Waldbach-Mönichwald is a municipality since 2015 in the Hartberg-Fürstenfeld District of Styria, Austria.
The municipality was created as part of the Styria municipal structural reform,Steiermärkische Gemeindestrukturreform. at the end of 2014, by merging the former towns Waldbach and Mönichwald.§ 3 Abs. 4 Z 6 StGsrG, Landesgesetzblatt für die Steiermark Nr. 31, Jahrgang 2014. .
A petition against the merger, raised by the town Waldbach at the constitutional court, was not successful.Erkenntnis des VfGH 23 September 2014, G 44/2014, V 46/2014 über die Anträge der Gemeinde Waldbach.
Geography
Municipality arrangement The municipality territory includes the following six hamlets (populations as of January 2015Statistik Austria, as of 1 January 2015): Arzberg (415) Breitenbrunn (81) Karnerviertel (567) Rieglerviertel (83) Schmiedviertel (303) Schrimpf (97)
The municipality consists of the five Katastralgemeinden: Arzberg, Karnerviertl, Rieglerviertl, Schmiedviertl and Schrimpf.
Tourism The municipality formed, together with Fischbach, Miesenbach, Ratten, Rettenegg, Strallegg, St. Kathrein am Hauenstein, St. Jakob im Walde, Birkfeld, Wenigzell and Vorau, the tourism agency "Joglland-Waldheimat". The base is in the town St. Jakob im Walde.Grazer Zeitung. "Amtsblatt für die Steiermark". 30 December 2014, 210. Jahrgang, 52. Stück. Nr. 307. p. 626.
Politics
Mayor In the election for the town council in April 2015, Stefan Hold (ÖVP) from Mönichwald was elected as the first mayor of the newly formed municipality.Gemeinde Waldbach-Mönichwald: Gemeinderat (accessed on 28 May 2015).
The municipal court also included deputy mayor Arrigo Kurz (ÖVP) and the town treasurer Martin Übelher (SPÖ), both from Waldbach.
Until 31 December 2014, Andreas Riegler (ÖVP) in town Waldbach and Josef Freiberger (ÖVP), in the town Mönichwald, were the incumbent mayors. In the merger of the municipalities, there was at first no mayor. Thereby in protest against the merger, none of the former town politicians were to be mayor, and from the Landesregierung Steiermark with Franz Schröck, a Mitarbeiter of the Hartberg-Fürstenfeld, was installed as interim commissioner. This had led to the resulting duties until the election of the mayor during the inaugural meeting of the Municipal Council.Kleine Zeitung 30 December 2014: Beamter übernimmt Amt des Bürgermeisters (retrieved 19 April 2015)
Municipal council The municipal council consists of 15 members. After the results of the 2015 election, the council convened with the following members: 8 Mandate ÖVP, 4 Mandate SPÖ and 3 Mandate FPÖ. At the session of the town council, the groups of both former municipalities were there, with eight members from Waldbach and seven from Mönichwald.
The prior elections brought the following results: Party 2015 2010 2005 2000 merged municipality Waldbach Mönich-wald Waldbach Mönich-wald Waldbach Mönich-wald Vote % Mand. V. % M. V. % M. V. % M. V. % M. V. % M. V. % M. ÖVP 581 54 8 303 59 6 394 63 6 282 51 5 361 57 6 329 62 6 339 57 9 SPÖ 270 25 4 133 26 2 178 29 3 184 34 3 230 36 3 136 26 2 200 34 5 FPÖ 218 20 3 77 15 1 50 8 0 83 15 1 41 6 0 64 12 1 58 10 1 Counts 1,323 629 744 646 753 620 746 Percentage 82% 83% 85% 85% 85% 87% 82%
Demographics Year Mönichwald Waldbach Total 1869 844 745 1589 1880 891 724 1615 1890 851 695 1546 1900 853 703 1556 1910 901 740 1641 1923 868 703 1571 1934 950 809 1759 1939 934 886 1820 1951 888 865 1753 1961 918 867 1785 1971 923 956 1879 1981 1034 920 1954 1991 1065 901 1966 2001 975 797 1772 2011 898 723 1621 2014 864 693 1557
References
External links
Gemeinde Waldbach-Mönichwald: official Internet page (accessed on 27 May 2015).