Wehrheim
Encyclopedia
Wehrheim is a municipality
in Hesse
, Germany
some 30 km (20 mi) north of Frankfurt am Main.
The town Wehrheim carries the nickname "Apfeldorf Wehrheim" (Apple village of Wehrheim).
on the north slope of the crest of the Taunus
between Bad Homburg and Usingen im Taunus
.
and the community of Ober-Mörlen
(Wetteraukreis
), in the east on the towns of Friedberg
and Rosbach
(both in the Wetteraukreis), in the south on the towns of Friedrichsdorf
and Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, and in the west on the town of Neu-Anspach
.
. In Wehrheim, a burying ground from the early to middle Urnfield culture (11th to 10th century BC) was discovered. Wehrheim im Taunus itself had its first documentary mention in 1046. In 1372, the village was granted town rights, which it however lost again in 1814. The town's overlords changed several times, from the Castle Counts of Friedberg to the Counts of Diez, the area then passing to Nassau-Dillenburg and finally to Prussia
in 1866. In 1895 the railway line from Bad Homburg vor der Höhe – then still called Homberg – through Friedrichsdorf to Usingen came into operation, and was extended to Weilburg a few years later, linking the community a bit more closely with the Frankfurt area, a trend that would continue in the coming century.
As part of Hesse's municipal reforms, the communities of Wehrheim, Obernhain, Pfaffenwiesbach and Friedrichsthal merged into the new greater community of Wehrheim in 1972.
near Budapest
in Hungary
, since 1989. Meransen in the Pustertal
in Italy
, since 2001.
was granted in 1953 and is based on seals known from the 15th century. The arms show the two lions of the Counts of Diez, and the letter is, of course, the community's initial.
Wehrheim once had another coat of arms after the original one was apparently forgotten. It appeared in the 19th century and featured a building with towers. This is believed to have been a canting
symbol since it was a military structure (Wehr is a German
word for "army"). These arms were used, without ever officially being approved, until the current arms were conferred in 1953.
6 km away, and the Oberursel
-Nord interchange on Autobahn A 661
only 8 km away it is well connected to the long-distance road network.
The community has at its disposal two stops on the Taunusbahn railway (officially called line 15 by the RMV, or Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund
).
s made by the firm Ohropax GmbH, and marketed under the name Ohropax. Also manufacturer of Palacos® bone cement
, Heraeus Medical, a division of Heraeus
, is located in Wehrheim.
The Taunusheim, an orphanage
established in 1943 to house war orphans, was until 1998 a home for children and youths run by the city of Frankfurt. Before that, the building had housed the Hotel Waldfriede.
In the last twenty years of its existence, the Taunusheim was home to up to 18 children and young people from 6 to 18 years old, looked after round the clock in two groups. In 1994, a day group also attended the home.
The home was closed in 1998 for reasons of economy. The school for children with learning difficulties that was attached to the home remained until 2001, when it was moved to Frankfurt-Höchst
.
Moving part of the Wehrheim primary school into the now empty building is being considered as a way of alleviating the dearth of school space.
which was declared a World Heritage Site
in 2005 by UNESCO
. One of Wehrheim's sights, near Pfaffenwiesbach, is an old Roman
Limes Fort, the Kapersburg, on top of the Limes. There is another Roman fort in the main community, the Saalburg
, which has been restored.
Municipalities of Germany
Municipalities are the lowest level of territorial division in Germany. This may be the fourth level of territorial division in Germany, apart from those states which include Regierungsbezirke , where municipalities then become the fifth level.-Overview:With more than 3,400,000 inhabitants, the...
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...
some 30 km (20 mi) north of Frankfurt am Main.
The town Wehrheim carries the nickname "Apfeldorf Wehrheim" (Apple village of Wehrheim).
Location
Wehrheim lies from 300 to 600 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...
on the north slope of the crest of the Taunus
Taunus
The Taunus is a low mountain range in Hesse, Germany that composes part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains. It is bounded by the river valleys of Rhine, Main and Lahn. On the opposite side of the Rhine, the mountains are continued by the Hunsrück...
between Bad Homburg and Usingen im Taunus
Usingen
Usingen is a small town in the Hochtaunuskreis in Hessen, Germany. Until 1972, this residential and school town was the seat of the former district of Usingen.-Location:...
.
