Bexbach

Bexbach is a German city, located in the Saar, to 25 km of Saarbrucken, to 30 km of the Franco-German border. The city was founded in 1974, as well as the 5 communes which belong to Bexbach: Oberbexbach, Frankenholz, Höchen, Niederbexbach and Kleinottweiler.

Denomination

The city as well as the river which it cross-piece draw their name from the knight “von Beckensbach”. The inhabitants of Bexbach are called “Bexbacher”. Dialectal, they are called “Betschbacher”, the city thus, is called “Betschbach”.

Geography

The town of Bexbach is located at 25 kilometers in the North-East of Saarbrucken, the principal city of the area. Homburg and Neunkirchen which are chief towns find with 8 kilometers of Bexbach. The mountain of Höcherberg on which the districts of Frankenholz and Höchen are located is highest the heights in the south-east of Saare.

Climate

Bexbach is in the moderate zone. One finds there an influence oceanic which results in relatively fresh summers (18°C on average) as well as a continental influence into winter which results in cold winters, it often freezes (0°C on average). There are frequent rains in any season (750-800 millimetres on average per annum). The hottest months are July and August, most cold are January and February.

Population

In 2005, Bexbach counted 19.354 inhabitants, including 9.440 men, 9.914 women and 7,96% from abroad.

Religion

In almost all the districts, there exists a catholic and Protestant parish. Only in Kleinottweiler there exists only one Protestant parish. In 2005,51,56% of population was catholic, 33,08% Protestant woman and 15,35% were without confession or belonged to another religion.

Communes and cities which are in vicinity

The following cities and communes confine in Bexbach:

the chief town Neunkirchen (Saar) with the districts of Wellesweiler, Hangard and Münchwies
Kirkel with the district of Altstadt
the commune of Waldmohr with the district which bears the same name
the chief town Homburg (Saar) with the district of Jägersburg

Structure of the city

The town of Bexbach is born from the fusion of the communes from Bexbach, Oberbexbach, Frankenholz, Höchen, Niederbexbach and Kleinottweiler in the batch of reforms of territory and administration in 1974. The old district of Ludwigsthal is thus allotted to Neunkirchen.

History

1219 : the name Bexbach appears for the first time by a document. The village develops quickly thanks to iron and with the coal which one finds in the mines with Bexbach, Frankenholz and Höchen.
beginning 17th century: during the thirty year old War most of Bexbach was destroyed
1648: the treaties of Westpahlie are signed; Bexbach thus forms part of the Saarbrucken-Nassau county which belongs to the French territory.
1683 : the area of Bexbach which is deserted gains new inhabitants, particularly of the Lorraine
1789: the French revolution gives new hopes to the population of Bexbach which lives under a feudal mode. The wars of the revolution bring the new shape of company to the citizens.
1793 : the French administration allots the town hall of Bexbach under that of Limbach.
1797 : it occurs an administrative reformation, committed by the French state. One year later, the department of the Saar with 31 cantons is founded. Bexbach which has 600 inhabitants belongs to that of Waldmohr. The single language of the administration becomes in continuation French.
1816 : After the total defeat of Napoleon, the common one makes party of the department " Rheinkreis" Bavarian Kingdom.
1848 : Mittelbexbach again obtains a town hall whose the communes of the vicinity form also part.
1849 : the station of Bexbach becomes the terminus of the railway line Ludwigshafen - Bexbach. This station is oldest of the area. The introduction of this railway line means extraordinary improvement of the infrastructure in the area. Quality of life improves enormously. Many minors at this time dealt with agriculture apart from their regular profession. The majority of the districts are then connected to the factory of water supply and the powerplant. The first schools (Pestalozzischule) and of the town halls are set up.
1914 - 1918: During the First World War the territory of the Saar is separated from Reich and the district of Homburg is reduced. This district there formed the border of the territory of the Saar before being attached to Germany in 1935
1937: The data of the communal policy changed again. April 1st 1937, one summarizes the communes of Höchen, Oberbexbach, Frankenholz, Mittelbexbach, Ludwigsthal with the large commune of the " Höcherberg".
1945-1950 : After the Second world war this large commune will be removed. The old communes regain their independence. This regained autonomy supported the economy in these communes.
1951 : Mittelbexbach obtains a proper blazon and is called " Bexbach" since this time.
1955 : Because of the membership of the Saar to the French administration since 1945, there was a referendum in 1955. The majority of the population voted for fastening in Germany.
1959 : the two last mines (in Bexbach and Frankenholz) are closed.
1970 : Bexbach becomes a city.

