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Birkenau (Odenwald)
Encyclopedia
Birkenau in the Odenwald
is a community in the Bergstraße district
in southern Hesse
, Germany
. Its nickname is Das Dorf der Sonnenuhren – “The Sundial Village”.
some 25 km north of Heidelberg
and about 20 km northeast of Mannheim
. It is on Bundesstraße
38, and the river Weschnitz flows through it. The land is hilly, green and dotted with horse farms and forests.
, in the east on the community of Abtsteinach
, in the south on the community of Gorxheimertal
and in the west on the towns of Weinheim
and Hemsbach
(both in Rhein-Neckar-Kreis
in Baden-Württemberg
).
trees.
Birkenau had its first documentary mention in 795 in the Lorsch Codex
as a cell of the Lorsch Abbey
. As one of the Abbey’s holdings, it passed into the ownership of the Archbishopric of Mainz in 1232. The centres of Hornbach and Balzenbach, on the other hand, belonged to Electoral Palatinate, meaning that after the Reformation
, they belonged to different denominations. In 1532 the town hall was built, and in 1771 the palace, Schloss Birkenau, of the Lords of Wambolt von Umstadt. By 1964, the population had grown to more than 5,000. In 1967 the community was recognized as a recreational resort (Erholungsort) and in 1979 as an open-air resort (Luftkurort). Owing to the only slight tourism, however, it has not reapplied for this designation. In 1995, Birkenau celebrated its 1,200-year jubilee.
might be described thus: Gules an uprooted birch tree overlaid with a wall anchor argent.
What the arms, whose charge
s can be partly traced in tithing seals and boundary stones back to the 16th century, mean is unclear. The charge that the German blazon describes as a “wall anchor” (Maueranker) is not accepted as such by everyone, with some saying it could have been meant to be taken as a weaver’s reel. With a document from 22 July 1926, the interior minister of the People's State of Hesse granted the community the right to bear these arms.
skiing
slope and a skilift. In summer, grass skiing
is possible. Floodlights have also been installed.
. Birkenau railway station is on the Weschnitztalbahn (railway; Weinheim
–Fürth (Odenwald)). DB Regio
AG’s Regionalbahn
trains stop there hourly, and half-hourly during weekday peak times.
Until 1999, Bundesstraße
38 ran through Birkenau. With the opening of the Saukopftunnel, this road’s route has been effectively shifted out of the community; the “old B 38” is now the Landesstraße 3408.
, plateau path between Birkenau and Reisen), for example, is also worth visiting, as there is a striking view over Birkenau and Nieder-Liebersbach.
In Birkenau’s woods it is not uncommon to see local wildlife, such as deer, various birds, hares, and so on. Here and there, foxholes are also to be found.
division. The team played in the first Bundesliga
and in 1974 became the last official German champions
in field handball
.
Odenwald
The Odenwald is a low mountain range in Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany.- Location :The Odenwald lies between the Upper Rhine Rift Valley with the Bergstraße and the Hessisches Ried in the west, the Main and the Bauland in the east, the Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin – a subbasin of...
is a community in the Bergstraße district
Kreis Bergstraße
Bergstraße is a Kreis in the south of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Groß-Gerau, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Odenwaldkreis, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, the urban district Mannheim, the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, and the urban district of Worms...
in southern Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Its nickname is Das Dorf der Sonnenuhren – “The Sundial Village”.
Location
The community lies in the Weschnitz valley in the OdenwaldOdenwald
The Odenwald is a low mountain range in Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany.- Location :The Odenwald lies between the Upper Rhine Rift Valley with the Bergstraße and the Hessisches Ried in the west, the Main and the Bauland in the east, the Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin – a subbasin of...
some 25 km north of Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
and about 20 km northeast of Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
. It is on Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
38, and the river Weschnitz flows through it. The land is hilly, green and dotted with horse farms and forests.
Neighbouring communities
Birkenau borders in the north on the community of MörlenbachMörlenbach
Mörlenbach is a community in the Bergstraße district in southern Hesse, Germany.-Location:The community lies in the Odenwald some 25 km north of Heidelberg and about 30 km northeast of Mannheim, as well as lying 8 km southeast of Heppenheim...
, in the east on the community of Abtsteinach
Abtsteinach
Abtsteinach is a community in the Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany. The community calls itself “The Gateway to the Überwald”.- Location :...
