Herborn
Encyclopedia
Herborn is a historic town on the Dill
in the Lahn-Dill
district of Hesse
in Germany
. Before World War I
, it was granted its own title as Nassauisches Rothenburg. The symbol or mascot of this town is a bear. Scenic attractions include its half-timbered
houses; Herborn is located on the German Framework Road
.
(E40
/E41
) with Siegen
, Wetzlar
, and Gießen
.
, on the northeast by the community of Siegbach
, on the east by the community of Mittenaar
, on the southeast by the community of Sinn
, on the south by the community of Greifenstein
, and on the west by the communities of Driedorf
and Breitscheid
(all in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis).
In 1584, a Reformed (Calvinistic) institution, the Herborn Academy
, was founded by John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg
, William the Silent
's younger brother, and namesake of today's Gymnasium
Johanneum.
In Herborn, as of 1602, the Reformed Church's first translation of the Bible
was made by Johannes Piscator
. This work has had a decisive effect in shaping church life among followers of the Reformed movement in Germany, the Netherlands
, Switzerland
and the United States
. It was printed in Herborn in the akademische Druckerei von Corvinus, known today as the Corvinsche Druckerei or Paul's Hof, after the family Paul who own it.
In 1626, the town lost 214 houses in a fire started by accident in soldiers' quarters. Not long after this, Herborn and the surrounding area were the scene of a wave of witch trials.
Towards the end of the Thirty Years' War
, the townsfolk were looking after 50 Swedish
soldiers, which brought them protection by the Swedish Army, and thereby also a reputation as a "field hospital
town" ("Lazarettstadt") that lasted until the end of the Second World War.
After the Congress of Vienna
, Herborn ended up in a border area next to Prussia
and its economy suffered as a result of import tariffs. Only in 1836 Hesse-Nassau joined the Zollverein
(Customs Union), and in 1866 it was completely annexed by Prussia.
In the Second World War, Herborn was mostly spared by the bombers, but its Jewish community was obliterated in 1942, and many of the patients of the psychiatric clinic were deported and murdered.
During much of the Cold War
there was a small American military garrison in the community, district Seelbach.
The town became nationally known for a truck disaster that happened on 7 July 1987. After losing control because of faulty brake
s, a tanker truck carrying about 34 000 L of fuel ran into a house containing an ice cream parlour and a pizzeria. The escaping fuel flowed into the sewer
s and exploded, setting several houses on fire. All together, six people lost their lives, and 40 were injured.
Note: FWG is a citizens' coalition.
Pertuis
, France
, since 1965 Guntersdorf
, Lower Austria
, since 1970 Schönbach
, Lower Austria, since 1996 Iława, Poland
, since 1998
around the building showing local family coats of arms
.
http://www.vogelpark-herborn.de
range.
Dill (river)
The Dill is a long river, flowing through central Hesse in Germany. It is a tributary to the Lahn, joining it on the right bank at the town of Wetzlar.-Course:The Dill flows exclusively through the Lahn-Dill-Kreis district in Hesse...
in the Lahn-Dill
Lahn-Dill-Kreis
Lahn-Dill is a Kreis in the west of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Siegen-Wittgenstein, Marburg-Biedenkopf, Gießen, Wetteraukreis, Hochtaunuskreis, Limburg-Weilburg, Westerwaldkreis.-History:...
district of 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...
in 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...
. Before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, it was granted its own title as Nassauisches Rothenburg. The symbol or mascot of this town is a bear. Scenic attractions include its half-timbered
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
houses; Herborn is located on the German Framework Road
German Framework Road
The German Timber-Frame Road is a German tourist route leading from the river Elbe in the north to Lake Constance in the south. Along the road you can find nearly 100 cities and towns with remarkable timber-framed houses...
.
Geography
The town can be located at these coordinates: 50°41′4"N 8°18′15"E. It has an area of 63.82 km² (24.339 mi²), of which 28.0122 km² (10.816 mi²) is forest. It is connected by the A45 motorwayBundesautobahn 45
is an autobahn in Germany, connecting Dortmund in the west with Aschaffenburg in the southwest. It is colloquially known by its byname Sauerlandlinie, which derives from the Sauerland, the landscape which said autobahn is running through between the cities of Hagen and Siegen. Many people think of...
(E40
European route E40
European route E 40 is the longest European route, more than long, connecting Calais in France via Belgium, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan, with Ridder in Kazakhstan near the border to China....
