mayor's deputy. On 13 October 1949, Müllenbach's last prisoner of war came home after 5 years in Allied prison camps. In late May 1950, rationing, which had begun in 1939, was ended. A census on 13 September of that same year showed a population of 732 (347 male, 385 female; 782 Catholic, 9 Evangelical, 1 Russian Orthodox). In early October, 3 refugee families were housed by the municipality. In late February 1952, work began on a munitions camp in Hochpochten, thus bringing jobs to those in need of a livelihood, if only for a matter of months. Johann Klotz became the mayor this year; his deputy was Franz Schmitz. In 1953, two women who were burning off grass at the edge of one of their fields caused a great explosion, badly injuring the two. The fire had spread to a neighbouring former anti-aircraft gun facility, setting off munitions stored there. By 1956, Müllenbach's population had shrunk to 699. In 1957, the Bundeswehr took over the munitions camp in Hochpochten, and this created jobs for older men and senior citizens who could serve as watchmen or munitions workers. In 1958, there was a new parish priest, Richard Koch, born in Saarbrücken; he served until 1969. On the night of 8 to 9 January 1959, nature put an end to all slate mining in Müllenbach, Laubach and Leienkaul. Meltwater from snow breached the three pits of the one mining operation that had remained open, “Maria Schacht”, and within one night flooded the whole operation, destroying tools, machines and explosives. The flood was too much even for the pumps that had been installed to keep the pits free of water. This catastrophe threw all the pitmen out of work, and they had to seek jobs elsewhere. On 4 December 1960, a hurricane raged over the area knocking down telegraph poles, blowing windows in, lifting roofs off and littering roads and railways with fallen trees. In 1961, the population had sunk to 652. In 1966, Erhardt Franzen became Müllenbach's mayor; his deputy was Josef Berenz. In 1967, after a ministerial edict on 12 June and an order from the district chairman's office on 16 August to the effect that the municipality of Müllenbach should voluntarily merge with that of Laubach-Leienkaul, Müllenbach municipal council unanimously voted to refuse to do so. In 1969, Josef Gilles was the mayor and his deputy was Heinz Peters. There