Wald-Michelbach
Encyclopedia
Wald-Michelbach is a community in the Bergstraße district
in Hesse
, Germany
.
Through Wald-Michelbach runs the now disused Überwaldbahn (railway).
the Odenwald’s third highest mountain. On the Hardberg’s peak is a 135 m-tall Hessischer Rundfunk
radio
and television
transmission mast
. From each side of the Hardberg there is a unique view over the Odenwald and the Rhine valley.
, in the east on the community of Mossautal
, the town of Beerfelden
and the community of Rothenberg
(all three in the Odenwaldkreis
), in the south on the town of Eberbach
(outlying centre of Brombach) and the communities of Heddesbach
and Heiligkreuzsteinach
(all three in the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis
in Baden-Württemberg
) and in the west on the communities of Abtsteinach
, Mörlenbach
and Rimbach.
The municipal election held on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results:
Montmirail
, Marne
, France
Hassocks
, West Sussex
, England
, United Kingdom
-Realschule
and one Gymnasium
. Since 2007 there has also been an open private school based on Maria Montessori
’s methodology.
that was renovated in 2003. Furthermore, the community has at its disposal an artificial-turf
football pitch, which in 2000 replaced the former cinder pitch. It is used by SG Wald-Michelbach and SV Eintracht Wald-Michelbach. There is also a sport hall used by both men and women team handball
players from SG Wald-Michelbach and TV 02 Siedelsbrunn as well as the ÜSC Wald-Michelbach women volleyball players.
works in Stettin (now Szczecin
, Poland
). The museum’s centrepiece is the array of cars on display on the ground floor. Most have been restored and are in operating condition. Furthermore, more of the Stoewer company’s products, such as sewing machine
s, typewriter
s and bicycle
s, can also be seen. The museum is run privately by a collector who was born in Stettin. In 2005, in honour of the owner and his dedication, a street in the main community was christened Stoewerstraße.
Museum and Culture Club”) and unpaid help. The name Einhaus (“Onehouse”) refers to how such buildings were formerly used: a single building contained a dwelling, a storage cellar, a stable and a barn. Today, though, this one houses a civil wedding venue and a sizeable multipurpose room used by the community’s clubs for social occasions. In 2006, the Bücherbrunnen (“Book Fountain”) was also built before the Einhaus. On that spot, until the 19th century, when it was torn down, once stood a town tower in which, in Adam Karrillon’s novel Michael Hely was the hero’s home. The books displayed at the fountain are meant to remind one of the spot’s literary importance.
The "Systelios" clinic for people suffering from the Burnout syndrome
is also located in Siedelsbrunn.
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 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...
.
Through Wald-Michelbach runs the now disused Überwaldbahn (railway).
Hardberg
In the area of Wald-Michelbach’s outlying centre of Siedelsbrunn is found the Hardberg, at 593 m above sea levelSea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
the Odenwald’s third highest mountain. On the Hardberg’s peak is a 135 m-tall Hessischer Rundfunk
Hessischer Rundfunk
Hessischer Rundfunk is the public broadcaster for the German state of Hesse. The main offices of HR are in Frankfurt am Main. HR is a member of the ARD.- Studios :...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
transmission mast
Radio masts and towers
Radio masts and towers are, typically, tall structures designed to support antennas for telecommunications and broadcasting, including television. They are among the tallest man-made structures...
. From each side of the Hardberg there is a unique view over the Odenwald and the Rhine valley.
Neighbouring communities
Wald-Michelbach borders in the north on the community of GrasellenbachGrasellenbach
Grasellenbach is a community in the Bergstraße district in southern Hesse, Germany.-Location:The community lies in the Odenwald and the UNESCO Geo-Naturpark Bergstraße-Odenwald at elevations between 420 and 580 m above sea level...
, in the east on the community of Mossautal
Mossautal
Mossautal in the Odenwald is a community and a state-recognized health resort in the Odenwaldkreis in Hesse, Germany.-Location:The community lies at elevations of between 300 and 500 m above sea level....
, the town of Beerfelden
Beerfelden
Beerfelden is a town in the Odenwald in the Odenwaldkreis in Hesse, Germany, 28 km northeast of Heidelberg. The region around Beerfelden has for touristic reasons been dubbed the Beerfelder Land.-Location:...
and the community of Rothenberg
Rothenberg
Rothenberg is a community in the Odenwaldkreis in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Rothenberg lies at elevations between 200 and 500 m in the southern Odenwald in the Geo-Naturpark Bergstraße-Odenwald, 7 km north of Hirschhorn on the Neckar...
