▁where ▁now ▁runs ▁the ▁Rhein - Ha ard t ▁railway , ▁there ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁single ▁house ; ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁there ▁were ▁ 7 6 7 . ▁ ▁The ▁sharp ▁growth ▁over ▁the ▁last ▁few ▁dec ades ▁ow es ▁itself ▁not ▁least ▁of ▁all ▁to ▁the ▁Rhein - Ha ard t ▁railway . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁the ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁mark ▁was ▁bre ached . ▁By ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁this ▁had ▁grown ▁to ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 1 , 4 0 0 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁the ▁figure ▁had ▁ris en ▁to ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 , ▁and ▁come ▁completion ▁of ▁the ▁planned ▁new ▁development ▁area , ▁the ▁population ▁figure ▁will ▁rise ▁to ▁roughly ▁ 2 , 5 0 0 . ▁ ▁Polit ics ▁ ▁Municipal ▁council ▁ ▁The ▁council ▁is ▁made ▁up ▁of ▁ 1 6 ▁council ▁members , ▁who ▁were ▁elected ▁at ▁the ▁municipal ▁election ▁held ▁on ▁ 7 ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁and ▁the ▁honor ary ▁mayor ▁as ▁chairman . ▁ ▁The ▁municipal ▁election ▁held ▁on ▁ 7 ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁yield ed ▁the ▁following ▁results : ▁ ▁Mayor ▁ ▁The ▁municipality ' s ▁mayor ▁( Or ts b ür germeister ) ▁is ▁Hel mut ▁R ent z ▁( SP D ), ▁who ▁was ▁elected ▁with ▁ 7 1 . 1 3 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote . ▁ ▁Co at ▁of