Astert

Astert

Coat of arms
Astert

Coordinates: 50°41′42″N 7°46′42″E / 50.69500°N 7.77833°E / 50.69500; 7.77833Coordinates: 50°41′42″N 7°46′42″E / 50.69500°N 7.77833°E / 50.69500; 7.77833
Country Germany
State Rhineland-Palatinate
District Westerwaldkreis
Municipal assoc. Hachenburg
Government
 • Mayor Hermann-Josef Schneider
Area
 • Total 2.39 km2 (0.92 sq mi)
Population (2015-12-31)[1]
 • Total 222
 • Density 93/km2 (240/sq mi)
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes 57627
Dialling codes 02688
Vehicle registration WW
Website www.hachenburg-vg.de

Astert is an Ortsgemeinde – a community belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde – in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

Geography

Location

The community lies in the Westerwald between Limburg and Siegen in the Kroppacher Schweiz (“Kroppach Switzerland”), a nature and landscape conservation area. Through the community flows the river Große Nister. In 1985, Astert was chosen as Rhineland-Palatinate’s prettiest place in the contest Unser Dorf soll schöner werden (“Our village should become lovelier”). Astert belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Hachenburg, a kind of collective municipality. Its seat is in the like-named town.

Constituent communities

Astert’s Ortsteile are Oberdorf and Unterdorf.

History

In 1282, Astert had its first documentary mention in a document from the Marienstatt Monastery, in which it was named as Asterode.

Statistik zur Einwohnerentwicklung

[2]

  • 1815 – 152
  • 1835 – 150
  • 1871 – 175
  • 1905 – 200
  • 1939 – 225
  • 1950 – 220
  • 1961 – 199
  • 1970 – 206
  • 1987 – 214
  • 2005 – 249

Politics

Community council

The council is made up of 8 council members who were elected in a majority vote in a municipal election on 7 June 2009.

Regular events

In this small but lively community, village festivals can be enjoyed almost every month. The raising of the Maypole and Carnival, roo, are times when both old and young inhabitants can celebrate together. The community’s youth, who are not very strongly represented, like to gather at the Backes (an old baking house).

Culinary specialities

Moreover, there is something else that sets Astert apart, its speciality. It is known as Asterter Klüsen – a regional word for dumplings. They are a well loved dish not only among the locals, but also for people from the neighbouring communities, who enjoy this hearty dish. The dumplings’ recipe and preparation, however, are things that only longtime village ladies may know. The art of cooking the Asterter Klüsen, though, is taught younger ladies so that this delight does not pass away into legend.

Economy and infrastructure

Transport

South of the community runs Bundesstraße 414, which leads from Altenkirchen to Hachenburg. The nearest Autobahn interchanges are in Siegen and Wilsdorf on the A 45 (Dortmund–Gießen), roughly 25 km away. The nearest InterCityExpress stop lies about 40 km away at the railway station at Montabaur on the Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed rail line.

References

  1. ↑ "Gemeinden in Deutschland mit Bevölkerung am 31. Dezember 2015" (PDF). Statistisches Bundesamt (in German). 2016.
  2. ↑ Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz - Infothek

External links


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/20/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.