Beselich
Beselich | |
---|---|
Location of Beselich within Limburg-Weilburg district | |
Gießen | |
District | Limburg-Weilburg |
Government | |
• Mayor (2019–25) | Michael Franz[1] (CDU) |
Area | |
• Total | 31.53 km2 (12.17 sq mi) |
Elevation | 190 m (620 ft) |
Population (2022-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 5,789 |
• Density | 180/km2 (480/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
Postal codes | 65614 |
Dialling codes | 06484 |
Vehicle registration | LM, WEL |
Website | www.beselich.de |
Beselich is a municipality in Limburg-Weilburg district in Hesse, Germany.
Geography
Location
Beselich lies on the northeast edge of the Limburg Basin on the edge of the Lahn valley, on the southeast slope of the Westerwald 220 m above sea level. Visible from far away is the Beselicher Kopf (296 m). The brooks Tiefenbach, Kerkerbach and Brandbach flow through the municipal area. Twenty-two percent of Beselich's area is wooded.
Geology
The countryside is partly wooded and underlain with marble, clay, basalt and iron ore deposits. To this day, clay is still quarried in Obertiefenbach. The black marble from the Schupbach area is used worldwide. Among other instances, it was used in the Empire State Building in New York.
Neighbouring communities
The community of Beselich borders in the north on the communities of Merenberg and Waldbrunn, in the east on the town of Weilburg, in the south on the town of Runkel and the district seat of Limburg, also a town, and in the west on the town of Hadamar.
Constituent communities
Beselich's
History
The community of Beselich came into being within the framework of administrative reform in Hesse on 30 December 1970 through the amalgamation of the formerly autonomous communities of Heckholzhausen, Niedertiefenbach, Obertiefenbach and Schupbach. It draws its name from the rural placename Beselicher Kopf (296 m) in the middle of the new collective municipality. The community's name is thus a
On 1 July 1974, Beselich was assigned to the new Limburg-Weilburg district through the merger of the two former districts of Oberlahnkreis and Limburg.
Religion
In the community of Beselich there are two Catholic parishes, St. Ägidius Obertiefenbach and St. Marien Niedertiefenbach, as well as two Evangelical ones in Schupbach and in Heckholzhausen. Beselich's Catholic pilgrimage chapel stands on the Beselicher Kopf, an elevation found in the middle of the community.
Politics
Community council
This section needs to be updated.(July 2021) |
The municipal election held on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results:
Parties and voter communities | % 2006 |
seats 2006 |
% 2001 |
seats 2001 | |
CDU | Christian Democratic Union of Germany | 44.0 | 11 | 47.3 | 12 |
SPD | Social Democratic Party of Germany | 43.7 | 11 | 40.6 | 10 |
FDP / FWG | Freie Wählergemeinschaft
|
12.2 | 3 | 12.1 | 3 |
Total | 100.0 | 25 | 100.0 | 25 | |
voter turnout in % | 48.0 | 57.1 |
Mayors
- 1971–1986: Alfred Roth
- 1986–1998: Hans-Peter Wahl
- 1998–2010: Martin Rudersdorf
- 2010–2014: Kai Müller
- 2014–incumbent: Michael Franz
Buildings
Beselich monastery ruins
On the Beselicher Kopf are found the restored ruins of the basilica of a former Premonstratensian monastery that was founded by Hillin of Falmagne, Archbishop of Trier in 1163 after Gottfried von Beselich had already built a little church together with a tithe-free estate there. For roughly 400 years, the monastery was the surrounding communities’ cultural and religious midpoint, until it fell down in the early 17th century. With a yearly fair on 15 July, first witnessed no later than 1545, the monastery also played an important economic rôle. The basilica ruins are also a starting point for scenic hiking paths.
Obertiefenbach
Catholic parish church St. Ägidus
About 1200, the first stone church was built. The
Old school
The old
Pilgrimage chapel Maria Hilf
The Maria Hilf chapel stands on the Beselicher Kopf. This chapel honouring the
Klopfsteinmühle
The Klopfsteinmühle was built to process
Timber-frame houses
In the heart of Obertiefenbach are found in places timber-frame houses up to 400 years old, which are mostly under monumental protection as witnesses to the old building method. The oldest street names are likely Kellerweg and Milchkammer, which were supposedly in use by the late 13th century.
