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90-658: Kleebach is a 27-kilometre-long (17 mi) left tributary of the Lahn river in central Hesse , Germany . It originates in the most Eastern part of the Hintertaunus mountains and from there it flows mostly in Northern direction towards the Lahn River . Along its course it flows through a string of small villages surrounded by forests and fields. This article related to a river in Hesse

180-617: A Germanic settlement in the location, dated to around the 1st century, situated above a bend of the Lahn. In the Roman Era, the Lahn presumably was used by the Romans to supply their fort at Bad Ems, Kastell Ems. Here the Limes Germanicus on the borders of Germania Superior and Rhaetia crossed the Lahn. Archaeological finds are known from Niederlahnstein, as well as from Lahnau. One Lahnau site,

270-499: A trombone choir and men's or women's choirs . There are moreover, of course, other music clubs such as singing clubs , a Jägerchor ("hunters' choir") or a brass band . The more than 12,000 inhabitants therefore have all together "almost 50 dance and music clubs" to choose from. In the field of animal, breeding or protection clubs, many fowl breeding as well as nature preservation and gardening clubs can be named. Last but not least, more than 40 culture- or homeland-related clubs are at

360-521: A central flood warning system and coordination of flood control efforts through the regional council of Giessen. The Lahn, from a point between Lahnau and Dutenhofen (Wetzlar) to its confluence the Rhine, is designated as a federal waterway. In this area, it is subject to the Water and Shipping Administration of the federal government, with the responsible office being that at Koblenz. The middle and lower section of

450-412: A commercial airfield at Cölbe-Schönstadt. The nearest greater airport is Frankfurt International Airport at Frankfurt am Main . Owing to its advantageous location in a low mountain range and its attendant great forests and idyllic dales, the whole region is endowed with a substantial trail network. Its potential, however, was only recognized a few years ago and has been organizationally supported for

540-618: A five-year term. The SPD lost two seats while the Freie Wähler ("Free Voters", a citizens' coalition) gained three more and the Bürgerliste Dautphetal ("Dautphetal Citizens' List") lost out utterly. Participation in the election fell by 8.5% from 59.3% in 2001 to 50.8%. Of 9,030 eligible voters, only 4,589 went to the polls. The next municipal election in Hesse will take place in March 2011. At

630-493: A minimum water depth of 1.60 m in the navigation channel. There are stream gauges at Kalkofen (of Dörnberg ) (normal water level 1.80 m) and at Leun . Above Dehrn there are manual locks and frequent shoals, making the passage of boats difficult. Two weirs in Wetzlar are an obstruction to shipping further upriver. Since the late 1980s, there have been increasing attempts to promote the Lahn for ecotourism and to coordinate and expand

720-529: A petit-bourgeois 3-room flat from the turn of the twentieth century housing typical exhibits from Dautphe's local history. Moreover, there are exhibits of Dautphe costume and old documents (photographs, maps, registers, family chronicles of Dautphe's oldest families, etc.). The community of Dautphetal harbours an unusually high number of clubs. Near each centre, alongside the well over 30 sport clubs dealing in everything from football to tennis , gymnastics , riding , motor sports and even balloon flying, are

810-401: A short time by the association Lahn-Dill-Bergland e. V. Friedensdorf has since the 1950s been the site of an electrical substation . There, high-voltage current at 110 kV is stepped down to the middle voltage of 20 kV. After the transformers' useful working life had come to an end, a 20 kV switchgear set and new open-air transformer fields were installed in 1998. The substation

900-666: A small section north of the dam in Gießen. The Lahn is a 245.6-kilometer (152.6 mi)-long, right (or eastern) tributary of the Rhine in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia (23.0 km), Hesse (165.6 km), and Rhineland-Palatinate (57.0 km). The Lahn originates at the Lahnhof, a locality of Nenkersdorf, which is a constituent community of Netphen in southeastern North Rhine-Westphalia, near

990-594: A waterway from France to North Sea via the states of the Confederation of the Rhine . Upstream of Limburg, however, the work was slow, partly because the population pressed into emergency service only reluctantly cooperated. Large parts of the shore were only secured with fascines , which rotted shortly thereafter. In 1816 the Duchy of Nassau and the Kingdom of Prussia agreed to expand the Lahn as far as Giessen, where it joined

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1080-462: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Lahn The Lahn is a 245.6-kilometre-long (152.6 mi), right (or eastern) tributary of the Rhine in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia (23.0 km), Hesse (165.6 km), and Rhineland-Palatinate (57.0 km). It has its source in the Rothaargebirge , the highest part of

