Stadtallendorf
Encyclopedia
Stadtallendorf is a town in Marburg-Biedenkopf
, Hesse
, Germany
, which lies about 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) east of Marburg
.
Basin in the west from the Schwalmbecken (another basin) in the east. On this ridge may also be found the Neustädter Sattel ("Neustadt Saddle"), abutted by the town's northeast edge. This upland is part of the divide
between the Rhine and Weser watersheds
.
(Marburg-Biedenkopf) and the community of Gilserberg
(Schwalm-Eder-Kreis
), in the east on the town of Neustadt, in the southeast on the town of Kirtorf
, in the south on the town of Homberg (Ohm)
(both in the Vogelsbergkreis
), and in the west on the towns of Amöneburg
and Kirchhain
(both in Marburg-Biedenkopf).
During World War II
, Stadtallendorf was a secret munitions centre. The armament firms WASAG AG and DAG produced munitions and explosives. At the time, it was the greatest of all munitions production centres in Europe
. Even today, some neighbourhoods in Stadtallendorf are still named after munitions businesses. The munitions centre continued through the war without being detected by the Allies
. (This, however, contradicts the statement by former French political prisoner and nazi slave labourer Agnes Humbert in her book Resistance (Dutch version, p. 239, footnote:"After my liberation, I heard that the camp of Allendorf was totally evacuated and destroyed by air-bombardments. A former female guard whom I interrogated, assured me that there were no gas-chambers nor ovens there, but she admitted that the (nazi-)administration was horrible in all respects." note by drs. Carles Wolterman, Amstelveen, Holland)) The 6 square kilometre premises where the wartime arms works were built were said to be one of Germany's biggest contaminated former industrial sites, in parts with high concentrations of chemical contaminants on residential properties. Since 1991, the premises have undergone a far-reaching cleanup; in March 2006, the job was officially declared done. According to information from the Hesse Environment Ministry, the cleanup cost €
167 million. 154 tonnes of contaminants were dug out of the ground, 697 tonnes were dug out of a dump, and 3 tonnes of TNT – still capable of exploding – were unearthed.
might be described thus: In azure, dexter a bear rampant sinister Or armed gules and langued Or, sinister a lion rampant striped per fess nine times in gules and argent (the Lion of Hesse), langued gules and armed Or, both holding a six-spoked wheel argent (the Wheel of Mainz).
The Hessian lion and the Wheel of Mainz stand for the town's old allegiances. Until secularization, Stadtallendorf belonged to the Archbishopric of Mainz
, and thereafter to Hesse
. The bear is a reference to an old name for the town, Allendorf im Bärenschießen, once used to distinguish the town from other places called Allendorf, and now needless thanks to the town's newer name. The arms have been kept even as other communities have been amalgamated with the old Allendorf as part of Hesse's municipal reforms.
St Ives, Cambridgeshire
, United Kingdom
since 1989 Coswig
, Saxony-Anhalt
since 1993
oHG mbH (confectionery), Fritz Winter GmbH & Co. KG (engine foundry), Hoppe AG (grip manufacturing), and others have chosen to build here. The town's transport connections are by road to the Federal Highways (Bundesstraßen) B 454 and B 62, and by rail to the railway station on the Main-Weser line. An extension to Bundesautobahn 49 is currently being discussed, but there have been ecological questions about the wisdom of such an undertaking: the Herrenwald (masters' woods) is home to the Great Crested Newt
, which is on the list of protected species.
In an area of 78.3 km² live approx. 21,600 inhabitants, 16,900 of those in the main centre, whose population is about 25% foreign.
Marburg-Biedenkopf
Marburg-Biedenkopf is a Kreis in the west of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Waldeck-Frankenberg, Schwalm-Eder, Vogelsbergkreis, Gießen, Lahn-Dill, Siegen-Wittgenstein.- History :...
, 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...
, which lies about 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) east of Marburg
Marburg
Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :...
.
