Hesse's best villages: Creative projects for the future honored!

Hesse's best villages: Creative projects for the future honored!

The best villages in Hesse were recently honored as part of the state competition “Our Village has a Future”. The focus is on voluntary initiatives and the social commitment of the village communities. The aim of the competition is to make visible the successful projects and creative ideas that contribute to the attractiveness and future viability of rural regions. Homeland Minister Ingmar Jung emphasized the importance of this commitment for the development of the villages, especially at a time when many rural regions are struggling with challenges.

This year, a total of 82 Hessian villages applied to take part, of which 14 villages were invited to the jury presentation. The jury, consisting of nine experts, gave their verdict on the villages' performance. The result is five winning villages and four special prize winners who were honored for their special achievements. Umwelt Hessen reports that the winners were awarded as follows:

The winners of the competition

• 1. Preis (7.000 Euro): Roßbach (Stadt Witzenhausen, Werra-Meißner-Kreis) – Mit einem breiten Spektrum sozialer Angebote begeistert die Gemeinde und setzt auf zahlreiche Integrationsinitiativen.
• 2. Preis (6.000 Euro): Oberseelbach (Gemeinde Niedernhausen, Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis) – Die lebendige Dorfgemeinschaft hat die Ortsmitte ehrenamtlich saniert und bietet viele kulturelle Begegnungsräume.
• 3. Preis (5.000 Euro): Storndorf (Gemeinde Schwalmtal, Vogelsbergkreis) – Hier stehen Gemeinschaft und Tradition hoch im Kurs.
• 4. Preis (je 4.000 Euro): Metzlos (Gemeinde Grebenhain, Vogelsbergkreis) und Vierbach (Gemeinde Wehretal, Werra-Meißner-Kreis) – Beide Dörfer zeigen, wie man mit Ressourcenschonung umgeht.

In addition, Roßbach and Oberseelbach will represent Hesse in the national competition next year. Four special prizes of 2,000 euros each were awarded for special achievements. The award winners are:

• Volpertshausen und Weidenhausen (Gemeinde Hüttenberg, Lahn-Dill-Kreis) – Hier wird generationsübergreifendes soziales Engagement großgeschrieben.
• Vernawahlshausen (Gemeinde Wesertal, Landkreis Kassel) – Das Dorf hat sich unter schwierigen Bedingungen engagiert und eine soziale Infrastruktur geschaffen.
• Raibach (Stadt Groß-Umstadt, Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg) – Hervorzuheben ist die erstmals entstandene Streuobstwiese durch bürgerschaftliches Engagement.
• Maden (Stadt Gudensberg, Schwalm-Eder-Kreis) – Mit dem Digitalisierungsprojekt „Zeitreise Gudensberg“ geht das Dorf innovative Wege.

A look at the role models

Overall, the competition is a reflection of the voluntary commitment in Hesse. Homeland Minister Jung not only congratulated the villages for their successes, but also highlighted the creative implementation of ideas in rural development. These initiatives promote, among other things, the inclusion of young people and the safeguarding of public services. Many communities are grappling with creative solutions to key social challenges. The commitment of the village communities significantly increases the quality of life in the villages.

As part of the “Social Village Development” measure, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) has been supporting projects that strengthen coexistence in villages since 2015. BMEL emphasizes that there is a lack of meeting places in many villages and therefore promotes creative approaches to revitalizing village communities. The measures show how people can overcome challenges together and create new opportunities to strengthen the community.

In summary, it can be said that the “Our Village has a Future” competition is much more than just a competition. It is a valuable tool for promoting volunteer work and making visible the many initiatives that are flourishing in the country's hinterland. We can't wait to see what innovative approaches will emerge in the national competition next year.