1170-603: Is about 800–1000 mm in Dautphetal, and in the Buchenau and Elmshausen area about 700–800 mm. The biggest flowing waterway in Dautphetal is the river Lahn. This flows through the northern part of the municipal area from west to east. The smaller river Dautphe flows, just as all the smaller streams in the municipal area do sooner or later, into the Lahn. Clockwise from the north, the following communities are Dautphetal's neighbours: The towns of Biedenkopf and Wetter (Hessen) ,

1260-488: Is described as a commercial hub. The main road in Dautphetal is Federal Highway ( Bundesstraße ) 62. This interregionally important road leads from eastern North Rhine-Westphalia ( Siegen ) through Middle Hesse (Dautphetal, Marburg) and East Hesse ( Alsfeld , Bad Hersfeld ) to Thuringia ( Bad Salzungen ) thereby fulfilling the function of interregional transportation axis. Across the community's municipal area, it runs east-west, going through Buchenau. Bundesstraße 453, which

1350-404: Is evenly split between industry and trade, while the services sector is a bit smaller. Historically, the one industry that has grown especially in strength and is particularly well represented is the steel and moulding industry. Although Dautphetal with the Lahn valley and its widespread woodlands offers good potential for recreation and tourism , it has hitherto not been exploited as such. Over

1440-608: Is located southwest of the 624 m (2,047 ft) high Lahnkopf. In the vicinity are also the origins of the Eder (5.5 km northwest of the Lahnhof) and the Sieg (another 3 km north). Whereas the Sieg takes the shortest route to the Rhine (to the west), the Lahn first runs in the opposite direction, paralleling the Eder for many kilometers. The Lahn first flows in a northeasterly direction through

1530-725: Is nowadays represented in Europe , North and South America , and even in China . Alongside household products (such as shower partitions), synthetic manufacturing and environmental technology (tank manufacturing), companies in machine building and aggregate manufacture are parts of the conglomerate. Johnson Controls maintains a location in Friedensdorf. This company makes vehicle fuel tanks and car seats, employing 200 people to do so. The firm Bamberger, formerly Europe's third-biggest manufacturer of enamelled-steel bathtubs, and with 200 employees one of

1620-477: Is only 15 km long, branches off B 62 in the neighbouring community of Biedenkopf, leading in a southerly direction through the centres of Wolfgruben, Dautphe, Mornshausen and Herzhausen on its way to Gladenbach. The nearest Autobahnen are Bundesautobahn 45 about 30 km away to the west in Dillenburg which goes towards Dortmund in one direction and Frankfurt am Main in the other, Bundesautobahn 485 in

1710-414: Is run by E.ON Mitte. In each of the bigger centres in the community is found a kindergarten . Only Damshausen, Elmshausen and Silberg do not have their own. Holzhausen and Buchenau each also have a primary school , the latter's having had until 2006 an attached orientation programme ( Förderstufe ) which was discontinued because the class-size threshold was no longer being met. In Friedensdorf, alongside

1800-650: Is the Lahnhöhenwege along both sides of the Lahn from Wetzlar to Oberlahnstein. The first partial section of a pilgrimage route, the Lahn-Camino on the left side of the Lahn, leads from Wetzlar Cathedral to Lahnstein via Castle Lahneck and the Hospital Chapel. There are 19 hydroelectric plants using the Lahn to generate electricity. Wine is produced in Obernhof and Weinähr. The wines of the Lahn region are marketed under

1890-457: Is to open up the region, to make possible an exchange of goods and services between middle centres as well as to connect the region to the high centre of Marburg and to the long-distance transportation network. Building on public transport is thus given special importance. Moreover, there exists a local transport and population belt, Dautphetal - Gladenbach , with a regional connective function. Together with Biedenkopf and Breidenbach, Dautphetal

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1980-489: Is today Dautphetal, was ceded to Prussia . This district was for a short time (1932–33) united with the Dillenburg district before the districts of Biedenkopf and Marburg were made to form the still functioning Marburg-Biedenkopf district in Hesse's 1974 municipal reform. What follows is an explanation of the population development of today's community of Dautphetal. What stands out is that the first small surge in population in

2070-889: The Dautphe (which flows in a side valley to the south). Shortly after the village of Caldern (of Lahn Valley), the ridgeline of the Rothaargebirge on the north ends with the Wollenberg and that of the Gladenbach Bergland with the Hungert. The Lahn leaves the Rhenish Slate Mountains for a long section and reaches the West Hesse Highlands , where it flows through the extreme south of the Wetschaft Depression , north of

