lion is the animal of the Electoral Palatinate, to which Hockenheim belonged; the hooks are probably derived from the place name. The form of the symbols was changed several times, but has been specified in its current form by municipal law since 1895. Sport The Hockenheimring, a motor racing course built in 1932, has become the home of the Formula One German Grand Prix. It has hosted this event over 30 times since 1970, including every year between 1986 and 2006. Since 2007 Formula One races in Germany are alternating annually between the Hockenheimring and the Nürburgring; Hockenheim hosts the event on even years. The course is also used for several other motor racing events and open-air concerts. After Nurburgring's withdrawal from 2015, Hockenheimring started hosting German Grand Prix annually since 2018. However, the track ownership and management and Formula One Management have not yet agreed a deal to extend the track's holding of the German Grand Prix beyond 2019. Places of interest A museum for tobacco cultivation was founded 1984 as the first of its kind in Baden-Württemberg. The motorsport museum opened near the Hockenheimring in 1986 and shows over 200 exhibits of historical motorcycles and engines. The "Gartenschaupark" was created in 1991 to host the State Horticultural Show and is, with an area of 16 ha, Hockenheim's largest park. Hockenheim's landmark is the water tower, constructed in 1910 in Art Nouveau. Other buildings of historical significance include the Protestant town church, a 1906 Neo-baroque building by architect Hermann Behaghel, and the Catholic Church (1910), done in Art Nouveau with a high tower, by Johannes Schroth. The old Catholic church, with a classical hall (1817) and a late Gothic choir tower (1490), serves as a community center today. International relations Source: Hockenheim is twinned with: Commercy, France, since 1970 Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Saxony, Germany, since 1990 (town in former East Germany before reunification) Mooresville, North Carolina, United States, since 2002. A (German: Städtepatenschaft) for Samba in Samba Department, Burkina Faso was established in May 1985. References External links Nature conservation area "Hockenheimer Rheinbogen" , Ministry of Environment Baden-Württemberg, retrieved 26 August 2015 Rhein-Neckar-Kreis