, a new section 242-N was created for the files of the municipality from 1945 to 1969 until their merger with Dalsheim, which is to be used in addition. For Dept. 242 and 243 there is still an extensive and still unseen collection of printed matter, laws and other grey literature in the holdings, which would require separation and indexing. Supplementary archive departments in the city archive: -Abt. 35 Worms Health Department -Abt. 49 Pfeddersheim Municipal Archive -Abt. 180/10 Volksbank Worms-Wonnegau -Abt. 185 Family and company archive Ludwig C. Freiherr von Heyl -Abt. 241 Gemeindearchiv Dalsheim -Abt. 204 Worms Documentation/Collection Literature: BRILMAYER, Karl Johann, Rheinhessen in the past and present, Giessen 1905 KOßLER, Matthias, Chronicle of the territory of the municipality of Monsheim, Mainz 1992 Festschrift der Provinz Rheinhessen zur 100jahrfeier 1816-1916, Mainz 1916 GALLÉ, Völker, Rheinhessen. Discovery trips in the hills between Worms and Bingen, Mainz and Alzey, Cologne, 1992 KORB, Willi, Nieder-Flörsheim. From the history of a wine village in Rhinehesse. Studies commemorating the 1200th anniversary, Westhofen, 1968 Worms, April 2010 Magdalena Kiefel