Bilkheim
Encyclopedia
Bilkheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a community belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
– in the Westerwaldkreis
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
.
in a basin, right on the boundary with Hesse
. The Schafbach rises above the village, flows aongside Bilkheim and empties into the Salzbach. The community belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Wallmerod
, a kind of collective municipality.
In 1664, the moated castle of Neuroth was built by the House of Walderdorff as a widow’s seat. A gravestone from the year 1695 with the placename Bilkheim on it was once found.
In 1828, the first urn graves from the Hallstatt culture
(700-500 BC) were discovered on the “heath”. From these grave finds there is support for the belief that there must already have been settlers in the Bilkheim area well over 2,000 years ago.
These finds are in part displayed or archived at the Museum
in Wiesbaden
.
In 1901, a school
was built in Bilkheim, which is now privately owned.
A railway, since converted into a cycling and hiking path, once linked Bilkheim to the rest of the world as of 1910.
, however, many faiths have become represented in Bilkheim since then.
in a municipal election on 7 June 2009.
is Diez on the A 3 (Cologne
–Frankfurt, some 10 km away. The nearest InterCityExpress
stop is the railway station at Montabaur on the Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed rail line. The nearest major airports are Cologne Bonn Airport
and Frankfurt Airport
.
Verbandsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde is an administrative unit in the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt.-Rhineland-Palatinate:...
– in the Westerwaldkreis
Westerwaldkreis
The Westerwaldkreis is a district in the east of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
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
Bilkheim lies roughly 13 km northeast of MontabaurMontabaur
Montabaur is a town and the district seat of the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. At the same time, it is also the administrative centre of the Verbandsgemeinde of Montabaur – a kind of collective municipality – to which 24 other communities belong...
in a basin, right on the boundary with Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
. The Schafbach rises above the village, flows aongside Bilkheim and empties into the Salzbach. The community belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Wallmerod
Wallmerod (Verbandsgemeinde)
Wallmerod is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Westerwaldkreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Wallmerod.- History :...
, a kind of collective municipality.
History
In 1345, Bilkheim had its first documentary mention by the nobleman Dietrich von Brambach zu Neurod under the name Bullincheym.In 1664, the moated castle of Neuroth was built by the House of Walderdorff as a widow’s seat. A gravestone from the year 1695 with the placename Bilkheim on it was once found.
In 1828, the first urn graves from the Hallstatt culture
Hallstatt culture
The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Central European culture from the 8th to 6th centuries BC , developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC and followed in much of Central Europe by the La Tène culture.By the 6th century BC, the Hallstatt culture extended for some...
(700-500 BC) were discovered on the “heath”. From these grave finds there is support for the belief that there must already have been settlers in the Bilkheim area well over 2,000 years ago.
These finds are in part displayed or archived at the Museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
in Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
.
In 1901, a school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
was built in Bilkheim, which is now privately owned.
A railway, since converted into a cycling and hiking path, once linked Bilkheim to the rest of the world as of 1910.
Religion
Originally, Bilkheim’s religion was, until about 50 years ago, Roman Catholicism, with a membership of 100%. Since the onset of globalizationGlobalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
, however, many faiths have become represented in Bilkheim since then.
Population development
The old houses along the main street have mainly been bought up by “new” Bilkheimers, who now live in them. “Old” Bilkheimers’ children move out of the community’s centre and build in the outlying new areas.Community council
The council is made up of 8 council members who were elected in a majority votePlurality voting system
The plurality voting system is a single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member constituencies...
in a municipal election on 7 June 2009.
Transport
The nearest Autobahn interchangeInterchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
is Diez on the A 3 (Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
–Frankfurt, some 10 km away. The nearest InterCityExpress
InterCityExpress
The Intercity-Express or ICE is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany and neighbouring countries. It is the highest service category offered by DB Fernverkehr and is the flagship of Deutsche Bahn...
stop is the railway station at Montabaur on the Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed rail line. The nearest major airports are Cologne Bonn Airport
Cologne Bonn Airport
Cologne/Bonn Airport is an international airport located in the district of Porz in the city of Cologne, Germany, and is surrounded by the Wahner Heide nature reserve. The airport is centrally located in the Cologne/Bonn Region southeast of Cologne city centre and northeast of Bonn...
and Frankfurt Airport
Frankfurt Airport
Frankfurt Airport may refer to:Airports of Frankfurt, Germany:*Frankfurt Airport , the largest airport in Germany*Frankfurt Egelsbach Airport, a general aviation airport*Frankfurt-Hahn Airport , a converted U.S...
.
Regular events
Each year, Bilkheim has three great events:- Kermis: On the last weekend in August each year, the traditional kermis (Kirmes) is held at the St. Barbara community house.
- Backesfest: The “Bakehouse Festival” is held each year on the last weekend in July and is moulded by every club in the community.
- ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
Market: The Weihnachtsmarkt was held for the first time in December 2006, and was very popular among both Bilkheimers and guests.