Mörlenbach
Encyclopedia
Mörlenbach is a community in the Bergstraße district
in southern Hesse
, Germany
.
some 25 km north of Heidelberg
and about 30 km northeast of Mannheim
, as well as lying 8 km southeast of Heppenheim
. It is found on Bundesstraße
38 and through it flow the Weschnitz and the community’s namesake, the Mörlenbach.
and Abtsteinach
, in the south on the community of Birkenau
, in the west on the town of Hemsbach
and the community of Laudenbach (both in the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis
in Baden-Württemberg
), and in the northwest on the town of Heppenheim
.
, a mild climate prevails in Mörlenbach, which often leads to what in Germany is a very early blossoming of the almond trees.
. In 1995, Mörlenbach celebrated its 1,200 year jubilee. In the course of municipal reform, the outlying centres were amalgamated into Mörlenbach in 1970 and 1971.
might be described thus: Gules three bells argent in triangle inverted.
The three bells are the subject of a local legend, according to which they were plunged into a pond during the Thirty Years' War
lest they be stolen by invaders sacking the community. Later, however, even after an intensive search, they were not found again.
, Thuringia
Aszófő
, Veszprém
, Hungary
Gárdony
-Agárd
, Fejér, Hungary
Gondreville
, Meurthe-et-Moselle
, France
The Old Town Hall comes from the year 1504, according to the lintel, although the timber framing
was heavily modified in the late 17th century. Until 1930 or 1931 it was used as a school and a teacher’s house, but was then built into the mayor’s administrative seat, which was moved to the newly built New Town Hall in 1978. Now renovated both inside and outside, it is now used for, among other things, performing civil marriages.
The Catholic Saint Bartholomew’s Parish Church (Pfarrkirche St. Bartholomäus) from the 12th and 13th centuries houses among other artworks three altars, among them one by Michel Erhart from 1494 and a 400-year-old organ from the chapel of the Friedrichsbau, a Renaissance
building at Heidelberg Castle
.
In Mörlenbach are found several crosses made of red sandstone, like the one before the Catholic Church’s southern transept from 1822.
The community centre (Bürgerhaus), completed in 1994 offers room for up to 900 persons and is used for a broad spectrum of events.
On the first weekend in Advent each year, the Mörlenbach Advent Market is held at the Town Hall.
Every other year, in the centre of Mörlenbach, trade, craft and industry stage the Krämermarkt (“Traders’ Market”), which is as much a performance as it is the upholding of old customs.
38, which is the main traffic artery in the Rhine-Neckar
agglomeration. In the heart of the community, the L 3120, coming from the Überwald
, meets the B 38 and runs farther on to Heppenheim. The Saukopftunnel, dedicated in 1999, links Mörlenbach directly to the Autobahn network.
The B 38a bypass is in planning and should lead to a lightening of the traffic load within the community. The planning was however delayed by discrepancies between the supporters of different alternatives for realizing the project, with environmental groups favouring a tunnel under the community (Variant W4) and the community itself advocating a detour around the community (Variant O2).
Mörlenbach lies in the area of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Neckar (“Rhine-Neckar Transport Network”). Mörlenbach railway station is on the Weschnitztalbahn (Weinheim
–Fürth (Odenwald)) and is served hourly – half-hourly at weekday peak times – by DB Regio
AG Regionalbahn
trains. The station is the former junction where the now disused Überwaldbahn branched off for Wald-Michelbach
.
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...
.
Location
The community lies 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 30 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....
, as well as lying 8 km southeast of Heppenheim
Heppenheim
Heppenheim is the seat of Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany, lying on the Bergstraße on the edge of the Odenwald.- Location :...
. It is found on Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
38 and through it flow the Weschnitz and the community’s namesake, the Mörlenbach.
Neighbouring communities
Mörlenbach borders in the north on the community of Rimbach, in the east on the communities of Wald-MichelbachWald-Michelbach
Wald-Michelbach is a community in the Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany.Through Wald-Michelbach runs the now disused Überwaldbahn .-Hardberg:...
and 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 Birkenau
Birkenau (Odenwald)
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”.-Location:...
, in the west on the town of 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....
and the community of Laudenbach (both in the 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...
), and in the northwest on the town of Heppenheim
Heppenheim
Heppenheim is the seat of Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany, lying on the Bergstraße on the edge of the Odenwald.- Location :...
.
Constituent communities
Mörlenbach’s Ortsteile are Mörlenbach-Mitte, Weiher, Bonsweiher, Ober-Mumbach, Kleinbreitenbach, Großbreitenbach, Vöckelsbach, Ober-Liebersbach, Geisenbach, Rohrbach, Bettenbach and Juhöhe.Climate
Owing to its location on the BergstraßeBergstraße
Bergstraße is the name of a mountainous theme route, and the area around it, stretching across the western edge of the Odenwald in southern Hesse and northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany....
, a mild climate prevails in Mörlenbach, which often leads to what in Germany is a very early blossoming of the almond trees.
History
In 795, Mörlenbach had its first documentary mention. In the 13th century, Mörlenbach gained strategic importance because it lay between Electoral Palatinate and the Archbishopric of MainzArchbishopric of Mainz
The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780–82 and 1802. In the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, the Archbishop of Mainz was the primas Germaniae, the substitute of the Pope north of the Alps...
. In 1995, Mörlenbach celebrated its 1,200 year jubilee. In the course of municipal reform, the outlying centres were amalgamated into Mörlenbach in 1970 and 1971.