/E41
European route E41
European route E 41 is a European route. Its route is Dortmund - Hagen - Olpe - Siegen - Wetzlar - Hanau - Aschaffenburg - Würzburg - Heilbronn - Stuttgart - Böblingen - Herrenberg - Villingen-Schwenningen - Bad Dürrheim - Singen - Schaffhausen - Winterthur - Zürich - Schwyz - Altdorf....
) with Siegen
Siegen
Siegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region...
, Wetzlar
Wetzlar
Wetzlar is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany. Located at 8° 30′ E, 50° 34′ N, Wetzlar straddles the river Lahn and is on the German Timber-Framework Road which passes mile upon mile of half-timbered houses. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis on the north edge of...
, and Gießen
Gießen
Gießen, also spelt Giessen is a town in the German federal state of Hesse, capital of both the district of Gießen and the administrative region of Gießen...
.
Neighbouring communities
Herborn is bordered on the north by the town of DillenburgDillenburg
Dillenburg is a town in Hesse's Gießen region in Germany. The town was formerly the seat of the old Dillkreis district, which is now part of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis....
, on the northeast by the community of Siegbach
Siegbach
- Location :The community of Siegbach lies in the Lahn-Dill Highland in the valley of its namesake brook, the Siegbach, which empties into the Aar to the south at Bischoffen.More than half of the municipal area is wooded.- Neighbouring communities :...
, on the east by the community of Mittenaar
Mittenaar
-Municipal area's extent:On Mittenaar's 3 518 ha live more than 5,000 people. About 45 km of roads connect the various centres. More than half the municipal area is wooded.-Neighbouring communities:...
, on the southeast by the community of Sinn
Sinn (Hesse)
-Location:Sinn lies at a height of 185 to 356 m above sea level at the foot of the Westerwald range, 3 km south of Herborn in the Dill valley.-Edingen:...
, on the south by the community of Greifenstein
Greifenstein
Greifenstein is a community in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Hesse, Germany. Its administrative seat is Beilstein. Greifenstein covers 67.43 km² on the eastern slope of the Westerwald range...
, and on the west by the communities of Driedorf
Driedorf
-Location:Driedorf lies from 416 to 642 m above sea level on a tableland in the high Westerwald.-Mademühlen:Mademühlen has about 1000 inhabitants and lies in the "Hessischer Westerwald" protected area and in the European protected area network Natura 2000...
and Breitscheid
Breitscheid (Hesse)
-Location:Breitscheid lies from 266 to 600 m above sea level on the eastern slope of the Westerwald range at the point shared by three German states: Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia....
(all in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis).
Constituent communities
Herborn is divided into the communities of Amdorf, Burg, Guntersdorf, Hirschberg, Hörbach, Merkenbach, Schönbach, Seelbach and Uckersdorf as well as the main town of Herborn.Population
(in each case on 31 December)- 1998 - 21,334
- 1999 - 21,415
- 2000 - 21,380
- 2001 - 21,254
- 2002 - 21,304
- 2003 - 21,214
- 2004 - 21,158
- 2005 - 21,260
- 2006 - 20,810
- 2007 - 20,921
- 2008 - 20,962
- 2009 - 20,975
History
Herborn had its first documentary mention in 1048 and was granted the privilege of a city in 1251 by the Counts of Nassau.In 1584, a Reformed (Calvinistic) institution, the Herborn Academy
Herborn Academy
The Herborn Academy was a German institution of higher learning very similar to a university in Herborn, which existed from 1584 to 1817...
, was founded by John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg
John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg
Count John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg was a Count of Nassau in Dillenburg. Other names he had were Jan VI or Jan de Oude....
, William the Silent
William the Silent
William I, Prince of Orange , also widely known as William the Silent , or simply William of Orange , was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born in the House of...
's younger brother, and namesake of today's Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
Johanneum.
In Herborn, as of 1602, the Reformed Church's first translation of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
was made by Johannes Piscator
Johannes Piscator
Johannes Piscator was a German Reformed theologian, known as a Bible translator and textbook writer.He was a prolific writer, and initially moved around as he held a number of positions...
. This work has had a decisive effect in shaping church life among followers of the Reformed movement in Germany, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was printed in Herborn in the akademische Druckerei von Corvinus, known today as the Corvinsche Druckerei or Paul's Hof, after the family Paul who own it.
In 1626, the town lost 214 houses in a fire started by accident in soldiers' quarters. Not long after this, Herborn and the surrounding area were the scene of a wave of witch trials.
