Oberursel (Taunus)

2025-11-03T23:27:42Z

80.145.82.233: Corrected the year that the state festival was held in Oberursel

{{For|the engine manufacturer|Motorenfabrik Oberursel}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2009}}
{{Infobox German location
|type = Town
|name = Oberursel (Taunus)
|name_local =
|image_coa = DEU Oberursel COA.svg
|image_photo = St.ursula-2011-oberursel-104.jpg
|image_caption = Saint Ursula Church at the Old Town of Oberursel
|image_plan = Oberursel (Taunus) in HG.svg
|state = Hesse
|regbzk = [[Darmstadt (region)|Darmstadt]]
|district = [[Hochtaunuskreis]]
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 06434008
|area = 45.34
|elevation = 197
|coordinates = {{coord|50|12|12|N|08|34|37|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code = 61440
|area_code = 06171, 06172 ([[Oberstedten]])
|licence = HG, USI
|mayor = Antje Runge<ref>{{cite web|url=https://statistik.hessen.de/sites/statistik.hessen.de/files/2022-10/direktwahlen_09_2022_10102022.xlsx|title=Ergebnisse der letzten Direktwahl aller hessischen Landkreise und Gemeinden|language=de|date=5 September 2022|publisher=[[Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt]]|format=XLS}}</ref>
|leader_term = 2021–27
|party = SPD
|website = [https://www.oberursel.de/ oberursel.de]
}}

'''Oberursel (Taunus)''' ({{IPA|de|oːbɐˈʔʊʁzl̩|-|De-Oberursel.ogg}}, {{lit|Upper Ursel}}, in contrast to "[[Niederursel|Lower Ursel]]") is a town in [[Germany]] and part of the [[Frankfurt Rhein-Main Regional Authority|Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area]]. It is located to the north west of [[Frankfurt am Main|Frankfurt]], in the [[Hochtaunuskreis]] county. It is the 13th largest town in [[Hesse]]. In 2011, the town hosted the 51st [[Hessentag]] state festival.

==Geography==

===Extent of municipal area===
The maximum distance from the northern town border to the southern border is {{convert|7.2|km|0|abbr=on}} the maximum distance from east to west is {{convert|13.0|km|0|abbr=on}}.

'''Altitude'''
*Krebsmühle (Weißkirchen): 138 m above sea level
*Town Hall: 198 m above sea level
*Hohemark: 300 m above sea level
*The nearly Grosse Feldberg is the highest spot in the [[Taunus]]: 820 m above sea level

===Neighbouring communities===
To the north Oberursel borders with [[Schmitten, Germany|Schmitten]], to the east with [[Bad Homburg vor der Höhe]], to the south-east with [[Frankfurt am Main|Frankfurt]], to the southwest with [[Steinbach (Taunus)|Steinbach]] and to the west with [[Kronberg]].

===Town districts===
Besides the town centre (including [[Bommersheim]]), Oberursel is divided into the districts [[Oberstedten]] (population 6,118), [[Stierstadt]] (5,541) and [[Weißkirchen (Oberursel)]] (5,151). Bommersheim was annexed before the municipal reform of 1972 and therefore is not an independent district.

==History==
[[File:Stadtplan Oberursel (Historisch).png|thumb|left|Oberursel town wall]]
[[File:Ou-marktplatz001.jpg|thumb|Old town hall at market place]]
[[File:St.ursula003.jpg|thumb|Footpath from market place to ''St Ursula'']]

The town was first mentioned as "Ursella" in 791 in a deed recording a donation to the monastery [[Lorsch]]. In the year 880 the first church in the area, called "monasterium ad ursellam", was mentioned. In 1317 the first trading activities were documented.
In 1444 Oberursel was officially sanctioned as a town. Two years later, the town wall was finished. Since the town was growing so fast in the 15th century the town walls had to be expanded in 1481 towards the east. In the early 16th century a school for Latin language was established next to the church.

1535 Oberursel become property of [[Earl Ludwig von Stolberg-Königstein]] and becomes a Protestant town.
1557 [[Nicolaus Henricus]] built the first [[printing plant]] in Oberursel.
1605 due to the [[Counter-Reformation]] Oberursel becomes [[Catholic]] again.
The most important industry in the late Middle Ages and in the early modern times was the [[cloth merchant|clothier]] business.

During the [[Thirty Years' War]] the town was destroyed three times, in 1622 and 1645, and the number of inhabitants decreased from 1,600 to 600. During the 1645 razing, most buildings were destroyed by fire; the three surviving buildings were the old town hall, the bakery, and one apartment house near the marketplace. This is the reason why nearly all houses in the old town of Oberursel are from the 17th century.

