The „Auf dem Berg“ (On the Mountain) parish, with four pastoral positions and nearly 8,000 members from the Gründau districts and the Roth district of the municipality of Gelnhausen, is the largest parish in the Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck. The ecclesiastical center is the Bergkirche (Mountain Church) in Niedergründau (first documented in 1217) with a community hall. Numerous cultural events also take place here. The sound of the Ratzmann organ (1839) is also a treat for the ears. In the other districts, newer sacred buildings were erected as chapels and community centers: These include the Paul-Gerhardt-Kirche in Lieblos with a community center, where the parish office is also located. For Rothenbergen, there is a community center with the youth office, as well as the Mittelgründau church and the chapel in Gettenbach. Since January 1, 2017, Breitenborn has belonged to the "Auf dem Berg" Protestant parish. In the Gelnhausen district of Roth, a church room has been provided in the old school.
Above Niedergründau is the mountain church:
Information about Bergkirche Niedergründau, the Ratzmann Organ Support Association, and the concerts held at Bergkirche can be found on a separate website for Bergkirche Niedergründau, which is maintained by the support association.
A church service is held weekly at the Laurentiuskirche in Hain-Gründau on Sundays at 10:30 AM. Additionally, the beautiful, small church is chosen by many engaged couples as their wedding venue.
The Evangelical Methodist Church (EmK) in the district of Rothenbergen, Kirchbergstraße 8, first appeared in 1912 at the Hopfschen Hof. In 1969, the current community center on Kirchbergstraße was inaugurated. Together with the EmK in Büdingen (Düdelsheimer Straße 18) and other EmK communities in the Rhine-Main region, the congregation belongs to the newly founded Rhine-Main District of the EmK as of 2026.
The name Evangelical Methodist Church is relatively young. It goes back to a merger of the two free churches „Evangelical Association“ and „Methodist Episcopal Church.“ They united worldwide into the EmK in 1968. In English-speaking countries it is called the United Methodist Church, and similarly in other countries.
Worldwide, this church has approx. 13 million members; one becomes a member by application and admission, not through baptism.
The United Methodist Church is the largest church belonging to the World Council of Methodist Churches with nearly 80 million members.
You can always find out about current events and dates not only on the municipal website but also through our dedicated app „EmK Rothenbergen“.
On January 1, 2021, several church communities, including Christkönig Gründau, merged to form the new Catholic Church community of St. Raphael.
The central parish administration is located in the Deutschordenshaus at Holzgasse 17 in Gelnhausen.
The contact point at the Christ King Church, located at Niedergründauer Str. 20 in Rothenbergen, is open once a month on Tuesdays from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. You can find more information about the opening hours on the parish of St. Raphael's homepage at katholische-kirche-raum-gelnhausen.de.
The cemeteries of the municipality of Gründau are places of remembrance, peace and a dignified farewell. They provide relatives with space for grief and memory and are at the same time important parts of public life and local culture.
The municipal administration supports citizens with all questions regarding burials, grave sites, and rights of use. The employees of the cemetery administration advise on the various types of graves and forms of burial, provide information on the applicable regulations, and offer competent assistance with organizational matters.
Various types of graves are available in the districts of the municipality of Gründau. Detailed information on the cemeteries, burial options, and applicable regulations can be obtained from the cemetery administration. An appointment in advance is recommended for a personal consultation.
§ 18 Definition of an Ash Plot
In serial grave plots, single burials are possible for deceased persons from the age of 5 years.
They are assigned sequentially and granted for the duration of the rest period or the right of use of 30 years. Within 10 years, an urn can be buried; if this is desired, an additional burial fee of €400 and the funeral costs will apply. In Gründau, initial acquisition is only possible in the event of a death.
There is the possibility of extending the right of maintenance upon application until the expiry of the rest period to a maximum of 5 years. The decision on this rests with the cemetery administration.
A lawn grave has a length of 2.00 m and a width of 0.80 m.
In Gründau, initial acquisition is only possible in the event of a death.
Children's graves are intended for children who die up to their completed 5th year of life. They are assigned consecutively and granted for the duration of the rest period or the right of use of 30 years.
Choice graves are burial sites for ground burial with a right of use for 35 years. The right of use can be re-acquired or extended once.
Choice graves are available in various options: single, double, and triple. In Gründau, initial acquisition is only possible in the event of a death.
In a single grave site, it is possible to carry out both a traditional burial and an urn burial.
For double-depth traditional graves, two earth burials as well as up to two urn burials are possible.
Instead of a burial, up to a maximum of 2 urns can be buried in an unoccupied grave site.
When an urn is buried in a family grave, an additional internment fee of €400, the grave extension costs, and the burial costs will be added.
