Beerfelden

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Beerfelden
City of Oberzent
Beerfelden coat of arms
Coordinates: 49 ° 34 ′ 3 ″  N , 8 ° 58 ′ 26 ″  E
Height : 415 m
Area : 13.33 km²
Residents : 3403  (December 31, 2018)
Population density : 255 inhabitants / km²
Incorporation : 1st January 2018
Postal code : 64760
Area code : 06068
View from Gammelsbacher Strasse to the town hall and the Protestant Martinskirche
View from Gammelsbacher Strasse to the town hall and the Protestant Martinskirche

Beerfelden is a district of the city of Oberzent in the Odenwaldkreis in southern Hesse .

geography

View of Beerfelden from the east

location

Beerfelden is located in the heart of the Odenwald on the watershed between the Main and Neckar at the source of the Mümling . The center of the village is 420 meters above sea level on the saddle that connects the Mümlingtal in the north with the narrow and wooded Gammelsbacher valley that descends towards the Neckar to the south . This conveniently located valley train with Beerfelden as a link opens up the federal highway 45 as the most important continuous north-south connection in the rear Odenwald. The Beerfelden area ranges from 330 to 540 meters in height. The district area is 1333 hectares (1961), of which 627 hectares are forested.

As a tourist region, the Beerfelder Land includes the area of ​​the former city of Beerfelden as well as the former communities of Rothenberg , Sensbachtal and Hesseneck in the Bergstrasse-Odenwald Geo-Nature Park and thus one of the most densely wooded areas in the Hessian Odenwald . The Beerfelder Land lies at an altitude of between 200 meters and 555 meters above sea ​​level .

On the eastern border of Beerfelden, in the area of Ober-Sensbach , rise the highest mountains of the Odenwaldkreis, the Sensbacher Höhe at 558 meters and the Krähberg at 555 meters . At the top there is a hunting lodge belonging to the Counts of Erbach-Fürstenau . Under this mountain, the Krähbergtunnel , one of the largest (3.1 km long, 348 m high) railway tunnels in Germany when it was built, connects the Mümlingtal with the Schöllenbachtal for the Odenwaldbahn. The Siegfriedstraße other hand, leads to a winding road up to 515 meters high on Reußenkreuz on its southern shoulder.

Neighboring places

The former town of Beerfelden borders in the north on the municipality of Mossautal and the town of Erbach , in the east on the areas of the former municipalities of Hesseneck and Sensbachtal , in the south on the town of Eberbach ( Rhein-Neckar district in Baden-Württemberg ) and the former municipality of Rothenberg and in the west to the community of Wald-Michelbach ( Bergstrasse district ).

history

Beerfelden was given as a fief by the Lorsch Abbey in the 10th century . Beerfelden was first mentioned in 1032 under the name "Burrifelden" in the Lorsch Codex .

During the time of the tribal duchies , the place belonged to the Duchy of Franconia .

In 1328 Beerfelden (then spelling "Baurenfelden") were granted city rights.

In 1806 the town came to the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt from the county of Erbach , which had belonged to the Franconian Empire since 1500, as part of the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss . 1822 was the district court Beerfelden established that in 1879 in Beerfelden district court was renamed and was canceled 1968th

On April 29, 1810, almost the entire place burned down. The Grand Duke and Count Albrecht zu Erbach-Fürstenau provided relief measures. The Hessische Brandassekurationskasse paid 172,802 guilders for the reconstruction.

At the end of the 19th century, iron and manganese mining was carried out in the Beerfelden area, see also: List of mines in the Odenwald .

Expansion of the urban area from 1971 to 2017

In the course of the regional reform in Hesse on July 1, 1971, the formerly independent communities Airlenbach , Etzean , Hetzbach and Olfen became districts of Beerfelden on a voluntary basis. Falken-Gesäß and Gammelsbach followed on October 1, 1971 . A local district was formed for each of the six incorporated districts with an elected local advisory board chaired by a local mayor . After the regional reform, the city of Beerfelden covered an area of ​​71.19 square kilometers with 6399 inhabitants on December 31, 2015.