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 | 42.7 | 13 | 41.6 | 15 |
| 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... |
23.8 | 8 | 27.3 | 10 |
| GREENS | Bündnis 90/Die Grünen | 10.3 | 3 | 7.4 | 3 |
| BV | Bürgervereinigung | 10.1 | 3 | 13.6 | 5 |
| UFW/FWG | Unabhängige Freie Wähler/ Freie Wählergemeinschaft |
7.3 | 2 | 6.6 | 3 |
| 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... |
5.8 | 2 | 3.5 | 1 |
| Total | 100.0 | 31 | 100.0 | 37 | |
| Voter turnout in % | 47.7 | 54.0 | |||
Mayor
The mayor is chosen in a direct election for a term of six years. Since 1991, Lothar Knopf has been Mörlenbach’s mayor.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 three bells argent in triangle inverted.
The three bells are the subject of a local legend, according to which they were plunged into a pond during 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....
lest they be stolen by invaders sacking the community. Later, however, even after an intensive search, they were not found again.
Town partnerships
GroßbreitenbachGroßbreitenbach
Großbreitenbach is a town in the Ilm-Kreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated 13 km southeast of Ilmenau. It has about 8000 inhabitants. Major industries are glass manufacturing and tourism....
, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
Aszófő
Aszófo
-External links:*...
, Veszprém
Veszprém (county)
Veszprém is the name of an administrative county in Hungary. Veszprém is also the name of the capital city of Veszprém county.-Veszprém county:...
, 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...
Gárdony
Gárdony
Gárdony is a town in Fejér county, Hungary.This town is next to Velence-lake and is a popular summer destination. The town is divided into three parts: Gárdony, Agárd and Dinnyés and lies on the south shore of the lake. The name Gárdony is believed to have originated in the early 1200s...
-Agárd
Agárd
Agárd is a small village on the shores of Lake Velence in Hungary. It is a popular tourist destination amongst Hungarians....
, Fejér, 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...
Gondreville
Gondreville, Meurthe-et-Moselle
Gondreville is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.It was a base for the United States Air Service during World War I.-External links:*...
, Meurthe-et-Moselle
Meurthe-et-Moselle
Meurthe-et-Moselle is a department in the Lorraine region of France, named after the Meurthe and Moselle rivers.- History :Meurthe-et-Moselle was created in 1871 at the end of the Franco-Prussian War from the parts of the former departments of Moselle and Meurthe which remained French...
, 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...
Buildings
On the marketplace with its village fountain are found the Old and New town halls, the Catholic church and a restored remnant of a defensive wall from the 13th century.The Old Town Hall comes from the year 1504, according to the lintel, although the timber framing
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...
was heavily modified in the late 17th century. Until 1930 or 1931 it was used as a school and a teacher’s house, but was then built into the mayor’s administrative seat, which was moved to the newly built New Town Hall in 1978. Now renovated both inside and outside, it is now used for, among other things, performing civil marriages.
The Catholic Saint Bartholomew’s Parish Church (Pfarrkirche St. Bartholomäus) from the 12th and 13th centuries houses among other artworks three altars, among them one by Michel Erhart from 1494 and a 400-year-old organ from the chapel of the Friedrichsbau, a Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
building at Heidelberg Castle
Heidelberg Castle
The Heidelberg Castle is a famous ruin in Germany and landmark of Heidelberg. The castle ruins are among the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps....
.
In Mörlenbach are found several crosses made of red sandstone, like the one before the Catholic Church’s southern transept from 1822.
The community centre (Bürgerhaus), completed in 1994 offers room for up to 900 persons and is used for a broad spectrum of events.
Regular events
Each year on the last weekend in August, the Mörlenbach church consecration festival (Kerwe), whose centre forms the “festival village”, is held.On the first weekend in Advent each year, the Mörlenbach Advent Market is held at the Town Hall.
Every other year, in the centre of Mörlenbach, trade, craft and industry stage the Krämermarkt (“Traders’ Market”), which is as much a performance as it is the upholding of old customs.
Education
- 6 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 - 1 primary school
- 1 school for help with learning (Weschnitztalschule)
Transport
Owing to Mörlenbach’s central location in the Weschnitz valley, it is a transport hub. Through Mörlenbach runs BundesstraßeBundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
38, which is the main traffic artery in the Rhine-Neckar
Rhine 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...
agglomeration. In the heart of the community, the L 3120, coming from the Überwald
Überwald (Bergstraße)
The Überwald is a wooded area in the southeast of Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany, between the “Further” and “Hinder” Odenwald, comprising the communities of Abtsteinach, Grasellenbach and Wald-Michelbach. Wald-Michelbach is the Überwald’s central community. The name was likely first used by...
, meets the B 38 and runs farther on to Heppenheim. The Saukopftunnel, dedicated in 1999, links Mörlenbach directly to the Autobahn network.
The B 38a bypass is in planning and should lead to a lightening of the traffic load within the community. The planning was however delayed by discrepancies between the supporters of different alternatives for realizing the project, with environmental groups favouring a tunnel under the community (Variant W4) and the community itself advocating a detour around the community (Variant O2).
Mörlenbach lies in the area of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Neckar (“Rhine-Neckar Transport Network”). Mörlenbach railway station is on the Weschnitztalbahn (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)) and is served hourly – half-hourly at weekday peak times – by 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 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. The station is the former junction where the now disused Überwaldbahn branched off for Wald-Michelbach
Wald-Michelbach
Wald-Michelbach is a community in the Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany.Through Wald-Michelbach runs the now disused Überwaldbahn .-Hardberg:...
.