Row urn graves are burial sites intended for urn burials that are occupied in sequential order.
The urn lawn graves are allocated for a period of 20 years, which is the duration of the right of use or the rest period. Initial acquisition is only possible in Gründau in the event of a death.
An extension or re-acquisition of the right of use is not possible. However, the right of grave maintenance can be extended for a maximum of 5 years upon application. In Gründau, initial acquisition is only possible in the event of a death. The decision rests with the cemetery administration.
Urn burial plots are graves designated for cremains burials with a right of use for 25 years. The right of use can be re-acquired or extended once. The decision rests with the cemetery administration.
Urn burial plots are available in variants with two or three grave sites. The initial acquisition is only possible in Gründau in the event of a death.
Columbaria and steles are offered in all cemeteries. The columbaria/steles are assigned as either row grave sites or selectable grave sites. In Gründau, initial acquisition is only possible in the event of a death.
The columbarium wall / urn stela row grave is designed for an urn burial and has a right of use period of 20 years. The right of use cannot be re-acquired or extended. Nevertheless, the right of maintenance can be extended by a maximum of 5 years. The decision rests with the cemetery administration.
An urn wall / urn stele grave site is intended for two urn burials and has a right of use period of 25 years. The right of use can be re-acquired or extended once.
For tree graves, the biodegradable urn is buried in the root area of the tree. This is a type of burial that does not require maintenance by the relatives; tree graves are allocated as single graves or family graves. In Gründau, the initial purchase is only possible in the event of a death.
The single tree urn grave is designed for one urn and has a right of use period of 20 years. The right of use cannot be re-acquired or extended.
An urn burial grave at a tree is intended for two urn burials and has a right of use period of 25 years. The right of use can be re-acquired or extended once. The decision rests with the cemetery administration.
Placing grave decorations is only permitted during the burial.
Exception: on the day of birth and death or on religious holidays, leaving a single flower is permitted.
In a communal grave, the biodegradable urn is buried in a perennial flower bed. This is a type of burial that does not require relatives to maintain it themselves. Such communal graves can be purchased either as lawn graves or as plots of choice. Initial purchase in Gründau is only possible in the event of a death.
The row grave for urns within a communal grave is intended for a single urn and has a use period of 20 years. The right of use cannot be extended or re-acquired after that time.
The urn lawn grave in a communal burial site is designed for two urn burials and offers a service life of 25 years. This right of use can be extended or re-acquired once. The decision is at the discretion of the cemetery administration.
Placing grave decorations is only permitted during the burial.
Exception: on the day of birth and death or on religious holidays, leaving a single flower is permitted.
In an anonymous burial at sea, the exact location of the burial is not marked or highlighted.
The location where the urn was buried is on a uniform lawn without individual markings.
After the burial, it is not permitted to place a grave cross or a nameplate at the gravesite.
Placing grave decorations is only permitted during the burial.
In the cemetery in Mittel-Gründau there is a central burial site for stillborn children and fetuses.
This is equipped with a memorial stone where flowers and small items can be placed. The care and maintenance of the grave site is handled by the municipality.
The burial site is marked by a granite star. To remember a star child who was not buried in Gründau, a stainless steel star can be used as a marker instead.
In all Gründau cemeteries:
Urn burials
Length 100 cm Width 90 cm
Exception: In the Rothenbergen cemetery, grave field 7a; Length 90 cm, width 100 cm
Row graves
Length 200 cm Width 80 cm
Single-seater graves possible from 01/01/2017
Length 200 cm Width 80 cm
Multi-digit choice graves
Two-digit burial plots 200 cm long, 200 cm wide
3-digit grave wreaths, 200 cm long, 300 cm wide
Tombstones, grave surrounds, and other grave furnishings may only be removed from the grave site before the expiration of the burial term or right of use with the prior consent of the cemetery administration.
If you wish to clear a grave site prematurely, please inquire with the cemetery administration as to when this is possible and how much the costs for the early grave clearance will be.
Upon expiration of the repose period for row graves and urn row graves, or upon expiration of the usage period for allocated graves and urn allocated graves, grave markers, borders, and other grave furnishings must be removed by the rightful users within 3 months.
If the entitled users do not comply with this obligation, the cemetery administration is entitled to have the grave site cleared. The cemetery administration is not obligated to keep any headstones or other structures. Headstones or structures become the property of the city/municipality without compensation, provided that this was agreed upon in writing at the time of acquiring the right of use or when permission was granted for the erection of the headstone or other structures.
If no such agreement has been made, the cemetery administration may proceed according to the provisions of §§ 383 et seq. of the German Civil Code (BGB). If gravestones or other structures are removed by the cemetery administration, the respective user shall bear the costs incurred.