2160-723: The Dautphetalschule with its primary school and Hauptschule and Realschule branch, itself with an orientation programme, there is the Burgbergschule , a school for learning and educational help. A school for the educable mentally handicapped with a department for those who also have physical handicaps is located in Hommertshausen. In Wilhelmshütte is found the Jule-Spannagel-Schule for hard to educate youth. Further schooling such as vocational schools and colleges (or

2250-666: The Gladenbach Bergland , while downstream they originate in the (High) Westerwald. Much of the Westerwald, in contrast, has no significant watershed, so the streams are almost random in finding their direction. Because the highest point of the Westerwald is near the Sieg , and especially because the Taunus is very close to the Main , both Mittelgebirge are each considerably more than half drained by

2340-649: The Grand Duchy of Hesse . Little is known about the work that followed, but in the 1825 boatmen on the Lahn who shipped mineral water from springs in Selters and Fachingen addressed a letter of appreciation to the Nassau government in Wiesbaden for the rehabilitation of river systems. Overall, however, there seems to have been only repairs and temporary works accomplished through the 1830s. The earliest attempts to count ship traffic on

2430-603: The Hinterländer Werkstätten , a recognized workshop for the handicapped. The Evangelical spiritual guidance centre help center e.V. has set itself the goal of helping youth in crisis on the basis of Christian belief. In Dautphetal, the Oberhessische Presse and the Hinterländer Anzeiger are the two daily newspapers , with the latter taking the greater part of the market share. A local section for

2520-1031: The Limburg Cathedral crowns such an outcropping. At Limburg, the river again enters a wider valley. Below Diez , the Lahn absorbs the Aar from the south. At Fachingen in the municipality of Birlenbach , it leaves the Limburger Basin and enters the Lower Lahntal. Its course is incised over 200 metres (660 ft) deep in the Slate Mountains. Near Obernhof , the Gelbach enters the Lahn opposite Arnstein Abbey . Then, after passing Nassau and Bad Ems , where, as in Fachingen, mineral springs (sources of Emser salt) can be found, it completes its 242 km (150 mi) run, entering

2610-542: The Sauerland . It meets the Rhine at Lahnstein , near Koblenz . Important cities along the Lahn include Marburg , Gießen , Wetzlar , Limburg an der Lahn , Weilburg and Bad Ems . Tributaries to the Lahn include the Ohm , Dill , the Weil and the Aar . The lower Lahn has many dams with locks , allowing regular shipping from its mouth up to Runkel . Riverboats also operate on

2700-634: The Waldgirmes Forum in the community of Waldgirmes, was discovered in the 1990s and had been the site of a Roman town. Another site in the community of Dorlar has the remains of a Roman marching camp (or castra ). These Lahnau sites have significant altered the current understanding of the history of the Romans east of the Rhine and north of the Limes . During the Migration Period , the Alamanni settled in

2790-559: The Wieseck from the left, the Lahn's general direction of flow changes from the south to the west. The Gießen Basin extends a few more miles downstream to Atzbach, a suburb of Lahnau . From the 1960s until the 1980s, there was extensive gravel mining in this area. The area between Heuchelheim , Lahnau, and the Wetzlar borough of Dutenhofen was to be completely mined and a water sports center with an Olympic-suitable rowing course built. This plan

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2880-567: The copper ore that can be found here, the municipal area also has deposits of manganese and iron ore. Dautphetal's municipal area is classified under the German system of natural regions as follows: The Sackpfeifen foothills (with Wollenberg) ( Sackpfeifen-Vorhöhen (mit Wollenberg) ) (natural region 332.0) in the area north of the Upper Lahn Valley ( Oberes Lahntal ) falls under the main unit Ostsauerländer Gebirgsrand . The natural region of

2970-506: The "Old Church" ( Alte Kirche ) has a weaving room, old photographs and a dialectal archive to visit. From time to time, there are also special exhibits. The Heimatmuseum Altes Rathaus at the old town hall in Buchenau shows exhibits particularly having to do with household and kitchen, especially from the 1920s to the 1950s. In the Mini-Museum „Backes Stibbcher“ in Dautphe, visitors can see

3060-466: The 17th and early 18th centuries, there were several initiatives of adjacent princes to further expand the Lahn as a waterway, but they all failed due to lack of coordination. In 1740, the Archbishopric of Trier began construction to make the mouth of the Lahn passable for larger vessels. In winter of 1753/54, bank stabilization and creation of towpaths were done along the entire length of the river. Then

