Kriftel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Country:	Germany
Kriftel

Coordinates:	50° 5′ N, 8° 27′ E
Time zone:	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Administration
State:	Hesse
Administrative region:	Darmstadt
District:	Main-Taunus-Kreis
Mayor:	Christian Seitz
Governing party:	CDU
Basic Statistics
Area:	6.76 km² (3 sq.mi.)
Population:	10,644 (30 June 2006)
- Density:	1,575 /km² (4,078 /sq.mi.)
Elevation:	102 m (335 ft)
Founded:	8th century
Further Information
Postal code:	65830
Area code:	06192
Licence plate code:	MTK
Website:	www.kriftel.de

Kriftel is a municipality in the Main-Taunus district, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 16 km west of Frankfurt (centre).

It has about 10.000 inhabitants.

Kriftel is also common as "Obstgarten des Vordertaunus" (fruit orchard before the Taunus), because of the fields around it which are mainly used for producing strawberries.

[edit] History

In July 754 a. C. the track which carried the dead Saint Boniface rested over night in the village. To the honour of the saint the Bonifatiuskapelle (chapel of Boniface) was build.

Kriftel was first mentioned documentary in 790.

The Thirty Years' War damaged a lot in Kriftel including the chapel which was rebuild until 1755. It took that long because in 1661 a big fire destroyed the whole village (34 houses out of 38).

In 1959 the chapel had to be relocated because of the growing of the community.

During the mid 1970s Kriftel had to fight for his independence, because Hofheim, the capital of the Main-Taunus district wanted that it belongs to him.

Sister city is since 1981 the French city Airaines. The "Platz von Airaines" (Place of Airaines) before the train station is named after the partnership.

[edit] Today

Kriftel owns two churches, the catholic church "St. Vitus" and the evangelic "Resurrection Church" and three schools, one elementary school (Lindenschule [Linden School]), a comprehensive school (Weingartenschule [Vineyard School]) and a training school (Konrad-Adenauer-Schule). Kriftel lies at the federal motorway A 66 and the regional train line S 2 (From Niedernhausen over Frankfurt to Dietzenbach).

Kriftel is known for its good leisure time facilities. Kriftel has a Freizeitpark (Freetime park) with a swimming pool, places to play soccer, miniature golf and beach volleyball, a quarter pipe for skating and playgrounds. The village is also affected from various club activities. The most important clubs are the SV 07 Kriftel (soccer) and the Turn- und Sportverein Kriftel (sports in general especially volleyball and trick cycling). Two feasts strengthen the community also a lot. They are the Lindenblütenfest (Feast of the blossom of the linden) in summer and the Krifteler Kerb (Kriftel's Kermesse) in autumn.