Freigericht
Municipality
Coat of arms of Freigericht
Coat of arms
Location of Freigericht within Main-Kinzig-Kreis district
NiederdorfeldenSchöneckNidderauMaintalHanauGroßkrotzenburgRodenbachErlenseeBruchköbelHammersbachNeubergRonneburgLangenselboldHasselrothFreigerichtGründauGelnhausenLinsengerichtBiebergemündFlörsbachtalJossgrundBad OrbWächtersbachBrachttalSchlüchternBirsteinSinntalBad Soden-SalmünsterGutsbezirk SpessartSteinau an der StraßeSteinau an der StraßeBad Soden-SalmünsterBad Soden-SalmünsterGutsbezirk SpessartBavariaOffenbach (district)Offenbach am MainFrankfurtFulda (district)VogelsbergkreisGießen (district)WetteraukreisHochtaunuskreis
Freigericht is located in Germany
Freigericht
Freigericht
Freigericht is located in Hesse
Freigericht
Freigericht
Coordinates: 50°08′30″N 09°07′40″E / 50.14167°N 9.12778°E / 50.14167; 9.12778
CountryGermany
StateHesse
Admin. regionDarmstadt
DistrictMain-Kinzig-Kreis
Subdivisions5 villages
Government
 • Mayor (2018–24) Albrecht Eitz[1] (SPD)
Area
 • Total33.42 km2 (12.90 sq mi)
Elevation
200 m (700 ft)
Population
 (2022-12-31)[2]
 • Total14,641
 • Density440/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
63579
Dialling codes06055
Vehicle registrationMKK
Websitewww.freigericht.de

Freigericht is a municipality in the Main-Kinzig district, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 15 km east of Hanau, close to the Frankfurt Rhein-Main region at the foothills of the Spessart, directly at the Hesse-Bavaria border. More than 40% of the area is forested.

Geography

Geographic position

Constituent communities

Freigericht has an elevation of 140 to 371 m in a side valley of the Kinzig river.

Geology

In the southern parts of the town several pre-historical cairns have been found. On 19 June 1930 a tooth of a 40,000-year-old mammoth was discovered during building works in Somborn. It was transferred to the county seat Gelnhausen. Since the opening of Freigericht's local museum several attempts have been made to get the tooth back, none of which was successful.

Neighbouring towns

Freigericht borders the municipalities of Hasselroth to the north, Linsengericht to the east and Rodenbach to the west. South of Freigericht (already belonging to the Bavarian district of Aschaffenburg are the town of Alzenau, the municipalities of Mömbris and Geiselbach, as well as the unincorporated area of Geiselbach Forest.

Town divisions

Freigericht is divided into five villages, which have been independent villages until 1970.

On 1 January 1970 the five villages voluntarily incorporated into a new municipality named Freigericht. The name Freigericht (lit. Free Court) had been unofficially used for the villages for several centuries. According to legend, it states that farmers from the areas between the rivers Main and Kinzig stood and defended their Emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa), during a surprise ambush. As a reward, the Kaiser granted them with "free jurisdiction", hence the name "Freigericht".

Politics

Town hall in district Somborn

The town council consists of 37 members, all of which are elected for a five-year term. The CDU has been the leading party in Freigericht, although it has suffered severe losses in the recent elections. Independent groups, which have been strong prior to the incorporation of Freigericht, get a higher share.

Parties and Groups 2011 2006 2001 1997
% Seats % Seats % Seats % Seats
CDU Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands 27,9 10 47,9 18 59,0 22 45,3 17
SPD Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands 19,3 7 28,3 10 24,2 9 28,8 11
FDP Freie Demokratische Partei 1,8 1 2,6 1 — — — —
GRÜNE Bündnis 90/Die Grünen 13,3 5 — — 7,6 3 8,9 3
UWG Unabhängige Wählergemeinschaft Freigericht 22,9 8 21,3 8 9,2 3 17,0 6
BfF Bürger für Freigericht 12,4 5 — — — — — —
Die Unbestechlichen Die Unbestechlichen - Liste freier Bürger 2,4 1 — — — — — —
total 100,0 37 100,0 37 100,0 37 100,0 37
Turnout in % 51,6 48,4 52,2 68,4

Elections in 2016:

References

  1. ^ "Ergebnisse der letzten Direktwahl aller hessischen Landkreise und Gemeinden" (XLS) (in German). Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt. 5 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Bevölkerung in Hessen am 31.12.2022 nach Gemeinden" (XLS) (in German). Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt. June 2023.
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