Bergweiler
Encyclopedia
Bergweiler is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich
district
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
.
at an elevation of some 300 m above sea level
, and affords a raised view into the Wittlicher Senke (depression
). Bergweiler belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Wittlich-Land
, whose seat is in Wittlich
, although that town is itself not in the Verbandsgemeinde.
Formerly the municipality was called “Bergweiler über Wittlich” (“above Wittlich”), which expressed both the proximity to the district seat and the municipality’s geographical location.
and 6.33 km² is wooded.
, Bruch
, Dreis
and Hupperath
.
settlement near the village.
In 981, Bergweiler had its first documentary mention as Wilre, an archaic form of the German
word Weiler, meaning “hamlet
”. Thereafter the name changed several times, mostly to fit the ever-changing language. Thus the village was in 1056 called Villaris, in 1171 Reinboldvillari, in 1184 Villare, in 1190 Vilare, in 1219 Wilare, in 1243 Remboldswilre, in the 14th century Wilre supra montem, in 1417 Wiler, in 1428 Wilre, in 1487 Wyler, in 1569 Bergwiler and then eventually Bergweiler in 1656. In an episcopal visitation protocol from 1669, this name is used for Bergweiler.
From this same protocol comes the first mention of a small church, which is known today as the Fintenkapelle. As early as the 13th century, Bergweiler was being described as a parish seat. In 1669 and 1833, the church was newly built on the same spot in what was then the centre of Bergweiler (Unterdorf, or “Lower Village”). In 1957, Saint John’s
Catholic Church (Kirche St. Johannes) was renovated and partly converted, for the most part through the inhabitants’ own work. Neighbouring the church with its forecourt is a graveyard. Housed in the accompanying parish hall is the village’s Eifel-Heimat-Museum, a local history museum.
The Fintenkapelle, outside the village, from the 17th century, frequented as a local pilgrimage
church, was in 1959 likewise renovated. The small field chapel is known as a pilgrimage chapel for sick children. Formerly, the sick child’s weight in a crib in grain was used to determine the donation that had to be made to the chapel for its use. The many votive tablets
inside the chapel still bear witness today to the chapel’s function as a place of prayer. Architecturally
interesting is the little pulpit outside the chapel. It was formerly necessary for the priest to preach to believers gathered outside in the open field before the chapel from this outdoor pulpit because the chapel was too small. The chapel was first mentioned in 1656; it was newly built in 1717. In 2004, the chapel was once again lavishly renovated by local volunteer helpers, and since then it has shone with new radiance. The Fintenkapelle is the municipality’s landmark.
Before the French Revolution
, the Lords of Warsberg
held the landlordship in the Imperial Knightly Lordship of Bergweiler. Years-long legal proceedings over Imperial immediacy before the Imperial Chamber Court were rendered obsolete in 1794 by the French
occupation of the area. In 1815, Bergweiler became part of the Kingdom of Prussia
. Since 1946, it has been part of the then newly founded state
of Rhineland-Palatinate
.
The village is even today, both by the inhabitants and on maps, divided into two Ortsteile. The old centre with the church is called Bergweiler or Unterdorf (“Lower Village”), whereas the newer part, which is a few metres higher than the older part, is called Oberbergweiler or Oberdorf (“Upper Village”). Meanwhile, the further building that comes with population growth means that the village is growing together more and more.
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
The twelve seats on council are shared between the Thielen voters’ group (7 seats) and the Bergweiler free voters’ group (5 seats).
The municipality’s arms
might in English heraldic
language be described thus: Per fess sable a demi-lion rampant argent armed and crowned Or and chequy argent and gules.
To establish the historical basis for Bergweiler’s coat of arms, one must go back to the territorial situation before 1789. Bergweiler’s landlord was the Baron of Warsberg. He exercised his powers within the Imperially immediate Lordship of Bergweiler, which had been transferred to the Counts of Sponheim
. Bergweiler’s coat of arms must therefore express both the overlordship of the Counts of Sponheim and the landlordship of the Barons of Warsberg. This was done by composing a coat of arms party per fess (divided crosswise through the centre) whose lower half shows the Sponheims’ silver and red checkerboard pattern, and whose upper half shows a black field charge
d with the Warsbergs’ silver lion.
By approval in 1967, Bergweiler was granted the right to bear its own arms.
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 Bernkastel-Wittlich
Bernkastel-Wittlich
Bernkastel-Wittlich is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Vulkaneifel, Cochem-Zell, Rhein-Hunsrück, Birkenfeld, Trier-Saarburg and Bitburg-Prüm.- History :...
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...
.
Location
The municipality lies some 5 km west of the district seat, Wittlich, in the southern EifelEifel
The Eifel is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the south of the German-speaking Community of Belgium....
at an elevation of some 300 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...
, and affords a raised view into the Wittlicher Senke (depression
Depression (geology)
A depression in geology is a landform sunken or depressed below the surrounding area. Depressions may be formed by various mechanisms.Structural or tectonic related:...
). Bergweiler belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Wittlich-Land
Wittlich-Land
Wittlich-Land is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Bernkastel-Wittlich, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is located around the town Wittlich, which is the seat of Wittlich-Land, but not part of the Verbandsgemeinde....
, whose seat is in Wittlich
Wittlich
The town of Wittlich is the seat of the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and thereby the middle centre for a feeder area of 56 municipalities in the Eifel and Moselle area with its population of roughly 64,000...
, although that town is itself not in the Verbandsgemeinde.
Formerly the municipality was called “Bergweiler über Wittlich” (“above Wittlich”), which expressed both the proximity to the district seat and the municipality’s geographical location.
Land use
The municipal area measures 13.25 km² of which 5.71 km² is used for agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and 6.33 km² is wooded.
