The Palatine Wine Queen (), sometimes also called the Palatinate Wine Queen,An International Guide to the Wines of the World by John Morrell (1975)The Bulletin, Vols 19-21 by the Germany (West) Press and Information Office, 1971. is the annually elected representative of the Palatine wine region, one of currently 13 recognized wine regions in Germany. She is eligible to participate, the following year, in the competition for the German Wine Queen.

History In 1931 the Palatinate region of Germany nominated a wine queen in the town of Neustadt an der Weinstraße at the initiative of the publisher, Daniel Meininger, becoming the first of the German wine-growing regions to do so. The first wine queen was Ruth Bachrodt – Reference for the correct spelling of the name Bachrodt – mit dt of Pirmasens in the Southwest Palatinate. This part of the Palatinate has no vineyards and Bachrodt owed her election to the fact that the organizers felt she was the prettiest girl in the audience in the festival hall (the Saalbau in Neustadt) and the judges upheld their proposal. The candidate had previously been asked the question, "What does a wine queen in all circumstances?" Bachrodt had replied, "you definitely need a pair of good shoes, so you can work in the vineyard." With that she also impressed the Pirmasens shoe manufacturer, Daniel Theysohn, and they were married in 1938.

Because the Palatine Wine Queen in Germany was the only wine queen for many years, she also represented German wine as a whole until 1939 and then again from 1947 to 1949 without needing to go through any further competition. In 1949, too, there was only one competition, but subsequently Elisabeth Kuhn, later Gies from Diedesfeld officially became the German Wine Queen and was thus the only person to hold the titles of Palatine Wine Queen and German Wine Queen in the same year.

Competition process The election of the Palatine Wine Queen traditionally takes place during the German Wine Festival, in the Saalbau in the town of Neustadt an der Weinstraße, on the Friday of the first weekend of the festival at the end of September or early October. After her year in office the Palatine Wine Queen, together with the wine queens of the other twelve German wine regions, takes part in the competition to choose the German Wine Queen. In two years, the outgoing Palatine Wine Queen has been chosen as the German Wine Queen: Sylvia Benzinger in 2005 and Katja Schweder in 2006.