Location
Under the German system of Naturräume, Stadtallendorf lies in the West Hesse Depression Zone (westhessische Senkenzone) which is divided into basins and ridges. With respect to these, the town lies on the Upper Hesse Ridge which separates the AmöneburgAmöneburg
Amöneburg is a town in the Marburg-Biedenkopf district in Hesse, Germany. It lies on a mountain and is built around the castle of the same name, Burg Amöneburg.- Location :...
Basin in the west from the Schwalmbecken (another basin) in the east. On this ridge may also be found the Neustädter Sattel ("Neustadt Saddle"), abutted by the town's northeast edge. This upland is part of the divide
Water divide
A drainage divide, water divide, divide or watershed is the line separating neighbouring drainage basins...
between the Rhine and Weser watersheds
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
.
Neighbouring communities
Stadtallendorf borders in the north on the town of RauschenbergRauschenberg, Hesse
-Location:Rauschenberg lies at the southern edge of the Burgwald, a low mountain range, near Marburg and Kirchhain.-Neighbouring communities:Rauschenberg borders in the north on the town of Rosenthal as well as on the communities of Wohratal and Gilserberg , in the east on the town of...
(Marburg-Biedenkopf) and the community of Gilserberg
Gilserberg
-Location:Gilserberg lies at the foot of the Kellerwald, a low mountain range, nestled in the Kurhessen Highland on Federal Highway B 3, 60 km from Kassel and 30 km from Marburg.-Constituent communities:...
(Schwalm-Eder-Kreis
Schwalm-Eder-Kreis
Schwalm-Eder is a Kreis in the north of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Kassel, Werra-Meißner, Hersfeld-Rotenburg, Vogelsbergkreis, Marburg-Biedenkopf, Waldeck-Frankenberg.-History:...
), in the east on the town of Neustadt, in the southeast on the town of Kirtorf
Kirtorf
Kirtorf is a town in the northern Vogelsbergkreis in Hesse, Germany. Through the town runs the Deutsche Märchenstraße, or German Fairytale Road, a touristic route joining many of the places commonly associated with the Brothers Grimm's tales.-Geography:...
, in the south on the town of Homberg (Ohm)
Homberg (Ohm)
-Location:The officially recognized climatic spa of Homberg lies from 203 to 350 m above sea level in the valley of the Ohm, a tributary to the Lahn, some 19 km southeast of Marburg.-Neighbouring communities:...
(both in the Vogelsbergkreis
Vogelsbergkreis
The Vogelsbergkreis is a Kreis in the middle of Hesse, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Schwalm-Eder, Hersfeld-Rotenburg, Fulda, Main-Kinzig, Wetteraukreis, Gießen and Marburg-Biedenkopf.-Geography:...
), and in the west on the towns of Amöneburg
Amöneburg
Amöneburg is a town in the Marburg-Biedenkopf district in Hesse, Germany. It lies on a mountain and is built around the castle of the same name, Burg Amöneburg.- Location :...
and Kirchhain
Kirchhain
Kirchhain is a town in Marburg-Biedenkopf district in Hesse, Germany.-Geography:Kirchhain is located in the heart of the state of Hesse in Marburg-Biedenkopf County...
(both in Marburg-Biedenkopf).
Constituent communities (Ortsteile)
- Niederklein
- Schweinsberg (an der Ohm)
- Erksdorf – This village of 1,000 inhabitants was amalgamated in the 1970s; the name comes from a long-ago settler named Eric von Erkersdorp.
