Doubts about new survey - Not a big city? Hanau defends itself against census calculation
With a shaking of the head, Hanau reacts to the latest census data from the Statistical Office, which states that the city only has 93,632 inhabitants and thus falls below the threshold of 100,000 inhabitants. "This new number does not seem plausible to us," criticized Mayor Claus Kaminsky (SPD). The city has not yet received an official notice and no explanation from the Office. "If we get it, we will no longer be a city over 100,000 inhabitants," declared Kaminsky. A lawsuit is also not ruled out.
For mid-August, the Office has promised the city a meeting. "I expect that there will be a plausible correction of the numbers upward," said Kaminsky. He wants to avoid legal action, but does not rule it out. The new numbers would have significant financial implications in the millions for the city. "Fewer inhabitants mean less money," emphasized the mayor.
With the census, statisticians roughly every ten years determine how many people live in Germany, where they live and work. The Census 2022 is based on official registers and the survey of twelve percent of the population.
In earlier calculations, the Office had assumed, according to the city's statements, a Hanauer population of 100,307 for the year 2022. Therefore, the 100,000er-mark was exceeded in October 2022. Why the recently presented census, which essentially represents a calculation based on around ten percent of the female and male residents, should be more precise than an official population registration statistics, Kaminsky could not understand.
"Freedom from district status due to 'Lex Hanau' not threatened"
The planned district freedom for the Brothers Grimm City for 2026 is not affected by the census, according to Kaminsky. "Fortunately, the legislator has enacted a 'Lex Hanau' in the Hessian Municipal Code, which does not apply to us because Hanau has already made such significant progress," explained the mayor.
The results of the census are, according to the statements of the Statistical Office, the basis for how much money cities and municipalities will receive in future from the state and communal financial equalization as well as from EU funding. The delimitation of electoral districts and the distribution of votes in the Federal Council also orient themselves to the official – that is, the one determined by the census – population count.
According to the census, Frankfurt, Kassel, Darmstadt, and Offenbach also came up with lower population numbers than in the so-called population growth statistics. Only Wiesbaden had a slight increase. The largest deviation was in Hanau, with a minus 6.7 percent.
- Despite Hanau's disagreement with the Statistical Office's latest census data, indicating a population of 93,632, the city is yet to receive an official notice or explanation.
- Mayor Claus Kaminsky (SPD) has expressed skepticism towards the new population figure, as it falls below the threshold of 100,000 inhabitants.
- In contrast to the Statistical Office's census data, earlier calculations had suggested a Hanauer population of 100,307 for 2022, surpassing the 100,000-inhabitant mark in October 2022.
- The Big City of Hanau is not alone in this situation; Frankfurt, Kassel, Darmstadt, and Offenbach have also reported lower population numbers in the census compared to the population growth statistics.
- The municipal financial implications of the new census figure are significant for Hanau, with fewer inhabitants meaning less funding from the state and EU sources.
- Claus Kaminsky, the mayor of Hanau, is willing to consider legal action if he does not receive a satisfactory explanation and correction from the State Office in the upcoming meeting scheduled for mid-August.