Neighbouring communities
Wehrheim borders in the north on the town of UsingenUsingen
Usingen is a small town in the Hochtaunuskreis in Hessen, Germany. Until 1972, this residential and school town was the seat of the former district of Usingen.-Location:...
and the community of Ober-Mörlen
Ober-Mörlen
Ober-Mörlen is a municipality in the Wetteraukreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located approx. 29 kilometers north of Frankfurt am Main.- References :...
(Wetteraukreis
Wetteraukreis
The Wetteraukreis is a Kreis in the middle of Hesse, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Landkreis Gießen, Vogelsbergkreis, Main-Kinzig-Kreis, district-free Stadt Frankfurt, Hochtaunuskreis, Lahn-Dill-Kreis.-History:...
), in the east on the towns of Friedberg
Friedberg, Hesse
Friedberg is a town and the capital of the Wetteraukreis district, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 26 kilometers north of Frankfurt am Main.-Division of the town:The town consists of 7 districts:* Bruchenbrücken...
and Rosbach
Rosbach vor der Höhe
Rosbach vor der Höhe is a town in the district of Wetteraukreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 kilometres north of Frankfurt am Main, on the eastern side of the Taunus mountain range. The town has a population of approximately 12,000.- History :...
(both in the Wetteraukreis), in the south on the towns of Friedrichsdorf
Friedrichsdorf
Friedrichsdorf is a town of the Hochtaunuskreis, some north of Frankfurt am Main in Hesse, Germany.-Location: Friedrichsdorf is located in the Taunus area, ranking third among the Hochtaunuskreis boroughs after Bad Homburg vor der Höhe and Oberursel...
and Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, and in the west on the town of Neu-Anspach
Neu-Anspach
-Geography:-Neighbouring communities:Neu-Anspach borders in the north on the town of Usingen, in the east on the community of Wehrheim, in the south on the town of Bad Homburg and in the west on the community of Schmitten.-Transport:...
.
Constituent communities
The community has four centres named Wehrheim, Obernhain, Pfaffenwiesbach and Friedrichsthal.History
The first traces of settlement go back to the Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
. In Wehrheim, a burying ground from the early to middle Urnfield culture (11th to 10th century BC) was discovered. Wehrheim im Taunus itself had its first documentary mention in 1046. In 1372, the village was granted town rights, which it however lost again in 1814. The town's overlords changed several times, from the Castle Counts of Friedberg to the Counts of Diez, the area then passing to Nassau-Dillenburg and finally 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...
in 1866. In 1895 the railway line from Bad Homburg vor der Höhe – then still called Homberg – through Friedrichsdorf to Usingen came into operation, and was extended to Weilburg a few years later, linking the community a bit more closely with the Frankfurt area, a trend that would continue in the coming century.
As part of Hesse's municipal reforms, the communities of Wehrheim, Obernhain, Pfaffenwiesbach and Friedrichsthal merged into the new greater community of Wehrheim in 1972.
Municipal council
The municipal elections on 26 March 2006 resulted in the following division of seats on town council:- 16 (+1) 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...
- 8 (-1) SPDSocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
- 4 (+1) GreensAlliance '90/The GreensAlliance '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...
- 2 (+/-0) FDPFree 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...
- 0 (-1) GOP
- 1 (+/-0) REP
Sister cities
PilisvörösvárPilisvörösvár
Pilisvörösvár is a town in Pest county, Hungary. It is twinned with Schramberg, Germany.- External links :*...
near Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
in 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 1989. Meransen in the Pustertal
Pustertal
The Puster Valley is a valley in the Alps that runs in an east-west direction between Lienz in Tyrol, Austria and Mühlbach near Brixen in South Tyrol, Italy...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, since 2001.
Coat of arms
The community's current 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...
was granted in 1953 and is based on seals known from the 15th century. The arms show the two lions of the Counts of Diez, and the letter is, of course, the community's initial.
Wehrheim once had another coat of arms after the original one was apparently forgotten. It appeared in the 19th century and featured a building with towers. This is believed to have been a canting
Canting arms
Canting arms are heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name in a visual pun or rebus. The term cant came into the English language from Anglo-Norman cant, meaning song or singing, from Latin cantāre, and English cognates include canticle, chant, accent, incantation and recant.Canting arms –...
symbol since it was a military structure (Wehr is a German
German 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....
word for "army"). These arms were used, without ever officially being approved, until the current arms were conferred in 1953.
