Erzhausen

Erzhausen is a village and a municipality in southern Hesse, Germany. It is part of the district of Darmstadt-Dieburg. It has about 7,900 inhabitants (2020). Wixhausen, a borough of the City of Darmstadt, is just South of Erzhausen.

History
Settlement in the area dates back to about 1500 B.C., as shown by several cairn burial sites found some kilometres west of the town.

The settlement itself is mentioned in documents from 900 A.D. onward under various names like 'Erardishusen', 'Erhartzhausen', 'Ebrichshusen' or 'Erndeshusen'. The oldest document of the Lorsch codex names it as 'Erhartshausen' ('Houses of Erhart').

After remaining a mostly unimportant farming village until the early 20th century, it grew strongly after the railway line from Frankfurt to Darmstadt was built several kilometers to the east of it. The habitation spread out towards it, and workers employed in the nearby cities (which could now be reached a lot easier) settled here.

Today, it is still mostly a residential village, with some commerce and office activities. There is a small seminary of the German Pentecostalism BFP movement situated in the town, Bible School Beröa also called  Theologisches Seminar Beröa .

Historic names

 * 10. century: Erhardeshusen
 * about 1200: Erhardeshusen
 * about 1250: Erharteshusen
 * 1264: Erardishusen
 * 1273: Erharthusen
 * 1273: in villa Erharthusen
 * 1282: Eradeshusen
 * 1282: Erndeshusen; Ebrathshusen
 * 1331: Erarshusen
 * 1331: Irtzhusen
 * 1413: Ebrichshusen;  Erarthusen
 * 1413: Ehartzhusen
 * 1440: Eretzhusen
 * 1446: Erhartzhusen
 * 15. century: Erczhussen
 * 1451: Erhartshusen
 * 1452: Erhartshusen
 * 1453: Erhartshusen
 * 1454: Erhartßhussen
 * 1454: Erhartßhußen
 * 1497: Ertzhusen
 * 1506: Erhartzhausen
 * 1526: Ertzhusen
 * 1541: Erhartshaussen
 * 1549: Erhartshausen
 * 1576: Ertzhaussen
 * 1579: Ertzhausen
 * today: Erzhausen

Twin towns – sister cities

 * 1997 🇨🇿 Mnichovo Hradiště, Czech Republic
 * 2006 🇮🇹 Incisa in Val d'Arno, Italy
 * 2013 🇪🇸 Malgrat de Mar, Spain
 * 2017 🇺🇦 Ivanychi, Ukraine