The municipality of Erdweg emerged 50 years ago from the formerly independent municipalities of Kleinberghofen, Großberghofen, Eisenhofen, Unterweikertshofen and Welshofen. The background to this is a regional reform that Bavaria initiated in 1970. The state government hoped that this merger of municipal administration would result in more efficient municipalities and districts. Haimhausen, for example, was founded by incorporation. In Erdweg, on the other hand, the old communities were given up and a completely new community was founded – on a voluntary basis.
Nevertheless, there were sometimes controversial discussions: Kleinberghofen had to decide whether to join the district of Dachau or the district of Aichach. Some communities protested against the communal forced marriages: the formerly independent community of Tandern filed a popular lawsuit in 1985 to annul the merger with Hilgertshausen that had been enforced in 1978. In the course of the reform, the number of municipalities throughout Bavaria fell from almost 7,000 to around 2,000 in 1979.
Students from outside of the city used to come to Erdweg in the past
In Erdweg, the merger seems like a logical consequence: the districts were already connected to each other by church and school. The primary school opened in September 1968. The students came to Erdweg from the surrounding communities – the old school buildings were closed. Since 1970, the districts were also organized through the parish association Erdweg: It was the first association of the Archdiocese of Munich-Freising. Not every congregation could afford its own pastor: there was a lack of young people, the number of believers was declining – that is why the neighboring parishes were merged.
Today the parish center is located next to the elementary and middle school. The parish center Erdweg is not a classic church: a large hall, a small stage in the church room. There are offices, meeting rooms and a chapel. Carnival is celebrated here and church services are held. There is no steeple. That’s why the parish center is popularly known as the “parish barn” or “parish garage,” says Brigitta Unger-Richter, Dachau’s district home caretaker.
Church without a tower: The Catholic parish center in Erdweg.
(Photo: Niels P. Jørgensen)
The merger of the Erdweg community was the “final step” that followed the association school and parish, explains Christian Blatt. The mayor has been in office for the CSU since 2017. “The decision of the then municipal councils was groundbreaking and very impressive in its foresight”. Ludwig Ostermair was significantly involved in the amalgamation of the community. He is even considered the “father of the Erdweg community”. Before he became the first mayor of Erdweg in 1972, he was mayor of Kleinberghofen from 1966. During his tenure, Erdweg was connected to the sewage system and water supply as well as to the MVV railway network. Today, the S2 in the direction of Altomünster is an important traffic artery.
The district comes first
The residents are still particularly proud of their own district: According to Brigitta Unger-Richter, it comes first: “Erdweg is the center of the association and the districts are like satellites around it.” This is also reflected in the municipal council: five of the various factions and groups can be assigned to the former old municipalities. But one cannot speak of “rivalry,” says Mayor Christian Blatt, but rather of “district thinking.” The cohesion within the community is strong.
Erdweg Mayor Christian Blatt.
(Photo: Niels P. Jørgensen)
“Erdweg is like a bracket that holds the more rural units together,” confirms Unger-Richter, who herself moved to Erdweg more than 20 years ago. In recent years, many day-care centers and new development areas have emerged. The village character is getting lost more and more, according to the district home nurse. People go to Munich to work and come back to sleep: “They don’t take part in public life or in clubs so much anymore. The structure from before is lost.”
Many well-known people come from the community
Traces of the past can still be found everywhere in the community: In the Wirtshaus am Erdweg, travelers used to come to rest, horses could be swapped and letters could be sent. Today, not only is food served here, but also a cultural programme. The cabaret artist Monika Gruber has already performed in Erdweg, and many well-known personalities come from the community: Simon Hacker from Großberghofen was a co-founder of the Hacker-Pschorr brewery, Johannes Neuhäusler from Eisenhofen was a resistance fighter and a prisoner in the Dachau concentration camp. After the war he was appointed auxiliary bishop and took care of the reconstruction of the basilica on Petersberg. Today it is the most striking and oldest monument in Erdweg.
The community used to be on a main traffic artery: the Roman road led from Wels in Upper Austria over the Isar south past Dachau to Augsburg. Not only goods such as salt or wine were transported, the route was also used as a postal route and by travelers between Munich and Augsburg. Only with the advent of the railway in the 19th century did the former Roman road lose its importance.
Großberghofen is one of the small towns that lie like satellites around the center of Erdweg.
(Photo: Niels P. Jørgensen)
“There’s a lot of history hidden here,” says the district home nurse. In the 16th century, a spring was found in Walkertshofen, which was used as a medicinal bath in the Middle Ages and is said to have cured skin diseases. In the 1950s there was a bathing establishment, and people bathed in the Glonn. “Nobody would think about that anymore,” she says, laughing. A lot has changed in the municipality of Erdweg. The number of inhabitants has more than doubled in the past 50 years: in 1971 there were 2800 inhabitants, in December 2021 already 6444. Mayor Christian Blatt, who grew up in the community, is also feeling the growth: “It’s not like that anymore everyone knows everyone.”