Friedrichsdorf

Friedrichsdorf im Taunus

Friedrichsdorf is located in the Taunus area, ranking third among the Hochtaunuskreis boroughs after Bad Homburg vor der Höhe and Oberursel (Taunus). The municipal area includes, on the one hand, agricultural land such as that between Burgholzhausen and the edge of the Wetterau. On the other hand, there are vast woodlands on the crest of the Taunus, where the highest point in Friedrichsdorf's rural areas can be found: the Gickelsburg at 471 m above sea level. From the Taunus' heights, the river Erlenbach makes its way down and through town.

Friedrichsdorf (in spring)

Friedrichsdorf borders in the north and east on the town of Rosbach (Wetteraukreis), in the south on the town of Bad Homburg, and in the west on the community of Wehrheim.

Köppern had its first documentary mention in 1269. At this time, Buchard von Printsac was given in fief a watermill at "coppern" by Count Gerhard von Eppstein. Linen weaving and brickmaking were for a long time, next to farming, the most important economic activities. Later came hatmaking and tanning. In 1901, the Waldkrankenhaus ("Forest Hospital"), which still stands today (as the Fachklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, or Specialized Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy) was founded by Dr. Emil Sioli from Frankfurt.

Köppern has a street hockey team, trained by, among others, professional hockey player Ingo Schwarz, who plays for Rote Teufel Bad Nauheim.

In 1221, Burgholzhausen was being mentioned as Holzhausen in documents. The most important economic activity next to farming and linen weaving was said to be tilemaking, whose raw materials were dug from nearby clay pits. In the late 17th century, through the Ingelheimer family's lordly leadership, fruit growing was brought to Burgholzhausen

• 
  Old Town Hall (gable side)
• 
  Burgholzhausen's Old Town Hall (1605)
• 
  Renovated building from 1630 (downtown)

Seulberg was first mentioned in the Lorsch codex in 767. It is said to be one of the oldest settled places in the Hochtaunuskreis. Besides farming and linen weaving, pottery has long been an important activity here. With the Huguenots in Friedrichsdorf there was brisk trade. In a somewhat less cheerful chapter in Seulberg's history, there were witch trials in the 17th century which resulted in 31 women being put to death.

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  Evangelical-Lutheran Church (1862) (web page)
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  Töpferbrunnen ("Potters' Fountain")
• 
  Seulberg as a whole

Friedrichsdorf's old arms

Friedrichsdorf was given its first civic coat of arms in 1821 in remembrance of Russian Princess Alexandra's – and her eight guests' – visit to Count Friedrich in Bad Homburg: In azure a ring of nine roses argent (i.e. a blue shield with a ring of nine silver roses).

After amalgamation, a new coat of arms was created in 1975, taking the newly amalgamated parts of town into account. It might heraldically be described thus: Party per saltire, above, in azure a rose argent, dexter in argent a four-spoked wheel gules, sinister in argent a horseshoe gules, below, in gules a tower Or. The silver rose charge has been kept, although now there is only one instead of a ring of nine. The red stylized wheel stands for Köppern and the red horseshoe for Seulberg. The tower comes from Burgholzhausen's old arms.

Through Friedrichsdorf's outlying rural areas runs Autobahn A5, an important traffic artery that also has an interchange at the northern edge of the municipal area (16, Friedberg / Friedrichsdorf). Furthermore, Federal Highway (Bundesstraße) B 455 also runs through the town.

The town is also well supplied when it comes to rail transport. There are four stations: one in every constituent community. Friedrichsdorf station is the end of Rhine-Main S-Bahn line S 5. Also, railcars from the Frankfurt-Königstein Railway, which run on the Taunusbahn stop here. The cross-country connection to the Main-Weser Railway to Friedberg is provided by the Butzbach-Lich Railway.

Frankfurt International Airport can easily be reached by road. Also, the Firma Rotorflug can also be found in Friedrichsdorf, offering helicopter flights.

(in each case on 31 December)

• Horst Burghardt (Green)

Friedrichsdorf is twinned with:[3]

• Houilles, France since 1973[3][4]
• Bad Wimsbach-Neydharting, Austria since 1968 with Seulberg[3]
• Chesham Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom since 1980[3]