Herbstein
Encyclopedia
Location
The spa townSpa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
of Herbstein lies on the eastern slope of the Vogelsberg Mountains
Vogelsberg Mountains
The Vogelsberg Mountains are a group duct of ancient volcanic activity and are separated from the Rhön Mountains by the Fulda River and its valley....
.
Neighbouring communities
Herbstein borders in the north on the community of LautertalLautertal
Lautertal is a community in the Vogelsbergkreis in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Lautertal lies from 400 to 700 m above sea level in the High Vogelsberg Nature Park .-Neighbouring communities:...
and the community of Wartenberg
Wartenberg, Hesse
-Location:The community lies in the eastern Vogelsberg Mountains. Through the community flows the river Lauter, which empties into the Altefeld in Bad Salzschlirf, itself a tributary to the Schlitz.-Neighbouring communities:...
, in the east on the communities of Großenlüder
Großenlüder
Großenlüder is a municipality in the district of Fulda, in Hesse, Germany....
and Hosenfeld
Hosenfeld
Hosenfeld is a municipality in the district of Fulda, in Hesse, Germany....
(both in Fulda
Fulda (district)
Fulda is a Kreis in the north-east of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Hersfeld-Rotenburg, Wartburgkreis, Schmalkalden-Meiningen, Rhön-Grabfeld, Bad Kissingen, Main-Kinzig, Vogelsbergkreis.-History:...
district), in the south on the community of Grebenhain
Grebenhain
-Location:The community of Grebenhain lies from 400 to 733 m above sea level in the southeastern Vogelsberg Mountains, about 30 km west of Fulda.-Neighbouring communities:...
, and in the west on the town of Schotten
Schotten
Schotten is a town in the middle of Hesse, Germany. Larger towns nearby include Alsfeld in the north, Fulda in the east, Friedberg in the south and Gießen in the west.-Location:...
.
Constituent communities
The town consists of the main town of Herbstein and also the outlying centres of Altenschlirf, Lanzenhain, Schlechtenwegen, Steinfurt, Rixfeld, Schadges and Stockhausen.The last named community, Stockhausen, is particularly old, having had its first documentary mention in 882 when it was identified as a fief of the Fulda Abbey. It is believed, however, to date back much further than that.
History
Herbstein had its first documentary mention in 1011 in a donation document from the monasteryMonastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
at Fulda
Fulda
Fulda is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district .- Early Middle Ages :...
. In 1262, Herbstein was granted town rights. Until 1902 the town belonged to the Princely Abbey (Fürstabtei) of Fulda. There followed a short time of changing leadership until the town passed to the Grand Duchy of Hesse
Grand Duchy of Hesse
The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine , or, between 1806 and 1816, Grand Duchy of Hesse —as it was also known after 1816—was a member state of the German Confederation from 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was elevated to a Grand Duchy, until 1918, when all the German...
in 1810.
As part of Hesse's municipal reforms, the formerly independent municipalities of Altenschlirf, Lanzenhain, Schlechtenwegen and Steinfurt were amalgamated into the town of Herbstein with effect on 31 December 1971. Rixfeld, Schadges and Stockhausen followed on 1 August 1972.
Town council
The municipal elections on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results:- CDUChristian 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...
12 seats - SPDSocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
8 seats - FW (citizens' coalition) 11 seats
Coat of arms
Herbstein's civic coat of 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...
in its present form seems to have originated in the 17th century. Before that, the arms were a simple cross from the arms of the Fulda Abbey. The figure in the arms is Saint James the Elder, and the two crossed staffs on the inescutcheon are symbols associated with him – he was beaten to death with clubs. The arms were conferred on Herbstein in 1952.http://www.ngw.nl/int/dld/h/herbstei.htm
Partnerships
The town of Herbstein maintains partnerships with the following places: Oelegem (part of RanstRanst
Ranst is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of Broechem, Emblem, Oelegem and Ranst proper. On January 1, 2006 Ranst had a total population of 17,827. The total area is 43.58 km² which gives a population density of 409 inhabitants per km²....
) near Antwerp, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, since 1968 Hévíz
Hévíz Spa
Hévíz Spa and the Szent András Hospital, Hévíz is a spa in Hungary. It is located in Hévíz, on the shores of the lake of the same name.-The story of Hévíz Spa:...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, since 1995.
Economy and infrastructure
Ever since a thermal spring was bored in 1976, the town has been increasingly gearing its activities towards running a spa. In 1980, a thermal orthopaedic bath (of a kind known in GermanGerman language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
as a Bewegungsbad – "movement bath") opened in Herbstein and in 1994 the Kurmittelhaus – a place offering treatments for various complaints – was dedicated. In 2000 these efforts were at last crowned when the town had the title "Heilbad" – "Healing Bath" – bestowed upon it.