, in the south on the community of Gorxheimertal
Gorxheimertal
Gorxheimertal is a community in the Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany. It is in the Odenwald and the Rhine Neckar Area.-Location:The community lies along the length of the Grundelbach valley in the Odenwald...
and in the west on the towns of Weinheim
Weinheim
Weinheim is a town in the north west of the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany with 43 000 inhabitants, approximately 15 km north of Heidelberg and 10 km northeast of Mannheim. Together with these cities, it makes up the Rhine-Neckar triangle...
and Hemsbach
Hemsbach
Hemsbach is a town in the district of Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the Bergstraße, 18 km northeast of Mannheim.Hemsbach has restored one of the synagogues that flourished in the town before Kristallnacht....
(both in Rhein-Neckar-Kreis
Rhein-Neckar-Kreis
Rhein-Neckar-Kreis is a district in the northwest of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Bergstraße, Odenwaldkreis, Neckar-Odenwald, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe, district-free Speyer, the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, and district-free Mannheim and Heidelberg.-History:The district was created in...
in Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
).
Constituent communities
Birkenau’s Ortsteile are Birkenau, Buchklingen, Hornbach, Kallstadt, Löhrbach, Nieder-Liebersbach, Reisen and Schnorrenbach.Climate
Owing to its location near the Bergstraße, a mild climate prevails in Birkenau, which can often be seen in what for Germany is a very early blossoming of almondAlmond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
trees.
History
Lorsch codex
The Lorsch Codex is an important historical document created between about 1175 to 1195 AD in the Monastery of Saint Nazarius in Lorsch, Germany. It consists of 460 pages in large format containing more than 3800 entries...
as a cell of the Lorsch Abbey
Lorsch Abbey
The Abbey of Lorsch is a former Imperial Abbey in Lorsch, Germany, about 10 km east of Worms, one of the most renowned monasteries of the Carolingian Empire. Even in its ruined state, its remains are among the most important pre-Romanesque–Carolingian style buildings in Germany...
. As one of the Abbey’s holdings, it passed into the ownership of the Archbishopric of Mainz in 1232. The centres of Hornbach and Balzenbach, on the other hand, belonged to Electoral Palatinate, meaning that after the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, they belonged to different denominations. In 1532 the town hall was built, and in 1771 the palace, Schloss Birkenau, of the Lords of Wambolt von Umstadt. By 1964, the population had grown to more than 5,000. In 1967 the community was recognized as a recreational resort (Erholungsort) and in 1979 as an open-air resort (Luftkurort). Owing to the only slight tourism, however, it has not reapplied for this designation. In 1995, Birkenau celebrated its 1,200-year jubilee.
Community council
The municipal election held on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results:| Parties and voter communities | % 2006 |
Seats 2006 |
% 2001 |
Seats 2001 |
|
| CDU | Christian Democratic Union of Germany | 35.6 | 13 | 37.4 | 14 |
| SPD | Social Democratic Party of Germany Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
38.3 | 14 | 44.4 | 16 |
| FDP | Free Democratic Party Free Democratic Party (Germany) The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government... |
5.1 | 2 | 4.5 | 2 |
| FWV | Freie Wählervereinigung Birkenau | 21.0 | 8 | 13.6 | 5 |
| Total | 100.0 | 37 | 100.0 | 37 | |
| Voter turnout in % | 52.3 | 54.4 | |||
Coat of arms
The community’s armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
might be described thus: Gules an uprooted birch tree overlaid with a wall anchor argent.
What the arms, whose charge
Charge (heraldry)
In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
s can be partly traced in tithing seals and boundary stones back to the 16th century, mean is unclear. The charge that the German blazon describes as a “wall anchor” (Maueranker) is not accepted as such by everyone, with some saying it could have been meant to be taken as a weaver’s reel. With a document from 22 July 1926, the interior minister of the People's State of Hesse granted the community the right to bear these arms.
Tourism
In the Birkenau constituent community of Schnorrenbach is found a winter sport area with a 450 m-long downhillDownhill
Downhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
skiing
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
slope and a skilift. In summer, grass skiing
Grass skiing
Grass skiing was started in France in 1966 as a method for training for alpine skiing. Short skis that were actually rolling treads, much like those on tanks, or wheels were used. These skis were attached to the skiers boots and a grassy downhill slope was found. Depending on the skill of the...
is possible. Floodlights have also been installed.
