Bingen am Rhein

Bingen am Rhein
Town
Coat of arms
Location of Bingen am Rhein within Mainz-Bingen district
Bingen am Rhein Show map of Germany Bingen am Rhein Show map of Rhineland-Palatinate
Coordinates: 49°58′N 7°54′E / 49.967°N 7.900°E / 49.967; 7.900
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
District	Mainz-Bingen
Subdivisions	8
Government
• Lord mayor (2019–27)	Thomas Feser[1] (CDU)
Area
• Total	37.74 km2 (14.57 sq mi)
Elevation	89 m (292 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)[2]
• Total	26,309
• Density	700/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	55411
Dialling codes	06721-06725
Vehicle registration	MZ, BIN
Website	www.bingen.de

Bingen am Rhein (German pronunciation: [ˈbɪŋən] ^ⓘ) is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

The settlement's original name was Bingium, a Celtic word that may have meant "hole in the rock",^{[3][citation needed]} a description of the shoal behind the Mäuseturm, known as the Binger Loch. Bingen was the starting point for the Via Ausonia, a Roman military road that linked the town with Trier. Bingen is well known for, among other things, the story about the Mouse Tower, in which the Bishop of Hatto I of Mainz was allegedly eaten by mice. Saint Hildegard von Bingen, an important polymath, abbess, mystic and musician, one of the most influential medieval composers and one of the earliest Western composers whose music is widely preserved and performed, was born 40 km away from Bingen, in Bermersheim vor der Höhe. Bingen am Rhein was also the birthplace of the celebrated poet Stefan George, along with many other influential figures.