New Year's Eve is not only a time for celebrating, but also for working - until 12 noon in the town hall's election office, and on Friday, 2 January, the election office was already open again in preparation for the first direct election of the mayor in Rodgau, the event of the month on Sunday, 18 January.
Otherwise, there were again celebrations at the turn of the year, namely in the Dudenhofen community centre (Männerchor 1842) in the so-called. "Outland" in Dudenhofen and at the TGS Jügesheim.
Just over an hour after the New Year, the volunteer fire brigades from Nieder-Roden and Dudenhofen are called out (fire in an old clothes container on Niederwiesenring and a balcony fire in Heidelberger Straße).
The Dudenhofen Nature Conservation Association is delighted with the first major success of the new year: the black locust trees at the "Gänsbrüh" will not be felled - apart from four trees.
The Rodgau Adult Education Centre offers its new programme of 181 courses, including the 25th poetry reading in the "Literature in Rodgau" series with Günther Hindel, the last mayor of Dudenhofen.
Breeders from the Nieder-Roden Poultry Breeding Association draw a positive balance of the season with the top result of "Excellent" for Günther Dries' breedings.
The city announces the population figures at the turn of the year: With 44,286 inhabitants, the number has increased by 241 compared to the turn of the year 96/97. Rodgau thus remains the largest town in the district.
The annual timber auction organised by the "Germania" Dudenhofen choral society, this time with a tractor show, brings the first crowds of the year to the "Gänsbrüh".
The pre-Christmas benefit concert by the Kurt Herdt family from Nieder-Roden in the Bürgerhaus brings in a record result of DM 23,200 for the Frankfurt Children's Aid Foundation, with a cheque being presented at the beginning of the year.
The final highlight of the mayoral election campaign in Rodgau will be the big candidate round in the town hall with jazz and a candidate quiz, organised by the Offenbach-Post.
Announcement of the unemployment rate in Rodgau: 8.4%.
The New Year's receptions organised by the CDU and SPD also focus on the mayoral election. High-ranking celebrities come from Bonn with CDU parliamentary group leader Wolfgang Schäuble (Dudenhofen community centre) and SPD federal managing director Franz Müntefering at the Weiskirchen community centre.
Eva Wolf, the town's second oldest citizen, celebrates her 100th birthday in Weiskirchen. Councillor Alfred Schüler, re-elected head of the town's building department, takes centre stage at the Nieder-Roden CDU reception at the beginning of the year.
On 18 January: mayoral election Sunday in Rodgau. The result: Thomas Przibilla (SPD), a lawyer who has been the first city councillor in Rodgau since 1990, receives 50.7% of the vote and thus wins - and this is considered a surprise - in the first round of voting. The long-standing CDU parliamentary group leader and CDU district manager Hans-Jürgen Lange receives only 39.4%. The candidates Winfried Sahm (Alliance 90/The Greens) received 5.5% of the vote and Gottfried Burischeck (REP) 4.5%. At 61.9%, voter turnout is higher than in the last state election, but lower than in the 1997 local elections. The inauguration is scheduled for the beginning of June.
"Since the mayoral election, carnival speakers and other carnival performers have had to rewrite some of their speeches", the daily press literally wrote, praising the carnival performers who endeavour to keep things up to date during the campaign before and after the election. They do so successfully, as the well-attended and acclaimed sessions everywhere show.
A sign of the decreasing influx of repatriates in Rodgau too: the transitional home in Nieder-Roden on the Strandpromenade - run by the Workers' Welfare Organisation - is empty and is being closed down.
Bank robbery in Nieder-Roden: The robber is satisfied with a roll of five marks - worth DM 200 - and escapes unrecognised. Karl Kühnle, local farmer of Dudenhofen for many years, honorary councillor and district councillor, chairman of the 1842 Dudenhofen male choir for 20 years, man of the first hour in the reconstruction of democratic administration in Dudenhofen and the district, dies on 25 January at the age of 76. He was a recipient of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and holder of the State Certificate of Honour.
German-Polish Association Rodgau hands over 15,160 DM in donations for a children's home in Glatz (Klodzko).
If First City Councillor and Head of Social Affairs Thomas Przibilla's dream of becoming mayor comes true in January, his dream of a generation centre in Nieder-Roden will not be able to continue for the time being: the municipal council recommends to the city council that the project be dropped as the investors were unable to fulfil the contractual conditions. Hans-Jürgen Lange, the big loser of the mayoral election, relinquishes his CDU parliamentary group chairmanship and steps down to the second tier of the parliamentary group after 12 years of leadership. Peter Kratz, head of the town's sports and culture department, becomes the new arbitrator in Dudenhofen. He succeeds his father, former mayor Ludwig Kratz, who has held this office since 1959.
The CDU district parliamentary group nominates Claudia Jäger from Dudenhofen, a local councillor and public prosecutor in Frankfurt, as a district councillor.
Jakob Ph. Manus, who has worked as a volunteer landscape observer in Nieder-Roden for the town of Rodgau for seven years, is retiring. He recorded 180 environmental offences during the seven years.
Despite the freezing cold at the beginning of February, the ice surface of the Nieder-Roden bathing lake is proving unsuitable for winter sports enthusiasts.
The second training exchange is attended by 42 training companies and is well attended at the Heinrich-Böll-Schule in Nieder-Roden.
The Geschwister-Scholl-School in Hainhausen is extended.
District Administrator Josef Lach breaks ground for the construction of the natural history wing, the first phase of the extension, with a total cost volume of around DM 10 million for the extension of the comprehensive school with a five-course grammar school branch.
Hubertus K. Bader from the cycling club "Germania" Jügesheim receives the golden state association badge of honour with diamonds for over 40 years of voluntary work on the cycling board in the Main-Spessart-Rhön cycling district. The 73-year-old still cycles around 5,000 kilometres a year.
District Administrator Josef Lach (SPD), who lives in Nieder-Roden, is bid farewell from office in a ceremony in the Nieder-Roden community centre after losing the direct election to First District Councillor Peter Walter (CDU).
