Bexbach

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coat of arms Germany map
Coat of arms of the city of Bexbach
Bexbach
Map of Germany, position of the city of Bexbach highlighted

Coordinates: 49 ° 21 '  N , 7 ° 15'  E

Basic data
State : Saarland
County : Saarpfalz district
Height : 247 m above sea level NHN
Area : 31.08 km 2
Residents: 17,626 (Dec. 31, 2019)
Population density : 567 inhabitants per km 2
Postcodes : 66441-66450
Area code : 06826
License plate : HOM
Community key : 10 0 45 111
LOCODE : DE BEX
City structure: 6 districts

City administration address : 		Rathausstrasse 68
66450 Bexbach
Website : www.bexbach.de
Mayor : Christian Prech ( CDU )
Location of the city of Bexbach in the Saarpfalz district
Bexbach Homburg Kirkel St. Ingbert Blieskastel Mandelbachtal Gersheim Frankreich Frankreich Rheinland-Pfalz Landkreis Neunkirchen Regionalverband Saarbrückenmap
About this picture
View from the tower of the Bexbach Mining Museum

Bexbach ( listen ? / I ) is a Saarland city ​​in the Saarpfalz district . It has about 18,000 inhabitants and borders the district of Höchen on the state of Rhineland-Palatinate . Audio file / audio sample

geography

Geographical location

Bexbach is located in the Saarpfalz district between the two district towns of Homburg and Neunkirchen and about 25 km northeast of the state capital Saarbrücken . The Bexbach flows through the city to the Blies . The Höcherberg , on which the districts of Frankenholz and Höchen are located, is the highest point in the southeastern Saarland.

Due to the mine dump Schacht III in the Höchen district, a landmark visible from afar, the Höcherberg and thus Bexbach can also be seen from a great distance. This represents the highest coal mine in Germany with a summit height of 494.3 m above sea level. NHN .

surface

value
Building and open space 23.2%
traffic area 6.4%
Agricultural area 34.2%
Forest area 29.0%
Other areas 7.2%
Total 31.12 km²

As of December 31, 2007

climate

The city is located in the temperate climate zone . The average annual temperature in Bexbach is 8–9 ° C and the average annual rainfall 750–800 mm. The warmest months are July and August; the coldest January and February.

Neighboring communities

The following cities and communities border the city of Bexbach:

City structure

The city of Bexbach consists of the city center (also outdated: Mittelbexbach) , Oberbexbach , Frankenholz , Höchen , Niederbexbach and Kleinottweiler .

Population as of January 1st, 2020:

district Residents
Bexbach 7,819
Frankenholz 2,185
High 1,557
Kleinottweiler 1,085
Niederbexbach 1,119
Oberbexbach 4,266
total 18,031

history

Bexbach was first mentioned in a document in 1219, today's Kleinottweiler district in 1221, Höchen in 1261 and Ober- and Niederbexbach in 1310. From the 14th century, the inhabitants used a large amount of iron ore , and from the 16th century also coal . The population was small, nobles and members of religious associations were represented. During the Thirty Years War , the entire urban area was almost completely destroyed by marauding troops. In 1648 the Peace of Westphalia was concluded. In these contracts it was stipulated that the county of Nassau-Saarbrücken , to which Bexbach also belonged, passed to France . The now deserted area was not repopulated until 1683 with a few families, mainly from Lorraine . In 1697, the former sovereigns regained their former sovereignty over the country and its people. In 1755, the Mittelbexbach dairy was recognized as part of the Nassau-Saarbrücken county.

In 1789, the French Revolution brought new hopes for those suffering from feudal rule . The Revolutionary Wars introduced a new social and state order.

In 1793 the French administration allocated the Mairie (mayor's office) Mittelbexbach to Mairie Limbach . In 1797, the French state implemented its first administrative reform. As a result, the département de la sarre was created in 1798 with 31 cantons . Most of the 600 inhabitants of Bexbach belonged to the canton of Waldmohr . French was introduced as the official language without exception .

After Napoleon's final defeat at Waterloo , the city was assigned to the Rhine district of the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1816. In 1848 Mittelbexbach was given its own mayor's office , to which the neighboring towns already belonged.

The Bexbach station , the oldest station in today's Saarland, was built as the Bavarian-Palatinate terminus of the Palatinate Ludwig Railway . Nowadays it is operated as a station on the Homburg – Neunkirchen line. In 1849 the opening of the Ludwigsbahn by the company of the same name presented new perspectives for the residents. Thus, from one day to the next, a significant improvement in the infrastructure for Homburg and Neunkirchen became apparent. The living conditions improved significantly. In addition to working in the mine , many residents also worked on their own farms. This is how the term “ miner farmer ” came about . The individual quarters were largely connected to the water and electricity supply. The first school was the Pestalozzi School and the town hall was built around the same time.

