Wertach

Basic data
State :	Bavaria
Administrative region :	Swabia
County :	Oberallgäu
Height :	915 m above sea level NHN
Area :	45.64 km 2
Residents:	2516 (Dec. 31, 2019)
Population density :	55 inhabitants per km 2
Postal code :	87497
Area code :	08365
License plate :	OA
Community key :	09 7 80 145
LOCODE :	DE WTY
Market structure:	11 parts of the community
; Market administration address :	Rathausstrasse 3 ; 87497 Wertach
Website :	www.wertach.de
Mayoress :	Gertrud Knoll (Wsch.dA / Fr.Wsch. / Independent Fr.gr.)
Location of the Wertach market in the Oberallgäu district

Wertach in the Oberallgäu

Ellegger Höhe (1100 m above sea level) near Wertach with the Allgäu Alps

Wertach is a market in the Swabian district of Oberallgäu and a state-recognized health resort .

geography

At 915 meters above sea level, Wertach is the highest market town in Germany and is located in the Oberallgäu region at the foot of the Grünten on the Wertach River . The local mountain named after the village is the Wertacher Hörnle .

Community structure

The municipality of Wertach consists of a single district . It has eleven officially named municipal parts : the main town of Wertach, the villages of Bichel , Enthalb der Ach , Hinterreute and Vorderreute , the hamlets of Gereute , Hinterschneid , Oberellegg , Unterellegg and Vorderschneid, and the wasteland of Schray .

history

Until the 19th century

Wertach was mentioned in 955 and was granted market rights in 1423 . The Wertach market belonged to the Augsburg monastery . Since the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss and the secularization of 1803 the place belongs to Bavaria. In the course of the administrative reforms in the Kingdom of Bavaria at that time, today's municipality was created with the municipal edict of 1818 . In 1893 the place burned down except for a few houses.

Population development

Between 1988 and 2018 the community grew from 1895 to 2426 by 531 inhabitants or by 28%.

year	1961	1970	1990	1995	2000	2005	2010	2015
Residents	1515	1558	2059	2250	2330	2467	2504	2436

politics

Mayor and City Council

Result of the local election on March 15, 2020:

mayor

First mayor: Gertrud Knoll (CSU)
Second Mayor: Clemens Suntheim (employee)
Third Mayor: Alex Wittwer (Christian Social Union in Bavaria, CSU)

Municipal council

Christian Social Union in Bavaria e. V. (CSU): 25.21%, 4 seats
Non-party voters for trade and tourism: 21.92%, 3 seats
Employee electorate: 16.66%, 2 seats
Independent women's group Wertach: 18.28%, 3 seats
Free electorate Wertach: 17.93%, 2 seats

coat of arms

Blazon (description): "In green a slanting left silver wave bar, which is covered with three black mill wheels."

Coat of arms history: Wertach was already referred to as a market in the 15th century. However, no court or community seals are known. The wave bar represents the river Wertach and thus also the place name. The three mill wheels indicate the mills along the Wertach, the upper and lower mills and the Reutemühle.

Culture and sights

St. Sebastian Chapel: The St. Sebastian chapel was extended in 1512 and 1763 according to plans of the famous Wieskirche rebuilt by Dominikus Zimmermann and is therefore lovingly Small meadow called.
Local history museum: The local history museum was founded in 1931. In addition to handicraft tools, weapons and animals, there is also a picture gallery by Franz Sales Lochbihler, who had become a royal Bavarian court painter.
Wertach in 1874 by the brothers Kramer of Weißlacker produced the world's first cheese.
Mountain cheese dairy
“Wertacher Jodlar-Prob” - yodelling
Sebaldweg: hiking trail with steles in memory of the Wertach-born author WG Sebald

Economy and Infrastructure

Economy including agriculture and forestry

In 1998 there were twelve in the field of agriculture and forestry, 261 in the manufacturing sector and 47 in the trade and transport sector at the place of work. In other economic sectors 204 people were employed at the place of work subject to social security contributions. There were a total of 647 employees at the place of residence subject to social security contributions. There were no companies in the manufacturing sector and six in the construction sector. In addition, in 1999 there were 75 farms with an agricultural area of 1478 ha.

education

There are the following facilities:

day care center
Primary school (1st to 4th grade)

societies

The local sports club is the SSV Wertach. There are divisions for football , volleyball , Running , mountain biking , athletics , aerobics , table tennis , Nordic Walking , Nordic skiing , alpine skiing , sledding and ice stock sport .

The oldest club is the Kgl. Privileged shooting society 1505 . 1505 is considered to be the year of foundation because the first note about riflemen in Wertach has come down to this year. It can be assumed, however, that there were riflemen there before. During the German Peasant War the Wertacher riflemen are mentioned in the Allgäu Haufen . In 1530 they were present at a large target shooting in the Tigau Rettenberg . The first shooting range was mentioned in 1552. The fact that little of the local documents has survived has to do with the fiery history of Wertach. After fires, plague and the Thirty Years' War, the lively club life until around 1800 was not reported again until 1720. When room nozzles were introduced in the middle of the 19th century , it was also possible to shoot indoors in winter. In 1863, 20 Wertachers founded a carpentry club, which in 1907 united with the fire gunners and in 1908 opened a shooting range with 18 fire socket stands. Both world wars brought club life to a standstill. After the Second World War, air rifles were not allowed to be used again until December 1950. Until then, the company was maintained as a bowling club. From 1981 to 1983 the rifle house was built with eight small caliber and 18 air rifle stands.

Personalities

Fritz Bergmiller (1875–1930), forester and hunting writer
Franz Sales Lochbihler (1777–1854), painter, among other things active at the Bavarian court
WG Sebald (1944–2001), writer and literary scholar
Leopold Herz (* 1953), politician (free voters)
Susanne Mischke (* 1960), writer