Altweidelbach
Encyclopedia
Altweidelbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (district
) in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Simmern
, whose seat is in the like-named town
.
, and north of Bundesstraße
50, roughly 3 km east of the district seat of Simmern. Its elevation is 430 m above sea level
.
finds make it clear that the municipal area was already settled in Roman
times. South of the heights, north of Mutterschied
, the site of a Roman country estate was ascertained. Furthermore, Altweidelbach’s municipal area was crossed by one of the linking roads built by the Romans, the so-called Steinstraße (“Stone Road”). Also, a Roman urn was unearthed in the “Hammesheck” cadastral area about 1860.
The village’s actual founding, though, only came about after Roman rule and even the Migration Period
(Völkerwanderung) ended. In the second phase of their settling activities in the 8th century, the Franks
founded many places with names ending in —hausen and —bach. It is likely that Altweidelbach was founded in this time, too.
In 1006, Altweidelbach had its first documentary mention in a document with which Archbishop Williges from Mainz
consecrated the newly built church at Mörschbach
and confirmed its status as a parish. The spelling Widimbach used in this document, out of which first Widelbach and then Weidelbach developed, yields a clue as to the name’s origin. Linguists believe that it derives from the Old High German
word wida (“willow tree”; Weide in Modern High German
), and explain the name’s meaning as “Brook With Willow Trees”. Only since the 16th century has the municipality used the prefix Alt— (“Old”) to distinguish itself from another, nearby place called Weidelbach, itself now called Kleinweidelbach (an outlying centre of Rheinböllen
).
In 1006, the village was under the lordship of the founder of the Mörschbach church, Thidrich von Mörschbach, who also held the office of Vogt
. Later in the 11th century, the village passed to the Bertholde regional comital family (Gaugrafen), and in 1074 it was annexed to the Ravengiersburg Monastery, which had been raised to a canonical foundation, although for the time being, it kept its own court of Schöffen (roughly “lay jurists”) with its own judicial district. High jurisdiction, owing to the more serious crimes being subject to bodily punishment, was wielded by the Ravengiersburg Vogtei court at the High Court Square (Hochgerichtsplatz) at the Nunkirche (church). Whenever assizes took place, the villagers of Altweidelbach were obliged to furnish the crossbeam for the gallows
, as well as a ladder. The village court, on the other hand, on whose bench sat three or four Schöffen, was held twice a year, in May and again on Saint Martin’s
Day (11 November), under the village limetree
, chaired by the monastery director or the Schultheiß
.
Between 1410 and 1598 and again between 1610 and 1673, Altweidelbach belonged to the autonomous Palatine Duchy of Simmern, and between 1598 and 1610, as well as after 1673 until the French
occupation that began in 1794, it belonged along with the rest of the Simmern territory to Electoral Palatinate. To tighten the administration, each village was made into its own Schultheiß
erei. In the 17th century, Altweidelbach was united with Mörschbach, Schnorbach
and Wahlbach
into a single Schultheißerei. The court under this arrangement was made up of, besides the Schultheiß and the court clerk, nine Schöffen, of whom three were drawn from Mörschbach, along with two from each of the other centres.
In the time of the French occupation in 1794, Altweidelbach was thoroughly plundered. Altweidelbach lay under French rule until 1815, when it was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia
at the Congress of Vienna
. Great fires struck the village in 1866, 1897 and 1975, when three barns and one house burnt down.
In the First World War, ten men from Altweidelbach fell and two were listed as missing
. Following the war, the French were stationed in the village until 1919. The first car was seen in Altweidelbach in 1937. Shortly thereafter came the Second World War, in which four men from Altweidelbach fell and three were listed as missing. In March 1945, the Americans
occupied the village. They were relieved by the French in August as the Allies
agreed on zones of occupation. In 1946, Altweidelbach became part of the then newly founded state
of Rhineland-Palatinate
. In 1963, Flurbereinigung
was completed. It was as late as 1978 before the village’s streets had names. In 2000 and 2001, the Altweidelbach Wind Farm was built, with seven wind turbine
s. In 2006, the municipality of Altweidelbach marked its one-thousand-year jubilee.
and the Plague to only 7 families. In 1672, the count was back up to 48 inhabitants in 12 families. In 1698, there were 58 inhabitants.
might be described thus: Per bend Or a church with ridge turret to dexter above a bend sinister wavy azure and sable a lion rampant of the first armed and langued gules.