3150-530: The Chief Construction Inspector of Kirn to make the Lahn fully navigable. In the first winter, the section of the riverside from the mouth to Limburg was stabilized, particularly so that the course could be narrowed in shallow places. It was planned in the long run to make the Lahn navigable as far as Marburg and from there to construct a canal to Fulda to connect it with the Weser . This would create

3240-842: The Gleiberg, the Vetzberg, the Dünsberg, and the Schiffenberg. At Wetzlar, the Lahn is joined by its second longest tributary, the Dill , which has a length of 55.0 kilometres (34.2 mi). At this location, the valleys of the Lahn and Dill separate three parts of the Rhenish Slate Mountains from each other: the Gladenbach Bergland, the Westerwald to the northwest, and the Taunus to the south. After Wetzlar,

3330-418: The Hesse cross-country bicycle path ( Hessischer Radfernweg ) R 2. On weekdays there are 21 journeys between 5:30 and 21:00, on Saturdays 13 between 6:45 and 19:00 and on Sundays 12 between 8:45 and 19:00. All trains allow bicycles. In Marburg are connections to DB's long-distance rail network. The immediate vicinity has two special airfields at Bad Endbach-Bottenhorn and Eschenburg-Hirzenhain as well as

3420-542: The Lahn Valley is simply considered part of these mountains. Between Niederlaasphe (of Bad Laasphe) and Wallau (of Biedenkopf ), the river crosses the border between North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse. It then flows in an easterly direction through some districts of Biedenkopf (but not the central town) and the towns of Dautphetal and Lahntal . It is joined from the right by the Perf at Wallau and at Friedensdorf (of Dautphetal) by

3510-399: The Lahn could travel fully loaded only from Gießen to Löhnberg. There, they had to lighten their load in order to reduce their draft and continue the journey. Also, this was only during two to three months. In a further four to five months per year, the load had to be reduced even earlier due to the low water level. The rest of the year the Lahn was not passable. From Wetzlar to Lahnstein, where

3600-399: The Lahn dated from 1827. At the lock at Runkel, 278 vessels were counted in that year, with the state government of Nassau explicitly pointing out that most of the river traffic travelled from the mouth to Limburg, or with smaller boats from the upper reaches to Weilburg, and only a small part passed Runkel. In 1833, however, 464 vessels were counted. The main reason for the increase is likely

3690-581: The Lahn from the right. The Ohm flows from the Vogelsberg and enters from the left. It is notable that not only is the Ohm at the point of its confluence with the Lahn only one kilometre shorter from its source than the Lahn itself, but the Ohm's catchment area of 984 square kilometres (380 sq mi) is significantly larger than that of the Lahn above the confluence, 652 square kilometres (252 sq mi), or only 452 square kilometres (175 sq mi) before

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3780-500: The Lahn is navigable and has a large number of locks. The waterway is used almost exclusively by smaller motor yachts for tourists, as well as paddled- and rowboats . For non-motorized watercraft, the Lahn can be used for the entire length between Roth (of Weimar ) and the Rhine. From the mouth upwards to Dehrn (of Runkel ), Lahn-km 70 (above Limburg), the river is consistently passable for larger vessels, with locks operated by personnel. The Water and Shipping Administration guarantees

3870-452: The Lahn passable as far as Gießen for boats that were significantly larger than the existing vehicles on the river. In Prussian territory, the work was largely completed by 1847, including construction of locks in Dorlar, Wetzlar, Wetzlar-Blechwalze, Oberbiel and Niederbiel. In Nassau's territory, locks were built at Löhnberg, Villmar, and Balduinstein, as well as the greatest technical achievement:

3960-424: The Lahn reverses to the west again and enters the fertile Limburger Basin, where the river is incised to a depth of about 50 metres (160 ft). Here the river is joined by two tributaries, the Emsbach coming from the Taunus and the Elbbach from the Westerwald. In this area are frequent outcroppings of Devonian limestone , the so-called Lahn Marble (German: Lahnmarmor ), such as at Limburg an der Lahn , where

4050-551: The Lahn. Given the increasing ore mining in the Lahn Valley, officials from Nassau and Prussia in 1841 made an inspection trip along the river from Marburg to the Rhine. The Prussians were the driving force behind river expansion projects, seeking to establish a connection between Wetzlar and their Rhine Province and to secure the iron ore supply for the growing industry in the Ruhr Valley. Until 1844, Hesse-Darmstadt also joined expansion efforts, while Hesse-Kassel declined participation. The participating governments agreed to make