Until 1989, he was head of the integrated comprehensive school in Nieder-Roden (Heinrich-Böll-Schule), had been a local councillor and district councillor and was elected full-time district councillor in 1989 and district administrator of the Offenbach district in 1992.
Signatures are collected at the Georg Büchner School in Jügesheim in favour of Polish classmates Agnes and Tomasz Marcinek to prevent their deportation. The family has lived in Germany since 1989. The decision is now up to the petitions committee of the state parliament after the Hess. Court in Kassel ordered the deportation of the single mother and her 17- and 13-year-old children on 1 March.
Rodgauer is helping to finance the treatment of a 14-year-old burn victim from Bulgaria and is also supporting the girl with the lengthy and expensive follow-up treatment.
It's time to say goodbye to Horst Holzamer, the long-serving head of the sports and culture department and ombudsman. He is retiring and will be given a fitting farewell by Mayor Paul Scherer and the staff at the Weiskirchen community centre. The qualified engineer joined the town in 1984, had previously been a town councillor for many years and is still a member of the district council.
Decisions by the municipal council: The generation centre project in Nieder-Roden is "put on hold" for the time being.
The cost allocation for the suburban railway project - road subways - is approved with a contribution of DM 10 million from the city. The 1998 budget is approved with the votes of the CDU and SPD against the Greens and REPs with a total budget of around DM 111 million.
Pupils from Heinrich-Böll-Schule in Nieder-Roden are the only ones in Rodgau to take part in the district-wide day of action against education cuts with a demonstration. They are demanding "younger and more teachers".
For the last time, Mayor Paul Scherer defends "his" town hall at the traditional town hall storm on Shrove Saturday, which also marks the start of the three great days of carnival, with the final carnival procession through Jügesheim on Tuesday. The carnival procession is "colourful and cheerful, but apolitical", according to the press commentary, with around 50 motif numbers, dominated by the foot groups.
The first success of the Rodgau campaign to keep the two Polish pupils at the Georg Büchner School has been achieved with a petition with over 1,300 signatures: The petition has suspensive effect until the end of July.
Albert Walter from Dudenhofen has set a record for blood donations: in his lifetime, he has donated 125 litres of blood at blood donation events organised by the German Red Cross in Dudenhofen. That's a total of 62 litres of blood from the now 69-year-old, who will no longer be donating for reasons of age.
The "Gretel-Egner-Haus" retirement home in Dudenhofen has been taken over by Refugium Holding AG, a nationwide operator of senior citizens' service centres at 38 locations.
The Rodgau volunteer fire brigades confirm Wolfgang Kern in his office as town fire inspector, Gerhard Weitz becomes his deputy.
A 75-year-old woman from Weiskirchen is found stabbed to death in her flat. The single senior citizen died from multiple stab wounds. The public prosecutor's office in Offenbach opens an investigation. Just a few days later, a 61-year-old acquaintance of the woman is taken into custody as a suspect.
Jeanette Braun de Bes from Frankfurt wins the world championships at the "Indoor World Championships" for the Rodgau kite club "Aiolos", which is based at the lido. Young kite pilot Florian Fritsch from Rodgau comes 12th.
The town presents over 200 awards to the successful athletes, breeders and cultural organisers from district level upwards in the 1997 season. At the top of the list is "Sportswoman of the Year" Nicole Heleine from TGM Jügesheim, three-time European champion in guard dancing and five-time German champion.
The following were honoured as deserving board members with the town's letter of honour: Emma Merten (GV Eintracht 1881 Hainhausen), Paul Sickert (SKV Hainhausen), Gerhard Klein (TSV Dudenhofen), Helmut Sykora (Schützenclub "Gamsbock" Nieder-Roden), Josef Stelz (VdK) and Richard Staudt (Freiwillige Feuerwehr Nieder-Roden).
The Weiskirchen senior citizens' club celebrates its 30th anniversary in the community centre hall and now calls itself the modern "Weiskirchen Senior Citizens' Club". The only living founder is 95-year-old Susanna Bußer.
The Swiss writer Gion Mathias Cavelty becomes a school writer in Rodgau. He will be working with the upper secondary school at Claus-von-Stauffenberg-Schule in Dudenhofen. He will succeed last year's school scribe Frederik Hetmann, alias Hans Christian Kirsch, who worked at the Georg Büchner School in Jügesheim. The school scribe is the recipient of a prize endowed with 5,000 marks, donated by Dr Malte and Bärbel Armknecht from Rodgau.
Andreas Winter becomes the new fire chief in Jügesheim after Gerhard Simon had to relinquish this office for professional reasons. The former youth fire brigade officer Christian Bunge is appointed deputy fire chief. Stephan Sattler becomes the new youth warden.
The Nieder-Roden Music Association celebrates its 80th anniversary and presents its training orchestra at the party. It emphasises the work with young musicians as one of the focal points of the association's work.
The annual Easter exhibition at the Rodgau Adult Education Centre brings a touch of spring to Rodgau - now for the twelfth time - and special guest Beke Schuback, the Queen of Flowers from the Altes Land region on the Lower Elbe near Hamburg.
Clemens Jäger becomes the new chairman of the CDU parliamentary group in the town council and thus the successor to Hans-Jürgen Lange, who failed as a candidate for mayor. At a closed meeting, the CDU Rodgau decides to nominate city councillor and head of the building department Alfred Schüler from Nieder-Roden as a candidate for the vacant position of first city councillor following the change of mayor and to invite him to apply.
The 1997 Culture Prize is awarded to the choirmaster Theresia Uglik and the singing group "Jericho". The award ceremony will take place at the end of the town's culture week in June.
Tobias Roth from the Georg Büchner School in Jügesheim wins the district's school reading competition. The district council elects Claudia Jäger (CDU) from Dudenhofen as the new district councillor and head of the building department. The 33-year-old qualified lawyer has since worked at the public prosecutor's office in Frankfurt. Despite her new role, she intends to continue to fulfil her mandate as a local councillor and head of Dudenhofen.
The Rodgau-Weiskirchen Colour and Shape Canary Club appoints co-founder and successful breeder Lothar Disser as an honorary member.
