Schriesheim (; South Franconian: Schriese) is a town located in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is part of the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis and the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region. The village of Altenbach is located within Schriesheim.

Geography

Schriesheim lies on the Bergstraße, at the western edge of the Odenwald, on the small river Kanzelbach. It is 4 km east of Ladenburg, 14 km east of Mannheim and 8 km north of Heidelberg.

<!--==Subdivisions==

The city of Schriesheim has three subdivisions: Schriesheim proper, Altenbach and Ursenbach. These subdivisions are geographically identical with what were previously townships of the same names. The latter two parts are located in the Odenwald mountains. Except for Schriesheim itself, their official names appear in the form, "Schriesheim, Subdivision of ...". At the same time, these subdivisions constitute residential districts, as defined by Baden-Württemberg's municipal code. This means that each has its own village council and municipal administrator overseeing its affairs.[2]<br />

The subdivision of Altenbach includes the village of Altenbach, the hamlet of Kohlhof and the Röschbach homestead. The subdivision of Schriesheim includes the town of Schriesheim, the site of the Stam(m)berg retirement community and the houses of the Schriesheim farm. Ursenbach consists of the village of Ursenbach and the Ursenbach farm. In Altenbach, the villages of Ringes und Hohenöd have recently sprung up.[3]

<br />Altenbach is located 7&nbsp;km east of the main town of Schriesheim in the Odenwald, right at the headwaters of the Kanzelbach stream, which there is called the Altenbach, the same name as the town (Alten Bach means "old stream"). Similarly, Ursenbach, which is located 3&nbsp;km northwest of Altenbach and is also in the Odenwald, is named after a stream of the same name which flows into the Altenbach before the latter turns into the Kanzelbach and flows through Schriesheim.

The town of Schriesheim consists of three districts: Schriesheim itself, Altenbach and Ursenbach. These districts are geographically identical to the former municipalities of the same name. The latter two parts are located in the Odenwald. With the exception of Schriesheim itself, the official designations are "Schriesheim, Teilort von ...". At the same time, these districts are residential districts in the sense of the municipal code of Baden-Württemberg. This means that each part of the village has its own municipal council and its own head of the village to regulate its affairs.[2]<br />

The Altenbach district comprises the village of Altenbach, the hamlet of Kohlhof and the farmstead of Röschbach. The Schriesheim district includes the village of Schriesheim, the grounds of the Stam(m)berg senior citizens' residence and the houses of the Schriesheim farm. Ursenbach consists of the village Ursenbach and the farm Ursenbach. In Altenbach, the villages of Ringes and Hohenöd have been created in recent times.[3]

<br />Altenbach is located 7&nbsp;km east of the main town of Schriesheim in the Odenwald, directly on the upper reaches of the Kanzelbach, which has the same name as the village there (Alten Bach). Ursenbach, 3&nbsp;km northwest of Altenbach, also in the Odenwald, is named after a stream of the same name that flows into Altenbach before it becomes Kanzelbach and flows through Schriesheim.

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Climate

Schriesheim belongs, like the city of Mannheim, to the warmest part of Germany. The amount of precipitation increases from west to east and ranges between 650 and 800&nbsp;mm. The nearest weather station, located in Heidelberg, recorded an average temperature of 11.1&nbsp;°C and average precipitation of 745&nbsp;mm per year between the years 1971 and 2000. The warmest month is July with an average temperature of 20.1&nbsp;°C while the coldest month is January with an average temperature of 2.5&nbsp;°C.

A severe winter frost in early 1956 destroyed many fruit trees, especially plum trees. Figs have been grown within the borders of the city for many years.

History

Population

  • 1480: ~ 900-1.000
  • 1565: ~ 1.000-1.100
  • 1610: ~ 1.100-1.250
  • 1630: ~ 500-600 (huge loss by the Thirty Years' War)
  • 1644: 0 (village abandoned in the Thirty Years' War)
  • 1650: ~ 150 (village resettled after the war)
  • 1698: 832 (influx of immigrants after the war)
  • 1727: 1.172
  • 1783: 1.764
  • 1809: 2.051
  • 1830: 2.831
  • 1852: 2.796 (mass emigration to the US)
  • 1858: 2.707 (mass emigration to the US)
  • 1871: 2.690 (mass emigration to the US)
  • 1890: 2.654 (mass emigration to the US)
  • 1900: 2.990 (emigration mostly over)
  • 1919: 3.383
  • 1925: 3.815
  • 1932: 4.128
  • 1939: 4.289
  • 1945: 5.220 (December, influx of German refugees from the East)
  • 1946: 5.782 (June, influx of German refugees from the East)
  • 1955: 6.169
  • 1963: 7.811
  • 27 May 1970: 10.386 (population census, expansion of the area)
  • 1 February 1974: 11.605
  • 25 May 1987: 12.913 (population census)
  • 31 December 1999: 13.977
  • 31 December 2002: 14.285
  • 31 December 2006: 14.647
  • 31 December 2018: 15.081

Politics

thumb|Old town hall

City Council

The city council has 28 members and is elected directly by the populace for 5-year terms. The mayor is a de facto member of the council and its head. Since the 2004 election, the distribution of seats is as follows:

{| class="wikitable"

| bgcolor="#e3e3e3" | CDU

| bgcolor="#e3e3e3" | GL*

| bgcolor="#e3e3e3" | FW

| bgcolor="#e3e3e3" | SPD

| bgcolor="#e3e3e3" | FDP

| bgcolor="#e3e3e3" | Total

|-

| 8

| 7

| 7

| 5

| 1

| 28

|}

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Green List of Schriesheim

Mayor

The mayor is chosen by direct ballot for a term of 8 years. In November 2021 Christoph Oeldorf was elected mayor.