Hochtaunus is an electoral constituency (German: Wahlkreis) represented in the Bundestag. It elects one member via first-past-the-post voting. Under the current constituency numbering system, it is designated as constituency 175. It is located in southwestern Hesse, comprising most of Hochtaunuskreis and the northeastern part of the Limburg-Weilburg district.
Hochtaunus was created for the inaugural 1949 federal election. Since 2013, it has been represented by Markus Koob of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Geography Hochtaunus is located in southwestern Hesse. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the entirety of the Hochtaunuskreis district excluding the municipalities of Königstein im Taunus, Kronberg im Taunus, and Steinbach (Taunus), as well as the municipalities of Beselich, Löhnberg, Mengerskirchen, Merenberg, Runkel, Villmar, Weilburg, Weilmünster, and Weinbach from the Limburg-Weilburg district.
History Hochtaunus was created in 1949, then known as Obertaunuskreis. In the 1972 election, it was named Obertaunuskreis (Hochtaunuskreis). It acquired its current name in the 1976 election. In the 1949 election, it was Hesse constituency 10 in the numbering system. From 1953 through 1976, it was number 135. From 1980 through 1998, it was number 133. In the 2002 and 2005 elections, it was number 177. In the 2009 through 2021 elections, it was number 176. From the 2025 election, it has been number 175.
Originally, the constituency comprised the districts of Oberlahnkreis, Obertaunuskreis, and Usingen. From 1976 through 1998, it comprised the Hochtaunuskreis district, the municipalities of Beselich, Löhnberg, Mengerskirchen, Merenberg, Runkel, Villmar, Weilburg, Weilmünster, and Weinbach from the Limburg-Weilburg district, and the municipalities of Eppstein and Kelkheim from the Main-Taunus-Kreis district. It acquired its current borders in the 2002 election.
Election Name Borders 1949 Obertaunuskreis Oberlahnkreis district Obertaunuskreis district Usingen district 1953 135 1957 1961 1965 1969 1972 Obertaunuskreis (Hochtaunuskreis) 1976 Hochtaunuskreis Hochtaunuskreis district Limburg-Weilburg district (only Beselich, Löhnberg, Mengerskirchen, Merenberg, Runkel, Villmar, Weilburg, Weilmünster, and Weinbach municipalities) Main-Taunus-Kreis district (only Eppstein and Kelkheim municipalities) 1980 133 1983 1987 1990 1994 1998 2002 177 Hochtaunuskreis district (excluding Königstein im Taunus, Kronberg im Taunus, and Steinbach (Taunus) municipalities) Limburg-Weilburg district (only Beselich, Löhnberg, Mengerskirchen, Merenberg, Runkel, Villmar, Weilburg, Weilmünster, and Weinbach municipalities) 2005 2009 176 2013 2017 2021 2025 175
Members The constituency was represented by six different members in the first six terms of the Bundestag: Heinrich Müller of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) from 1949 to 1953, Erich Köhler of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1953 to 1957, Berthold Martin of the CDU from 1957 to 1961, Kurt Gscheidle of the SPD from 1961 to 1965, Walther Leisler Kiep of the CDU from 1965 to 1969, and Dietrich Sperling of the SPD from 1969 to 1973. Sperling was re-elected in 1972. Manfred Langner won the constituency for the CDU in 1976 and served until 1990, when he was succeeded by fellow party member Bärbel Sothmann. Holger Haibach served from 2002 to 2013. Markus Koob was elected in 2013, and re-elected in 2017 and 2021.
Election Member Party % 1949 Heinrich Müller SPD 30.7 1953 Erich Köhler CDU 34.4 1957 Berthold Martin CDU 46.0 1961 Kurt Gscheidle SPD 40.3 1965 Walther Leisler Kiep CDU 48.1 1969 Dietrich Sperling SPD 47.0 1972 47.7 1976 Manfred Langner CDU 50.7 1980 46.5 1983 53.5 1987 50.5 1990 Bärbel Sothmann CDU 48.4 1994 50.8 1998 46.5 2002 Holger Haibach CDU 43.7 2005 45.1 2009 45.2 2013 Markus Koob CDU 48.8 2017 39.9 2021 31.3 2025 37.8
Election results
2025 election
2021 election
2017 election
2013 election
2009 election
2005 election
References