’s Directory of Cultural Monuments:
Municipalities of Germany
Municipalities are the lowest level of territorial division in Germany. This may be the fourth level of territorial division in Germany, apart from those states which include Regierungsbezirke , where municipalities then become the fifth level.-Overview:With more than 3,400,000 inhabitants, the...
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
Verbandsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde is an administrative unit in the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt.-Rhineland-Palatinate:...
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (district
Districts of Germany
The districts of Germany are known as , except in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein where they are known simply as ....
) in Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Simmern
Simmern (Verbandsgemeinde)
Simmern is a Verbandsgemeinde in the Rhein-Hunsrück district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Its seat is in Simmern.The Verbandsgemeinde Simmern consists of the following Ortsgemeinden :...
, whose seat is in the like-named town
Simmern
Simmern is a town of 8,000 inhabitants in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, the district seat of the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis, and the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde...
.
Location
The municipality lies in a hollow north of the Soonwald, a heavily wooded section of the west-central HunsrückHunsrück
The Hunsrück is a low mountain range in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the river valleys of the Moselle , the Nahe , and the Rhine . The Hunsrück is continued by the Taunus mountains on the eastern side of the Rhine. In the north behind the Moselle it is continued by the Eifel...
, and north of Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
50, roughly 3 km east of the district seat of Simmern. Its elevation is 430 m above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
.
History
ArchaeologicalArchaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
finds make it clear that the municipal area was already settled in Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times. South of the heights, north of Mutterschied
Mutterschied
Mutterschied is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, the site of a Roman country estate was ascertained. Furthermore, Altweidelbach’s municipal area was crossed by one of the linking roads built by the Romans, the so-called Steinstraße (“Stone Road”). Also, a Roman urn was unearthed in the “Hammesheck” cadastral area about 1860.
The village’s actual founding, though, only came about after Roman rule and even the Migration Period
Migration Period
The Migration Period, also called the Barbarian Invasions , was a period of intensified human migration in Europe that occurred from c. 400 to 800 CE. This period marked the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages...
(Völkerwanderung) ended. In the second phase of their settling activities in the 8th century, the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
founded many places with names ending in —hausen and —bach. It is likely that Altweidelbach was founded in this time, too.
In 1006, Altweidelbach had its first documentary mention in a document with which Archbishop Williges from Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
consecrated the newly built church at Mörschbach
Mörschbach
Mörschbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
and confirmed its status as a parish. The spelling Widimbach used in this document, out of which first Widelbach and then Weidelbach developed, yields a clue as to the name’s origin. Linguists believe that it derives from the Old High German
Old High German
The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of...
word wida (“willow tree”; Weide in Modern High German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
), and explain the name’s meaning as “Brook With Willow Trees”. Only since the 16th century has the municipality used the prefix Alt— (“Old”) to distinguish itself from another, nearby place called Weidelbach, itself now called Kleinweidelbach (an outlying centre of Rheinböllen
Rheinböllen
Rheinböllen is a town in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde, and also belongs to it.-Location:...
).
In 1006, the village was under the lordship of the founder of the Mörschbach church, Thidrich von Mörschbach, who also held the office of Vogt
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
. Later in the 11th century, the village passed to the Bertholde regional comital family (Gaugrafen), and in 1074 it was annexed to the Ravengiersburg Monastery, which had been raised to a canonical foundation, although for the time being, it kept its own court of Schöffen (roughly “lay jurists”) with its own judicial district. High jurisdiction, owing to the more serious crimes being subject to bodily punishment, was wielded by the Ravengiersburg Vogtei court at the High Court Square (Hochgerichtsplatz) at the Nunkirche (church). Whenever assizes took place, the villagers of Altweidelbach were obliged to furnish the crossbeam for the gallows
Gallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
, as well as a ladder. The village court, on the other hand, on whose bench sat three or four Schöffen, was held twice a year, in May and again on Saint Martin’s
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
Day (11 November), under the village limetree
Tilia
Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The greatest species diversity is found in Asia, and the genus also occurs in Europe and eastern North America, but not western North America...
, chaired by the monastery director or the Schultheiß
Schultheiß
In medieval Germany, the Schultheiß was the head of a municipality , a Vogt or an executive official of the ruler.As official it was...
.