After the First World War , the Saar area was separated from the German Reich on October 1, 1920 and the Homburg district was reduced in size. That district was from then on the border district of the Saar area, which returned to Germany on March 1, 1935. The local political situation was reorganized. On April 1, 1937, the new municipality of Höcherberg was created through the merger of the previous municipalities of Höchen, Oberbexbach (with Frankenholz) and Mittelbexbach (with Ludwigsthal). This community was dissolved on May 1, 1947 shortly after World War II . The communities Frankenholz, Höchen, Mittelbexbach and Oberbexbach were (re) established. The regained autonomy strengthened the economy in the communities. Mittelbexbach received its own coat of arms in 1951 and was renamed Bexbach in 1955. Since the Saarland was again under French administration between 1945 and 1956, another Saar referendum took place in 1955 . According to the result, the Saarland was incorporated into the Federal Republic of Germany as the tenth federal state . On May 29, 1970 Bexbach were from the Saarland Interior Minister Ludwig cord the city rights awarded.

Naming

Both the city and the river flowing through it received the name from the knight of Beckensbach. The inhabitants are called Bexbachers . In Saarland dialect , the Bexbacher Betschbacher and the city accordingly call themselves Betschbach .

Incorporations

The new city of Bexbach was created on January 1, 1974 as part of the regional and administrative reform from the city of Bexbach and the communities of Frankenholz, Höchen, Kleinottweiler, Niederbexbach and Oberbexbach.

Outsourcing

The district of Ludwigsthal , which formerly belonged to Bexbach , was assigned to the district town of Neunkirchen on January 1, 1974.

religion

In almost every district of the city there is both a Catholic and an Evangelical church community. Only in Kleinottweiler is there only one Protestant parish.

Denomination statistics

According to the 2011 census , 32.7% of the population in 2011 were Protestant, 49.6% were predominantly Roman Catholic and 17.7% were non-denominational , belonged to another religious community or did not provide any information. The residents of Bexbach currently (as of December 31, 2019) belong to the Protestant Church with 28.8% (5,500) . 43.8% (8,356) of the population are Catholic and 27.4% (5,235) are non-denominational or belong to another denomination.

population

Of the 18,031 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2020, only main residence), 8,880 are male and 9,151 are female. The proportion of foreigners is 7.11%.

politics

Local elections 2019
Turnout: 64.6%
 %
40
30th
20th
10
0
37.37%
29.51%
11.9%
9.13%
7.79%
4.3%
Gains and losses
compared to 2014
 % p
   6th
   4th
   2
   0
  -2
  -4
  -6
  -8th
-10
+ 2.67  % p.p.
-9.29  % p
+1.5  % p
+ 4.03  % p
+1.09  % p
± 0.0  % p
City Council election results 1984 - 2019
Town hall I

City council

Result of the local election on May 26, 2019 and comparison to the 2014 local election:

Allocation of seats in the Bexbach City Council since 2019
      
A total of 33 seats
Parties and constituencies Seats +/- proportion of +/-% p
CDU Christian Democratic Union of Germany 13 + 1 37.4% + 2.7
SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany 10 - 4th 29.5% - 9.3
LEFT The left 2 ± 0 7.8% + 1.1
FDP Free Democratic Party 1 ± 0 4.3% ± 0
FWG FWG Bexbach 4th + 1 11.9% + 1.5
GREEN Alliance 90 / The Greens 3 + 2 9.1% + 4.0
total 33 100%

In the 2019 local elections , the CDU became the strongest parliamentary group for the first time, with significant losses for the SPD.

mayor

mayor

  • 1848–1855: Wilhelm Omlor
  • 1855–1875: Wilhelm Bartels
  • 1875–1879: Michael Schirber
  • 1879–1884: Johann Karl Graß
  • 1884–1890: Michael Schirber
  • 1890–1894: Peter Metzinger
  • 1894–1894: Christian Baschab
  • 1894–1899: Peter Hahn
  • 1899–1907: Christian Baschab
  • 1907–1916: Peter Betz
  • 1916–1921: Ludwig Henrich
  • 1921–1923: Georg Fichtenmayer
  • 1923–1925: Nicolaus Schöneberger
  • 1925–1932: Johann Schappe
  • 1932–1937: Aloys Nesseler
  • 1937–1945: Heinrich Jürgens
  • 1945: Karl Klein
  • 1945–1946: Peter Will
  • 1946–1947: Peter Johann
  • 1947–1949: Peter Ruffing
  • 1949–1956: Aloys Nesseler
  • 1956–1964: Gregor Allgayer (CDU)
  • 1964–1973: Paul-Heinz Collet (CDU)
  • 1974–1994: Lothar Weber (CDU)
  • 1994–2011: Heinz Müller (SPD)
  • October 1, 2011–30. September 2019: Thomas Leis (SPD)
  • since October 1, 2019: Christian Prech (CDU)

In the direct election of the mayor on May 26, 2019, Christian Prech (CDU) prevailed against incumbent Thomas Leis (SPD) with 53.42% of the votes cast.