An oddity at the end of the month: a locomotive breakdown blocks the Rodgau railway for over three hours in the early evening. Track workers searched for the missing train and found it between Weiskirchen and Ober-Roden.
In spring, the 34-metre-high tower of the Catholic parish church of St. Nicholas in Jügesheim will be covered by scaffolding and tarpaulins for the next few weeks for renovation. The renovation of the tower completes the extensive exterior refurbishment of the almost 130-year-old church, which took place over a period of four and a half years and has cost around 430,000 marks to date.
The Nieder-Roden Red Cross is starting another donation drive to Romania. Over the past 12 months, a total of 6,300 kilos of donations in kind worth around 95,000 marks have been collected and taken directly to the people in need in Romania on a total of four trips.
Stadtwerke welcomes Sandra Bukow, the 10,000th passenger in the shared taxi (AST for short), a facility to supplement local public transport that was created four years ago and has proved its worth, as the upward trend in passenger numbers shows.
The geological collection of the Jügesheim local history museum has been expanded to include a third slate slab, a fossil of a horseshoe crab. This is a gift from Dieter Schmitt from Rödermark, after Gerhard Lämmlein from Hainhausen had already enriched the collection with two fossils embedded in limestone slate. At the open Sunday in the museum in the former Sisters' House, these new exhibits are greeted by an astonished audience.
The shanty choir "Kieler Förde", known from television and the "Kieler Woche", performs twice in Rodgau, at the "Plattdütsch leevt" association in the Weiskirchen community centre and with the Rodgau sailors in the "Engel" in Nieder-Roden at their "3rd Rodgau harbour concert".
Stadtwerke Rodgau is finalising the sewer and road construction work in parts of Dudenhofen and Weiskirchen with special thanks to the residents affected. In Weiskirchen, the Hauptstraße motorway bridge is about to be demolished, which means a diversion via the extended Udenhoutstraße to the north side of the motorway for around a year. This is the estimated construction time for the new bridge as part of the motorway extension.
On Sunday 26 April, the Weiskirchen SPD local association will kick off the celebrations for its 100th anniversary with a public reception.
In memory of the late honorary citizen Willy Purm, who would have turned 80 on Monday, 27 April, Mayor Paul Scherer receives a picture in the town hall, which is to be given a place of honour in the council chamber.
A 56-year-old woman from Nieder-Roden is the victim of an unusual accident at a car park on the banks of the River Main in Seligenstadt: her car rolled out of the car park and into the water. She was unable to free herself from the car and drowned.
Bürgerhilfe Rodgau, headed by its chairwoman Ingeborg Hoffmann, celebrates its 10th anniversary and honours 19 active founding members (there were 26 in 1988).
At the end of a rainy April, there is a fire alarm in the Nieder-Roden community centre due to an almost curious trigger: a lightning strike sets off the alarm system. The Nieder-Roden volunteer fire brigade is called out immediately, but fortunately has no reason to extinguish the fire.
The traditional May Day rally organised by the Rodgau DGB local cartel in Hainhausen attracts few visitors: "The officials keep to themselves", according to the press.
All the more visitors come to the "Into May" dance evenings, the start of the forest festival and the SPD family festival on Puiseauxplatz.
Katharina and Alois Sattler are celebrating a rare diamond wedding anniversary in Jügesheim. The couple met in 1932 at a theatre evening organised by the Workers' Samaritan Association in the former Saalbau Fecher, now the Göbel cinema in Jügesheim. A piquant fact at the time: she was a "Duddehöfer Mädche" née Kratz, Protestant, while the groom from Jügesheim was Catholic. The fact that they married in 1938 despite some opposition from their families proves that not only was their mutual affection very strong, but that both also had remarkable civil courage to assert themselves.
50 years of VdK Hainhausen are worth celebrating. The following have been there from the very beginning and were honoured by Chairman Elfried Stutz and District Chairman Johann Hackenberg at the celebratory evening: Ludwig Stein, Wendelin Fecher, Johann Manus, Karl Müller, Franz Weitz, Georg Hau, Rudolf Gabelmann, Rita Müller and Barbara Geyer.
At the academic celebration to mark the 70th anniversary of the Weiskirchen Volunteer Fire Brigade, the new District Administrator Peter Walter presents Franz Brabec with the State Certificate of Honour for his services to the development of the youth brigade. The silver fire protection badge of honour is awarded to: Engelbert Fecher, Ernst Zilch and Thomas Dörfler. Wolfgang Plessel is made an honorary member.
The Claus-von Stauffenberg School in Dudenhofen receives a visit from Joschka Fischer, leader of the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen parliamentary group in the Bundestag, as part of its series of discussions with political celebrities. He discusses education and economic policy with pupils from Rodgau.
For the last time in his 18-year term as mayor, Paul Scherer receives a group of French schoolchildren at the town hall. He once again praised the efforts of local schools to organise student exchanges in general and with France in particular.
On its 40th anniversary, the Nieder-Roden Nature Conservation Association not only takes stock of its activities and successes in environmental and nature conservation, but in the commemorative book, honorary chairman Wendelin Schüler also points out the painful loss of animal and plant species. Of over 100 bird species in Nieder-Roden 40 years ago, 28 alone have now disappeared, not to mention the fish that once romped around in the Rodau.
The Nieder-Roden youth fire brigade's competition team successfully follows in the footsteps of its victorious predecessors all the way up to national level; it wins the district competition and qualifies for the next round. The Nieder-Roden youth fire brigade has already won 15 times at district level.
The general meeting of the Rodgau city association of the SPD confirmed Rosemarie Wendel from Weiskirchen, who has been chairwoman for six years, for a further year at the head of the party in Rodgau.
TG Hainhausen celebrates 75 years of handball with a week of festivities. The most celebrated anniversary present for the club and the head of the handball department Herbert Holzamer: the male A-youth team became district champions, the female D-youth team district champions.
Decisions made by the city council at the May meeting: The social centre will not be converted into a limited company, but will continue to operate as a municipal, so-called "Regiebetrieb".
Mayor Paul Scherer, who is retiring at the end of the month, will be made an honorary citizen by parliament. The certificate will be presented to him at his official farewell ceremony on 28 May by Edmund Brehm, head of the city council.