4140-550: The Lahn. Especially the left tributaries from the Taunus flow with a strong south-north orientation. The river Emsbach runs through the Idstein Basin, which divides the (Hinter-) Taunus into two parts, while the Aar is central for the (Western and Eastern) Aartaunus. A list of all the tributaries of the Lahn, including their position relative to the main river (l = left; r = right) and length in kilometers, are listed in downstream order as follows: Source to Marburg: Marburg to Wetzlar: Dautphetal The municipality lies in

4230-404: The Landgravate of Hesse ( Landgrafschaft Hessen ). The Lords of Hohenfels, who alongside the Lords of Hollende were regarded as the local lords, had to forsake their rights in 1249 under pressure from Sophie. Hohenfels Castle was razed in 1293. Only meagre ruins are to be seen of it today. Ownership of the domain remained under this line until Philip the Magnanimous's death in 1567, at which time

4320-407: The Marburger Rücken. Where the Wetschaft flows into it from the Burgwald forest in the north (near the Lahntal village of Göttingen), the Lahn immediately changes direction by 90° to the right. The now southward-flowing Lahn then enters the Marburg-Gießen Lahntal. Shortly before Cölbe , the Ohm enters from the left at the Lahn-Knie named area. Flowing from the Vogelsberg through the Ohmtal ,

4410-415: The Ohm is the Lahn's longest tributary, with a length of 59.7 kilometres (37.1 mi). The river then breaks through a sandstone mesa (the Marburger Rücken to the west and the Lahnberge to the east) into a valley which encompasses the entire territory of the city of Marburg and its suburbs. The valley begins after the river passes the Marburger Rücken near Niederweimar , where the Allna enters from

4500-402: The Prussian government discussed plans for the transformation of the Lahn into a canal, which would allow the passage for larger vessels, but these plans were never implemented. Only in places was the riverbed dredged, such as around 1880 near Runkel, from 1905 to 1907 from the mouth to Bad Ems, and from 1925 to 1928 from the mouth to Steeden. In 1964, an expansion of the Lahn for 300-ton vessels

4590-420: The Rhine in Lahnstein , located five kilometers south of Koblenz at an elevation of 61 metres (200 ft). The Lahn area was settled as early as in the Stone Age , as shown by archeological finds near Diez, in Steeden in the community of Runkel , and in Wetzlar. Recent discoveries in Dalheim on the western edge of Wetzlar show a ca. 7000-year-old Linear Pottery culture settlement. There are also remains

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4680-665: The Rimberg mountain or on the Hünstein (a megalithic monument). The first mention, however, was the naming of a Mark Dautphe in 791. This community is therefore the oldest documented place in the greater community. It was early on already the site of the Zentgericht , the local court under the local counts. It was the lowest court, but it had within its bailiwick the villages of Allendorf, Buchenau, Damshausen, Dautphe, Elmshausen, Friedensdorf, Holzhausen, Hommertshausen, Mornshausen, Silberg and Wolfgruben (nowadays in Dautphetal) as well as Eckelshausen, Kombach, Katzenbach, Dexbach and Engelbach (nowadays in Biedenkopf ). In Charlemagne 's time,

4770-427: The Upper Lahn Valley, 320.2, Bottenhorn Plateau ( Bottenhorner Hochflächen , 320.01) as well as the Damshausen Hills ( Damshäuser Kuppen , 320.10) belong to the Gladenbach Uplands ( Gladenbacher Bergland ). The highest mountain in this area is the Nimerich (533 m above sea level ) northwest of the constituent community of Dautphe. The lowest point anywhere in the area is found on the river Lahn at Elmshausen, where

4860-418: The Weilburg ship tunnel. The river bank reinforcement and channel deepening along Nassau's section of the Lahn, however, was slow. Moreover, when the lock at Limburg fell short of the width contractually agreed upon, Nassau refused an extension. This led to several clashes between Nassau and Prussia in the following years until Nassau had finally fulfilled its obligations in 1855. Despite the expansion, boats on

4950-425: The area covered by today's community of Dautphetal belonged to the Oberlahngau (a noble domain). After the local noble line, the Gisonen , died out, the area fell to Thuringia . Under Sophie von Brabant, Ludwig IV's and Saint Elisabeth's daughter, the Hessian counties, which had come to the Thuringian counties through marriage, once more began their own development by 1264, and under their son Henry I grew into

5040-490: The biggest firms in the community, was taken over by the Kaldewei company and in 2005 it was broken up. In the 2001 Middle Hesse Regional Plan, Dautphetal is designated a low centre in the rural area (in terms of Walter Christaller 's Central Place Theory ). Dautphe and Friedensdorf, it is said in this plan, are the central communities. Furthermore, the greater community is part of the Marburg - Dautphetal - Biedenkopf - (Bad Laasphe) regional development belt. This belt's job