Between 1410 and 1598 and again between 1610 and 1673, Altweidelbach belonged to the autonomous Palatine Duchy of Simmern, and between 1598 and 1610, as well as after 1673 until the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
occupation that began in 1794, it belonged along with the rest of the Simmern territory to Electoral Palatinate. To tighten the administration, each village was made into its own Schultheiß
Schultheiß
In medieval Germany, the Schultheiß was the head of a municipality , a Vogt or an executive official of the ruler.As official it was...
erei. In the 17th century, Altweidelbach was united with Mörschbach, Schnorbach
Schnorbach
Schnorbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
and Wahlbach
Wahlbach
-History:Archaeological finds from barrows bear witness to early habitation. In 1158, Wahlbach had its first documentary mention. The village was a noble family’s namesake, although it died out soon after 1258. Later, the village belonged to the Palatine “New Court” , which in 1410 was grouped into...
into a single Schultheißerei. The court under this arrangement was made up of, besides the Schultheiß and the court clerk, nine Schöffen, of whom three were drawn from Mörschbach, along with two from each of the other centres.
In the time of the French occupation in 1794, Altweidelbach was thoroughly plundered. Altweidelbach lay under French rule until 1815, when it was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
at the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
. Great fires struck the village in 1866, 1897 and 1975, when three barns and one house burnt down.
In the First World War, ten men from Altweidelbach fell and two were listed as missing
Missing in action
Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
. Following the war, the French were stationed in the village until 1919. The first car was seen in Altweidelbach in 1937. Shortly thereafter came the Second World War, in which four men from Altweidelbach fell and three were listed as missing. In March 1945, the Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
occupied the village. They were relieved by the French in August as the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
agreed on zones of occupation. In 1946, Altweidelbach became part of the then newly founded state
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
of Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
. In 1963, Flurbereinigung
Flurbereinigung
Flurbereinigung is the German word used to describe land reforms in various countries, especially Germany and Austria. The term can best be translated as land consolidation. Another European country where those land reforms have been carried out is France...
was completed. It was as late as 1978 before the village’s streets had names. In 2000 and 2001, the Altweidelbach Wind Farm was built, with seven wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s. In 2006, the municipality of Altweidelbach marked its one-thousand-year jubilee.
Population development
There are currently roughly 250 inhabitants in Altweidelbach, but in bygone centuries, the population was quite a bit smaller, and fluctuated considerably. In 1498, 67 adults lived in Altweidelbach, suggesting a total population of roughly 100. The 14 families who lived here in 1599 would have amounted to a similar figure, but in the 17th century, the population dropped sharply with the double blow of the Thirty Years' WarThirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
and the Plague to only 7 families. In 1672, the count was back up to 48 inhabitants in 12 families. In 1698, there were 58 inhabitants.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 6 council members, who were elected at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.Mayor
Altweidelbach’s mayor is Willy Welter, and his deputies are Dietmar Bender and Jürgen Hilgert.Coat of arms
The municipality’s armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
might be described thus: Per bend Or a church with ridge turret to dexter above a bend sinister wavy azure and sable a lion rampant of the first armed and langued gules.
Buildings
The following are listed buildings or sites in Rhineland-PalatinateRhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
’s Directory of Cultural Monuments:
- EvangelicalEvangelical Church in GermanyThe Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
church, Hauptstraße/corner of Lindenweg – BaroqueBaroque architectureBaroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
aisleless churchAisleless churchAn Aisleless church is a single-nave church building that consists of a single hall-like room. While similar to the hall church, the aisleless church lacks aisles or passageways either side of the nave separated from the nave by colonnades or arcades, a row of pillars or columns...
, marked 1761 - Hauptstraße 1 – building with half-hipped roof, partly slated timber framingTimber framingTimber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
, about 1800 - Hauptstraße/corner of Heider Weg – cast-ironCast ironCast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
fountain basin, Stromberger Hütte (foundry), marked 1885 - On Kreisstraße (District Road) 53, southeast of the village – water cistern; round building with cupola roof, marked 1913
- North of the village – Hammesmühle (or Eselsmühle – a mill); timber-frame house, half-hipped roof, marked 1824, timber-frame barn; whole complex of buildings
- West of the village – Weirichsmühle (or Katzenlochermühle – another mill); two plastered timber-frame houses, one a building with half-hipped roof, early 19th century, barn; whole complex of buildings
External links
- http://www.swr.de/landesschau-rp/hierzuland/-/id=100766/nid=100766/did=2358520/18i5f3d/index.htmlBrief portrait of Altweidelbach with film at SWR FernsehenSWR FernsehenSWR Fernsehen is a German regional television channel targeting the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. It is produced by Südwestrundfunk and is one of eight regional "third channels" broadcast by the ARD members....
] - Altweidelbach in the Wo-Simmern.de travel guide