Pupils from Rodgau are spending 10 days in Poland as part of a school exchange programme with the town of Ilawa. Members of the Dudenhofen youth fire brigade and the DLRG Rodgau are also taking part. Pupils from the Georg Büchner School in Jügesheim make up the majority of the group.
Fifty young French people from Rodez (southern France) are creating a joint Franco-German project with young people from the Heinrich Böll School in Nieder-Roden in the form of an exhibition on the meaning of an international school partnership, which will also be shown during the return visit to Rodez.
The farewell of Mayor Paul Scherer in the hall of the Weiskirchen Sports Association after 18 years in office (1977 - 1980) as First Alderman/First City Councillor in Rodgau turns into a large gathering of politicians, clubs and citizens, of companions of Paul Scherer on his long political journey from Weiskirchen municipal representative in the early 1960s to nationally respected and deserving local politician.
After Willy Purm, the long-serving head of the town council who died in 1991, Paul Scherer is appointed the second honorary citizen in the - albeit still short - history of the town of Rodgau, which Paul Scherer has played a key role in shaping from the very beginning, since 1977 and in the development before that. The town's "first servant" leaves the stage, as one of the numerous press reports on this event put it. However, 62-year-old Paul Scherer will continue his local political activities in the district council, of which he has been an uninterrupted member since 1964.
Johanniter-Unfallhilfe Nieder-Roden is transporting 4.5 tonnes of furniture and household appliances to Zator in the Czech Republic. This is already the second transport for this region affected by the flood disaster. Kurt Herdt, singer, conductor and, above all, initiator of the aid campaigns for the children's aid foundation with a large volume of donations, especially through the annual Christmas concerts in Nieder-Roden with his family, is honoured by the Federal President with the Federal Cross of Merit, which Mayor Paul Scherer presents to him personally at a ceremony in the Nieder-Roden community centre in front of 250 guests as one of his last official acts before retiring.
In a ceremonial meeting of city councillors in the Nieder-Roden community centre, the former (since 1990) First City Councillor Thomas Przibilla is inaugurated and sworn in as the new mayor on 4 June 1999. He is the third mayor after Hans Elgner (1977 to 1980) and Paul Scherer (1980 - 1998) following the foundation of the large municipality and later city (since 1989) of Rodgau.
SV Jügesheim also has reason to celebrate, as the 1st football team has been promoted to the Oberliga Hessen, making it the highest-ranking club in the "Offenbacher Kante" alongside Kickers Offenbach, after SG Egelsbach last achieved this promotion in 1990/91. "Promotion is the crowning glory of a good season. We want to represent the city of Rodgau worthily in the Oberliga," club chairman Hans Sahm is quoted as saying in the press.
After a three-month construction period for the expansion of the Geschwister-Scholl-School in Hainhausen, the topping-out ceremony has already been celebrated. When completed, this comprehensive school will be enlarged from the current 22 to 29 classes.
At the district fire brigade festival in Weiskirchen on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the local volunteer fire brigade, the district fire brigades demonstrate their capabilities in show exercises. Guests from Udenhout are also enthusiastically welcomed to the festival weekend.
The "Polterchor Dudenhofen" of the choral society Männerchor 1842 Dudenhofen wins all first prizes in class 4 at the choir competition to mark the 125th anniversary of MGV Einigkeit Ober-Saulheim.
Nieder-Roden's Protestant pastor Eckehard Schwanke is celebrating 25 years of service in Rodgau's largest district, where he has helped shape a piece of the town's development and history since 1973. Key dates are: 1975 establishment of work with senior citizens, 1977 inauguration of the Protestant parish hall on Puiseaux-Platz, 1982 renovation of Christus-Kirche, monthly church service in Rollwald since 1986 and 1991 expansion of youth work with the establishment of "Calvins Cafe" in the parish centre.
The theatre group from the Heinrich-Böll-Schule in Nieder-Roden receives the 1998 School Theatre Sponsorship Award from the Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Hessen-Thüringen for the production of the play "Der Hirbel - Szenen eines kleinen Lebens", directed by their teacher Marita Trittin. The prize, which is endowed with 2,000 marks, will be awarded during the School Theatre Days in Kassel. The Heinrich-Böll-Schule is not alone in its theatre success, as there has been a welcome revival of the theatre scene and amateur dramatics in Rodgau, both at school and club level.
Local historian Manfred Resch from Dudenhofen presents his 10th local history book, "Unsere Kirche - unsere Heimat" (Our church - our home), which documents 450 years of church history in Dudenhofen.
Due to the large new building project on the corner of Nieuwpoorter Straße/Ludwig-Erhard-Platz, the old narrow house in which the Jewish Reinhardt family - who were expelled from Dudenhofen - once lived, has to be demolished. This demolition only took place shortly before television footage was to be filmed there for the international broadcaster "arte" for a documentary about the fate of the Reinhardt family during the Nazi era.
The northern section of Weiskircher Strasse in Jügeshein has been made a little more cycle-friendly. The red-marked lanes for cyclists on both sides of the road are intended to ensure greater safety, which required a cost of around 400,000 marks, including the design of the junction with a traffic island, with 55% state funding.
The footballers of TGM Jügesheim and player-coach Ernst List are also celebrating their promotion to the next higher division, namely the district league.
After the parliamentary party leader of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen in the Bundestag, Joschka Fischer, and the Member of the European Parliament Thomas Mann (CDU), the Claus-von-Stauffenberg-Schule in Dudenhofen is now welcoming Dr Heinrich Kolb (FDP), Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, as a further high-profile discussion partner in the auditorium. The topics ranged from economic development to education and the immigration problem.
At the end of the colourful Culture Week 1998, the 1997 Culture Prize is awarded to the conductor and youth choir leader Theresia Uglik and the group "Jericho" in the town hall.
First high-ranking international visit for the new mayor Thomas Przibilla in the town hall. Bishop R. Lalith Aponso from Sri Lanka was received. The visit was organised by Eddie Weber from Nieder-Roden, who lived in Sri Lanka for many years.