Policy

Mayor

Since 1997: Heinz Müller, SPD

In 2003, at the time of the direct election of the mayor, Heinz Müller slightly beat its challenger, Innozenz Heintz, which carried candidate without political affiliation. However, Heintz was constant during the electoral fight by the CDU and FDP.

Political parties

There exist local associations of the CDU, SPD, FDP, FWG

Municipal council

The current municipal council (33 seats) consists of a coalition formed between SPD and FWG. These two parties together have the majority of 18 seats. Result of the municipal elections of June 13rd 2004:

SPD : 15 seats
CDU: 14 seats
FWG: 3 seats
FDP: 1 seat

Deputy mayors

In the respective districts, there exist deputy mayors " Ortsvorsteher".

Bexbach-Mitte: Alfons Roth (SPD)
Oberbexbach: Dieter Kauf (CDU)
Frankenholz: Rudi Müller (SPD)
Höchen: Karl-Heinz Klein (CDU)
Niederbexbach: Arnulf Fricker (SPD)
Kleinottweiler: Udo A. Wittmer (CDU)

Deputies of the Parliament of the Land

Since 2004, Alexander Funk, the president of the CDU in Bexbach, is appointed Parliament of the Land with Saarbrucken.

Political organizations

Junge Liberal Union Bexbach
Junge Höcherberg

Representation with the public

Colors of the city

For a few decades, the ministry for the Interior of the Saar has approved the yellow and the green like colors of the town of Bexbach. These colors are found on the flags of the city.

Logo

Contrary to much of cities and communes, Bexbach does not use the weapons of the city to present itself to the public. For these occasions there, the administration chose the logo " Stadt Bexbach - Partner der Bürger" (town of Bexbach - partner of the citizens) which was created by the administration even

Debt

During the last years, the debt of Bexbach increased enormously. In January 2007, the debt of the city went on about 27 million Euro S, a considerable amount for a town of this size.

Twinnings

, close to Neustadt year der Weinstraße

Economy and infrastructure

The service road

The highways has 6 and has 8 which effleurent the city connect Bexbach to the main roads. Moreover, the trunk road B 423 (Sarreguemines - Altenglan) passes by the district of Kleinottweiler. Railway shuttles connect Bexbach to Neunkirchen, Homburg and with Saarbrucken. As of the arrival of TGV of Frankfurt to Paris in June 2007 Is European which stops at the station of Saarbrucken, one arrives very quickly at Paris. Bexbach is at 30 minutes of the Aéroport of Saarbrucken and at 90 minutes of the Aéroport of Frankfurt. The Airport of Frankfurt-Hahn which is with 130 kilometers of the town of Frankfurt (!) can be reached in 70 minutes.

Industrial parks

Bexbach has five industrial parks:

Bexbacher Industry und Gewerbegebiet Ost (BIG), supported by funds of the European Union, surface: 40 hectares
Saar-Pfalz-Park, surface: 44 hectares
In der Kolling, surface: 10 hectares
Streitweg, surface: 3,4 hectares
Stockwäldchen, surface: 5 hectares

In all, 102,4 hectares of the communal territory are declared like industrial park.

Local factories

Alstom has a factory in the industrial park of Bexbach. The company of energy “SaarEnergie GMBH” has there a powerplant supplied with coal. In the industrial park " In der Kolling" , the company “Kerndruck GMBH” has its head office.

Education

Elementary schools

Pestalozzischule in Bexbach (closing planned for the next year)
Goetheschule in Bexbach
Elementary school in Frankenholz
Elementary school in Oberbexbach
Until 2004, there were still elementary schools in the districts of Höchen, Kleinottweiler and Niederbexbach.

