Taunusklub

Taunusklub (short: TK) is a German umbrella organization of legally independent hiking clubs that operate under the shared name Taunusklub. According to Wikipedia, it currently comprises 20 member clubs with a total of around 2,200 members. The parent club (Stammverein) was founded on 5 January 1868 in Frankfurt am Main and remains headquartered there; it is registered in the association register of the Frankfurt am Main local court (VR 4633). The individual clubs are members of the Verband Deutscher Gebirgs- und Wandervereine (German Association of Mountain and Hiking Clubs). The Taunusklub's core activities include organized hikes, public hiking events, local history and nature excursions, maintenance of marked trails, co-editing hiking guides and maps, and operating hiking lodges. It maintains a trail network of approximately 2,700 km throughout the Taunus region, with responsibility for individual sections delegated to local branch clubs. The club is also involved in nature conservation, including bird protection, biotope care, stream sponsorships, and monitoring of natural monuments. A permanent exhibition in the Taunushaus at the Hessenpark open-air museum documents the club's history and work. The club's history is closely tied to the Großer Feldberg, the highest peak in the Taunus. It was founded by 58 founding members, including Frankfurt bookseller and cartographer August Ravenstein, who served as its first chairman. The club's hiking greeting is "Frisch auf". In 1883 it was a co-founder of the Verband Deutscher Gebirgs- und Wandervereine. By the late 19th century it had marked over 300 waymarkers and published its first hiking guide in 1871. The club also built numerous observation towers and shelters, including the Burgbergturm in Bad Soden (1900), the Hardtbergturm in Königstein, the Meisterturm in Hofheim, the Schillerturm in Oberursel (1905), and the tower on the Herzberg (1911). After the Nazi seizure of power, the Gesamt-Taunusklub was forcibly dissolved in 1934. The clubs were re-established after the war and in 1956 the traditional name Taunusklub was adopted again. The club operates five hiking lodges, including one in Oberursel; the lodge in the observation tower on the Großer Feldberg was closed in 2021 due to fire safety regulations. The Taunusklub was awarded the Eichendorff-Plakette in 1983, and several branch clubs have also received this honor. The club is a co-publisher of hiking guides and maps, including the Lahnhöhenweg (left of the Lahn) and the Limeswanderweg.

The Taunusklub was founded on 5 January 1868 on the summit of the Großer Feldberg, the highest peak in the Taunus, by 58 founding members. Among them was Frankfurt bookseller and cartographer August Ravenstein, who was elected as the first chairman. The club's goals were local heritage preservation, promotion of tourism, and above all combating poverty in the Taunus region. In its early years, the club operated over 20 sister stations and kindergartens as well as a basket-weaving school in Grävenwiesbach. In 1871, the first hiking guide was published. By the late 19th century, the club began marking hiking trails, installing over 300 waymarkers and equipping the trail network with a color-coded waymarking system. It also built shelters, observation towers, and small temples. In 1883, the Taunusklub Frankfurt was one of the initiators and co-founders of the Verband Deutscher Gebirgs- und Wandervereine (German Association of Mountain and Hiking Clubs). On 19 August 1888, the hiking greeting "Frisch auf" was unanimously adopted in Frankfurt. In the villages of the Taunus, sections of the Taunusklub soon formed. In 1883, these sections became independent clubs that together formed the Gesamt-Taunusklub (umbrella organization). The Frankfurt club today holds the honorary title "Stammclub" (parent club) within the association. After the Nazi seizure of power, the Gesamt-Taunusklub was forcibly dissolved in 1934. After the war, the clubs were re-established, and in 1956 the traditional name Taunusklub was adopted again. On 12 September 1926, the Taunusklub's memorial grove (Ehrenhain) at the Feldberg was ceremonially inaugurated, commemorating the 126 members who fell in World War I. The monument consisted of three quartzite rocks and a bronze plaque bearing the names of the fallen, alongside a large oak cross. After World War II, the memorial was moved a few hundred meters to its current location and redesigned to commemorate not only the fallen of both world wars but all deceased members of the Taunusklub. An annual star hike to the Stockborn is held, where a memorial ceremony for the deceased of the past year takes place. The club built a number of observation towers: in 1900 the Burgbergturm in Bad Soden am Taunus, the Hardtbergturm in Königstein, the Meisterturm in Hofheim, in 1905 the Schillerturm in Oberursel, and in 1911 the tower on the Herzberg. Until 2021, the Taunusklub operated a hiking lodge in the observation tower on the Großer Feldberg; it is currently closed due to fire safety regulations. Another hiking lodge is located in Oberursel. In total, the club operates five hiking lodges. The Taunusklub maintains a trail network of about 2,700 km in the Taunus, with responsibility for individual sections held by local branch clubs. It is a (co-)publisher of a number of hiking guides and maps, including the Lahnhöhenweg on the left bank of the Lahn and the Limeswanderweg, which it marks and maintains. In 1983, the Taunusklub was awarded the Eichendorff-Plakette. Several branch clubs also received this award: Oberursel (1988), Bad Soden (1990), Neu-Anspach (1992), Stammklub Frankfurt (1993), Wetzlar (1995), Münster (2003), and Köppern (2007). The Taunusklubweg in Hornau (Kelkheim) is named after the club. A permanent exhibition in the Taunushaus at the Hessenpark documents the club's history and work.

• 2021

  Hiking lodge in the observation tower on the Großer Feldberg closed due to fire safety regulations.

• 1983

  Awarded the Eichendorff-Plakette.

• 1956

  Traditional name Taunusklub adopted again after the war.

• 1934

  Gesamt-Taunusklub forcibly dissolved by the Nazi regime.

• 1926

  Memorial grove (Ehrenhain) at the Feldberg inaugurated on 12 September.

• 1911

  Tower on the Herzberg built.

• 1905

  Schillerturm in Oberursel built.

• 1900

  Burgbergturm in Bad Soden, Hardtbergturm in Königstein, and Meisterturm in Hofheim built.

• 1888

  Hiking greeting "Frisch auf" unanimously adopted on 19 August in Frankfurt.

• 1883

  Sections became independent clubs forming the Gesamt-Taunusklub; co-founder of Verband Deutscher Gebirgs- und Wandervereine.

• 1871

  First hiking guide published.

• 1868

  Founded on 5 January on the Großer Feldberg by 58 founding members; August Ravenstein elected first chairman.

A traditional German hiking association focused on trail maintenance, hiking promotion, and nature conservation in the Taunus region.

• Marked hiking trails

  2,700 km network in the Taunus, including Lahnhöhenweg and Limeswanderweg.

• Hiking guides and maps

  Co-published by the club, available in the online shop.

• Hiking lodges

  Five lodges, including one in Oberursel; the Feldberg tower lodge closed in 2021.

• Observation towers and shelters

  Built by the club, including Burgbergturm, Hardtbergturm, Meisterturm, Schillerturm, and Herzberg tower.

1. 1Wandern im Taunus – Der Taunus als Wanderregiontaunusklub.de
2. 2Geschichte – Wandern im Taunustaunusklub.de
3. 3Taunus club – Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Taunusklub – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org