List of Palatine wine queens

The following list shows all Palatine Wine Queens since the competition began in 1931:Alle pfälzischen Weinköniginnen seit 1931 at www.pfaelzische-weinkoenigin.de. Accessed on 29 Sep 2013. 1931/32: Ruth Bachrodt, later Theysohn (born 9 Mar 1913; died 5 Mar 1997), – Word document with Bachrodt’s DOB, reference for correct spelling of the name of Bachrodt – mit dt Pirmasens 1932/33: Cilly Seitz, Rhodt 1933/34: Gertrud Dörr, Wachenheim 1934/35: Trudel Knauber, Billigheim 1935/36: Hilde Köhler, Gimmeldingen 1936/37: Elisabeth Fitz, later Keller, Edenkoben 1937/38: Gustel Hauptmann, Haardt 1938/39: Maria Poh, Hambach 1947/48: Ilse Kurz, Mußbach 1948/49: Cäcilia Hormuth, St. Martin 1949/50: Elisabeth Kuhn, later Gies, Diedesfeld 1950/51: Trudel Keller, Bad Dürkheim 1951/52: Marlies Lack, Bad Dürkheim 1952/53: Anneliese Bender, Gleisweiler 1953/54: Ingrid Schreck, later Seyler, Deidesheim 1954/55: Rosemarie Reibold, Freinsheim 1955/56: Annemarie Müller, Haardt 1956/57: Ilse Reinig, later Rodach, Edesheim 1957/58: Doris Christmann, St. Martin 1958/59: Renate Poh, Hambach 1959/60: Christel Koch, Ungstein 1960/61: Bärbel Christa Härle, Mußbach 1961/62: Sieglinde Jung, Siebeldingen 1962/63: Inge Bender, Kallstadt 1963/64: Waltraud Lohr, Obrigheim 1964/65: Waltraud Hey, Oberotterbach 1965/66: Heidi Eberle, Laumersheim 1966/67: Ulrike Klein, Rhodt 1967/68: Christa Jung, Siebeldingen 1968/69: Heidrun Reim, Mußbach 1969/70: Gretel Stachel, Maikammer 1970/71: Ruth Kröther, Freinsheim 1971/72: Melitta Engel (born 24 Mar 1952; died 8 Sep 2012), Obrigheim 1972/73: Helga Weber, Weisenheim am Sand 1973/74: Siegrid Betz, Wachenheim 1974/75: Annette Oehl, later Göb, Forst 1975/76: Maritta Müller, Hambach 1976/77: Ingrid Grimm, Schweigen 1977/78: Heidrun Winkelmann, Gimmeldingen 1978/79: Christa Brauch, Birkweiler 1979/80: Heike Bohnenstiel, later Voss, Herxheim am Berg 1980/81: Hildegard Weber, Gönnheim 1981/82: Gaby Brückmann, Freinsheim 1982/83: Claudia Hänling, Heuchelheim 1983/84: Sigrun Stutzmann, Einselthum 1984/85: Heidrun Wolf, Birkweiler 1985/86: Maria Bergold, Wachenheim 1986/87: Ulrike Peter, Bad Dürkheim 1987/88: Annette Borell, later Borell-Diehl, Hainfeld 1988/89: Anne Brauner, later Fischer, Göcklingen 1989/90: Birgit Schehl, later Rebholz-Schehl (born 1969), Hainfeld 1990/91: Diane Blaul, later Fehling (born 25. Juli 1973), Gönnheim 1991/92: Birgit Weisbrod, later Lorenz, Freinsheim 1992/93: Christine Schneider (born 5 Jun 1972), Edenkoben 1993/94: Claudia Heupel, later Hoffmann, Nußdorf 1994/95: Silke Gerner, later Wolz (born 1972), Weisenheim am Sand 1995/96: Monika Metz, Pleisweiler 1996/97: Sonja Freund, later Freund-Kuhmann, Bad Dürkheim 1997/98: Jasmin Müller, Landau 1998/99: Eva Wendel (born 1 Aug 1975), Bissersheim 1999/2000: Birgit Winkler, Steinweiler 2000/01: Anke Schmitt, Bad Dürkheim 2001/02: Tanja Schmidt, Deidesheim 2002/03: Barbara Klein (born 28 Dec 1981), Hainfeld 2003/04: Tina Kiefer (born 26 Feb 1981), Ranschbach 2004/05: Sylvia Benzinger, later Benzinger-Kugler (born 16 Aug 1978), Kirchheim 2005/06: Katja Schweder (born 15 Jun 1980), Hochstadt 2006/07: Susanne Winterling (born 1 Dec 1986), Niederkirchen 2007/08: Julia Becker (born 28 Sep 1982), Edesheim 2008/09: Patricia Frank (born 1 Oct 1985), Bockenheim 2009/10: Gabi Klein (born 8 Mar 1987), Diedesfeld 2010/11: Karen Storck (born 23 Feb 1988), Einselthum 2011/12: Anna Katharina Hochdörffer (born 27 Sep 1988), Nußdorf 2012/13: Andrea Römmich (born 30 Nov 1988), Edenkoben 2013/14: Janina Huhn (* 25 October 1989), Bad Dürkheim 2014/15: Laura Julier (* 16 April 1991), Hambach 2015/16: Julia Kren, Meckenheim 2016/17: Anastasia Kronauer (* 2 May 1992), Lachen-Speyerdorf 2017/18: Inga Storck (* 21 July 1994), EinselthumSchwester der 72. Weinkönigin Karen Storck (2010/11). 2018/19: Meike Klohr (* 1994), Mußbach 2019/20: Anna-Maria Löffler, Haßloch

German Wine Queens from the Palatinate

To date the following representatives from the Palatine wine region have been crowned as German Wine Queen:

1949/50: Elisabeth Kuhn, later Gies 1955/56: Irmgard Mohler (did not previously hold the title of Palatine Wine Queen) 1960/61: Christel Koch 1965/66: Waltraud Hey 1971/72: Ruth Kröther 1981/82: Hildegard Weber 1990/91: Birgit Schehl 2005/06: Sylvia Benzinger 2006/07: Katja Schweder

References

External links Website of the current Palatine Wine Queen List of all Palatine Wine Queens since 1931