170 years of the Vierzehnheiligen volunteer fire department

The Vierzehnheiligen volunteer fire department celebrated its 170th anniversary with a ceremony in the town. Mayor and department head Benjamin Koppe presented the anniversary certificate and acknowledged the outstanding role of the fire department in his speech: "170 years of volunteer fire departments in Jena are a special achievement - supported by the volunteer fire departments from Zwätzen, Jena-Mitte, Lützeroda and Lichtenhain. This shows how strong the comradely bond between the districts is and how well the cooperation works. It is precisely this cooperation that forms the basis for successful operations and ensures overall operational readiness. This became particularly clear during the last major fire in Gösselsdorf: the close cohesion and excellent cooperation between the professional and volunteer fire departments showed how valuable this community is. On behalf of the city of Jena, I would like to thank everyone involved."

History and current commitment

The roots of the fire brigade go back to the middle of the 19th century: after a devastating fire, the local farmers founded a community to better protect themselves in the future. This initiative gave rise to an association that still stands for tradition, cohesion and commitment today. Today, a third of the approximately 100 inhabitants of the village are active in the fire department association. Eleven active members are on duty regularly - especially in the evenings and at weekends; the association has had a modern fire station since 2014. The main task of the fire brigade is to ensure basic protection in the district with the assigned small fire engine. In addition, the fire brigade is integrated into the Jena disaster control team. "We are all one fire department and have the same goal. The decisive factors are cooperation, respect and that we don't think in terms of boundaries," said Stefan Grobe, head of the fire brigade, summarizing the guiding principle.

Celebrations and highlights

The members of the fire brigade had spent more than two weeks preparing the event together with the residents. The celebration made it clear how closely the fire department is connected to its region. The Dornburg Rose Queen presented a voucher for 200 euros on behalf of Gönnatal Agrar eG. The friendship and cooperation with the volunteer fire departments from Lützeroda, Zwätzen, Jena-Mitte and Lichtenhain was also clearly evident: their members were on site, including comrade Fabian Franke from the Lützeroda volunteer fire department, who was recently involved in the major fire in Gösselsdorf.

The association's management also sent out a strong signal: since last year, the association has been run by an all-female board chaired by Nadine Moritz. Last but not least, the club's own B1000, once used as a small fire engine and now lovingly maintained, was a reminder of the long tradition of the fire brigade.

Importance for the community

The ceremony made it clear that the Vierzehnheiligen volunteer fire department is much more than an emergency organization: it is a guarantor of safety, an important part of disaster control and at the same time an expression of civic spirit, cohesion and living tradition.