Gedern

Gedern
Gedern Castle
Coat of arms
Gedern
Location of Gedern within Wetteraukreis district
Coordinates: 50°25′28″N 9°11′59″E / 50.42444°N 9.19972°E / 50.42444; 9.19972Coordinates: 50°25′28″N 9°11′59″E / 50.42444°N 9.19972°E / 50.42444; 9.19972
Country	Germany
State	Hesse
Admin. region	Darmstadt
District	Wetteraukreis
Government
• Mayor	Guido Kempel (Ind.)
Area
• Total	75.24 km2 (29.05 sq mi)
Population (2015-12-31)
• Total	7,456
• Density	99/km2 (260/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	63688
Dialling codes	06045
Vehicle registration	FB, BÜD
Website	www.gedern.de

Gedern is a town in the Wetteraukreis district in Hesse, Germany, and historically belongs to Oberhessen. It is located 38 kilometres (24 mi) northeast of Hanau at the foot of the Vogelsberg, once one of the largest inactive volcanoes in Europe.

Gedern is bordered by Schotten (Vogelsbergkreis) in the north, by Grebenhain (Vogelsbergkreis) in the northeast, by Birstein (Main-Kinzig-Kreis) in the east, by Kefenrod in the south, by Ortenberg in the southwest, and Hirzenhain in the west.

Gedern is divided into the districts of Gedern, Mittel-Seemen, Nieder-Seemen, Ober-Seemen, Steinberg, and Wenings.

The town council consists of the mayor, Stefan Betz (independent), and the aldermen Klaus Hein, Walter Lutz and Barbara Gundlach (CDU), Klaus Bechthold and Andreas Steder (SPD), Reinhold Landmann and Irmtraud Köhler (FWG) and Willi Herbst (Bürgerliste Gedern).

The last election for mayor was held in 2015 in which Guido Kempel was elected to replace Klaus Bechthold (SPD) who retired for health reasons.

The city coat of arms shows two trout on a red and silver striped background. These represent the copious amounts of fish that were caught in and around Gedern throughout its history. The silver stripes stand for the two creeks that run through Gedern "Mühlbach" and "Gänsbach".

Gedern is twinned with Columbia, Illinois, and Polanów, Poland, through the Sister Cities Program. The village of Wenings is also partnered with Nucourt, France. The sister city arrangement with Columbia roots in an initiative of some inhabitants of Columbia in 1990. During a genealogical research, they figured out that most of the 156 people who emigrated from Gedern in the 19th century, found a new home in the area of Columbia. In April 1992 the representatives of both cities signed a treaty of friendship during a visit of a Columbian delegation in Gedern. The official partnership ceremony was held in May 1993 in Columbia, Illinois.