View source for Oberaula

{{More citations needed|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox German location
|image_coa         = DEU Oberaula COA.svg
|coordinates       = {{coord|50|51|N|09|28|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan = Oberaula in HR.svg
|state        = Hessen
|region  = Kassel
|district         = Schwalm-Eder-Kreis
|elevation              = 280-590
|area            = 43.95
|postal_code       = 36280
|area_code         = 06628
|licence           = HR
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 06 6 34 019
|divisions         = 6 [[Ortsteil]]e
|website           = [https://www.oberaula.de/ www.oberaula.de]
|mayor             = Klaus Wagner<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       = 2021&ndash;27
|party             = CDU
}}
'''Oberaula''' is a municipality in the [[Schwalm-Eder-Kreis|Schwalm-Eder]] district in [[Hesse]], [[Germany]].

==Geography==

===Location===
Oberaula lies in the Knüllgebirge, a low mountain range, in the Aula river valley and its neighbouring valleys.

The nearest towns are [[Bad Hersfeld]] (about 20&nbsp;km to the east), [[Schwalmstadt]] (about 25&nbsp;km to the west), and [[Homberg (Efze)|Homberg]] (about 27&nbsp;km to the north).

===Constituent communities===
The community consists of the six centres of Hausen, Friedigerode, Ibra, Oberaula (administrative seat), Olberode and Wahlshausen.

==History==
Oberaula had its first mention in 856 as ''Ovilaha'' (roughly "the place in a moist river [[floodplain]]" or "the place at the owl water"). The constituent community of Hausen was first mentioned in 1160. Quite early on, the Fulda Abbey had a [[castle]] with a [[moat]] in Hausen, upon whose remains the Barons of Dörnberg built their [[Renaissance]] stately home in 1674.

===Amalgamations===
As part of municipal reforms, the two communities of Oberaula and Hausen merged on 1 April 1972. On 1 January 1974 came the formation of the Greater Community of Oberaula with the amalgamation of the other above-named communities with Oberaula.

==Politics==

===Municipal council===
{{update section|date=July 2021}}
The council is made up of 23 members. As of the last municipal elections held on 26 March 2006, the seats are apportioned thus:
{|
| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]] || : 11 seats
|----
| [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|CDU]] || : 12 seats
|----
|}

The community executive consists of 7 members. Four of these seats are held by the CDU and three by the SPD.

The mayor Klaus Wagner (CDU) was elected in 2009, and re-elected in 2016.

===Coat of arms===
Oberaula's civic [[coat of arms]] might heraldically be described thus: Azure an [[owl]] argent armed gules flanked by six mullets of six of the second and standing on a mount of three Or surmounted by a three-leafed oak sprig vert.

The blue background has its roots in a traditional story that mentions a blue flag. The owl stands for Oberaula and the six stars for the six constituent communities. The stars were chosen as the Counts of Ziegenhain, who held sway in the area for centuries, bore the star in their arms. The three-knolled hill – called a ''Dreiberg'' in German [[heraldry]] – stands for the Knüllgebirge in which the community lies, and the oak sprig refers to the community's membership in the former Kurhessen-Waldeck Tourist Association.

===Municipal partnerships===
* {{Flagicon|France}} [[Marsanne]], [[France]] since 1996.

==Culture and sightseeing==

===Buildings===
* [[Schloss Hausen (Oberaula)|Schloss Hausen]] (stately home), from 1674
* ''Steinmühle'' ("Stone Mill", a still-working old [[watermill]])

==Economy and infrastructure==

===Transport===
Oberaula lies on Federal Highway (''Bundesstraße'') B 454 ([[Kirchhain]] – [[Niederaula]]).

The community belongs to the North Hesse Transport Network.

Through the [[railway station]]s at [[Bad Hersfeld]] and [[Treysa]], the community is connected to the [[railway]] network. The former ''Knüllwaldbahn'' railway between Bad Hersfeld and Treysa is out of service.

==Personalities==

===Sons and daughters of the community===
* [[Wilhelm von Dörnberg|Wilhelm Caspar Ferdinand Freiherr von Dörnberg]] (born 14 April 1768 in [[Schloss Hausen (Oberaula)|Schloss Hausen]], died 19 March 1850 in [[Münster]]) was a German [[general]] and [[freedom fighter]].

==Sundry==
Oberaula shares its name with nearby [[Niederaula]] (''Ober'' = "upper"; ''Nieder'' = "lower") in the neighbouring [[Hersfeld-Rotenburg]] district.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.oberaula.de/seite/138046/geschichte.html Community's history] {{in lang|de}}

{{Towns and municipalities in the district of Schwalm-Eder}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Schwalm-Eder-Kreis]]