Secondary schools

Gesamtschule Bexbach
Waldorfschule Bexbach e.V

Popular universities

VHS Höcherberg

Services administrative

The national police force (Bundespolizei) of Saarbrucken has her seat in industrial park " Saar-Pfalz-Park". Here, it is also the raising of the tracker dogs.

Bundeswehr (armed federal)

As from 1967, Bundeswehr supported battalions of hunting in Bexbach. In the train of a reform of the site to the goal of the years 1990, that one was removed. The surface was transformed into industrial park.

Airport of pleasure of Bexbach

Bexbach has also a small airport of pleasure which was inaugurated in 1956 by the mayor of this time, Alois Nessler. 29. April 1956, the first glide took off of the airport for a flight of test. The official air traffic was brought into service in autumn 1956.

Culture and curiosities

Blumengarten : the garden of the flowers had been arranged at the time of the exposure Garten und Blumen im sozialen Wohnungsbau in 1951. It exists there a large playing field for the children as well as a garden with the Japanese style. In this park also the tower Hindenburgturm is, in which one finds also the museum of the mine Saarländisches Bergbaumuseum . Since the seventh stage one discovers a vast panorama on the area. In the museum which épand on seven stages, there are exposures which illustrate work in the mines as well as instruments of extraction. With under ground, one arranged an artificial mine which can also be visited. Just beside the tower, one can see the deposit of coal Monte Barbara . At the top, the statue of Sainte Beard, protective of the minors was set up.
Hindenburgturm : the Hindenburgturm tower was built in 1931. With the beginning, it was used as water tower with a volume of 200 m ³. The council of the city decided that it is also useful like view-point and museum. The denomination is characteristic for the meeting of the Saar with the Deutsches Reich. The city wanted to honor the president with Reich of this time, Paul von Hindenburg.
Bahnhof Bexbach : the station of Bexbach, built in 1848-1849 like parks frontier between the Royaume of Bavaria and the Prussia, is oldest of the area and protected like monument. Only, that of Homburg was built 2 earlier, but was replaced by a more modern building after the Second world war.

Parks

The park grüne Lunge (green lung) connects the center town of Bexbach with the district of Oberbexbach. In this park it there full with green areas to rest. The small Bexbach brook runs out through whole park. It exists there also a playing field for the children.

Paths

Several of paths of Saarwald-Verein cross the territory of the city, of which the " Höcherbergweg" and the " Saarland-Rundwanderweg". Since March 2007 there exists a path a 37,75 kilometers length which crosses all the districts. In Oberbexbach it begins a tourist way which passes by the Pfälzer Wald and leads finally to Ludwigshafen - on-the-Rhine. This path is maintained by the club Pfälzer Wald Verein. To be directed, it exists there with the length of the road of the crosses in yellow and green

Media

Bexbach is in the contiguous zone of the Saarbrücker Zeitung which appears the every day, except Sunday. Moreover, it appears a free newspaper, the Wochenspiegel which is delivered free with all the households of Bexbach once per week. With the radio, one can receive the chains of the Saarländischer Rudfunk, Südwestrundfunk as well as Luxembourg and French chains, of which France Inter, France Blue, France Info, France Culture, France Musique, Radio Melody, Radio Studio 1, RTL2, RTL Radio. On television, one receives by cable about all the German large chains and also from the French chains, of which TF1, France 3, Arte and during a few hours France 2.

Personalities

Horst Hilpert (1936), the accusing main thing of the Deutscher Fußballbund
Egon Müller (1938), lawyer
Franz Eder (1944), actor in pornographic films and bodybuilder.
Gerd Dudenhöffer (1949), chansonnier who plays the fictitious character " Heinz Becker" , a person who represents the stereotypes of a Saarländer (Of the Saar).

The presenter Dieter Thomas Heck who presented the emission Hitparade for German television in the Seventies lived with Frankenholz during a few years.

Distances

Saarbrucken: 30 km
Metz: 100 km
Luxembourg: 120 km
Frankfurt on the Hand: 155 km
Cologne: 260 km
Brussels: 330 km
Munich: 395 km
Paris: 420 km
Berlin: 700 km

External bonds

Official site
Site of friendly Pornichet-Bexbach

Random links:

Popeye (video game) | 1862 with the theater | Championship of the world of the rallys 1984