Eiweiler Star Village becomes the eighth International Dark Sky Place in Germany

Nohfelden, Germany

The Eiweiler district of the municipality of Nohfelden was certified today as an International Dark Sky Community by DarkSky International. Eiweiler’s designation as a Star Village is an important step for the Sankt Wendeler Sternen Land project, which was founded years ago to reduce light pollution in the district of Sankt Wendel. From the outset, the aim of the project was to create a protected area while at the same time improving living conditions for nature and people and creating optimal conditions for astro-tourism in the region.  

“We are pleased to designate Eiweiler Star Village as a Dark Sky Community, adding to the expanding network within Germany,” says DarkSky International’s Dan Oakley. “It was particularly encouraging to see that the community showed commitment to the protection of dark skies within their area and to their observatory, but also to work with the wider area to secure positive action. The hard work of engaging with multiple municipalities to protect their own skies, should serve to inspire other communities to follow their example.”

Eiweiler is a municipal district, or village, of the municipality of Nohfelden and is located in the administrative district of Sankt Wendel. The village lies in a valley and is surrounded by agricultural land and forest within a radius of 3 km. On the edge of Eiweiler, at the top of Mount Peterberg, is the Peterberg Observatory, which is operated by the amateur astronomers of Saarland, whose initiative led to the Healthy Light for Nature and People project.

After the municipality of Nohfelden, which is one of the founding partners of the Healthy Light for Nature and People project, made the decision a few years ago to convert the entire Eiweiler district to healthy light as a model village, this award is not only a symbol of the municipality’s commitment to reducing light pollution, but also a step towards sustainable development and environmental protection.

As part of the Sankt Wendeler Sternenland project, Eiweiler switched all of its lighting to a modern time- and presence-controlled system in June 2021. The time-controlled lighting, along with motion detectors, avoids unnecessary light emissions throughout the night, and ensures that the lighting is automatically activated when there is movement in the area and goes out again after a certain period of inactivity.

The new lighting technology also makes an important contribution to conserving resources and saving energy. The targeted control of the lighting significantly reduces energy consumption and thus also lowers operating costs. This leads to a sustainable use of resources and supports the municipality’s efforts to reduce its ecological footprint. The street lighting used complies with the regulations of the lighting guidelines for the Sankt Wendeler SternenLand Dark Sky Community, which were developed as part of the “Healthy light for nature and people” project.

The measure was subsidized by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and implemented by energis GmbH.

“Eiweiler is the first Dark Sky Community in southwest Germany: a success that makes us proud. The certification is proof of the important work and tireless commitment of all partners in our ‘Sankt Wendeler SternenLand’ project. We are delighted to be able to set an example against light pollution and for the protection of the night sky,” explains Udo Recktenwald, District Administrator of the district of Sankt Wendel.

Extending the project to all municipalities in the Sankt Wendel region and thus creating an even larger protected area would be desirable for the future. The aim is also to disseminate information on sustainable and environmentally friendly lighting in all municipalities in the Saarland using Eiweiler as an example. Eiweiler is thus a role model for other municipalities and shows how innovative technologies and conscious planning can create a sustainable and environmentally friendly living space. The Star Village award is recognition of the efforts of the municipality of Nohfelden and its citizens to improve the quality of life and preserve the beauty of the night sky.

With this conversion and the resulting award, Eiweiler proves that tradition and progress can go hand in hand and that protecting our environment and our skies is within reach.

About DarkSky International
DarkSky’s mission is to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting. Learn more at darksky.org.

Contacts:

Indra Rauber
[email protected]

Christoph Puetz
[email protected]

Michael Rymer
Dark Sky Places Program Associate, DarkSky International
+1 (520) 347-6365
[email protected]