(all three in the Odenwaldkreis
Odenwaldkreis
The Odenwaldkreis is a Kreis in the south of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Darmstadt-Dieburg, Miltenberg,Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis and Kreis Bergstraße. Odenwaldkreis belongs to the Rhine Neckar Area.-History:...
), in the south on the town of Eberbach
Eberbach
Eberbach can refer to:* Eberbach , city on the river Neckar in Baden-Württemberg, Germany* Eberbach Abbey, Cistercian monastery in Germany* Eberbach-Seltz, commune of the Bas-Rhin département in FrancePeople:...
(outlying centre of Brombach) and the communities of Heddesbach
Heddesbach
Heddesbach is a town in the district of Rhein-Neckar in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
and Heiligkreuzsteinach
Heiligkreuzsteinach
Heiligkreuzsteinach is a town in the district of Rhein-Neckar in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
(all three 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 west on the communities of Abtsteinach
Abtsteinach
Abtsteinach is a community in the Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany. The community calls itself “The Gateway to the Überwald”.- Location :...
, Mörlenbach
Mörlenbach
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...
and Rimbach.
Constituent communities
Wald-Michelbach’s Ortsteile are Siedelsbrunn, Gadern, Affolterbach, Kreidach, Aschbach, Ober-Schönmattenwag, Unter-Schönmattenwag, Hartenrod, Kocherbach, Ober-Mengelbach, Stallenkandel and Wald-MichelbachAmalgamations
On 1 December 1970, Hartenrod was amalgamated with Wald-Michelbach. Gadern and Kreidach followed on 1 January 1971 and Aschbach on 1 October of the same year. On 1 January 1972, Siedelsbrunn, Ober-Schönmattenwag and Unter-Schönmattenwag became parts of Wald-Michelbach, with Affolterbach and Kocherbach joining them on 1 August 1972.Community council
| Parties and voter communities | % 2006 |
Seats 2006 |
% 2001 |
Seats 2001 |
|
| CDU | Christian Democratic Union of Germany | 38.9 | 14 | 37.3 | 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... |
34.1 | 13 | 37.3 | 14 |
| GREENS | Bündnis 90/Die Grünen | 6.0 | 2 | 4.0 | 2 |
| 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... |
2.1 | 1 | 1.1 | 0 |
| FW | Freie Wählervereinigung | 9.1 | 3 | 9.9 | 4 |
| AKB | Affolterbach-Kocherbacher-Bürgervereinigung | 9.9 | 4 | 9.3 | 3 |
| Die Tierschutzpartei | The Animal Welfare Party | – | – | 1.1 | 0 |
| Total | 100.0 | 37 | 100.0 | 37 | |
| Voter turnout in % | 46.3 | 53.0 | |||
Town partnerships
Montmirail, Marne
Montmirail is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Marne department...
, Marne
Marne
Marne is a department in north-eastern France named after the river Marne which flows through the department. The prefecture of Marne is Châlons-en-Champagne...
, 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...
Hassocks
Hassocks
Hassocks is a large village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. Its name is believed to derive from the tufts of grass found in the surrounding fields....
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 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...
Economy
The community’s and surrounding area’s biggest employer is the firm Coronet (household appliances).Education
Wald-Michelbach has at its disposal two primary schools, one special school, one HauptschuleHauptschule
A 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...
-Realschule
Realschule
The 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...
and one 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...
. Since 2007 there has also been an open private school based on Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori was an Italian physician and educator, a noted humanitarian and devout Catholic best known for the philosophy of education which bears her name...
’s methodology.
Main community
- Adam-Karrillon-Schule (primary school)
- Mary-Anne-Kübel-Schule (school for pupils with learning difficulties)
- Eugen-Bachmann-Schule (Haupt- und Realschule)
- ÜberwaldÜberwald (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...
-Gymnasium - Drachenschule Odenwald - open school (1st to 6th class)
Leisure and sport facilities
Wald-Michelbach has an outdoor swimming poolSwimming pool
A 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...
that was renovated in 2003. Furthermore, the community has at its disposal an artificial-turf
Artificial turf
Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...
football pitch, which in 2000 replaced the former cinder pitch. It is used by SG Wald-Michelbach and SV Eintracht Wald-Michelbach. There is also a sport hall used by both men and women team handball
Team 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...
players from SG Wald-Michelbach and TV 02 Siedelsbrunn as well as the ÜSC Wald-Michelbach women volleyball players.
