Meinhard

For other uses, see Meinhard (disambiguation).

Meinhard is a municipality in the Werra-Meißner-Kreis in Hesse, Germany.

Meinhard
Municipality
Coat of arms
Location of Meinhard within Werra-Meißner-Kreis district
Meinhard Meinhard
Coordinates: 51°01′N 10°10′E
Country	Germany
State	Hesse
Admin. region	Kassel
District	Werra-Meißner-Kreis
Subdivisions	11 districts
Government
• Mayor (2020–26)	Gerhold Brill
Area
• Total	59.52 km2 (22.98 sq mi)
Elevation	363 m (1,191 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)
• Total	2,820
• Density	47/km2 (120/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	37276
Dialling codes	05651
Vehicle registration	ESW
Website	www.meinhard.de

Geography

Location

The community lies in the North Hesse Low Mountain Range landscape on the edge of the Werra valley, 3 km from the district seat of Eschwege.

Near Meinhard-Frieda, the Frieda empties into the Werra. After heavy rainfall, it can swell into a fast-running river that can wash the bank of the Werra away. On the bank facing Meinhard-Jestädt, the Wehre empties into the Werra.

Neighbouring communities

Meinhard borders in the northeast and the east on the communities of Volkerode, Pfaffschwende, Kella and Geismar (all four in Thuringia’s Eichsfeld district), in the southeast on the town of Wanfried, in the south and west on the town of Eschwege and in the northwest on the town of Bad Sooden-Allendorf (all three in the Werra-Meißner-Kreis).

Constituent communities

The community’s seven Ortsteile are Frieda, Grebendorf (administrative seat), Hitzelrode, Jestädt, Neuerode, Motzenrode and Schwebda.

Politics

Community council

The municipal election held on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results:

Parties and voter communities		% 2006	Seats 2006	% 2001	Seats 2001
CDU	Christian Democratic Union of Germany	18.5	6	16.7	5
SPD	Social Democratic Party of Germany	58.2	18	60.6	19
F.D.P./ÜWG	F.D.P./ÜWG	23.3	7	22.7	7
Total		100.0	31	100.0	31
Voter turnout in %		62.1		64.3

Mayor

• 2002–2013: Hans Giller (SPD)
• 2013–incumbent: Gerhold Brill

Culture and sightseeing

Buildings

• Ruins of Schwebda Castle (moated)

Economy and infrastructure

Transport

Through Bundesstraße 249 (Eschwege-Mühlhausen), which runs right through the community, Meinhard is linked to the highway network.

Famous people

• Friedrich Rudolf Ernst Freiherr von Feilitzsch (b. 14 July 1858 in Jestädt; d. 23 January 1942 in Bückeburg), politician in the Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe and its first Prime Minister.
• Heinz Fromm (b. 10 July 1948 in Meinhard-Frieda) has been since June 2000 President of the Federal Office for Constitutional Protection

External links

• Homepage of the constituent community of Grebendorf (in German)