title: Meinhard
text: # Meinhard
  
  Meinhard is a municipality in the Werra-Meißner-Kreis in Hesse, Germany.
  
  ## Geography
  
  ### Location
  
  The community lies in the North Hesse Low Mountain Range landscape on the edge of the Werra valley, 3 km from the district seat of Eschwege.
  
  Near Meinhard-Frieda, the Frieda empties into the Werra. After heavy rainfall, it can swell into a fast-running river that can wash the bank of the Werra away. On the bank facing Meinhard-Jestädt, the Wehre empties into the Werra.
  
  ### Neighbouring communities
  
  Meinhard borders in the northeast and the east on the communities of Volkerode, Pfaffschwende, Kella and Geismar (all four in Thuringia’s Eichsfeld district), in the southeast on the town of Wanfried, in the south and west on the town of Eschwege and in the northwest on the town of Bad Sooden-Allendorf (all three in the Werra-Meißner-Kreis).
  
  ### Constituent communities
  
  The community’s seven Ortsteile are Frieda, Grebendorf (administrative seat), Hitzelrode, Jestädt, Neuerode, Motzenrode and Schwebda.
  
  ## Politics
  
  ### Community council
  
  The municipal election held on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results:
  
  | Parties and voter communities | Parties and voter communities | % 2006 | Seats 2006 | % 2001 | Seats 2001 |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | CDU | Christian Democratic Union of Germany | 18.5 | 6 | 16.7 | 5 |
  | SPD | Social Democratic Party of Germany | 58.2 | 18 | 60.6 | 19 |
  | F.D.P./ÜWG | F.D.P./ÜWG | 23.3 | 7 | 22.7 | 7 |
  | Total | Total | 100.0 | 31 | 100.0 | 31 |
  | Voter turnout in % | Voter turnout in % | 62.1 | 62.1 | 64.3 | 64.3 |
  
  ### Mayor
  
  * 2002–2013: Hans Giller (SPD)
  * 2013–incumbent: Gerhold Brill
  
  ## Culture and sightseeing
  
  ### Buildings
  
  * Ruins of Schwebda Castle (moated)
  
  ## Economy and infrastructure
  
  ### Transport
  
  Through Bundesstraße 249 (Eschwege-Mühlhausen), which runs right through the community, Meinhard is linked to the highway network.
  
  ## Famous people
  
  * Friedrich Rudolf Ernst Freiherr von Feilitzsch (b. 14 July 1858 in Jestädt; d. 23 January 1942 in Bückeburg), politician in the Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe and its first Prime Minister.
  * Heinz Fromm (b. 10 July 1948 in Meinhard-Frieda) has been since June 2000 President of the Federal Office for Constitutional Protection
  