It has been ten years since the ten municipalities of Arberg, Aurach, Bechhofen, Burgoberbach, Burk, Dentlein a.Forst, Dombühl, Herrieden, Leutershausen, and Wieseth joined together. At that time, an Integrated Rural Development Concept (ILEK) was drawn up for the new association, named ILE Altmühlland A6. This concept outlined key objectives and measures for the region. However, a lot has changed since then. For this reason, ILE Altmühlland A6 has been working intensively over the past few months with the Nuremberg-based firm PLANWERK Stadtentwicklung to update the ILEK. This new concept has now been approved by the Middle Franconia Office for Rural Development (ALE), which supports the ten municipalities in their collaboration.
To give council members from all ten member municipalities a better insight into the work of the ILE, an intermunicipal council meeting was held on June 15, 2026, at the Hotel & Landgasthof Bergwirt in Herrieden. The approximately 110 (market) town and city council members in attendance were first briefed by Marlene Huschik from the ALE on the topic of rural development and funding opportunities. Gunter Schramm and Philipp Wegner from PLANWERK Stadtentwicklung then presented the key findings of the ILEK update. Finally, Theresa Bauer, also from PLANWERK Stadtentwicklung, outlined her diverse range of responsibilities in supporting the implementation of the ILE.
Not only were the mayors of the ILE municipalities involved in the development of the ILEK, but so was the regional population. An online survey was conducted from October 6 to November 9, 2025, and a future workshop took place on November 25, 2025.
In addition to a comprehensive analysis of the current situation, the new concept centers on the presentation of goals and measures. These relate to seven key areas of action: Economy & Regional Value Creation; Public Services, Housing & Mobility; Social Issues, Culture & Regional Identity; Recreation, Leisure & Tourism; Agriculture, Landscape, Environment & Biodiversity; Energy & Climate Protection/Adaptation; Intermunicipal Cooperation. In addition, digitalization is addressed as a cross-cutting issue.
In total, the ILEK update’s catalog of measures comprises 33 measures. Among these are 5 so-called “top projects” that ILE members consider particularly important. Work on some of these is already well underway. For example, the Altmühlland A6 Regional Day—one of the top projects—will take place on October 3, 2026, in Herrieden. Other top projects include: support for flexible forms of mobility, the introduction of an ILE section in official gazettes, hiking days/weeks in the fall, and inter-municipal after-school care and vacation programs.
The finalized proposal was presented to this year’s ILE spokesperson, Simon Göttfert, mayor of the municipality of Aurach, during the intermunicipal council meeting.
The concept can be downloaded from the ILE Altmühlland A6 website: https://www.altmuehlland-a6.de/Projekte/ILEK-Fortschreibung.html
More information on the activities, projects and events of the ILE region Altmühlland A6 can be found at www.altmuehlland-a6.de.