View source for Modautal

{{Infobox German location
|name              = Modautal
|type              = Municipality
|image_coa         = Wappen Modautal.svg
|coordinates       = {{coord|49|46|N|08|43|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan        = Modautal in DA.svg
|state             = Hessen
|region            = Darmstadt
|district          = Darmstadt-Dieburg
|elevation         = 240-519
|area              = 31.79
|postal_code       = 64396–64397
|area_code         = 06167, 06254
|licence           = DA
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 06 4 32 013
|website           = [http://www.modautal.de www.modautal.de]
|mayor             = Jörg Lautenschläger<ref>{{cite web|url=https://statistik.hessen.de/sites/statistik.hessen.de/files/2022-10/direktwahlen_09_2022_10102022.xlsx|title=Ergebnisse der letzten Direktwahl aller hessischen Landkreise und Gemeinden|language=de|date=5 September 2022|publisher=[[Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt]]|format=XLS}}</ref>
|leader_term       = 2019&ndash;25
}}
'''Modautal''' ({{IPA|de|ˈmoːdaʊˌtaːl}}, {{lit|[[Modau]] Valley}}) is a municipality in the [[Darmstadt-Dieburg]] district, in [[Hesse]], [[Germany]]. Approximately 5,050 inhabitants live in 11 districts on an area of 31&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> with about 38.7% wood. The first historical chronicles date back to the 13th century.

==History==
The municipality was formed in 1977 by putting together eleven districts during the so-called [[:de:Gebietsreform|Gebietsreform]]. During the time of the [[Celts]] the area must have already been inhabited since the so-called "Heuneburg" on a hill in [[Fischbachtal]] was a Celtic castle where the people and their animals from the region could flee ([[:de:Fluchtburg|''Fluchtburg'']]). To construct such a building, a lot of helping hands must have been living nearby.<ref>[http://www.modautal.de/?Die_Gemeinde___Geschichtliches Information about history]</ref>

In the Middle Ages, the eleven villages of Modautal belonged to different knight's families: The family of ''Rodenstein'', the family from ''[[Frankenstein Castle|Frankenstein]]'', the one from ''Mosbach'', the family of ''Wallbrunn'' as well as ''Stumpf von Asbach'' and ''Kalb von Reinheim'' just to name a few. The oldest available documents date back to 1651 and are the so-called "Haingerichtsbücher" (written rules of the peasants in Brandau).{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

During the revolution in 1848 and due to failure of crops, huge parts of the inhabitants of the villages emigrated to North America.

==Town districts==
<ref>[http://www.modautal.de/?Die_Ortsteile Desprition of town districts]</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name !! COA !! Description
|-
| Allertshofen and Hoxhohl|| || Both villages are really close to each other. In a quiet valley of the small river Modau, they are located at 280 to 290 meters above sea level.
|-
| Asbach ||[[File:Wappen Asbach (Modautal).png|frameless|60px]]|| The village lies at 225&nbsp;m above sea level in a valley next to the one with the Modau. There is a rehabilitation center there.
|-
| Brandau || || The biggest district of Modautal can easily be recognized from the hills surrounding it by the Cemetery of Honor with a little bell-tower with a metallic roof right at the border of the village.
|-
| Ernsthofen || [[File:Wappen Ernsthofen (Modautal).png|frameless|50px]]|| The sights of the village are an old water mill, the castle and the small Protestant church. An important institution is the primary school ''Modautalschule''.
|-
| Herchenrode || || 
|-
| Klein-Bieberau || || There is only one small road, which comes from Klein-Bieberau, to this village, so it literally lies at the end of the road. During summer, the water reservoir of the fire brigade serves as a swimming pool for the kids.
|-
| Lützelbach|| || This little village lies at 420 meters above sea level. Its fire brigade has existed since 1655. Nowadays, it is famous among tourists for its restaurants.
|-
| Neunkirchen || [[File:Wappen Neunkirchen (Modautal).svg|frameless|50px]]|| The books of the Protestant church in Neunkirchen date back to the times of the [[Thirty Years' War]] in the 17th century. Back then, most of the villages belonged to this [[parish]]. It is 520 meters above sea level at the top of a hill. The turning radar station can be seen from afar.
|-
| Neutsch || [[File:Wappen Neutsch.png|frameless|50px]]|| Long before it became fashionable, three [[wind turbine]]s were erected in the fields above the village.
|-
| Webern || || 
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.modautal.de Website Modautal(in German)]

{{Towns and municipalities in Darmstadt-Dieburg district}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Darmstadt-Dieburg]]
[[Category:Municipalities in Hesse]]


{{Hesse-geo-stub}}