Alderman
  • 1999–2009: First Alderman Wolfgang Imbsweiler (SPD)
  • 2009–2010: Joachim Hoffmann (CDU) and Wolfgang Imbsweiler (SPD)
  • 2010–2019: Rainer Ruffing (CDU) and Wolfgang Imbsweiler (SPD)
  • since August 22, 2019: First Alderman Benjamin Schappe (CDU), Alderman Thomas Pfaff (Greens)
  • since May 28, 2020: First Alderman Thorsten Müller (CDU), Alderman Thomas Pfaff (Greens)

Local councils

Allocation of seats in the individual local councils (as of local elections on May 25, 2014):

district CDU SPD FDP FWG LEFT Total
Bexbach center 4th 3 - 1 1 9
Oberbexbach 3 3 - 1 - 7th
Frankenholz 2 3 - 2 - 7th
High 4th 2 - 1 - 7th
Niederbexbach 2 4th 1 - - 7th
Kleinottweiler 3 4th - - - 7th
Total 18th 19th 1 5 1 44

Mayor

district Surname Political party
Bexbach center Rolf Ballweber CDU
Oberbexbach Stefan Schmelzer SPD
Frankenholz Rudi Mueller SPD
High Eva-Maria Scherer CDU
Niederbexbach Arnulf Fricker SPD
Kleinottweiler Daniel Heintz SPD

Political Organizations

Presentation to the public

City colors

Since the approval of the Saarland Ministry of the Interior, Bexbach has been using yellow and green as the city colors for several decades . These can also be found on the flag that is hoisted on the Hindenburg Tower, for example.

City logo

In contrast to many other cities and municipalities, Bexbach does not use the city arms to present itself to the public. For such purposes, the administration designed the City of Bexbach - Partner der Bürger logo .

Town twinning

Economy and Infrastructure

Local businesses

  • The French industrial group Alstom SA operated a plant in the “In der Kolling” industrial area until the end of 2017.
  • The Kern GmbH printing company has its headquarters in the Bexbach industrial area "In der Kolling". The printing company, founded in 1862, is one of the oldest companies in Bexbach.
  • Steag Power Saar GmbH operates a hard coal power station near Bexbach ( Bexbach power station ).
  • Fuchs & Hoffmann produces semi-finished chocolate products.

education

Waldorf School in Bexbach
Elementary schools
  • Goethe School in Bexbach
  • Primary school Oberbexbach
  • Frankenholz primary school
  • Up until 2004 there were also primary schools in the districts of Höchen and Niederbexbach .
Further training
Community College
  • VHS Höcherberg

Authorities

Commercial areas

  • Bexbacher Industrie und Gewerbegebiet Ost (BIG), 40 hectares, funded by the European Union
  • Saarpfalz Park (44 hectares)
  • Kolling (10 hectares)
  • Streitweg (3.4 hectares)
  • Coppice Grove (5 hectares)

armed forces

Since 1967 Bexbach was the home of the Paratrooper Battalion 262 . In 1969 the reserve hospital group 959 was stationed in Bexbach. From 1972 the Jägerbataillon 471 and the paratrooper training company 7/9 were in Bexbach. From April 1976 the Saarpfalz barracks was home to the Jägerbataillon 541 (mob base), the Jägerbataillon 542 and the repair training company 9 / III.

The Bexbach location , including the Bexbach sports promotion group , was dissolved in 1996. The area of ​​the former Saar-Palatinate barracks was rededicated to a commercial area (Saarpfalz-Park).

The former on- site training area, over 100 hectares in size, was the training area of ​​the technical relief organization until 2008 . Since 2008 it has been marketed by an investor as a near-natural event site for live role-playing games , among other things .

Bexbach station

traffic

Bexbach is linked to the German trunk road network by motorway connections to the A 6 and A 8 . In addition, the B 423 (federal border France Mandelbachtal - Altenglan ) runs through the Bexbach district of Kleinottweiler.

From the Bexbach train station , regional trains run all day on the Homburg – Neunkirchen route to Homburg and in the opposite direction to Neunkirchen (Saar) , Illingen (Saar) and sometimes also to Saarbrücken without changing trains . They enable a connection to the long-distance traffic of the Deutsche Bahn . From 1903 to 1905, the Nordfeldbahn , which was used exclusively for freight traffic, ran from the Jägersburg station on the Glantalbahn to the Nordfeld mine .

Air traffic

Bexbach has had an airfield since 1956 . On April 29, 1956, the first glider pilots took off on a test flight from Bexbach airfield .