Community centre
The building now known as the Bürgerhaus Obertiefenbach (Obertiefenbach community centre) on Steinbacher Straße with connections to the community administration was built in 1964 as a multi-purpose hall. In 2000 and 2001, within the framework of the Obertiefenbach village renewal, this building was fully remodelled into a community centre.
Primary school
The Beselich primary school on Schupbacher Straße in Obertiefenbach was dedicated in 1983. The school serves all the community's children.
Sport hall
The sport hall standing right beside the primary school, whose ownership is shared by the community and the district of Limburg-Weilburg, came into service on 19 December 1990. All indoor sports can be played at the sport hall. It is at the primary school's disposal weekday mornings, while afternoons, evenings and weekends, the community's resident clubs may use it.
Maria Hilf seniors’ centre
In May 2000 on the floodplain in Obertiefenbach the Maria Hilf
Heckholzhausen
Former town hall (now community centre)
The building was put up in 1929 as a town hall. After the amalgamation with the community of Beselich, the building was used as a village community house. After a thorough restoration, it has been at the people's disposal since September 2007 as a community centre.
Evangelical parish church
Built on the foundations of a castle built in the 13th century, which fell down in the 16th century along with its chapel, today's Evangelical parish church saw its first stone laid in 1898.
Niedertiefenbach
Katholische Pfarrkirche St. Marien
The first stones for Saint Mary's
Schupbach
Former steam mill
The steam mill is an early industrial building from the district's history of economic development, whose gable projection and fenestration show traditional ruling-class architecture, thus stating the manufacturer's claim to importance.
The masonry is made up of local quarrystones with skilful working of the natural bossage. Cornices, window arches and windowsills are made of red brick, contrasting with the grey walls. Small tie rod disks show the stretched ceiling construction.
Eckerstraße estate grounds
There is an extensive baronial estate development between the little lanes Mittelstraße and Eckerstraße. The three-floor dwelling house with gateway built onto it is a
The barns and stables are timber-frame buildings from the same time and in part make use of older walls. It is owned today by the family Eisenmenger and Inge Seidel.
Evangelical parish church
A stand-alone building in the middle of the community, the current mostly newer terrace wall still shows the old, raised churchyard. At the entrance are several round-topped Baroque gravestones.
There is a tall fortress tower from the 12th century with
Former synagogue
The
Economy and infrastructure
Economy
In the area around the outlying centre of Schupbach, black Lahn marble was once quarried. The deposit is now, however, either exhausted or not further commercially recoverable. The centre of Obertiefenbach has at its disposal a shopping area in which
Transport
By way of the
Education
In Obertiefenbach there is a central primary school for Beselich’s children. Currently, there are about 300 pupils.
There are kindergartens in every constituent community. Obertiefenbach has a Catholic public library.
Public institutions
- Grundschule Beselich (primary school) in Obertiefenbach
- Kindergarten Sternenland Heckholzhausen
- Kindergarten Niedertiefenbach
- Kindergarten St.Ägidius Obertiefenbach
- Kindergarten Schupbach
- Bärenhöhle (“Bear’s Cave”) daycare centre, Obertiefenbach
- Beselich-Heckholzhausen Volunteer Fire Brigade, founded 1925 (includes Youth Fire Brigade, founded 2 August 1981)
- Beselich-Niedertiefenbach Volunteer Fire Brigade, founded 1934 (includes Youth Fire Brigade, founded 1 April 1973)
- Beselich-Obertiefenbach Volunteer Fire Brigade, founded 1880 (includes Youth Fire Brigade, founded 26 February 1972)
- Beselich-Schupbach Volunteer Fire Brigade, founded 1925 (includes Youth Fire Brigade, founded 1 January 1985)
- Obertiefenbach Catholic public library
Famous people
- Georg Leber (b. 7 October 1920 in Obertiefenbach), German politician (SPD), honorary citizen of the community of Beselich (since 1969).
References
- Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt. 5 September 2022.
- Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt. June 2023.
External links
- Official website (in German)
- Beselich at Curlie