Waldbach-Mönichwald

Waldbach-Mönichwald is a municipality since 2015 in the Hartberg-Fürstenfeld District of Styria, Austria.

Waldbach-Mönichwald
Waldbach-Mönichwald
Location within Austria
Coordinates: 47°26′50″N 15°52′57″E
CountryAustria
StateStyria
DistrictHartberg-Fürstenfeld
Government
 • MayorStefan Hold (ÖVP)
Area
 • Total53.78 km2 (20.76 sq mi)
Elevation
625 m (2,051 ft)
Population
 (2018-01-01)[2]
 • Total1,523
 • Density28/km2 (73/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
8251, 8252, 8253
Websitewaldbach.riskommunal.net
Parish church "Holy Georg" in Waldbach
Parish church "Holy Peter and Paul" in Mönichwald

The municipality was created as part of the Styria municipal structural reform,[3] at the end of 2014, by merging the former towns Waldbach and Mönichwald.[4]

A petition against the merger, raised by the town Waldbach at the constitutional court, was not successful.[5]

Geography

Municipality arrangement

The municipality territory includes the following six hamlets (populations as of January 2015[6]):

  • Arzberg (415)
  • Breitenbrunn (81)
  • Karnerviertel (567)
  • Rieglerviertel (83)
  • Schmiedviertel (303)
  • Schrimpf (97)

The municipality consists of the five Katastralgemeinden: Arzberg, Karnerviertl, Rieglerviertl, Schmiedviertl and Schrimpf.

Tourism

The municipality formed, together with Fischbach, Miesenbach, Ratten, Rettenegg, Strallegg, St. Kathrein am Hauenstein, St. Jakob im Walde, Birkfeld, Wenigzell and Vorau, the tourism agency "Joglland-Waldheimat". The base is in the town St. Jakob im Walde.[7]

Politics

Mayor

In the election for the town council in April 2015, Stefan Hold (ÖVP) from Mönichwald was elected as the first mayor of the newly formed municipality.[8]

The municipal court also included deputy mayor Arrigo Kurz (ÖVP) and the town treasurer Martin Übelher (SPÖ), both from Waldbach.[8]

Until 31 December 2014, Andreas Riegler (ÖVP) in town Waldbach and Josef Freiberger (ÖVP), in the town Mönichwald, were the incumbent mayors. In the merger of the municipalities, there was at first no mayor. Thereby in protest against the merger, none of the former town politicians were to be mayor, and from the Landesregierung Steiermark with Franz Schröck, a Mitarbeiter of the Hartberg-Fürstenfeld, was installed as interim commissioner. This had led to the resulting duties until the election of the mayor during the inaugural meeting of the Municipal Council.[9]

Municipal council

The municipal council consists of 15 members. After the results of the 2015 election, the council convened with the following members:

  • 8 Mandate ÖVP,
  • 4 Mandate SPÖ and
  • 3 Mandate FPÖ.

At the session of the town council, the groups of both former municipalities were there, with eight members from Waldbach and seven from Mönichwald.[8]

The prior elections brought the following results:

Party 2015 2010 2005 2000
merged municipalityWaldbachMönich-
wald		WaldbachMönich-
wald		WaldbachMönich-
wald
Vote%Mand. V.%M. V.%M. V.%M. V.%M. V.%M. V.%M.
ÖVP 581548 303596 394636 282515 361576 329626 339579
SPÖ 270254 133262 178293 184343 230363 136262 200345
FPÖ 218203 077151 050080 083151 041060 064121 058101
Counts 1,323 629 744 646 753 620 746
Percentage 82% 83% 85% 85% 85% 87% 82%

Demographics
YearMönichwaldWaldbachTotal
186908447451589
188008917241615
189008516951546
190008537031556
191009017401641
192308687031571
193409508091759
193909348861820
195108888651753
196109188671785
197109239561879
198110349201954
199110659011966
200109757971772
201108987231621
201408646931557

References
  1. "Dauersiedlungsraum der Gemeinden Politischen Bezirke und Bundesländer - Gebietsstand 1.1.2018". Statistics Austria. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  2. "Einwohnerzahl 1.1.2018 nach Gemeinden mit Status, Gebietsstand 1.1.2018". Statistics Austria. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  3. Steiermärkische Gemeindestrukturreform.
  4. § 3 Abs. 4 Z 6 StGsrG, Landesgesetzblatt für die Steiermark Nr. 31, Jahrgang 2014. ZDB-ID 705127-x.
  5. Erkenntnis des VfGH vom 23. September 2014, G 44/2014, V 46/2014 über die Anträge der Gemeinde Waldbach.
  6. Statistik Austria, Bevölkerung am 1.1.2015 nach Ortschaften
  7. Grazer Zeitung. "Amtsblatt für die Steiermark". 30 December 2014, 210. Jahrgang, 52. Stück. Nr. 307. ZDB-ID 1291268-2 p. 626.
  8. Gemeinde Waldbach-Mönichwald: Gemeinderat (accessed on 28 May 2015).
  9. Kleine Zeitung vom 30. Dezember 2014: Beamter übernimmt Amt des Bürgermeisters (abgerufen am 19. April 2015)
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