Transport
Birkenau lies in the area served by the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Neckar, a transport authority serving the Rhine Neckar AreaRhine Neckar Area
The Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region , often referred to as Rhein-Neckar-Triangle is a polycentric metropolitan region located in south western Germany, between the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region to the North and the Stuttgart Region to the South-East.Rhine-Neckar has a population of some 2.4 million...
. Birkenau railway station is on the Weschnitztalbahn (railway; Weinheim
Weinheim
Weinheim is a town in the north west of the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany with 43 000 inhabitants, approximately 15 km north of Heidelberg and 10 km northeast of Mannheim. Together with these cities, it makes up the Rhine-Neckar triangle...
–Fürth (Odenwald)). DB Regio
DB Regio
DB Regio AG is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn which operates short and medium distance passenger train services in Germany, and operates light and heavy rail infrastructure in the United Kingdom.-Germany:...
AG’s Regionalbahn
RegionalBahn
The Regionalbahn is a type of local passenger train in Germany.-Service:Regionalbahn trains usually call at all stations on a given line, with the exception of RB trains within S-Bahn networks, these may only call at selected stations...
trains stop there hourly, and half-hourly during weekday peak times.
Until 1999, Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
38 ran through Birkenau. With the opening of the Saukopftunnel, this road’s route has been effectively shifted out of the community; the “old B 38” is now the Landesstraße 3408.
Public institutions
- Freibad Birkenau (outdoor swimming poolSwimming poolA swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
) - Hallenbad Langenberg (indoor swimming pool)
- Gemeinde und Bürgerhaus (community centre)
Education
- 7 kindergartenKindergartenA kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
s - 2 primary schools (Sonnenuhrenschule, Grundschule Nieder-Liebersbach)
- 1 HauptschuleHauptschuleA Hauptschule is a secondary school in Germany and Austria, starting after 4 years of elementary schooling, which offers Lower Secondary Education according to the International Standard Classification of Education...
-RealschuleRealschuleThe Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
(Langenbergschule)
Buildings
- Historic town hall (1552 – the oldest in Kreis Bergstraße) with pilloryPilloryThe pillory was a device made of a wooden or metal framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used for punishment by public humiliation and often further physical abuse, sometimes lethal...
and ellEllAn ell , is a unit of measurement, approximating the length of a man's arm.Several national forms existed, with different lengths, includingthe Scottish ell ,the Flemish ell ,the French ell...
wand - Schloss Birkenau, a BaroqueBaroque architectureBaroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
palatial residence with the palace park of the Baron of Wamboldt - Dorf der Sonnenuhren, the “Sundial Village”, with more than 100 sundialSundialA sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
s - Sonnenuhrenschule Birkenau, a primary school
Nature
Around Birkenau are several nature conservation areas and a considerable number of hiking paths. These are found on the one hand in the woods around Birkenau, but on the other hand, the Höhenweg (“Height Way”, European walking route E1European walking route E1
The E1 European long distance path, or just E1 path, is one of the European long-distance paths with a total length of some 4,960 km. It begins in Sweden, and crosses the Kattegat between Sweden and Denmark by ferry. It passes through Denmark, Germany and Switzerland to finish at Scapoli, Italy...
, plateau path between Birkenau and Reisen), for example, is also worth visiting, as there is a striking view over Birkenau and Nieder-Liebersbach.
In Birkenau’s woods it is not uncommon to see local wildlife, such as deer, various birds, hares, and so on. Here and there, foxholes are also to be found.
Sport
Nationally known is the TSV Birkenau (gymnastic and sport club) for its team handballTeam handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
division. The team played in the first Bundesliga
Bundesliga (handball)
The Handball-Bundesliga is the top German professional handball league. The league has been sponsored by Toyota since 2007 and therefore the league is called the Toyota Handball-Bundesliga...
and in 1974 became the last official German champions
German champions
The German champions is the general name given to winners of a Bundesliga sporting competition in Germany.-Current German championship holders:* Football 2010–11: Women's: 1...
in field handball
Field handball
Field handball was the original form of what is now team handball and was played at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin....
.