Ever heard of a poem featuring Gundelsheim? It is not just another Bavarian community. Gundelsheim sits in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg. This places it roughly seven kilometers north of Bamberg. It is near the Kreuz Bamberg. That is a cloverleaf interchange between the Autobahnen A 70 and A 73.
Gundelsheim’s story is interwoven with Bamberg’s history. Once, Gundelsheim belonged to the High Monastery at Bamberg. That was until 1803. Then, the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss happened. After that, Gundelsheim became part of Bavaria. The community we know today formed in 1818. It happened during administrative reform in Bavaria. This was under the Gemeindeedikt.
Interestingly, Gundelsheim shares its name with one of the traditional rural land units. These are known as Gemarkungen in German. It is common for a Gemarkung to be named after a nearby town or village.
In 1962, the Sieben Schmerzen Mariä Church was built. It stands as a testament to the community’s faith.
Let’s talk about numbers. In 1970, Gundelsheim had 1335 inhabitants. By 1987, that number jumped to 2755. The year 2000 saw 3339 residents. In June 2007, the count was 3293. According to the latest numbers from December 31, 2023, the community is home to 3670 people.
Since May 2008, Jonas Merzbacher has been Gundelsheim’s mayor. He belongs to the SPD party.
Financially, in 1999, Gundelsheim’s municipal tax revenue totaled €1565000. Business taxes contributed €232000 to that amount.
The community council consists of 16 members. They represent various parties and voter communities. As of the 2020 local elections, the SPD holds 5 seats. The CSU has 4. The Greens and Bürgergemeinschaft Gundelsheim each have 2. Freie Wählergemeinschaft Gundelsheim also has 2. The FDP holds 1 seat.
In 1998, 101 workers contributed to social welfare through producing businesses. Trade and transport accounted for 29 workers. Other areas employed 68 workers. Remarkably, 1149 workers worked from home. There was one processing business and five construction businesses. In 1999, agriculture was present with three operations. They worked on 23 hectares of land. 21 hectares were cropland. 3 hectares were meadowland.
Gundelsheim once had a stop on the Bamberg–Scheßlitz railway line. However, passenger traffic ceased in 1985. Goods traffic followed in 1988. Eventually, the railway was dismantled. Today, Gundelsheim is connected by a city bus service. This is run by Stadtwerke Bamberg.
For families, Gundelsheim offers educational facilities. There is a kindergarten with 125 places. The primary school has 9 teachers and 136 pupils. The Kindergarten St. Marien provides care in four groups. This includes a nursery group for children aged eight weeks to three years. It also includes three other groups for children aged two to six.
Gundelsheim has even made its way into popular culture. It appears in a poem alongside Burgwindheim. The poem is simply titled “A Poem”. Its authorship is uncertain. It is likely by Terry Jones or Michael Palin. It features in their book, Bert Fegg’s Nasty Book for Boys and Girls. Both communities’ names fit the poem’s single rhyme.
So, Gundelsheim is more than just a location. It is a community with a rich history. It has strong connections to Bamberg. It has modern amenities and even a place in literature.