5130-448: The border with Hesse. The source area is situated along the Eisenstraße scenic highway and the Rothaarsteig hiking trail. The river arises in the southeastern Rothaargebirge in the Ederkopf-Lahnkopf-Rücken ridge-line natural area. This ridge is the drainage divide between the Rhine and Weser , and, within the Rhine system, the watershed between the rivers Lahn and Sieg . The source is at an elevation of 600 meters (2,000 ft) and

5220-400: The communities amalgamated with others under the reform have experienced a kind of "local patriotism" in favour of the old communities. Dautphetal's municipal area is divided into 12 constituent communities ( Ortsteile ) From finds, it seems likely that the area covered by today's community of Dautphetal was already settled in antiquity as also witnessed by ringwall remains such as those on

5310-588: The communities of Lahntal , the towns of Marburg and Gladenbach , the communities of Bad Endbach and Steffenberg as well as the community of Breidenbach . All these communities likewise lie in the Marburg-Biedenkopf district. Moreover, other centres can be named, such as the former group of homesteads belonging to Mornshausen and known as Die Amelose, and the two former iron ore smelting centres of Carlshütte (part of Buchenau) and Wilhelmshütte (part of Dautphe). The constituent communities of Dautphe, Friedensdorf and Wilhelmshütte form, with over 4,000 inhabitants,

5400-450: The community . Local rail transport is afforded by the Obere Lahntalbahn , a Deutsche Bahn line also designated as Line 43 of the Rhine-Main Transport Association, running from Erndtebrück in Siegen-Wittgenstein district to the town of Marburg by way of Bad Laasphe and Biedenkopf and serving the Dautphetal stations of Wilhelmshütte (Lahn), Friedendorf (Lahn) and Buchenau (Lahn). The last two named stations are conveniently placed for

5490-426: The core of the greater community, which was brought about by the appropriate town planning. The history of the greater community of Dautphetal still is not very long. It came into being only in 1974 with municipal reform, having formerly been a series of 12 independent villages until the Hesse Landtag legislated new municipal divisions. This did not necessarily meet with everyone's approval. Ever since then, some of

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5580-410: The district maintains two branches (Dautphetal and Dautphetal-Holzhausen) of the Volkshochschule Marburg-Biedenkopf. Alongside many mostly Christian-based institutions like the Blue Cross ( Blaues Kreuz ), there are many other social institutions in Dautphetal. For one, there is the Seniorenzentrum Dautphetal which serves as a nursing home and a residence for the elderly, and for another, there are

5670-446: The early 14th century and is an indication of significant shipping on the Lahn by that time. In 1559, John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg laid out a towpath on the lower Lahn. In 1606, for the first time, the Lahn was deepened to allow small scale shipping and the lower reaches became navigable for four to five months of the year. However, there were numerous weirs with only narrow gaps, so the traffic remained restricted to small boats. In

5760-476: The elevation is 225 m above sea level. East of the community's municipal lands at Damshausen lies the Rimberg (mountain, 498 m above sea level). The Dautphetal area has a warm temperate rainy climate, lying as it does in the northern temperate zone of the middle latitudes. The average daytime temperature in the summer is about 15-16 °C (in the Lahn Valley area about 16-17 °C) and in winter about -1 °C to 1 °C. The average yearly rainfall

5850-467: The existing uses. There were first tourism associations at the state level, and these have now joined into the Lahntal Tourist Association. The Lahntal bike path 'Lahntalradweg' leads through the Lahn Valley, along the Lahn Holiday Road. It is accessible from the Upper Lahn Valley Railway between Feudingen and Marburg, the Main-Weser Railway between Marburg and Giessen, as well as the Lahntal railway between Giessen and Friedrichssegen. For walkers there

5940-408: The figure has been stagnating. Population figure development : : Figures from before 1974 have outlying centres' figures added. Source 1834 - 1967: Historisches Gemeindeverzeichnis für Hessen Heft 1, Die Bevölkerung der Gemeinden 1834 - 1967, Hess. Stat. Landesamt Source after 1998: Statistik der Gemeinde Dautphetal Community representatives were last chosen on 26 March 2006 for

6030-436: The freight was unloaded onto the large barges of the Rhine, the boats took three to four days. A trip from Wetzlar to the mouth and then towed back with horses lasted for about 14 days in good conditions. At that time, there were mainly two types of transport boats in use: those with a capacity of 350 hundredweights and a larger variant with a capacity of 1300 hundredweights. In 1857 to 1863, the Lahntal railway ( Lahntalbahn )