Neighbouring municipalities
Bergweiler’s neighbours are WittlichWittlich
The town of Wittlich is the seat of the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and thereby the middle centre for a feeder area of 56 municipalities in the Eifel and Moselle area with its population of roughly 64,000...
, Bruch
Bruch, Rhineland-Palatinate
Bruch is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Dreis
Dreis
Dreis is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
and Hupperath
Hupperath
Hupperath is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
.
History
Near Bergweiler, traces of Stone Age settlement – stone tools – have been found that have been dated to around 3000 BC. There are also clues that point to RomanAncient 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....
settlement near the village.
In 981, Bergweiler had its first documentary mention as Wilre, an archaic form of the 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....
word Weiler, meaning “hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
”. Thereafter the name changed several times, mostly to fit the ever-changing language. Thus the village was in 1056 called Villaris, in 1171 Reinboldvillari, in 1184 Villare, in 1190 Vilare, in 1219 Wilare, in 1243 Remboldswilre, in the 14th century Wilre supra montem, in 1417 Wiler, in 1428 Wilre, in 1487 Wyler, in 1569 Bergwiler and then eventually Bergweiler in 1656. In an episcopal visitation protocol from 1669, this name is used for Bergweiler.
From this same protocol comes the first mention of a small church, which is known today as the Fintenkapelle. As early as the 13th century, Bergweiler was being described as a parish seat. In 1669 and 1833, the church was newly built on the same spot in what was then the centre of Bergweiler (Unterdorf, or “Lower Village”). In 1957, Saint John’s
John the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John...
Catholic Church (Kirche St. Johannes) was renovated and partly converted, for the most part through the inhabitants’ own work. Neighbouring the church with its forecourt is a graveyard. Housed in the accompanying parish hall is the village’s Eifel-Heimat-Museum, a local history museum.
The Fintenkapelle, outside the village, from the 17th century, frequented as a local pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
church, was in 1959 likewise renovated. The small field chapel is known as a pilgrimage chapel for sick children. Formerly, the sick child’s weight in a crib in grain was used to determine the donation that had to be made to the chapel for its use. The many votive tablets
Ex-voto
An ex-voto is a votive offering to a saint or divinity. It is given in fulfillment of a vow or in gratitude or devotion...
inside the chapel still bear witness today to the chapel’s function as a place of prayer. Architecturally
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
interesting is the little pulpit outside the chapel. It was formerly necessary for the priest to preach to believers gathered outside in the open field before the chapel from this outdoor pulpit because the chapel was too small. The chapel was first mentioned in 1656; it was newly built in 1717. In 2004, the chapel was once again lavishly renovated by local volunteer helpers, and since then it has shone with new radiance. The Fintenkapelle is the municipality’s landmark.
Before the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, the Lords of Warsberg
Varsberg
Varsberg is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Moselle department...
held the landlordship in the Imperial Knightly Lordship of Bergweiler. Years-long legal proceedings over Imperial immediacy before the Imperial Chamber Court were rendered obsolete in 1794 by 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 of the area. In 1815, Bergweiler became part of 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...
. Since 1946, it has been 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 ....
.
The village is even today, both by the inhabitants and on maps, divided into two Ortsteile. The old centre with the church is called Bergweiler or Unterdorf (“Lower Village”), whereas the newer part, which is a few metres higher than the older part, is called Oberbergweiler or Oberdorf (“Upper Village”). Meanwhile, the further building that comes with population growth means that the village is growing together more and more.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 12 council members, who were elected by proportional representationProportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
The twelve seats on council are shared between the Thielen voters’ group (7 seats) and the Bergweiler free voters’ group (5 seats).
Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: Schild geteilt, oben in Schwarz ein goldbekrönter und goldbewehrter silberner wachsender Löwe, unten Silber-Rot geschacht.The municipality’s arms
Coat 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 in English heraldic
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
language be described thus: Per fess sable a demi-lion rampant argent armed and crowned Or and chequy argent and gules.
To establish the historical basis for Bergweiler’s coat of arms, one must go back to the territorial situation before 1789. Bergweiler’s landlord was the Baron of Warsberg. He exercised his powers within the Imperially immediate Lordship of Bergweiler, which had been transferred to the Counts of Sponheim
County of Sponheim
The County of Sponheim was an independent territory in the Holy Roman Empire which lasted from the 11th century until the early 19th century...
. Bergweiler’s coat of arms must therefore express both the overlordship of the Counts of Sponheim and the landlordship of the Barons of Warsberg. This was done by composing a coat of arms party per fess (divided crosswise through the centre) whose lower half shows the Sponheims’ silver and red checkerboard pattern, and whose upper half shows a black field charge
Charge (heraldry)
In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
d with the Warsbergs’ silver lion.
By approval in 1967, Bergweiler was granted the right to bear its own arms.
Culture and sightseeing
- At the Eifel-Heimat-Museum (Kirchstraße 3), agricultural equipment and tools from the 19th century are shown. In the middle of the museum stands an oil painting that shows one of the many legends surrounding the history of the Wittlich Säubrennerkirmes (a folk festival started in 1950 and based on a 14th-century legend). The painting, believed to be the biggest oil painting in Rhineland-Palatinate, was painted by Otto Frankfurter.
- The Werthelstein (also called Wedelstein or Würstelstein, or dialectally, Werdelsteen) is a pillarlike, isolated crag measuring some two to three metres in cross-section with relatively smooth surfaces. It stands at the municipal limit, where it crosses the old way from Bergweiler to DreisDreisDreis is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
. According to legend it is a sacrifice stone. Since 1940 it has been a natural monument. - Fintenkapelle: a small pilgrimage chapel from the 17th century outside the village.