- Hatzbach
- Wolferode
History
Stadtallendorf was given town rights in 1960; it had been known until then as Allendorf.During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Stadtallendorf was a secret munitions centre. The armament firms WASAG AG and DAG produced munitions and explosives. At the time, it was the greatest of all munitions production centres in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Even today, some neighbourhoods in Stadtallendorf are still named after munitions businesses. The munitions centre continued through the war without being detected by the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
. (This, however, contradicts the statement by former French political prisoner and nazi slave labourer Agnes Humbert in her book Resistance (Dutch version, p. 239, footnote:"After my liberation, I heard that the camp of Allendorf was totally evacuated and destroyed by air-bombardments. A former female guard whom I interrogated, assured me that there were no gas-chambers nor ovens there, but she admitted that the (nazi-)administration was horrible in all respects." note by drs. Carles Wolterman, Amstelveen, Holland)) The 6 square kilometre premises where the wartime arms works were built were said to be one of Germany's biggest contaminated former industrial sites, in parts with high concentrations of chemical contaminants on residential properties. Since 1991, the premises have undergone a far-reaching cleanup; in March 2006, the job was officially declared done. According to information from the Hesse Environment Ministry, the cleanup cost €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
167 million. 154 tonnes of contaminants were dug out of the ground, 697 tonnes were dug out of a dump, and 3 tonnes of TNT – still capable of exploding – were unearthed.
Town council
As of the last municipal elections held on 26 March 2006, town council seats are apportioned thus:| CDU | 18 seats |
| SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
12 seats |
| REP Republicans (Germany) The Republicans is a national conservative political party in Germany. The primary plank of the program is opposition to immigration. The party tends to attract protest voters who think that the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union of Bavaria are not sufficiently conservative... |
3 seats |
| AGS (citizens' coalition) | 2 seats |
| BB-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 |
Coat of arms
Stadtallendorf'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...
might be described thus: In azure, dexter a bear rampant sinister Or armed gules and langued Or, sinister a lion rampant striped per fess nine times in gules and argent (the Lion of Hesse), langued gules and armed Or, both holding a six-spoked wheel argent (the Wheel of Mainz).
The Hessian lion and the Wheel of Mainz stand for the town's old allegiances. Until secularization, Stadtallendorf belonged to the Archbishopric of Mainz
Archbishopric 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...
, and thereafter to 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...
. The bear is a reference to an old name for the town, Allendorf im Bärenschießen, once used to distinguish the town from other places called Allendorf, and now needless thanks to the town's newer name. The arms have been kept even as other communities have been amalgamated with the old Allendorf as part of Hesse's municipal reforms.
Town partnerships
Stadtallendorf maintains partnerships with the following towns:St Ives, Cambridgeshire
St Ives, Cambridgeshire
St Ives is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England, around north-west of the city of Cambridge and north of London. It lies within the historic county boundaries of Huntingdonshire.-History:...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
since 1989 Coswig
Coswig, Anhalt
Coswig is a town in the district of Wittenberg of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, approx. 12 km west of Wittenberg, and 15 km east of Dessau.- History :...
, Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
since 1993
Economy
The town is economically successful, as large factories such as FerreroFerrero
Ferrero is a surname of Italian and Spanish origin that means "smith," the person who works with iron, and may refer to:Persons:*Alfonso Ferrero La Marmora , Italian general and statesman*Benita Ferrero-Waldner Ferrero is a surname of Italian (from Piedmont) and Spanish origin that means "smith,"...
oHG mbH (confectionery), Fritz Winter GmbH & Co. KG (engine foundry), Hoppe AG (grip manufacturing), and others have chosen to build here. The town's transport connections are by road to the Federal Highways (Bundesstraßen) B 454 and B 62, and by rail to the railway station on the Main-Weser line. An extension to Bundesautobahn 49 is currently being discussed, but there have been ecological questions about the wisdom of such an undertaking: the Herrenwald (masters' woods) is home to the Great Crested Newt
Great Crested Newt
The Great Crested Newt, also called Northern Crested Newt or Warty Newt is a newt in the family Salamandridae, found across Europe and parts of Asia.-Distribution:...
, which is on the list of protected species.
In an area of 78.3 km² live approx. 21,600 inhabitants, 16,900 of those in the main centre, whose population is about 25% foreign.
Population
(in each case as of 31 December)- 1998 – 21,587
- 1999 – 21,643
- 2000 – 21,656
- 2001 – 21,671
- 2002 – 21,704
- 2003 – 21,708
- 2004 – 21,528
- 2006 – 21,540
- 2009 – 21,146