6120-475: The increase in iron ore mining in the surroundings of Weilburg. An estimate from 1840 placed the quantity of iron ore transported on the entire river at approximately 2000 boat loads, though the river was only navigable from the mouth to Weilburg. In addition, mainly cereals and mineral water were transported downriver. Upriver, the boats carried primarily coal, charcoal, gypsum, and colonial goods. Around 1835, about 80 larger shallow- draft boats were in operation on

6210-430: The inflow of the Wetschaft only 2 kilometres upstream. Between the Lahn's source area in the Rothaargebirge and Gießen , all of the left tributaries are from the less mountainous parts of the West Hessian Bergland . After the turn towards the west or southwest near Gießen, all the left tributaries flow from the Hochtaunus. The right tributaries between the source area and the confluence of the Dill near Wetzlar come from

6300-440: The landgravate was divided among four lines, and the Dautphetal area then belonged to Hesse-Marburg . After its line also died out, Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) and Hesse-Darmstadt then fought over the territory, with the latter under its own landgrave eventually winning out, taking the so-called Hinterland in 1648. As a result of the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, the Biedenkopf district, formed in 1832 and in which lies what

6390-419: The last few years, however, some small development has been seen in this field of endeavour, as witnessed by the membership of the regional Lahn-Dill-Bergland club. The greatest employer in the community is the firm Roth Industries GmbH & Co. KG. This worldwide active business has all together more than 1,100 workers. After being founded in 1947 as a simple handicraft business, the firm has steadily grown and

6480-456: The last municipal election on 18 March 2001, the result was as seen at left. The number of seats had been reduced from 37 in 1997. The greater community's first mayor in 1974 was Hans Hauswirth (CDU). He led the community for thirty years, leaving office only in 2004. On 21 March of that year, Bernd Schmidt of the Free Voters' Community became Dautphetal's new mayor. The economy in Dautphetal

6570-476: The like) or professional Gymnasien are to be found in the surrounding towns of Marburg, Biedenkopf, Bad Laasphe or Gladenbach. Technical colleges or universities are found in Marburg ( Philipps University of Marburg ), Gießen ( Justus-Liebig-Universität and University of Applied Sciences Giessen-Friedberg ), Kassel (University of Kassel) and Siegen (University of Siegen). In the field of adult education ,

6660-455: The lower Lahntal. They were later ousted by the Franks . The origin and meaning of the name Lahn are uncertain; it is possible that it is a pre-Germanic word. The form of the name changed over time; before 600, variations like Laugona, Logana, Logene or Loyn are typical. The oldest known use of the current spelling of the name dates to 1365. The oldest mention of the staple right of Diez dates to

6750-590: The old district of Biedenkopf is published by the Oberhessische Presse from Marburg. Furthermore, there is a whole range of advertising flyers such as Hinterland extra from the Oberhessische Presse , the MAZ ( Mittelhessische Anzeigen Zeitung , or Middle Hesse Advertising Newspaper) or the Sonntag Morgenmagazin ("Sunday Morning Magazine") from publishing houses in Gießen. In the community of Friedensdorf,

6840-414: The one hand, and ecological and nature preservation concerns on the other have found themselves at odds, meaning that thus far, no acceptable route has been found for the new roadway. Local public transportation is afforded by the two regional buslines 481 (RKH line 5301) and 491 (RKH line 5356), as well as by four local bus routes, MR-41, MR-52, MR-55 and MR-57, which are meant to improve connections within

6930-741: The right. At the valley's southern end, the Zwesten Ohm enters from the Lahnberge. The right (western) side of the valley is again formed by the Gladenbacher Bergland, from which the Salzböde enters the Lahn. On the left rises the Lumda Plateau, from which the eponymous river Lumda flows into the Lahn near Lollar . Gradually the valley widens into the Gießen Basin . In Gießen , after the inflow of

7020-546: The river between Lahnau, Heuchelheim, and Dutenhofen (of Wetzlar) in the middle Lahn Valley has developed into one of the largest nature reserves in Hesse, known as the Lahnau Nature Preserve. The two most important tributaries of the Lahn, and those with the largest catchment inflows, are the Ohm and the Dill . The Dill originates in the southwestern foothills of the Rothaargebirge (the Haincher Höhe ) and enters