Hiking trails

Bexbach participates in numerous hiking trails of the Saarwald Association , including the Höcherbergweg and the Saarland circular hiking trail . Since March 2007 Bexbach has created a circular hiking trail that is 37.75 km long and leads through all parts of the city. The path can also be hiked in several stages, as a total of four cross connections have been set up. The hiking trail starts from Oberbexbach with the marking green-yellow cross of the Palatinate Forest Association , which leads via Johanniskreuz and Neustadt an der Weinstrasse to Ludwigshafen am Rhein .

Culture and sights

flower garden

Bexbach flower garden

The flower garden, which was created for the exhibition Gardens and Flowers in Social Housing in 1951, is well worth a visit . With a large playground and a Chinese garden, Bexbach presents itself from its modern side.

Miniature of the Saarbrücken Ludwig Church

On June 28, 2017, the Gulliver World 2.0 was officially opened in the flower garden , showing 26 restored replicas from the former world in the German-French Garden in Saarbrücken. The miniature structures are embedded in the park. These include models of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the pyramids of Giza or a piece of the Berlin Wall - they are all now in the publicly accessible part of the flower garden in Bexbach - but on a scale of 1:33.

Next to the flower garden is the green, former Monte Barbara mine dump . A statue of Saint Barbara , patroness of the miners , crowns the landscaped structure.

Saarland mining museum

Mining museum in the Bexbach flower garden

In the flower garden is the Hindenburg tower (see below), which houses the Saarland Mining Museum. The history of hard coal mining in the region and its importance are clearly illustrated in the tower . Everything you need to know about technology, safety, history and social issues in mining is presented on seven floors. The top floor offers a panoramic view.

Breathing apparatus in the Bexbach mining museum

Under the tower there is a show mine with historical and newer machines. Over the decades, miners have built a tunnel that has been expanded again and again, in which old and new extraction techniques are presented. The tools and equipment shown show how coal was mined at ever greater depths and thus with ever greater difficulties. In 1994 the Saarland Mining Museum Bexbach took over the premises from Bexbach.

Parks

In addition to the flower garden mentioned above, there is a city ​​park (called “Green Lung”) through which the Bexbach flows as a connection between the city ​​center and the Oberbexbach district . There is also a playground for children in the complex.

Buildings

Protestant Church

Hindenburg Tower

Hindenburg Tower

When the water supply in Bexbach could no longer be guaranteed at the end of the 1920s, the municipal council decided to build a high-level water tank with a capacity of 200  m³ . Construction began in 1931. At the request of the community, the building should also serve as a lookout tower and a mine museum.

The outer skeleton of the tower consists of eight, the inner shaft of four concrete columns, the walls are filled with pumice concrete hollow stones. The floor plan is 10 × 10 m. The glazed viewing platform at a height of 40 m can be reached with an elevator . The tower was named after the then Reich President Paul von Hindenburg .

Bexbach station

The Bexbach station , which was built in 1848/1849 as a Bavarian border station to the Prussian Rhine Province, has the oldest surviving station building in Saarland and is a listed building . Only the building in Homburg was built two years earlier, but was replaced by a more modern one after the Second World War. The Bexbach station is home to u. a. a museum about the history of the train station and the pits at Höcherberg. The old waiting hall is the home of the “Choir Gleis 1” and is the new clubhouse of Modellbahnfreunde Bexbach e. V. , who endeavor to maintain and maintain the station.

The station building has been renovated and converted into a cultural station since February 2018 .

additional

Personalities

sons and daughters of the town

Others

Bexbach is the fictional setting of the sitcom family Heinz Becker by and with the native Bexbacher Gerd Dudenhöffer .

Web links

Commons : Bexbach  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Saarland.de - Official population figures as of December 31, 2019 (PDF; 20 kB) ( help ).
  2. ↑ www.bexbach.de
  3. ↑ Bexbach: structural data, residents by district , accessed on February 2, 2020
  4. ↑ Official Journal of the Administrative Commission of the Saarland No. 29/1947 (PDF; 536 kB)
  5. ↑ a b c 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. 803 .
  6. ^ City of Bexbach Religion , 2011 census
  7. ^ City of Bexbach , accessed on April 22, 2020
  8. ↑ www.bexbach.de
  9. ↑ City council election Bexbach On: www.wahlresult.saarland.de, accessed on May 30, 2019
  10. ↑ City council election Bexbach On: www.statistikextern.saarland.de, accessed on May 26, 2019
  11. ↑ Local council election 2014: This is how the Saarpfalz district voted . In Saarbrücker Zeitung , May 27, 2014
  12. ↑ Federal Agency for Technical Relief: Training area Bexbach: Description. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on February 12, 2013 ; accessed on December 21, 2018 .
  13. ^ Hindenburgturm Bexbach on the Saarpfalz-Touristik website
  14. ↑ Kulturbahnhof will be ready in autumn. In: Saarbrücker Zeitung , April 11, 2019