Lauterbach, Hesse

Lauterbach (German pronunciation: [ˈlaʊtɐbax] ^ⓘ) is the district capital (Kreisstadt) of the Vogelsbergkreis district of the federal state of Hesse in central Germany.

Lauterbach
Town
Lauterbach Chateau
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Lauterbach within Vogelsbergkreis district
Lauterbach Show map of Germany Lauterbach Show map of Hesse
Coordinates: 50°38′16″N 9°23′40″E
Country	Germany
State	Hesse
Admin. region	Gießen
District	Vogelsbergkreis
Subdivisions	10 Stadtteile
Government
• Mayor (2020–26)	Rainer-Hans Vollmöller[1]
Area
• Total	101.98 km2 (39.37 sq mi)
Highest elevation	499 m (1,637 ft)
Lowest elevation	272 m (892 ft)
Population  (2023-12-31)[2]
• Total	13,033
• Density	130/km2 (330/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	36341
Dialling codes	06641, 06638 Wallenrod
Vehicle registration	VB
Website	www.lauterbach-hessen.de

History

Lauterbach was founded between 400 and 800 AD. In 812 the town was mentioned for the first time in a document of the church in Schlitz. In the Middle Ages, Lauterbach belonged to the cloister in Fulda. Then in the 12th century Lauterbach became a fief of the count Ziegenhein from the cloister in Fulda. In 1266, Lauterbach received municipal rights. In the same year, Lauterbach started to build the castle (Burg) and the city wall.

Over the following centuries, ownership rights of Lauterbach changed often and were complicated. Lauterbach became Lutheran following the Reformation. With a pact in 1684, Lauterbach came under the control of the Riedesel zu Eisenbach (Riedesel). Up to 1806, the Riedesels had a small but independent territory. Following the Napoleonic Wars and Congress of Vienna, Lauterbach belonged to the Grand Duchy of Hesse. In 1852, Lauterbach became the seat of the new founded district (Kreis) of Lauterbach. In 1972, local governments were re-organized, and the new, larger district Vogelsberg was founded of which Lauterbach remains the seat of government.

Villages that belong to Lauterbach

In 1972, several villages were incorporated into the town of Lauterbach: Allmenrod, Frischborn, Heblos, Maar, Reuters, Rimlos, Rudlos, Sickendorf, Wallenrod and Wernges.

Culture

In 1983, the town hosted the 23rd Hessentag state festival.

Economy

Lauterbacher beer is the oldest beer in Hesse. The brand has existed since 1527.

Features

The Ankerturm is the only remaining tower of the city wall. It was used to be an observation tower. Temporarily it was also used as a prison.

The Hainigturm is a tower between Lauterbach and Angersbach. This tourist attraction was built in 1907.

The Schrittsteine (stepping stones) were used as a shortcut to get to the local water fountain.

Notable people

• Friedrich Adolf Riedesel (1738–1800), military leader
• John Rock (1836–1904), German-American horticulturalist and nurseryman
• Fritz Selbmann (1899–1975), politician and writer
• Peter Grünberg (1939–2018), physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics laureate; spent his childhood and youth in Lauterbach

Gallery

• 
  The Ankerturm tower
• 
  Stepping stones
• 
  Cultural heritage monument in Lauterbach