Ober Ramstadt
Ober-Ramstadt is a town in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, in Hessen, Germany. It is situated 9 km southeast of Darmstadt. As of 2006, its population was 15,196.
Ober-Ramstadt is situated 9 km away from Darmstadt. The small river Modau flows through Ober-Ramstadt, forming a little artificial lake south of the city.
Traces of first settlement have been found which date from the later Stone Age. Written evidence derives from 1310, when Eberhardt, Count of Katzenelnbogen received the same freedoms and rights as the city of Frankfurt for his town Ramstadt. This included the right to hold a market and to build fortifications around the town. During and after the Thirty Years’ War, the bigger part of population died, mainly through pestilence.
In 1699, Ernest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt allowed the Waldensians from the Piedmont valley of Pragelato to settle on his property in Rohrbach, Wembach and Hahn, which were left deserted as a result of the preceding war and pestilence. The Waldensians had to flee from their hometowns because of religious pursuits. Waldensians still have a vital religious community in Rohrbach-Wembach-Hahn. Until the end of the 19th century, waldensian school lessons were taught in French language.
Since the 19th century, Ober-Ramstadt began to industrialize. In 1895, Eduard Murjahn founded the „Deutsche Amphibolin-Werke“ (German Amphibolite Works), which today is market leader in the paints and enamels branch in Germany and other countries. In 1901, a centralized watersupply was set up, followed by electricity in 1907.
The town history can be seen in the town museum, located in the former town hall built in 1732.
