Invitation to the EGSA members‘ meeting from 1st to 3rd May 2026 in Marienthal and to the ordinary general meeting on 2nd May 2026
Daniel Grübner
Dear EGSA members,
We hope that the new year has started well for you all, that your snakes have come through hibernation in good health and are enjoying the first rays of artificial sunshine, and that your anticipation for our next members‘ meeting is growing steadily. We would therefore like to cordially invite you to our permanent biennial location at the Marienthaler Hof next to Marienthal Monastery, located in the northern Westerwald in the Altenkirchen district near Hamm/Sieg. The meeting will take place from 1 to 3 May 2026. Please register with the hotelier for accommodation as soon as possible, mentioning the EGSA meeting, as space may be limited again this year. As always, animals are welcome if their enclosures are secured against escape.
Brief information about the hotel:
Landhotel Marienthaler Hof
The Schüttler family
Am Kloster 4
57577 Marienthal
Telephone: 02682-220
Fax: 02682-229
Email: marienthaler-hof@t-online.deWebsite: http://www.marienthaler-hof.de/index.html
In addition to the conference hotel, there are two other hotels in the area:
Haus S.E.E.
Peggy Korshuize
Am Kloster 10-12
57577 Marienthal
Telephone: 0163-7713713
Email: haussee12@outlook.com
Website: http://www.haus-see.com
and a few metres further on:
Waldhotel ‘Unser Haus’ der Begegnung
Fam. Respaillie
Am Kloster 20
57577 Marienthal
Telephone: 02682 – 2949977
Email: –
Website: https://unserhausmarienthal.eatbu.com
As the journey has sometimes proved difficult for a few members, here are the directions again. It is certainly helpful to check before you set off whether your satnav can find the route to your destination:
By car:
Coming from the north:
* A3 motorway Cologne-Frankfurt
* Take the Altenkirchen exit, then the B 8 towards Altenkirchen until the Marienthal exit
From the south:
* A 3 motorway Frankfurt-Cologne
* Take the Neuwied-Altenkirchen exit (at the winding tower)
* Then take the B 256 towards Altenkirchen until the Marienthal exit
By train:
* Limburg-Au railway line to Waldbahnhof Marienthal (This can be taken literally. The station is located in the middle of the forest, only 400 m from the conference hotel.
* From Cologne Central Station, take the S12 or RE 9 to Au/Sieg. From there (twice hourly) from platform 11, take the HLB (Hessische Landesbahn) towards Altenkirchen to Marienthal forest station.
* From Siegburg ICE station, take the S12 or RE 9 to Au/Sieg. From there (twice hourly), take the HLB (Hessische Landesbahn) towards Altenkirchen from platform 11 to Waldbahnhof Marienthal.
Conference programme:
Friday
From 6 p.m. Casual chat evening for long-distance travellers and other early arrivals.
Saturday
From 10 a.m. Admission to the conference room.
10:30 a.m. Welcome and garter snake exchange.
10:45 a.m. Board meeting.
11:30 a.m. Annual general meeting
1:30 p.m. Lunch (kitchen in the building)
2:30 p.m. Lecture (TBC)
3:30 p.m. Research and development on Garter Snakes
Markus Steinkopf
5:30 p.m. Dinner (kitchen in the building)
7 p.m. Traditional evening lecture
Steven Bol
Sunday
Breakfast
10 a.m. Farewell and end of the EGSA meeting 2026 – Weather permitting, visit to a biotope
Invitation to the Annual General Meeting on 2 May 2026
On 2 May 2026, an Annual General Meeting of EGSA e. V. will take place as part of our members‘ meeting, to which we cordially invite you. The meeting will take place at 11:30 a.m. in the premises of our conference hotel:
Landhotel Marienthaler Hof
Schüttler family
Am Kloster 4
57577 Marienthal
The conference programme is as follows:
Top 1: Welcome
Opening of the AGM and welcome to participants
Confirmation of members, appointment of the minute-taker
Top 2: Formalities
Approval of the agenda / additions from participants, if applicable
Approval of the previous year’s protocol (copies available on site/viewable on the website)
Top 3: Honours
Top 4: Annual report from the board
Top 5: Financial report
Top 6: Report from the TGS editorial team
Top 7: Report from the webmaster
Top 8: Discharge of the Executive Board
Top 9: Concerns of the participants
Top 10: Next meeting
Outlook for the 2027 meeting (date / location / organizer)
Top 11: Issue of TGS 02/2026
We are very much looking forward to welcoming as many of you as possible to Marienthal. The annual members‘ meeting with the popular Thamnophis exchange is, alongside the TGS, the heart of our club life and has led in the past to many long-standing friendships, breeding communities and long evenings with interesting conversations about our hobby. That is why we would like to invite our new members and guests in particular to visit us in May 2026.
With best wishes for the upcoming breeding season and see you soon,
Your board team
Daniel Grübner
Flemingstraße 9
D – 22299 Hamburg
E-Mail: vorsitz1@egsa.de