Culture and sightseeing
Library at the Überwald-Gymnasium
In autumn 2007, the Überwald-Gymnasium opened its new library MIZ (Medien- und Infozentrum – “Media and Infocentre”). This may be used not only by students, but as of April 2008 also by all citizens of the surrounding municipalities.Heimatmuseum
The Heimatmuseum (local history museum) has been housed since 1988 at the old town hall (Altes Rathaus) right in the heart of the community. The building was built in 1594. On display here are not only items from Wald-Michelbach’s historical development but sometimes also special exhibits.Stoewermuseum
The Stoewermuseum was opened in 2002 and is housed in the building that formerly housed the old savings bank, near the heart of the community. On show here is a collection of products from the StoewerStoewer
Stoewer was a German automobile manufacturer before World War II whose headquarters were in Stettin .The first company was founded by the Stoewer brothers, Emil and Bernhard in 1896 for manufacturing sewing machines in Stettin...
works in Stettin (now Szczecin
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
, 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...
). The museum’s centrepiece is the array of cars on display on the ground floor. Most have been restored and are in operating condition. Furthermore, more of the Stoewer company’s products, such as sewing machine
Sewing machine
A sewing machine is a textile machine used to stitch fabric, cards and other material together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies...
s, typewriter
Typewriter
A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical device with keys that, when pressed, cause characters to be printed on a medium, usually paper. Typically one character is printed per keypress, and the machine prints the characters by making ink impressions of type elements similar to the pieces...
s and bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s, can also be seen. The museum is run privately by a collector who was born in Stettin. In 2005, in honour of the owner and his dedication, a street in the main community was christened Stoewerstraße.
Buildings
The Überwälder Einhaus was completed in 2005 by the Überwälder Museums- und Kulturverein (“ÜberwaldÜberwald (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...
Museum and Culture Club”) and unpaid help. The name Einhaus (“Onehouse”) refers to how such buildings were formerly used: a single building contained a dwelling, a storage cellar, a stable and a barn. Today, though, this one houses a civil wedding venue and a sizeable multipurpose room used by the community’s clubs for social occasions. In 2006, the Bücherbrunnen (“Book Fountain”) was also built before the Einhaus. On that spot, until the 19th century, when it was torn down, once stood a town tower in which, in Adam Karrillon’s novel Michael Hely was the hero’s home. The books displayed at the fountain are meant to remind one of the spot’s literary importance.
Regular events
- Heimatfest (“Homeland Festival”, first weekend in July)
- Fumaba
- Gassenmarkt (“Lane Market”)
- Kerwe (church consecration festival, next to last Sunday in August)
- Weihnachtsmarkt (“Christmas Market”)
- Kommunales Kino (“Municipal Cinema”, second Saturday each month)
Healthcare
On the Hardberg’s slope in outlying centre of Siedelsbrunn lies the Buddhist monastry "Buddahs Weg" ("Way of Buddah"). It offers a variety of traditional Chinese and Vietnamese therapies as well as spiritual seminars.The "Systelios" clinic for people suffering from the Burnout syndrome
Burnout (psychology)
Burnout is a psychological term for the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest. Research indicates general practitioners have the highest proportion of burnout cases; according to a recent Dutch study in Psychological Reports, no less than 40% of these experienced high levels of...
is also located in Siedelsbrunn.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Adam Karrillon (1853–1938), writer and physician (honorary citizen 1921)
- Lothar Mark (1945– ), SPD politician
- Heinrich Schlerf (1890–1970), founder of the Coronet works
- Dr. Rudolf Wünzer (1862–1929), honorary citizen: 16 September 1913
- Karl Kübel (1909–2006), founder of the Karl Kübel-Stiftung.
- Eugen Bachmann (1913–1975), Member of the Landtag (CDU) and former mayor of Wald-Michelbach (1948–1975)
Others
- Jürgen Gerlach, National Chairman of The Animal Welfare Party
Further reading
- Peter W. Sattler: Festschrift zur 750-Jahrfeier der Gemeinde Wald-Michelbach am 28. Mai 1988. Gemeindevorstand Wald-Michelbach, Wald-Michelbach 1988.