As the town was rebuilt and grew, many mills and forges were founded along the "Urselbachtal".
By 1858, [[industrialisation]] had begun in Oberursel, with several cotton-spinning mills being built.
In 1860 Oberursel was linked to the railway between [[Bad Homburg]] and [[Frankfurt am Main|Frankfurt]].
In 1899 a subway was opened privately in the direction of Hohemark (currently Line U3).

During the [[Second World War]], many captured American and British airmen passed through Oberursel as they were interrogated and processed into the German POW camp system at the "Durchgangslager der Luftwaffe" or "Transit Camp of the Luftwaffe" located in the town. The camp name was commonly shortened to [[Dulag luft|"Dulag Luft"]], or simply "Dulag". Almost all allied airmen who were shot down and captured spent some time at that camp before being moved to their permanent assigned "[[Stalag]]".

After the occupation of Oberursel by the U.S. in April 1945, the "Dulag" area was taken over by the US Army.
The existing buildings were transformed into [[Camp King]], which began as an intelligence post, then later a transportation post until its de-activation in 1993. Today the former Camp King is a residential area, still populated by several former US soldiers.

===Growth===
In 1929 [[Bommersheim]] was annexed; in 1972 [[Oberstedten]], [[Stierstadt]] and [[Weißkirchen (Oberursel)|Weißkirchen]] followed.

===Number of Inhabitants===
[[File:Oberursel altstadt.jpg|thumb|350px|Old town view from St. Ursula church]]
:1542: 1,100
:1618: 1,600
:1648: 600
:1799: 7,999
:1972 (before annexations): 25,000
:1972 (after annexations): 37,000
:2001: 42,736
:2005: 42,839
:2006: 43,165

==Politics==
Since the 2021 municipal elections, the city council has the following distribution of seats:<ref>{{Cite web|title=Endgültiges Ergebnis der Gemeindewahl am 14. März 2021, Oberursel (Taunus)|url=https://wahlen.statistik.hessen.de/k_2021/html/Gemeindewahl/EG434008|access-date=2021-05-16|website=wahlen.statistik.hessen.de|language=de}}</ref>
{|
|-
| [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|CDU]] || : 12 seats
|-
| [[Alliance '90/The Greens|Greens]]|| : 11 seats
|-
| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]|| : 7 seats
|-
| [[Free Voters|OBG - FW]]|| : 6 seats
|-
| [[Freie Demokratische Partei|FDP]] || : 4 seats
|-
| [[Alternative for Germany|AfD]] || : 2 seats
|-
|[[The Left (Germany)|Linke]]|| : 2 seats
|-
|Klimaliste
|: 1 seat
|}

===Mayors===
*1946–1960: Heinrich Kappus ([[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|CDU]])
*1960–1972: Heinrich Beil (CDU)
*1972–1978: Karlheinz Pfaff ([[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]])
*1978–1990: Rudolf Harders (CDU)
*1990–1996: Thomas Schadow (CDU)
*1996–2003: Gerd Krämer (CDU)
*2003–2021: Hans-Georg Brum (SPD)
*from October 2021: Antje Runge (SPD)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Erste Bürgermeisterin in Oberursel|url=https://www.taunus-nachrichten.de/oberursel/nachrichten/oberursel/erste-buergermeisterin-oberursel-id100555.html|access-date=2021-05-16|website=www.taunus-nachrichten.de|language=de}}</ref>

[[File:Oberursel epinayplatz.jpg|thumb|View from Epinayplatz]]

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Oberursel (Taunus) is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Partnerstädte|url=https://www.oberursel.de/de/rathaus/stadtportrait/staedtepartnerschaften/|website=oberursel.de|publisher=Oberursel (Taunus)|language=de|access-date=2021-03-03}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Épinay-sur-Seine]], France (1964)
*{{flagicon|NED}} [[Koggenland]], Netherlands (1971)
*{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Rushmoor]], England, United Kingdom (1989)
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Lomonosov, Russia|Lomonosov]], Russia (2004)

==Culture==
The "Vortaunusmuseum" is located in the central marketplace. Its exhibits illustrate the town's history and the history of soap box derbies. Soap box derbies were invented in Oberursel, and the world championship is held in Oberursel every year.

Another popular event occurring in Oberursel is the Brunnenfest, an annual village fair held in the early summer, which attracts visitors from surrounding areas and around the world.

