Alsfeld loses!Loss of the district town status

As early as the 1960s, the reorganization of districts and municipalities was discussed to prepare administrations for future challenges. In 1970, the newly elected Hessian coalition government of the SPD and FDP passed a corresponding resolution. In Alsfeld, the municipality of Altenburg had already been incorporated on December 1, 1969, to facilitate cross-municipal industrial settlement. From 1971, the municipalities of Angenrod, Billertshausen, Eifa, Elbenrod, Eudorf, Fischbach, Heidelbach, Leusel, Münch-Leusel, Reibertenrod, and Schwabenrod followed from the old Alsfeld district.

It was not until the District Reorganization Act of 1972 that Berfa, Hattendorf, Liederbach, and Lingelbach were added. With its 16 new districts, Alsfeld’s population grew to approximately 17,800 inhabitants. The city council increased from 25 to 37 seats, and local advisory boards were established in the newly incorporated municipalities.

The question of “Which city will become the new district capital?” developed into a highly unpleasant matter, leading to long-lasting polarization not only among the population but also in the media. Despite a legally sound district council resolution that awarded the function of district capital to Alsfeld by a majority, the Hessian Minister of the Interior at the time, Bielefeld, decided in favor of Lauterbach. The subsequent legal disputes dragged on until 1976. (NH)