Rodgau Has Only Existed Since 1977: How Five Municipalities Became One Town

  • Are you older than Rodgau? The town has only existed since 1977. Picture of a village church with half-timbered houses.
  • That is why Rodgau has no old town centre. Instead, it has five former villages on a stream.
  • 1 January 1977: Weiskirchen, Hainhausen, Jügesheim, Dudenhofen and Nieder-Roden become one municipality. Reason: the territorial reform in Hesse.
  • But not yet a town. The new municipality has more than 33,000 inhabitants. The town charter only comes on 15 September 1979.
  • Where does the name come from? Rodgau is an old name for the landscape. The Rodau flows through all districts of the town.
  • The coat of arms tells it. The wavy bar is the Rodau. The five stars are the five districts of the town.
  • Five town halls, then one. In 1977, the administration works in five town halls. 1988: one town hall in Jügesheim.
  • In short: 1977: one municipality. 1979: one town. 1988: one town hall. Today: approx. 45,000 people.
  • Which district of the town do you live in? Write it in the comments. And share the post with someone who is older than Rodgau.
The carousel on Instagram (German)

Rodgau is younger than many people who live here. The town has only existed since 1 January 1977. That is why Rodgau has no old town centre like other towns. Instead, it has five former villages along the Rodau.

At a glance

Year What happens
1977 Five municipalities become the municipality of Rodgau
1979 Rodgau becomes a town
1988 The central town hall opens
today Approx. 45,000 people live in Rodgau

1977: five municipalities become one

On 1 January 1977, Weiskirchen, Hainhausen, Jügesheim, Dudenhofen and Nieder-Roden with Rollwald become one municipality. The reason is the territorial reform in Hesse. The new municipality already has more than 33,000 inhabitants. But it has no common coat of arms yet and is not yet called a “town”.

1979: Rodgau becomes a town

On 15 September 1979, the Hessian Minister of the Interior, Ekkehard Gries, hands over the certificate. Since then, Rodgau has been a town.

The name and the coat of arms

Rodgau is an old name for the landscape. The Rodau flows through all districts of the town.

The coat of arms tells the history:

  • The silver wavy bar is the Rodau.
  • The five stars on it are the five districts of the town.
  • The Wheel of Mainz is a reminder of the Electorate of Mainz. From 1425, the Electorate of Mainz ruled all the villages.
  • The Luther rose stands for Dudenhofen. Dudenhofen was Protestant, the other villages were Catholic.

1988: one town hall for all

In 1977, the administration still works in five town halls. On 10 December 1988, the new central town hall opens.

Who writes here?

I am one of the 6 volunteer city councillors in Rodgau, for Volt. Here I explain what happens in your town, factually and without internal matters. How the town decides, you can read in the article “Who Governs Your Town?”.

Your opinion

Which district of the town do you live in? Write it in the comments under the Instagram post.

Sources