Pohlheim
Town in Hesse, Germany
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pohlheim (German: [ˈpoːlhaɪm] ⓘ) is a town in the district of Giessen, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 6 km south of Giessen. After Giessen, Pohlheim is the largest municipality in the Giessen district by population.
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Pohlheim | |
|---|---|
Schule cultural monument in the Watzenborn-Steinberg district | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Pohlheim
within Gießen district  | |
 Location of Pohlheim | |
  Pohlheim  Pohlheim | |
| Coordinates: 50°31′N 08°42′E | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Hesse |
| Admin. region | Gießen |
| District | Gießen |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–26) | Andreas Ruck[1] (SPD) |
| Area | |
• Total | 38 km2 (15 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 215 m (705 ft) |
| Population (2023-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 18,199 |
| • Density | 480/km2 (1,200/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 35415 |
| Dialling codes | 06403 / 0641 / 06404 / 06004 |
| Vehicle registration | GI |
| Website | www.pohlheim.de |
Geography
Pohlheim is located in the southern part of the Giessen district, and lies on the Lückenbach stream which flows into the Lahn via the Kleebach. The town covers an area of 38 km2 and borders Giessen and Fernwald from its north, Lich from its east, Münzenberg from its south, and Langgöns/Linden from its west. The town has six total districts: Dorf-Güll, Garbenteich, Grüningen, Hausen, Holzheim, and Watzenborn-Steinberg.[3] The Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes run through the Pohlheim area.
Local history
Pohlheim was founded on New Year's Eve of 1970, as part of administrative reforms in the state of Hesse. It involved the voluntary merger of the six municipalities of Dorf-Güll, Garbenteich, Grüningen, Hausen, Holzheim, and Watzenborn-Steinberg, which make up the six districts of the town today.[4] After they merged, local districts with their own city councils and mayors were formed according to regulations of the Hessian Municipal Code.[3] Pohlheim was granted official town status on September 21, 1974.
Politics
City council elections
| Parties and groups | 2021[5] | 2016[6] | 2011[7] | 2006[8] | 2001[9] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | Seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | |
| Social Democratic Party of Germany | 34.3 | 13 | 31.8 | 12 | 34.5 | 13 | 35.5 | 13 | 40.4 | 15 |
| Christian Democratic Union of Germany | 30.6 | 11 | 38.6 | 14 | 39.1 | 14 | 41.2 | 15 | 39.4 | 15 |
| Alliance 90/The Greens | 16.0 | 6 | 9.6 | 4 | 13.9 | 5 | 7.3 | 3 | 6.7 | 2 |
| Free Voters | 12.6 | 5 | 14.2 | 5 | 9.8 | 4 | 11.8 | 4 | 9.1 | 3 |
| Free Democratic Party | 6.5 | 2 | 5.8 | 2 | 2.7 | 1 | 4.1 | 2 | 4.2 | 2 |
| Total | 100.0 | 37 | 100.0 | 37 | 100.0 | 37 | 100.0 | 37 | 100.0 | 37 |
| % Invalid votes | 2.5 | 4.0 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 2.9 | |||||
| % Valid votes | 52.7 | 51.0 | 49.2 | 47.6 | 58.5 | |||||
Mayors
According to the Hessian municipal constitution, the mayor is elected for a six-year term in a direct election starting from 1993, and is the chairman of the magistrate, which includes additional city councilors.[4]
The following is a list of mayors of Pohlheim since 1971:
Coat of arms
The coat of arms of Pohlheim consists of a set of leaves on a tree branch, a musical beam note on top of a staff, and a blue-lime watchtower.[14] The tree branch and note are in the two areas left and right of the coat of arms with a red background, while the watchtower is in the middle with a yellow background. The leaves and the tree branch are derived from the coat of arms for Holzheim, Grüningen, and Garbenteich, while the musical note originates from that of Watzenborn-Steinberg. The watchtower represents all the districts coming together to form the town.
Each of the six districts of the town also have their own coat of arms designs.
Coat of arms of Pohlheim
Coat of arms for Dorf-Güll district
Coat of arms for Garbenteich district
Coat of arms for Grüningen district
Coat of arms for Hausen district
Coat of arms for Holzheim district
Coat of arms for Watzenborn-Steinberg district
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Demographics
The town of Pohlheim has a population of 18,572 as of the 2019 local census.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 17,119 | — |
| 2000 | 17,153 | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 17,442 | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 17,830 | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 17,909 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 18,043 | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 18,051 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 18,072 | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 18,108 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 18,711 | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 18,094 | −3.3% |
| 2019 | 18,572 | +2.6% |
| Population for Pohlheim from the Hessian State Statistical Office | ||
Transport
The town is located on the Gießen–Gelnhausen railway, where regional trains run hourly. Pohlheim is also connected to the German motorway (Autobahn) system and can also be reached by the Bundesautobahn 5 (A 5) and Bundesautobahn 45 (A 45) motorways, as well as the Bundesautobahn 485 (A 485) federal motorway.
Twin towns – sister cities
Notable people
- Paul Huthen (d. 1532), Roman Catholic prelate
- Felix Döring (b. 1991), politician of the Social Democratic Party
- Uwe Schulz (b. 1961), member of the Bundestag
See also
- Cultural monuments in Pohlheim
- Natural monuments in Pohlheim