Towards the end of the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, the townsfolk were looking after 50 Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
soldiers, which brought them protection by the Swedish Army, and thereby also a reputation as a "field hospital
Field hospital
A field hospital is a large mobile medical unit that temporarily takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent hospital facilities...
town" ("Lazarettstadt") that lasted until the end of the Second World War.
After the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
, Herborn ended up in a border area next to Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
and its economy suffered as a result of import tariffs. Only in 1836 Hesse-Nassau joined the Zollverein
Zollverein
thumb|upright=1.2|The German Zollverein 1834–1919blue = Prussia in 1834 grey= Included region until 1866yellow= Excluded after 1866red = Borders of the German Union of 1828 pink= Relevant others until 1834...
(Customs Union), and in 1866 it was completely annexed by Prussia.
In the Second World War, Herborn was mostly spared by the bombers, but its Jewish community was obliterated in 1942, and many of the patients of the psychiatric clinic were deported and murdered.
During much of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
there was a small American military garrison in the community, district Seelbach.
The town became nationally known for a truck disaster that happened on 7 July 1987. After losing control because of faulty brake
Brake
A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
s, a tanker truck carrying about 34 000 L of fuel ran into a house containing an ice cream parlour and a pizzeria. The escaping fuel flowed into the sewer
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
s and exploded, setting several houses on fire. All together, six people lost their lives, and 40 were injured.
Town council
The municipal elections on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results:| CDU Christian Democratic Union (Germany) The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum... |
14 seats |
| SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
14 seats |
| FWG | 3 seats |
| FDP 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... |
2 seats |
| Greens Alliance '90/The Greens Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir... |
3 seats |
| WASG Labour and Social Justice Party Labour and Social Justice – The Electoral Alternative was a German political party founded in 2005 by activists disenchanted with the ruling Red-Green coalition government. On 16 June 2007 WASG merged with The Left Party.PDS to form the new united party The Left... |
1 seat |
Note: FWG is a citizens' coalition.
Town partnerships
Herborn maintains partnerships with the following towns:Pertuis
Pertuis
Pertuis is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Located south of the Luberon, this town is also near Aix-en-Provence, a famous town. Pertuis has existed since at least 981, while a castle was first built in the 12th century...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, since 1965 Guntersdorf
Guntersdorf
Guntersdorf is a town in the district of Hollabrunn in Lower Austria, Austria....
, Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
, since 1970 Schönbach
Schönbach
Schönbach may refer to the following places:* Schönbach, Austria, in Lower Austria, Austria* Schönbach, Saxony, in the district Löbau-Zittau, Saxony, Germany* Schönbach, Sebnitz, a former municipality in Saxony, now part of the town Sebnitz, Germany...
, Lower Austria, since 1996 Iława, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, since 1998
Museums
- Museum Herborn in der Hohen Schule (Herborn Museum in the "High School")
- Heimatmuseum Herborn-Seelbach (local history)
- Heimat- und Industriemuseum Burg (local history and industry)
- Heimatstube Hörbach (local history)
Town hall
This was built in the 16th century and built anew after a fire in the 17th century. Particularly worthy of note is the friezeFrieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
around the building showing local family coats of arms
Coat 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...
.
Other buildings
- EvangelicalEvangelical Church in GermanyThe Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
historical town church dating back to at least 1219, even earlier, with many interesting building styles and features like a gothic choir with net-vault, romanic window, renaissance style in the main nave etc. - Many half-timberedTimber framingTimber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
houses dating from the 15th (oldest house: built in 1445) to 18th century. - Market fountain from 1730
- Paulshof the printing works from Corvin
- The "High School" (with the local history museum) founded 1584, remodelled in 1645
- Town wall with many preserved towers (Dill-Tower, Speck-Tower, Witch-Tower, Burgher-Tower, Hain-Tower, Leonhards-Tower) and gates like the stone-gate (oldest entrance of the town dating back to the city privileges of 1251)
- The stately home (Schloss), the inhabited castle
Parks
The constituent community of Uckersdorf has a widely known attraction with its bird park. You find more information on the web-sitehttp://www.vogelpark-herborn.de
Natural monuments
The Old Town is not the only attraction in Herborn. The surrounding countryside features the low mountains of the WesterwaldWesterwald
The Westerwald is a low mountain range on the right bank of the River Rhine in the German federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia. It is a part of the Rhine Massif...
range.
Regular events
- Sommerfest (summer festival), last Saturday each July
- Rock in the city park (Saturday before Whitsun)
- Martinimarkt (market), November
- Ponyfest in Herborn/Schönbach (May/June)
- Strawberry Sunday (first Sunday in July)
- wine festival (Friday to Sunday, first weekend every July)