Transport
Despite its idyllic location in the Taunus, Wehrheim is advantageously placed for transportation, and with the Friedberg interchange on Autobahn A 5Bundesautobahn 5
is a 445 km long Autobahn in Germany. Its northern end is the Hattenbach triangle intersection is a 445 km (277 mi) long Autobahn in Germany. Its northern end is the Hattenbach triangle intersection is a 445 km (277 mi) long Autobahn in Germany. Its northern end is the...
6 km away, and the Oberursel
Oberursel
Oberursel is a town in Germany. It is located to the north west of Frankfurt, and is the second largest town in the county of Hochtaunuskreis and the 14th largest town in Hessen.-Extent of municipal area:...
-Nord interchange on Autobahn A 661
Bundesautobahn 661
- also called Osttangente Frankfurt or Taunusschnellweg - is a 40 km long Autobahn in Germany. It starts in Oberursel and goes along Bad Homburg, Frankfurt am Main, Offenbach am Main and Neu-Isenburg until it is ending in Egelsbach.The today's A 661 were opened with section Bad Homburg ...
only 8 km away it is well connected to the long-distance road network.
The community has at its disposal two stops on the Taunusbahn railway (officially called line 15 by the RMV, or Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund
Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund
The Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund is an organised transport network in the German state of Hesse, centred around the city of Frankfurt am Main. Its head office is located in Hofheim im Taunus...
).
Established businesses
A well-known product from Wehrheim is the earplugEarplug
An earplug is a device that is meant to be inserted in the ear canal to protect the wearer's ears from loud noises or the intrusion of water, foreign bodies, dust or excessive wind.-Protection from water:...
s made by the firm Ohropax GmbH, and marketed under the name Ohropax. Also manufacturer of Palacos® bone cement
Bone cement
Bone cements have been used very successfully to anchor artificial joints for more than half a century. Artificial joints are anchored with bone cement. The bone cement fills the free space between the prosthesis and the bone and plays the important role of an elastic zone...
, Heraeus Medical, a division of Heraeus
Heraeus
Heraeus Holding GmbH is an engineering group based in Hanau, Germany. Its core areas of business are precious metals, special metals, dental materials, medical technology, quartz glass, sensors and specialised light sources...
, is located in Wehrheim.
Educational institutions
Wehrheim has one primary school, the Limes-Schule. There is also a special school, the Heinrich-Kielhorn-Schule, named after an early pioneer in special education.The Taunusheim, an orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
established in 1943 to house war orphans, was until 1998 a home for children and youths run by the city of Frankfurt. Before that, the building had housed the Hotel Waldfriede.
In the last twenty years of its existence, the Taunusheim was home to up to 18 children and young people from 6 to 18 years old, looked after round the clock in two groups. In 1994, a day group also attended the home.
The home was closed in 1998 for reasons of economy. The school for children with learning difficulties that was attached to the home remained until 2001, when it was moved to Frankfurt-Höchst
Höchst (Frankfurt am Main)
Höchst is a district of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is part of the Ortsbezirk West, and is subdivided into 4 Stadtbezirke.Höchst am Main became part of Frankfurt am Main in 1928 together with its boroughs Sindlingen, Unterliederbach and Zeilsheim. It is situated 10 km west of downtown...
.
Moving part of the Wehrheim primary school into the now empty building is being considered as a way of alleviating the dearth of school space.
Museum
Inside the former town gate, a local landmark, is the Stadtormuseum Wehrheim ("Wehrheim Town Gate Museum"), where visitors can see the Bronze-Age archaeological finds from the Urnfield culture (see History).Buildings
The Wehrheim municipal area contains 13 km of the Limes GermanicusLimes Germanicus
The Limes Germanicus was a line of frontier fortifications that bounded the ancient Roman provinces of Germania Inferior, Germania Superior and Raetia, dividing the Roman Empire and the unsubdued Germanic tribes from the years 83 to about 260 AD...
which was declared a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 2005 by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. One of Wehrheim's sights, near Pfaffenwiesbach, is an old Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
Limes Fort, the Kapersburg, on top of the Limes. There is another Roman fort in the main community, the Saalburg
Saalburg
The Saalburg is a Roman fort located on the Taunus ridge northwest of Bad Homburg, Hesse, Germany. It is a Cohort Fort belonging to the Limes Germanicus, the Roman linear border fortification of the German provinces. The Saalburg, located just off the main road roughly halfway between Bad Homburg...
, which has been restored.
