Mauer (Baden)

Mauer
Mauer
Municipality
	Town hall
	Coat of arms
	Location of Mauer within Rhein-Neckar-Kreis district
	Mauer Mauer
	Coordinates: 49°20′20″N 08°47′55″E / 49.33889°N 8.79861°E
Country	Germany
State	Baden-Württemberg
Admin. region	Karlsruhe
District	Rhein-Neckar-Kreis
Government
• Mayor (2020–28)	John Ehret
Area
• Total	6.30 km2 (2.43 sq mi)
Elevation	131 m (430 ft)
Population (2022-12-31)
• Total	4,163
• Density	660/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	69256
Dialling codes	06226
Vehicle registration	HD
Website	www.gemeinde-mauer.de

Mauer is a village in southwestern Germany. It is located between Heidelberg and Sinsheim in the Rhein-Neckar district in the state of Baden-Württemberg.

On 1 June 2012, John Ehret (no party) took office as mayor. He is the first black mayor in Baden-Württemberg and thought to be the first black mayor in Germany in modern times.^[3]

Geography

Mauer is located at an altitude of 130–240 m, and covers an area of 630 hectares. Of this area, 22.8% is covered by settlements, roads and paved areas, 55.3% is agricultural, and 18.6% is forested. Adjacent municipalities are, starting in the north and moving clockwise, Wiesenbach, Meckesheim, Wiesloch, Leimen and Bammental.

Religion

In 1522, the Reformation was introduced into Mauer; probably by Franz von Sickingen. Today it hosts both an evangelical and a Roman Catholic church community.

Geology/Archaeology

Mauer is the location where the first remains of Homo heidelbergensis were found. The remains, a jaw, were discovered in 1907 in the local sand quarry by Daniel Hartmann, a worker there. The sandpit remained active for some time, and the original resting place of the remains no longer exists. However, the sandpit is now a nature park, and the sedimentary layers corresponding to those of the original find can be viewed on a 25 meter high section.

Demographics

Population development:^[4]

Year	Inhabitants
1990	3,372
2001	3,571
2011	3,962
2021	4,136

Persons of Interest

Honored Citizens

Daniel Hartmann (1854-1952) found the lower jaw of Homo heidelbergensis.
Gerhard Weiser (1931-2003) was Mayor of Mauer from 1962 to 1976. In 1968 he moved to the Landtag for the first time and later became the Minister of Agriculture in Baden-Württemberg from 1976 to 1996. From 1996 to 2001 he was vice-president of the state parliament. In spite of his political commitment, he remained connected to his hometown and also managed a farm there.
Erich Mick, mayor from 1976 to 2001, founder of the association Homo heidelbergensis of Mauer e.V.

Other Notables Associated with Mauer

Karl von Zyllnhardt (forestry officer) (1744-1816), German landlord and forestry officer.
Karl von Zyllnhardt (jurist) (1779-1828), German jurist and politician.