Erbach, Hesse

Erbach is a town in Germany, located in the state of Hesse. It is the main town of the Odenwaldkreis district, which means it is an important place for the area. Erbach has about 14,000 people living there, making it a cozy community in the beautiful Odenwald region. The town has a rich history and serves as a center for local government and services.

Geography

The town of Erbach is located in the Odenwald mountains, between heights of 200 and 560 meters, in the valley of the Mümling river. One special feature is that the small river Erdbach seems to vanish completely within the area of Dorf-Erbach, only to appear again near Stockheim. There are several spots where the Erdbach disappears underground.

Erbach shares borders with Michelstadt to the north, Kirchzell to the east, Hesseneck and Beerfelden to the south, and Mossautal to the west. Plans to merge with Michelstadt were stopped by a vote in 2007, but the towns are still working on ways to cooperate more closely, and might try merging again in the future. Since changes in 1972, Erbach includes twelve different parts, known as Stadtteile.

History

Erbach has been home to the Counts of Erbach since the 12th century. These counts served as cup-bearers to the Electors Palatine of the Rhine until 1806. In 1532, Emperor Charles V declared the county a direct fief of the Holy Roman Empire for the help Count Eberhard gave during the Palatine Peasants' War.

Later, the family split into three lines: Erbach-Fürstenau, Erbach-Erbach, and Erbach-Schönberg. In 1818, the counts of Erbach-Erbach took over the county of Wartenberg-Roth. By 1903, the count of Erbach-Schönberg became a prince. Eventually, the county became part of the duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt in the 19th century.

Governance

Erbach holds elections to choose its town leaders. In 2012, a mayor named Buschmann was chosen again by the voters.

The town has a special symbol called a coat of arms. It shows a blue wavy line, which stands for a brook, and six-pointed stars that remind us of old rulers from the area.

Erbach also has friendly connections with towns in other countries, including Ansião in Portugal, Jičín in the Czech Republic, Königsee in Thuringia, Germany, and two towns named Le Pont-de-Beauvoisin and Le Pont-de-Beauvoisin in France.

Culture and sightseeing

Buildings

• Harness racing track
• Counts' castle
• Odenwaldkreis district council office
• Timber-frame houses on the Mümling
• Memorial to Count Franz I before the castle

Castle of the Counts of Erbach-Erbach

Erbach Palace, the castle of the princely Counts of Erbach, was turned into a home in the style of the 18th century. Because the family did not have enough building materials, only the middle part of the planned three-part building was ever made. The front of the building is mostly made from sheets or wood painted to look like stone.

The collection of old items at the castle has stayed almost the same since the time of Count Franz I (1754–1823).

In 2005, the state of Hesse bought the castle for €13,000,000.

Inside the castle area is a beautiful Baroque orangery with a garden.

Citizens' initiatives

In the 1970s, local people worked together to stop plans to tear down the orangery and build a tall hotel there.

A memorial for Count Franz I — the last ruling count — that had fallen and broken was fixed and put back up with help from two artists from Darmstadt and some people from Erbach. The work was paid for with money from the State Office for Care of Monuments and donations.

Regular events

Erbach holds a famous market called the Erbacher Wiesenmarkt, which used to be known as the Eulbacher Markt. This market was once a big event for buying and selling animals, horses, and farm supplies. Over time, it moved to Erbach.

Erbach is also home to a special museum called the Deutsches Elfenbeinmuseum Erbach, or the Erbach German Ivory Museum. Opened in 1966, it is the only museum of its kind in Europe. The museum shows beautiful works made from ivory, and visitors can even watch skilled artists carving ivory.

Economy

Franz I, the last ruling count from 1754 to 1823, started ivory carving in 1783, earning the town the nickname "Ivory Town." Many artists lived there, and you can still see their work at the town's Deutsches Elfenbeinmuseum Erbach. Because of rules to protect animals, ivory is not used anymore. Instead, materials like animal horns and prehistoric mammoth tusks are used. Mammoth tusks are sometimes found in Siberia and look similar to elephant ivory, though they have a slightly different color.

Some well-known businesses in Erbach include:

• Bosch Rexroth AG, Erbach works, Electric Drives and Controls division
• Rowenta, Erbach works (clothes iron manufacturing)
• Koziol GmbH, plastic articles

Infrastructure

Transport

Erbach is located on Bundesstraßen 45 and 47, and it is also on the Odenwald Railway (RMV Line 65) which runs from Frankfurt to Eberbach, passing through Darmstadt, Hanau, and Erbach. Plans for a bypass for Bundesstraße 45 have been part of Hesse's state planning since the 1970s and are being considered again.

Education

Erbach has several schools for children to learn and grow. There is a primary school called Schule am Treppenweg and another called Astrid-Lindgren-Schule. There is also Schule am Sportpark, which includes a Hauptschule and a Realschule. Additionally, Schule am Drachenfeld is a special school that helps students who face physical challenges.

Notable people

Erbach, Hesse has been home to many interesting people throughout history. Some of these include Franz, Count of Erbach-Erbach, a nobleman and art collector, and Karl Christian Kehrer, a portrait painter.

Other notable individuals from Erbach are Norbert Busè, a filmmaker and film producer, and Timo Boll, a famous table tennis player. The town has also seen the birth of athletes like football goalkeeper Oka Nikolov and actress Jessica Schwarz.