Declining population numbers and economic reasons led to efforts to merge the communities of Hesseneck , Beerfelden, Rothenberg and Sensbachtal into one community with the name Oberzent on January 1, 2018 . In referendums on March 6, 2016, the majority of the citizens of the four municipalities each voted in favor. With a voting participation of 60.3%, the majority in Beerfelden was 88.5% of the citizens voting. They voted in favor of the first merger since the regional reform was concluded in 1979. The local parliaments of the four regional authorities involved passed the corresponding border amendment agreement in simultaneous meetings on May 2, 2017. Beerfelden is thus merged into the third largest municipality in Hesse after Frankfurt and Wiesbaden, with an area of ​​165 square kilometers, and gives it the right to call itself a city. The postal code 64743 for Beerfelden became obsolete with the merger.

Population development

The population of the former city of Beerfelden developed as follows over time (unless otherwise noted, taken from the publications of the Hessian State Statistical Office):

month and year population   month and year population
June 1976 6741   December 2012 6423
December 2009 6620   December 2013 6369
December 2010 6571   December 2014 6363
December 2011 6468   December 2015 6399

The following population figures are documented for Beerfelden (taken from the historical local dictionary for the time before the regional reform, from the web archive of the city's website for the time after - only main apartments):

year population   year population
1829 2562   2014 3337
1939 2403   2015 3376
1961 3139   2016 3376
1970 3497   2017

politics

Former city council

The local elections on March 6, 2016 produced the following results, compared to previous local elections:

Distribution of seats in the 2016 city council
     
A total of 25 seats
Parties and constituencies %
2016 		Seats
2016 		%
2011 		Seats
2011 		%
2006 		Seats
2006 		%
2001 		Seats
2001
SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany 36.1 9 40.9 10 51.4 13 50.5 16
ÜWG Non-partisan voter community Beerfelden 26.1 6th 36.8 9 26.6 7th 29.1 9
FDP Free Democratic Party 20.6 5 - - - - - -
GREEN Alliance 90 / The Greens 10.6 3 16.0 4th 5.6 1 6.1 2
CDU Christian Democratic Union of Germany 6.5 2 6.3 2 16.4 4th 14.3 4th
total 100.0 25th 100.0 25th 100.0 25th 100.0 31
Voter turnout in% 60.3 55.1 62.9 64.3

Partnerships

The former district of Olfen has had a partnership with the municipality of Trévignin in the French department of Savoie since 1966 .

mayor

According to the Hessian municipal constitution, the mayor is the chairman of the magistrate , which in the city of Beerfelden included six voluntary councilors in addition to the mayor . The last mayor since 2000 was Gottfried Görig (non-party). His directly elected predecessors were

  • 1996 to 2000 Adolf Engelter (SPD)

Culture and sights

Three-sleeper gallows from 1550
Freienstein Castle in the Gammelsbachtal
Twelve-tube fountain

Buildings

With the Beerfelder Galgen, Beerfelden has the only completely preserved gallows in Germany. This was built in 1597 instead of a simple wooden gallows. According to the inscription on a memorial stone next to the gallows, the "last execution in 1804, a gypsy woman for stealing a chicken and two loaves of bread" should have taken place.

The location is said to have been chosen because of its beautiful view in order to allegedly make the sentence even worse for the convict. The deterrent effect of the sight of those who were executed was also thought of. The iron bands that hold the red sandstone columns together with their six meters height were renewed a long time ago. They were allegedly torn from Cossacks camped there in 1814 and used them to shod the hooves of their horses. Around the gallows are seven linden trees, which are supposed to remind of the old Thing jurisdiction, whereby there was also a so-called cent linden tree , which was used to pass and announce the judgments before it. This is said to have been at the western exit of the city; however, their traces are no longer recognizable.

