They have worked towards retaining their original identity through a project of Village Renewal since the 1990s. Currently, they have been adjudged to be very successful in this regard, and are now known for their established approach to rural development which has become an example in rural development studies in Germany and Europe.[citation needed] Their approach to rural development has become a subject of analyses in an academic research Journal publications, in and outside Germany. Many farming villages in the surrounding area are part of the municipality.