This should not go unmentioned either: Ten pupils from the Carl-Orff-Schule in Jügesheim have taken on the sponsorship of the black-headed sheep "Nane" at Offenbach Forest Zoo and are sacrificing one Deutschmark per month from their pocket money to help finance the food for one year. They are thus supporting the keeping of rare animals in this zoo.
In the last week of June, the television channel "arte" films an extensive documentary about the fate of the Jews in Dudenhofen and Babenhausen and also interviews contemporary witnesses and their descendants.
Claus-von-Stauffenberg-Schule in Dudenhofen sends 134 school leavers off into serious life, so to speak. Jan Fabricius achieved the best average grade of 1.0, ahead of Natalie Pönnighaus with 1.1. Headmaster Dr Fredi Ruths wants to nominate both for the German National Academic Foundation.
TGM Jügesheim celebrates its 110th anniversary. When honouring long-standing members, Chairman Erwin Kneißl had to excuse the oldest and most loyal member, 95-year-old Engelbert Schwab, who has been a member of the club for 80 years. But no less noteworthy is the 75 years of membership for which 90-year-old Ignaz Morian is honoured on this evening.
In Nieder-Roden, a family is brutally attacked in a house, robbed and locked up for 13 hours by the four perpetrators - a Romanian gang is suspected - who escape unrecognised.
July begins with good news: the "Institut für Gemeinwohl GmbH" in Frankfurt has made a donation of 10,000 marks to ensure the continued existence of the counselling centre of the Rodgau/Rödermark Child Protection Association. On behalf of the institute, the honorary managing director, Lothar Mark, presents the cheque to Sybille Stallmann-Beseler, chairwoman of the child protection association, in the presence of mayor Thomas Przibilla and city councillor Alfred Schüler.
The Catholic parish of Nieder-Roden will see a change of pastor on 1 September: Pastor Helmut Grittner is leaving Nieder-Roden after 17 years of service. He will be succeeded by a pastoral team of two. One name has already been finalised: Pastor Peter Eckstein, son of the mayor of Heusenstamm. The Episcopal Ordinariate will not announce any further personnel decisions until August.
Rodgau schools are also taking part in nationwide protests against cancelled classes and teacher shortages.
Rauditum among out-of-town lido guests prompts the city council to hire a security service for the lido.
At the parish festival in Jügesheim, "a piece of Giesem" is auctioned off, namely two of the old clock faces of the church tower clock, which were replaced by new ones in the course of the church renovation. One dial is auctioned off to local entrepreneur Philipp Rupp for 600 marks.
The "Edelweiß" Dudenhofen hiking club, known for its mandolin orchestra and large nationwide hiking programme, celebrates its 75th anniversary at the "Gänsbrüh" hiking home and welcomes Hess. Minister President Hans Eichel. The anniversary association also organises the 63rd Spessartbund Festival in Dudenhofen on this festive weekend.
Martin Berker (28) from Nieder-Roden receives his priestly ordination in Mainz and celebrates his first Holy Mass in his home parish of St Matthias.
TSV Dudenhofen has a complete board again following a change to its articles of association, with 60-year-old Hans Klein at the helm after the club was led by a duo consisting of Heike Nenner and Reinhold Geppert for an eight-month transitional period following the resignation of the chairman.
Alfred Schüler (CDU), the former head of the building department, is elected by the municipal council with 35 votes in favour and 8 against as the new First City Councillor and thus as the successor to Thomas Przibilla, now Mayor. The now vacant position of full-time city councillor, and thus the third full-time position in the city council, is to remain vacant for the time being following an agreement between the parliamentary groups.
The Jügesheim tennis club celebrates its 30th anniversary. Its foundation marked the beginning of the tennis boom in Rodgau with further tennis clubs and now 50 tennis courts throughout Rodgau.
Franz Germompre (71) receives a rapturous welcome in Dudenhofen, as he rode his racing bike the 740 kilometres from the twin town of Nieuwpoort to Dudenhofen in just five days with a group of four from Nieuwpoort, of which he was by far the oldest member. The other members of the quartet: Marc Peel (46), Roland Formesyn (50) and Danny Provost (37).
Football league team TGS Jügesheim wins the Rodgau football city championship - now for the fourth time - in which eight clubs once again take part. 32 unicyclists from TSV Dudenhofen take part in the World Championships in Bottrop from 25 July to 3 August and are sent off from Dudenhofen after a successful dress rehearsal.
Another top athlete, Steffen Hartig from Hainhausen, is preparing for major international events in the triathlon. Another successful Rodgauer, Harald Weber from Jügesheim, with his self-restored old motorbikes, is a popular and successful participant in classic car races and exhibitions both nationally and internationally.
The 400m runner Daniela Bruder (TGM Jügesheim) was a successful member of the national youth athletics team in the 4 x 400m relay for the U18 team at the international competition for this age group in the Czech Republic.
After 30 years as caretaker at the Carl Orff School in Jügesheim, Hanni Schwab has had to say goodbye. She was also thanked by the Mayor of Rodgau, Thomas Przibilla.
Thanks to attentive neighbours and the rapid technical assistance of the fire brigade and the Rodgau public utility company in particular, it was possible to prevent the construction crane in the excavation pit of the "Triangle" construction project on the corner of Ludwigstraße and Eisenbahnstraße from toppling over. It had started to sway due to water undermining it. Luwigstraße was closed for a day for this reason.
With a joint "maiden journey", Rodgau's mayor Thomas Przibilla and Rödermark's city councillor Margot Süß open the joint "AST era" of Rodgau and Rödermark, the linking of the call and collect taxi system of both cities. Incidentally, the first journey leads to the new editorial offices of the Offenbach-Post's external editorial office in the Rodgau-Passage in Jügesheim for the inauguration ceremony.
Another sporting role model in Rodgau: Alfons Pfeiffer (64) has been teaching adults to swim in VHS courses for over 30 years. The teacher started in 1967 at the Waldbad Obertshausen, but after three years he and the VHS switched to the indoor pool in Urberach. Around 1,600 participants took part in the courses.
