in the Entente Florale contest. On 22 February 2007, the foundation was laid for one of Germany's biggest biogas facilities with an output of roughly 2.2 MW, and on 5–7 September 2008, the EnergieTrends+ fair was held for the first time. Amalgamations Bobstadt Riedrode (15 May 1971) Former parts of town Rosengarten Population development 1806: 1,357 1867: 2,765 1925: 7,144 1988: 15,214 2004: 15,308 2005: 15,427 2006: 15,973 2007: 16,095 2013: 15,625 Politics Community council The votes and seats won for the 2021 municipal board election were as follows: The municipal election held on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results: Mayor From 1989 to 2013 Alfons Haag (CDU) was the town's mayor. Since 2013, the mayor has been Barbara Schader (CDU). Barbara Schader was re-elected in 2019 with 52% of the vote. Coat of arms The town's arms might be described thus: Gules a cross pattée fitchy argent, the chief bendy lozengy argent and azure. The Lorsch cross fitchy (that is, with a point on the bottom arm) recalls the time from 767 to 1262 when the town was one of the Abbey's holdings. In 1461, Bürstadt was pledged to the Electorate of the Palatinate, hence the chief with the bendy lozengy (that is, made up of slanted diamonds of alternating tinctures) pattern. In 1632, the town passed back to the Electorate of Mainz, and in 1803 belonged to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, hence the red field behind the cross. Bürstadt received the right to bear these arms when it was also granted town rights in 1967. Town partnerships Krieglach, Styria, Austria, since 1974 Wittelsheim, Haut-Rhin, France, since 1982 Minano, Saitama, Japan (“friendship agreement”), since 1984 Glauchau, Saxony, since 1991 Transport and infrastructure Bürstadt lies in the north of the Rhine Neckar Area on Bundesstraßen 47 and 44. Autobahn A 67 can be reached using the Lorsch interchange, about 5 km or 3 miles from town. Bürstadt railway station lies at the junction of the Mannheim–Frankfurt railway and Nibelung Railway (Mannheim-Frankfurt am Main and Worms-Bensheim), giving the station services in all four cardinal compass directions. Frankfurt Airport is roughly 60 km or 36 miles from town. Leisure facilities Solar-heated outdoor swimming pool Athletics facility with 6-lane Tartan track VfR Bürstadt Football stadium with a 500-seat grandstand Artificial turf sporting ground in Riedrode Jugendhaus Schillers (“Youth House”) Economy Bürstadt has been since 2004 the location of the world's biggest