==Transport==
Oberursel is located on the [[Bundesautobahn 661|A661]] motorway near the "Bad Homburger Kreuz", which is the interchange between
the A661 and the A5 ([[Hannover]] -[[Frankfurt]] - [[Basel]]). The [[Frankfurt International Airport|Frankfurt Airport]] is about
20 minutes away.

There are 6 regional bus lines in the town. During the weekend there is a night bus to [[Frankfurt]]. There is a rail service via
a suburban transit railway (S5) and a combined tram-subway (U3). Both lines go to Frankfurt and go underground in the centre part
of Frankfurt.

==Economy==
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2009}}
There are many well known companies located in Oberursel, predominantly in the IT and tourism industries.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}
*[[Thomas Cook AG]]
*[[Utimaco Safeware AG]]
*[[Dimension Data Germany AG & Co]] (Until 2014)
*[[Alte Leipziger]] (insurance)
*[[Rolls-Royce Deutschland|Rolls-Royce Deutschland GmbH]]
*[[Avis Budget Group|AVIS]]
*[[American Forces Network|AFN]] ( [[Transmitter Weisskirchen]])
*[[IBM Data Center]], Bommersheim
*[[Dantotsu Intelligent Solutions]] GbR{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

[[Condor Airlines]] operates an office in Oberursel.<ref>"[http://www9.condor.com/tcf-eu/anfahrt.jsp%3Bjsessionid=A53C083FB8C10A4121156EA1F2C7FB9A.as9worker How to find us] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090522151032/http://www9.condor.com/tcf-eu/anfahrt.jsp;jsessionid=A53C083FB8C10A4121156EA1F2C7FB9A.as9worker |date=2009-05-22 }}." ''[[Condor Airlines]]''. Retrieved on 12 May 2009.</ref>

Prior to its dissolution, [[Aero Lloyd]] was headquartered in Oberursel.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20010211044331/http://www.aerolloyd.de/kontakt/start.htm Konakt]." [[Aero Lloyd]]. Retrieved on 21 June 2009.</ref> When [[Aero Flight]] existed, it had its head office in Oberursel.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20060203085330/http://www.flyaeroflight.de/DE/about_aero_flight/flugbegl.html Flugbegleiter/in]." [[Aero Flight]]. February 3, 2006. Retrieved on August 17, 2010.</ref>

==Education==
[[File:Oberursel grundschule.jpg|thumb|right|Basic primary school Mitte]]

Oberursel is the educational centre of "Hochtaunuskreis" county. As well as six primary schools, one in each of the town districts, there is a grammar school, a secondary school, a secondary modern school (junior high) and a comprehensive school.

There are also two private schools, "Helen-Keller-Schule" and "Hans-Thoma-Schule", a commercial high school named "Feldbergschule", and the [http://www.fis.edu] [[Frankfurt International School]].

The following vocational institutions, training centres, and speciality schools are also located in Oberursel:
*[http://www.waldorfschule-oberursel.de/] [[Freie Waldorfschule Vordertaunus]]
*[[Albrecht-Strohschein-Schule]] (Heilpädagogische Waldorfschule)
*[http://www.kettlaro.de/] [[Ketteler-la-Roche-Schule]] (Fachschule für Sozialpädagogik)
*[http://www.lthh-oberursel.de/] [[Lutherische Theologische Hochschule]] ([[Independent Evangelical—Lutheran Church|Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche]])
*[[BASA Jugendwerkstatt Hochtaunus]]
*[[Reformhaus#Reformhaus-Fachakademie|Reformhaus-Fachakademie]]
*Bildungszentrum (seither: Verwaltungsschule) der Bundesanstalt für Arbeit
*[http://www.vhs-hochtaunus.de/] [[Volkshochschule Oberursel]]
*[http://www.musikschule-oberursel.de/] [[Musikschule Oberursel (Taunus)]]
*Bundesjugendbildungszentrum des DGB
*Institut für Bienenkunde

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Oberursel (Taunus)}}
{{Wikivoyage|Oberursel}}
* [https://www.oberursel.de/ Official website of Oberursel (Taunus)]
* [https://archive.today/20130108073629/http://www.oberursel.info/ Tourism Portal of Oberursel]
* [http://www.merkki.com/new_page_2.htm A description of the Dulag]

{{Towns and municipalities in Hochtaunuskreis}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Hochtaunuskreis]]
[[Category:Oberursel|*]]
[[Category:Towns in Hesse]]

Vero - Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

Oberursel (Taunus)