On 8 August, the town invites those couples who got married ten years ago on 8 August 1988, at that time still in the registry office in Weiskirchen town hall. Five of the 16 couples still live in Rodgau. The town hall has already received initial enquiries for the next wedding date with the - alleged - lucky number 09/09/99.
The hot summer of August brings record numbers of visitors to the lido in Nieder-Roden, especially at weekends, such as on the weekend of 8/9 August with over 22,000 bathers on both days, including over 12,000 on Saturdays. Steffen Hartig wins the Darmstadt triathlon with his best time.
At the Unicycle World Championships in Bottrop, the participants from TSV Dudenhofen win five world championships in the various classes as well as other top placings, ten silver medals and eight bronze medals. The world champions: Katina Heffe, Irene Dietze and the pairing of Svenja and Nicki Dubberstein, and in the over-40 age group, Petra Frisch with a double victory. Silver: Melanie, Ina and Conny Dubberstein, Sarah and Kirsten Schadow, Katja and Jana Hödl and Silvie Frost; bronze: Thorsten Klein, Meike Schwardtmann and the group routine "Smiling Faces I".
With over 500 children, the holiday games organised by the town of Rodgau once again meet with the usual response, as do the holiday trips to the Baltic Sea and the mountains.
Mayor Thomas Przibilla officially announces the new daily record at the bathing lake on Sunday, 9 August: 12,756 bathers, around 200 more than the previous daily record from 1994.
The heatwave also leads to a series of wildfires in Rodgau, but thanks to the rapid intervention of the volunteer fire brigades, no major damage is caused. The annual youth exchange organised by the partnership working group with Puiseaux is extended for the first time to include participants from other countries. Young people from the Polish town of Ilawa are also present in Rodgau.
Jügesheim teacher Alois Kraus presents his first crime novel with the book "Tödliche Spätfolge". After almost 40 years of voluntary work as an arbitrator in Dudenhofen, Ludwig Kratz IX (popularly known as "LK 9") is retired by district court director Gerhard Wolf. Ludwig Kratz, who was also mayor of Dudenhofen for 20 years, had been elected or re-elected as arbitrator since 1959. His successor is his son Peter Kratz, head of the town council's sports and culture department and ombudsman.
"It's never been done before", writes the press about the Kerb in Hainhausen, because for the first time a large Ferris wheel with a wide field of vision over Rodgau is turning in the parish garden.
In the Hessen-Zeitung, the taxpayers' association praises the city of Rodgau for not filling the third full-time magistrate position, saving around DM 200,000 per year.
There is another anniversary to celebrate on the last weekend in August: 25 years of the "Keeskuche Festival" organised by the Dudenhofen male and female choirs.
Also in the last week of August, almost 2,400 senior citizens are invited by the city to enjoy the annual five-day excursion on the "Frankonia" on the Rhine from Wiesbaden-Biebrich to Rüdesheim.
Günter Hindel (80), the writer and last mayor of Dudenhofen, presents his eighth book with his new volume "Weitsicht ist gefragt".
Franz Göbel, chairman of the Jügesheim trade association, master butcher and head of the Saalbau-Lichtspiele, celebrates his 50th birthday on 29 August.
At the Offenbach leather goods fair, Federal Minister of Economics Günther Rexroth presents the designer team Doris Hartwich and Wolfgang Rupp from the Jügesheim leather goods factory Esquiere with the 5000 Mark prize in the small leather goods product category.
Kurt Steppke from Nieder-Roden receives the Federal Cross of Merit for his great services to workers' welfare in the city, district and state, presented to him by Mayor Thomas Przibilla at a ceremony.
After 17 years of working in the parish of St Matthias Nieder-Roden, Father Helmut Grittner says a big farewell at the parish festival. Grebenhain in the Vogelsberg will be his new place of work. His parish housekeeper Ines Sieben is also leaving with him. In his farewell sermon, Pastor Grittner spoke of his heartfelt gratitude for what the people of Nieder-Roden had given him and how difficult it was for him to say goodbye. Many words of thanks and appreciation are exchanged with his congregation. The town of Rodgau also presented the dedicated pastor with the citizen's medal for his services at a ceremony. Jürgen Klinkert, Chairman of the Parish Council, speaks of two traces that Pastor Grittner has left behind: On the one hand, through his more pragmatic nature, as demonstrated by the church roof and exterior façade renovated shortly after his arrival in 1981, the new construction of the Don Bosco home, the kindergarten and finally the new construction of the parish centre. On the other hand, Father Grittner's constant endeavours to fill these new rooms with life and to give groups from all walks of life a new home in them were all the more valuable.
The "serious side of life" begins - with the first day of school - for 514 first-graders in Rodgau.
By deploying patrol cars around the clock and extending the opening hours of the police station in Dudenhofen, the police are increasing their checks and presence in Rodgau.
The magistrate, dominated by the CDU, rejects the supplementary budget submitted by the mayor and treasurer Thomas Przibilla (SPD). This means that, for the first time in Rodgau, the administration is to work without a supplementary budget.
At the beginning of September, the city administration presents its new recruits to the public: Five trainees in administration, seven pre-study interns and six interns in their year of recognition.
One week after the farewell of Pastor Grittner in Nieder-Roden, his successors, Pastors Peter Eckstein and Konstantin Keitzer, are inducted into office. This is the first time in the diocese of Mainz that a community of two priests has looked after a parish.
The Nieder-Roden youth fire brigade's competition team takes 3rd place out of all German teams at the international CTIF competitions. The team narrowly misses out on qualifying for the European Championships.
The unemployment rate in Rodgau remains at 7.5%. The Nieder-Roden gymnastics club celebrates the topping-out ceremony for its new clubhouse on the Breitwiesenring site. The proceeds from the sale of the old gymnasium at the railway station (due to the upcoming construction of the S-Bahn) help to finance the project.
The Rodgauer Tanzsportclub RTC celebrates its 20th anniversary with an anniversary ball in the Dudenhofen community centre. Renate Merz, Marianne and Erwin Filbert, Elfriede and Reinhard Müller are honoured as members from the very beginning. Over 100 young people are active in the club alone, as Chairman Rudolf Schulz reports.