The Mümling spring fountain is located in the middle of Beerfelden . It was redesigned as a twelve-tube fountain after the great fire of 1810 and was of central importance for the supply of drinking water to the population until the water pipeline was built between 1895 and 1898. The well system was used solely for the drinking water supply, cattle troughs and washing area were located on the opposite side of the street.

The Freienstein castle ruins are located in the Gammelsbach valley .

In addition, there is a considerable number of other cultural monuments that are well worth seeing .

Regular events

  • The " Beerfeld horse, foal and breeding cattle market " has been held every year on the weekend of the second Sunday in July since 1901. The traditional cattle market on Monday is the largest breeding cattle show in Hesse. Another highlight of the market is the jumping tournament.
  • The Beerfelder Kerwe takes place every year on the first weekend in October. It has been held since 2006 on the market and sports grounds in Beerfelden.
  • On Ascension Day, the Beerfeld Fountain Festival takes place in honor of the twelve-tube fountain. This is a shopping day with exhibitions of the various companies, traditional items and a large flea market. The fountain festival stretches across the streets of Beerfelden. The Metzkeil, the center of the market, is also the center of the place.

sport and freetime

Both Beerfelden and the former district of Hetzbach have an outdoor pool. In the Beerfelder Land there are many signposted cycling and hiking trails with numerous viewpoints. There is also a designated network of Nordic walking trails in various levels of difficulty.

On the Sensbacher Höhe near Beerfelden there is a winter sports area with slopes and cross-country trails. If the snow conditions allow it in winter, the winter sports area is opened. One of the few ski lifts in the Odenwald is also located on the only slope . It is 450 meters long and leads from 450 meters to 540 meters above sea level. Floodlights and a snowcat are also available. On the Sensbacher Höhe there is a snowboard and ski race track approved for state championships. There are further cross-country trails throughout the Beerfelder Land.

The following cycle paths lead through Beerfelden and along the Mümling :

  • The 225 km long 3-country cycle route leads as a circular route through the triangle of Hesse, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. The route explores the Odenwald along the Mümling, Neckar and Main rivers.
  • The Hessian long-distance cycle route R4 begins in Hirschhorn am Neckar and runs with a total length of 385 kilometers from south to north through Hesse, along from Mümling, Nidda and Schwalm to Bad Karlshafen an der Weser.

The Bikepark Beerfelden was opened in 2004. Anyone who brings their mountain bike can practice this adventure sport. There are seven routes, each about a kilometer long. The five more difficult downhill routes have some demanding sections. The sixth downhill route was designed in such a way that it can also be mastered by children and technically less experienced drivers. The seventh route is a super enduro trail.

The Nibelungensteig , a 130-kilometer long long- distance hiking trail certified with the quality seal “Quality Trail Wanderable Germany”, runs along the Himbächel Viaduct in the Hetzbach district .

Economy and Infrastructure

Educational institutions

In Beerfelden there is a primary school , a municipal and Protestant kindergarten and a comprehensive school called "Oberzent-Schule".

traffic

Beerfelden is on the federal highway 45 , which leads in a large arc around the city. In the former district of Hetzbach there is a train station of the Odenwaldbahn (RMV line 65).

The rail connection from Hetzbach to Beerfelden, opened in 1904, was discontinued for passenger traffic as early as 1954, and for freight traffic finally in 1964. At the time, it was operated by SEG, the South German Railway Company. It was known as the "Schellekattel" (Hessian "Glocken-Kätchen"), as it drove almost continuously with a bell warning tone due to numerous crossings.

There is a rail connection of the Odenwaldbahn from Hetzbach via Erbach (Odw.) To Darmstadt / Frankfurt and to Eberbach am Neckar.