7110-465: The river turns again to the south, the Lahn is entrenched canyon-like below the level of the surrounding geographic trough. The city of Weilburg is wrapped by a marked loop of the river. The neck of this noose is traversed by a boat tunnel, unique in Germany. A little below Weilburg, the Weil , originating in the High Taunus, enters the Lahn. At Aumenau in the municipality of Villmar , the course of

7200-586: The river was passable for vessels with up to 240 hundredweights of cargo downstream and up to 160 hundredweights upstream. By the end of the 19th century, over 300 castles, fortresses, fortified churches, and similar buildings were built along the river. During the French occupation , inspections of the river began in 1796, which were to be followed by a comprehensive expansion. Due to political developments, however, this expansion did not take place. The newly created Duchy of Nassau eventually began work from 1808 under

7290-632: The so-called Hessisches Hinterland . Since the community is to be found in the Rhenish Massif region, rock from the Palaeozoic Era can be found here. In Dautphetal, common minerals to be found include greywacke , diabases , quartzites , and loam produced by weathering of slate and diabase, but also partly limestone . The geological zone is known to the Hessian Environmental Atlas ( Umweltatlas Hessen ) as Dill-Mulde . Besides

7380-446: The southeast towards Gießen connected by the expresswaylike Bundesstraße 3 at Marburg (about 15 km away), Bundesautobahn 5 about 45 km to the east at Homburg leading to Basel in the south and Hamburg in the north, and Bundesautobahn 49 to the northeast connected by Bundesstraße 3 and leading to Kassel . An extension to this last expressway towards Marburg is planned. However, transport, economic and planning interests on

7470-520: The southeastern Rothaargebirge and its foothills. From about the Bad Laasphe community of Feudingen, it turns primarily to the east. The section of the Lahn below the town of Bad Laasphe is geographically known as the Upper Lahn Valley (German: Ober Lahntal). Above Bad Laasphe, where the river flows between the Rothaargebirge on the left (i.e. to the north) and the Gladenbach Uplands on the right,

7560-510: The time of industrialization comes before another one right after the Second World War which saw the population figure rise by almost 50%. This can be explained by the great number of refugees who came and settled in the area after the war, especially from Hungary . The town sisterhood with Cikó in Hungary came to be not the least because of this. Since peaking in 2002 with 13,000 inhabitants,

7650-400: The trade name Lahntal as Middle Rhine wines. In 1999, the Lahn was classified as Biological Grade II and Chemical Grade I. Overall it is considered natural. The migrations of fish such as salmon are hindered by the river's weirs and water levels, but attempts have been made through the installation of fish ladders to reintroduce formerly native fish. After the end of gravel mining in mid-1990s,

7740-594: The valley of the Lahn gradually narrows and at Leun enters the Weilburger Lahntal. The Weilburger Lahntal belongs to the larger Gießen-Koblenzer Lahntal physiographic province, considered part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains. In the upper area of the Weilburg Lahntal (the Löhnberg Basin) are mineral springs , such as the famous Selters mineral spring in the municipality of Löhnberg . In the lower area, where

7830-467: The western part of the district about 37 km east of Siegen and about 15 km west of Marburg in the upper Lahn valley. It is characterized by the Palaeozoic Rhenish Massif ( Rheinisches Schiefergebirge ). Indeed, this range's foothills from the west meet the Westerwald 's from the south and the Rothaargebirge 's from the north here. Historically speaking, Dautphetal belongs to

7920-403: Was built, with nine major bridges and 18 tunnels along the river. Afterward, Prussia and Nassau tried to keep shipping along the Lahn alive through the lowering of tariffs. Ultimately, however, rail gained acceptance as a means of transport and cargo shipping on the Lahn gradually declined. Several projects begun in 1854 to operate steamboats on the Lahn died in their infancy. In 1875, 1885 and 1897

8010-451: Was completed. In 1981, freight shipping on the Lahn came to an end. Today, the Lahn is used exclusively for recreational boats. In 1960, gravel mining began in the broad plains of the Lahn Valley in Marburg and Giessen. This ended in 1996 and large sections of Lahn Valley in Hesse were set aside as a nature reserve On 7 February 1984, the Lahn experienced a 100-year flood, which caused millions of German Marks in damage. This has since led to

8100-475: Was partly realized, and the Heuchelheim Lake and Dutenhofen Lake are now popular recreational destinations for the surrounding region. Nature conservation organizations, however, were able to prevent further gravel mining, so the area is now one of the largest nature reserves in Hesse. Dutenhofen Lake marks Kilometer 0 of the Lahn as a federal waterway. The Gießen Basin is surrounded by the mountain peaks of

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