Solms

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Coordinates: 50°31′N 8°25′E

Solms
Country	Germany
State	Hesse
Administrative region	Gießen
District	Lahn-Dill-Kreis
Population	13,893 (31/12/2004)
Area	34.05 km²
Population density	408 /km²
Elevation	144 m
Coordinates	50°31′ N 8°25′ E
Postal code	35606
Area code	06442
Licence plate code	LDK
Mayor	Jörg Ludwig
Website	Stadt Solms

Solms is a town west of Wetzlar in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis, Hesse, Germany.

In the constituent community of Burgsolms once stood the ancestral castle of the Counts and Princes of Solms, whose main lines were Solms-Braunfels, with their seat in Braunfels, and Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, with their seat in Lich.

Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Location 1.2 Neighbouring communities 1.3 Constituent communities 2 History 3 Politics 3.1 Town council 3.2 Town of Solms Youth Council 3.3 Partnerships 4 Economy and infrastructure 5 Sightseeing 6 Reference 7 External links

[edit] Geography

[edit] Location

Solms lies right in the Lahn valley and is nestled between the foothills of both the Taunus and Westerwald at heights from 140 to 400 m above sea level. It is about 7 km west of Wetzlar and 30 km northeast of Limburg an der Lahn.

[edit] Neighbouring communities

Solms borders in the north on the community of Ehringshausen and the town of Aßlar, in the east on the town of Wetzlar, in the south on the community of Schöffengrund, and in the west on the town of Leun (all in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis).

[edit] Constituent communities

The town consists of the following centres:

• Albshausen
• Burgsolms
• Niederbiel
• Oberbiel
• Oberndorf

[edit] History

Solms had its first documentary mention in 788 in a donation document from the Lorsch Monastery. The villages that nowadays form the town of Solms belonged for centuries to the County of Solms, until this was dissolved in 1806. After a short while being part of the Duchy of Nassau, they passed to Prussia in 1815.

As part of Hesse's municipal reforms, the communities of Albshausen and Oberbiel voluntarily merged on 1 July 1971 to form Bielhausen, while Burgsolms and Oberndorf did the same to form Solms. By state law, these two new communities were amalgamated with Niederbiel on 1 January 1977 to make the new greater community of Solms, which in 1978 was granted town rights.

A new residential area has been being built on the western edge of Oberbiel since the 1990s.

[edit] Politics

[edit] Town council

The municipal elections in 2001 yielded the following results:

FWG	13 Sitze
SPD	11 seats
CDU	8 seats
F.D.P.	2 seats
Greens	2 seats

Note: FWG is a citizens' coalition.

[edit] Town of Solms Youth Council

Since 2002 there has been a Town of Solms Youth Council serving as the town's official board representing youth's interests and needs. It is elected every two years by children and youths who either live in the town or go to the comprehensive school.

[edit] Partnerships

The town of Solms maintains partnerships with the following places:

• Liezen, Austria
• La Grand-Combe, France
• Schmiedefeld am Rennsteig, Thuringia

[edit] Economy and infrastructure

The town is headquarters to the firm Leica Camera AG which currently employs about 1,300 people worldwide.

Oberbiel is also home to two commercial-industrial areas. A shipping company has set up shop at the newer one, while the older one, on an island in the river Lahn, was established in the early 20th century. It was originally home to a brad factory, a wireworks and a ball bearing factory.

[edit] Sightseeing

• Kloster Altenberg (Altenberg Monastery) of the blessed Gertrud von Altenberg, Saint Elisabeth's daughter (Oberbiel)
• "Grube Fortuna" Visitors' Mine (Oberbiel)
• Jewish Cemetery (Burgsolms)
• Burgsolms Youth Centre (Stadionstraße 26), as well as youth areas in all constituent communities

[edit] Reference

This article is based on a translation of an article from the German Wikipedia.

[edit] External links

• Grube Fortuna homepage
• Solms at the Open Directory Project (suggest site)
• Family tree of Solms of South Africa.