Personalities

Sons and daughters of the place

  • Johann Heinrich Breimer (1772–1837), court scholar and member of the 2nd Chamber of the Estates of the Grand Duchy of Hesse
  • August Breimer (1845–1900), beer brewer, innkeeper and member of the 2nd Chamber of the Estates of the Grand Duchy of Hesse
  • Heinrich Braun (1847–1911), German surgeon
  • Heinrich Breimer (1867–1947), master brewer and member of the second chamber of the state estates of the Grand Duchy of Hesse, son of August
  • Johann Georg Peter Fuchs (1868–1949), Bavarian theater director, brother of Emil Fuchs
  • Emil Fuchs (1874–1971), German Protestant theologian, brother of Johann Georg Peter Fuchs
  • Jan Holschuh (1909–2000), German sculptor
  • Jürgen Wolf (* 1957), cross-country skier, trainer and sports official

Connected to the place

  • Karl Friedrich Wider , arachnologist and pastor (Lutheran senior pastor) in Beerfelden, promoted to first pastor on May 1, 1828
  • Ludwig Albrecht Braun (1797–1869), member of the Hessian state parliament, pastor in Beerfelden
  • Michael Reuter (* 1948), member of the state parliament of the Odenwaldkreis, has lived in Beerfelden since 2003.
  • Jochen Sattler (* 1956), German television journalist, grew up in Beerfelden.
  • Rüdiger Holschuh (* 1967), member of the Hessian state parliament, grew up in Beerfelden
  • Lukas Billick (* 1988), German soccer player, grew up in Beerfelden

literature

Web links

Commons : Beerfelden  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikivoyage: Beerfelden  - travel guide

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Beerfelden, Odenwaldkreis. Historical local dictionary for Hessen. (As of October 16, 2018). In: Landesgeschichtliches Informationssystem Hessen (LAGIS).
  2. ↑ Numbers and dates. In: website. City of Oberzent, accessed March 2019 .
  3. ↑ a b Topographic map 1: 25,000
  4. ^ Minst, Karl Josef [transl.]: Lorscher Codex (Volume 1), note 120, in the year 1032. In: Heidelberger historical stocks - digital. Heidelberg University Library, p. 162 , accessed on May 9, 2016 .
  5. ^ Municipal reform in Hesse: mergers and integrations of municipalities from June 21, 1971 . In: The Hessian Minister of the Interior (ed.): State Gazette for the State of Hesse. 1971 No. 28 , p. 1117 , item 988; Paragraph 14. ( Online at the information system of the Hessian State Parliament [PDF; 5.0 MB ]).
  6. ^ Federal Statistical Office (ed.): Historical municipality directory for the Federal Republic of Germany. Name, border and key number changes in municipalities, counties and administrative districts from May 27, 1970 to December 31, 1982 . W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart / Mainz 1983, ISBN 3-17-003263-1 , p. 358 .
  7. ^ Citizens' decision on March 6, 2016 in Beerfelden. In: www.statistik-hessen.de. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016 ; accessed on March 6, 2016 .
  8. ↑ Oberzent: Border change agreement has been passed
  9. ↑ Oberzent: On the text of the border change agreement ( Memento of February 18, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
  10. ↑ Statistical reports from the Population Department 2009 - 2015 , accessed on January 3, 2018
  11. ↑ Local elections 1977; Relevant population of the municipalities (item 1668) from December 15, 1976 . In: The Hessian Minister of the Interior (ed.): State Gazette for the State of Hesse. 1976 No. 52 , p. 2283 ( online at the information system of the Hessian state parliament [PDF; 10.3 MB ]).
  12. ^ Result of the municipal election on March 6, 2016. Hessian State Statistical Office, accessed in April 2016 .
  13. ^ Hessian State Statistical Office: Result of the municipal elections on March 27, 2011
  14. ^ Hessian State Statistical Office: Result of the municipal elections on March 26, 2006
  15. ^ Hessian State Statistical Office: Direct elections in Beerfelden
  16. ↑ Twelve-tube fountain - source of the Mümling ( Memento from October 20, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) [twelve-tube fountain on the Internet]
  17. ↑ Beerfelden ski lift
  18. ↑ Route network