The 17th 24-hour run of the Rodgau association "Gemeinsam mit Behinderten" (Together with the Disabled) in the Dudenhofen sports centre with 43 teams brings in record proceeds of around DM 280,000. The winning team: Portas Dream Team with over 386 kilometres run. The Rodgau wheelchair team also took part and completed 454 laps.
Poultry breeders come to Dudenhofen from all over Germany for the main special show of the Bielefeld Kennhühner and Zwergkennhühner. One week later, the joint young poultry show of all four Rodgau poultry breeding clubs takes place in Dudenhofen, two major organisational tasks for the Dudenhofen poultry breeding club.
Heinz Meibert, Jürgen Werner and Hans Deister are awarded the environmental prize for natural gardens in Rodgau. Guests from Ilawa in Poland - visiting as part of the youth exchange programme - plant five small trees at the Georg Büchner School in Jügesheim as a symbol of the still young friendship between Ilawa and Rodgau, which is documented in a certificate for future generations.
An employee of the Rodgau job centre is attacked at the entrance early in the morning by a stranger and seriously injured with a knife. The perpetrator manages to escape; the injured man survives.
The SPD in Nieder-Roden celebrates its 100th anniversary with a big ceremony and Rudi Arndt - former mayor of Frankfurt and former Hessian Minister of Economics - gives the keynote speech.
Former local association chairmen are honoured with the Willy Brandt Medal: Siegfried Weiß, Fritz Klein, Bernhard Peschel, Josef Lach, Walter Pfau and Edgar Krausch.
The Rodgau-Passage in Jügesheim is being extended by a commercial building with an underground car park - a total of 150 parking spaces in this inner town area. Among other things, the labour office will move into this new building. The town once again invited the birthday children of the day - for 1998, 15 September - to the annual citizens' reception in the town hall. Of the 102 people invited, 75 had confirmed their attendance. The next birthday date for 1999 was 13 October.
The Bundestag election on 27 September produces the following result in Rodgau with a voter turnout of 86.3% (85.1% in 1994): CDU 44.2% first votes/39.2% second votes, SPD 43.3%/40.1%, Alliance 90/The Greens 4.8%/7.0%, FDP 2.7%/7.0%, PDS 0.8%/1.0%, REP 2.9%/2.7%, DVU 0.4%, BFB 0.4%. In Rodgau constituency 144, Adelheid Tröscher (SPD) takes the constituency and also the seat in the Bundestag from the former directly elected CDU member of the Bundestag Wolfgang Steiger, who misses re-entry into the Bundestag by one place on the state list.
At the Rodgau City Athletics Championships, the Weiskirchen Sports Association "skimmed off the top" with 67 titles alone, consolidating its dominant position ahead of TGM Jügesheim (29 titles) and TSV Dudenhofen (22). At the German ultra-cross-country championships in Kiel, Wolfgang Hüster from Rodgauer Lauftreff runs 100 kilometres in 8:15:50 hours to take 5th place in the M40 category.
Ulrich Rausch from Jügesheim presents his new book on the subject of "Jehovah's Witnesses" at the Haus der Begegnung. The theologian, who compiled this book with Ute Schüssler, is the author of various books on sects and worldview issues.
At the end of a private 13-month relief operation for the flood victims in Zator in the Czech Republic, two lorries from Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe set off once again for the east with 4.6 tonnes of furniture, kitchen utensils and clothing.
The donations, most of which were collected by Waltraud and Otto Parsch, were stored in the old TG gymnasium at the railway station in Nieder-Roden. The Protestant parish of Weiskirchen/Hainhausen/Rembrücken celebrates its 25th anniversary as an independent parish. The Dudenhofen allotment garden association, which has 116 gardens, celebrates its 50th anniversary. The clubhouse was built in 1977. Two founding members, Josefine Felgenhauer and Marie Köhler, are especially honoured.
On 15 October, the "arte" documentary about Dudenhofen and the fate of the Jewish Reinhardt family, who once lived there, is broadcast on television, sparking lively discussions and press commentary about the manner, pros and cons of this reappraisal of the past by a French television team. The comments range from "missed opportunity" to provocation and the accusation that the programme was too superficial, despite almost a week of research, filming and interviews on location in the summer. In a well-attended panel discussion in the Protestant community centre in Dudenhofen, the programme and topic are later discussed and reappraised in public.
Hermann Bernhart from Hainhausen (fruit and horticultural association, local representative for bird protection for 28 years, co-founder of IGEMO, 45 years in the fire brigade) and Toni Tumpach (founder and chairman of the Egerländer community in Rodgau for 20 years) received a letter of honour from the state of Hesse.
Ljubica Perkmann from Jügesheim presents her second book, a volume of poetry entitled "The End of a Summer". At the town hall, the contracts for the construction of the suburban railway on the cost sharing of three of the seven planned subways - so-called crossing agreements - are signed. intersection agreements - are signed. The city expressly emphasises that it is not responsible for the previous delays in S-Bahn construction, but that Deutsche Bahn AG is. Construction is now expected to start at the beginning of 2000.
The town council ends the long public discussion about the pros and cons of a replacement bridge during the estimated one-year construction period for the new Schiller road bridge in Weiskirchen with a clear decision: no replacement bridge, but a diversion of traffic via the newly built "Mollischgrabenbrücke", also in view of the existing pedestrian subway at the level of the fire station under the B 45.
The Jügesheim youth fire brigade is delighted to receive a donation of 1,500 marks from Ignaz Morian, who waived his 90th birthday presents in favour of the fire brigade.
Jügesheim track and field athlete Daniela Bruder (TGM) makes the leap into the junior national squad of the German Athletics Association (middle distance).
Two state ministers visit Rodgau within 24 hours, namely Finance Minister Karl Starzacher (SPD), guest of the Nieder-Roden SPD, and Culture Minister Hartmut Holzapfel (SPD) for the traditional Hesse evening organised by the Dudenhofen SPD in the community centre.
Pastor Helmut Grittner, who left the parish of St Matthias Nieder-Roden at the end of August, is presented with the silver citizens' medal in a festive ceremony in the town hall. The Weiskirchen local history association documents memories of the Jewish families in Weiskirchen in its exhibition in the local history museum entitled "Fragments of the history of the Jews in Weiskirchen".
