Ober-Ramstadt

Ober-Ramstadt

Coat of arms
Ober-Ramstadt

Coordinates: 49°50′N 08°45′E / 49.833°N 8.750°ECoordinates: 49°50′N 08°45′E / 49.833°N 8.750°E
Country Germany
State Hesse
Admin. region Darmstadt
District Darmstadt-Dieburg
Government
  Mayor Werner Schuchmann (SPD)
Area
  Total 41.88 km2 (16.17 sq mi)
Population (2013-12-31)[1]
  Total 14,697
  Density 350/km2 (910/sq mi)
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes 64368–64372
Dialling codes 06154
Vehicle registration DA
Website www.ober-ramstadt.de
Church in Rohrbach, with the Waldensian Motto "Lux lucet in tenebris" above the entrance

Ober-Ramstadt is a town in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, in Hessen, Germany. It is situated 9 km southeast of Darmstadt. As of 2006, its population was 15,196.

Geography

Location

Ober-Ramstadt is situated 9 km away from Darmstadt on the Bundesstrasse 426 (National Route 426) at the foot of the Odenwald. The small river Modau flows through Ober-Ramstadt, forming a little artificial lake south of the city.

Neighbouring communities and areas

Ober-Ramstadt borders Roßdorf to the north, to the east the city of Reinheim, Groß-Bieberau to the southeast, the community of Modautal in the south, to the west Mühltal, and to the northwest the city of Darmstadt.

Divisions and districts

Since 1977, Ober-Ramstadt is formed by the town itself plus three more Stadtteile: Modau, (2.877 citizens 30 June 2005), Wembach-Hahn, (1.004 citizens 30 June 2005), and Rohrbach, (1.534 citizens 30 June 2005), which joined in voluntarily in 1972.

History

Traces of first settlement have been found which date from the later Stone Age. Written evidence derives from 1310, when Eberhardt, Count of Katzenelnbogen received the same freedoms and rights as the city of Frankfurt for his town Ramstadt. This included the right to hold a market and to build fortifications around the town. During and after the Thirty Years' War, the bigger part of population died, mainly through pestilence.

In 1699, Ernest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt allowed the Waldensians from the Piedmont valley of Pragelato to settle on his property in Rohrbach, Wembach and Hahn, which were left deserted as a result of the preceding war and pestilence. The Waldensians had to flee from their hometowns because of religious pursuits. Waldensians still have a vital religious community in Rohrbach-Wembach-Hahn. Until the end of the 19th century, waldensian school lessons were taught in French language.

Since the 19th century, Ober-Ramstadt began to industrialize. In 1895, Eduard Murjahn founded the „Deutsche Amphibolin-Werke“ (German Amphibolite Works), which today is market leader in the paints and enamels branch in Germany and other countries. In 1901, a centralized watersupply was set up, followed by electricity in 1907.

The town history can be seen in the town museum, located in the former town hall built in 1732.

International relations

Ober-Ramstadt is twinned with:

Famous people


References

  1. "Die Bevölkerung der hessischen Gemeinden". Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt (in German). September 2014.