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Pohlheim

Coordinates: 50°31′N 08°42′E / 50.517°N 8.700°E / 50.517; 8.700
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(Redirected from Watzenborn-Steinberg)
Pohlheim
Schule cultural monument in the Watzenborn-Steinberg district
Schule cultural monument in the Watzenborn-Steinberg district
Coat of arms of Pohlheim
Location of Pohlheim within Gießen district
BiebertalWettenbergLollarStaufenbergAllendorfRabenauHeuchelheimGiessenBuseckGrünbergFernwaldLindenLanggönsPohlheimReiskirchenLichHungenLaubachWetteraukreisVogelsbergkreisLimburg-WeilburgLimburg-WeilburgMarburg-BiedenkopfLahn-Dill-Kreis
Pohlheim is located in Germany
Pohlheim
Pohlheim
Pohlheim is located in Hesse
Pohlheim
Pohlheim
Coordinates: 50°31′N 08°42′E / 50.517°N 8.700°E / 50.517; 8.700
CountryGermany
StateHesse
Admin. regionGießen
DistrictGießen
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
17,699
 • Density470/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
35415
Dialling codes06403 / 0641 / 06404 / 06004
Vehicle registrationGI
Websitewww.pohlheim.de

Pohlheim (German: [ˈpoːlˌhaɪ̯m] ) 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.

Geography

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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

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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

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City council elections

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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

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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:

  • 1971–1979 Karl Brückel (SDP)[10][11]
  • 1979–1997 Hermann Georg (CDU)[10][11]
  • 1997–2015 Karl-Heinz Schäfer (SDP)
  • 2015–2021 Udo Schöffmann (CDU)[12]
  • 2021–2027 Andreas Ruck[13]

Coat of arms

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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.

Demographics

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The town of Pohlheim has a population of 18,572 as of the 2019 local census.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
199917,119—    
200017,153+0.2%
200217,442+1.7%
200417,830+2.2%
200517,909+0.4%
200618,043+0.7%
200718,051+0.0%
200918,072+0.1%
201018,108+0.2%
201318,711+3.3%
201618,094−3.3%
201918,572+2.6%
Population for Pohlheim from the Hessian State Statistical Office

Transport

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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

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Pohlheim is twinned with the following cities:[14]

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Ergebnisse der letzten Direktwahl aller hessischen Landkreise und Gemeinden" (XLS) (in German). Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt. 5 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Bevölkerung in Hessen am 31.12.2023] (Einwohnerzahlen auf Grundlage des Zensus 2022)" (XLS) (in German). Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt.
  3. ^ a b "Hauptsatzung der Stadt Pohlheim, Landkreis Gießen" (PDF). www.stadt-pohlheim.org. City of Pohlheim. 19 May 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-01-05. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  4. ^ a b "Magistrat". sitzungsdienst.pohlheim.de. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
  5. ^ "Kommunalwahl 2021 | Statistik.Hessen". kommunalwahl.statistik.hessen.de. Retrieved 2025-07-09.
  6. ^ "Kommunalwahlen 2016 in Hessen". www.statistik-hessen.de. Archived from the original on 2021-01-30. Retrieved 2025-07-09.
  7. ^ "Kommunalwahlen 2011 in Hessen". www.statistik-hessen.de. Archived from the original on 2021-02-07. Retrieved 2025-07-09.
  8. ^ "Kommunalwahlen 2006 in Hessen". statistik-hessen.de. Archived from the original on 2016-06-09. Retrieved 2025-07-09.
  9. ^ "Statistik-Hessen.de: GV531014". statistik-hessen.de. Archived from the original on 2007-12-21. Retrieved 2025-07-09.
  10. ^ a b Schaal, Stefan (2020-11-01). "Bürgermeisterwahl in Pohlheim: Ein Rekord deutet sich an". www.giessener-allgemeine.de (in German). Giessener Allgemeine. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
  11. ^ a b "Pohlheim wird an Neujahr 50". www.giessener-allgemeine.de (in German). Pohlheim: Giessener Allgemeine. 2020-12-30. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
  12. ^ Schaal, Stefan (2021-01-29). "Pohlheim: Bürgermeister Schöffmann tritt ab - „Wird kein Gespräch mit Herrn Ruck geben"". www.giessener-allgemeine.de (in German). Pohlheim: Giessener Allgemeine. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
  13. ^ Schaal, Stefan (2021-01-31). "»Für alles verantwortlich«". www.giessener-allgemeine.de (in German). Pohlheim: Giessener Allgemeine. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
  14. ^ a b "Startseite". partnerschaftsvereinpohlheim.eu (in German). Pohlheim: Partnerschaftsverein Pohlheim e,V. Retrieved 2025-07-02.