The "arte" television film "Dudenhofen - free of Jews for 60 years" is shown once again in the Dudenhofen Protestant community centre and put up for public discussion (see Chronicle for October).
"The majority saw this programme as an important contribution to coming to terms with the past," was the conclusion in one of the many press reports on this discussion evening, which was attended by around 250 visitors and panel guests, including historian Dr Zoya Fiedler, a granddaughter of the Reinhardt family, who were expelled from Dudenhofen in 1938. This event will take place on 09 November, the anniversary of the so-called. "Pastor Markus Nett of Dudenhofen describes it as a "milestone" on the road to coming to terms with the past.
High-ranking visitors to the CDU in Rodgau: the CDU's top candidate for the state election in Hesse, Roland Koch, at the Weiskirchen community centre and former Federal Minister for Family Affairs Hannelore Rönsch at the CDU's traditional "Sauessen" at the Dudenhofen community centre.
The new Rodgau prince and princess of the 98/99 campaign are presented at the TGS Jügesheim carnival kick-off: Nicola I. and Peter I., real names Peter and Nicola Otto.
The 21st Gymnaestrada organised by the Rodgau sports clubs once again proves to be an advertisement for popular sport with over 400 participants - the oldest participant is 77 years old - in front of a full audience.
For the first time, the Rodgauers are taking part in the HR 3 television programme "8... and get set to go". Ten quiz candidates and the unicycle world championship team from TSV Dudenhofen and the Rodgau square dancers will be assessed by the HR team during the "casting" (test recordings) for the show appearance in Kassel scheduled for the beginning of January.
The trial of 61-year-old Hermann B., who is sentenced to 10 years in prison for the manslaughter of 75-year-old Erika S. from Weiskirchen, begins at the Darmstadt jury court.
The district show of pedigree poultry breeders takes place in the Jahnhalle in Weiskirchen with a total of 1150 ducks, chickens and pigeons from 135 breeders from a total of 21 district clubs.
The town's annual art and hobby exhibition in the community centre hall and the adjacent sports hall in Nieder-Roden once again attracts a record number of almost 100 local artists and a large audience.
On the first Sunday in Advent and the last Sunday in November, as part of the Advent stroll in Jügesheim, the town council invites you to an information day in the town hall, which was occupied ten years ago.
The Advent season in Rodgau sees the start of another series of excellent concerts by music societies and choirs in all parts of the town, the bazaar organised by the Dudenhofen Protestant Women's Aid Society, which is now in its 21st year and ends with 8,400 marks in proceeds for the Katharina von Bora Fund and to finance the Luther Rose on the church square, and the bazaar organised by the Nieder-Roden SOS Helpers' Circle, the proceeds of which are earmarked for the SOS Children's Villages.
At the Weiskirchen Sports Association's evening of honour to mark its 105th anniversary, numerous jubilarians are honoured: Johann Roßfuß for 85 years of membership, Heinrich Ball for 79 years, Valentin Wolf for 78 years, Josef Fecher for 76 years and Alois Grebner for 75 years.
Rodgau's former mayor Paul Scherer is made an honorary member. The Young Union Rodgau and the Young Socialists found a "Ring politischer Jugend" (Ring of Political Youth) with the aim of promoting young people's interest - across party lines - in political and parliamentary processes.
The old school in Dudenhofen, the three-storey building at Nieuwpoorter Str. 88, is to be demolished by the end of the year. Built in 1880, the school building was last used as a residential building with so-called. single flats. There are no plans to build a new building on this site, right next to the Protestant church, but rather to use the resulting gap to improve the town centre. An open space will be created that will provide a view of the church and Rector Geissler House ensemble.
High honour for Jügesheim pigeon fancier Helmut Winter: In Dortmund's Westfalenhalle, he is named "Master of German Pedigree Pigeon Breeding" by the Association of German Pedigree Pigeon Breeders after 50 years of successful breeding.
The städt. Kindergarten Binger Weg sends 250 kilos of donated toys and clothes on their way to Romania.
Heavy snowfall brings good winter sports opportunities in Rodgau, but also brings traffic in and around Rodgau almost to a standstill.
In addition to the numerous concerts in community centres and churches, the Christmas markets organised by the trade associations of Jügesheim (Advent stroll), Nieder-Roden and Dudenhofen and - for the first time on a smaller scale - by the local associations in Weiskirchen, after the trade association there withdrew, also provide Christmas cheer, especially at the weekends.
Günther Dries from the Nieder-Roden Poultry Breeding Club was awarded the top mark of "Excellent" twice at the 80th National Poultry Show in Leipzig, as was his club colleague Hans Dries.
The animals of Winfried Weber and Helmut Winter from the Jügesheim Poultry Breeding Club were also awarded "Excellent" at high-ranking shows at national and state level in December. There were also numerous "Excellent" awards for other Rodgau breeders. Further proof of the high standard of breeding in Rodgau.
Hans Keppler - Department of Accounting - is honoured for 25 years of uninterrupted service as a course instructor at VHS Rodgau.
Rodgau veterinary surgeon Dr Werner Lüthgen, a successful long-time breeder and member of the Jügesheim Poultry Breeders' Association, is awarded the Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon by the Federal President. He is regarded as one of the first specialised veterinarians for poultry diseases in Hesse. From 1981, he was initially responsible for animal disease control and veterinary drug monitoring at the regional council in Darmstadt for 13 years, then followed a call from the state government and took over the meat hygiene and rendering department in Wiesbaden. More than 100 publications made him just as well known as his outstanding breeding results and his work as an adjudicator at European level as well as his commitment to training the next generation of doctors.
For 40 years of active service in the Nieder-Roden volunteer fire brigade, former fire chief Egon Weiland is awarded the Silver Fire Protection Badge of Honour on Ribbon.
The traditional New Year's Eve run organised by TG Nieder-Roden and the New Year's Eve balls of the Dudenhofen male choir in the community centre and the TGS Jügesheim in the club hall mark the start of 1999 in Rodgau.
