Bleckhausen
Encyclopedia
Bleckhausen is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Daun
, whose seat is in the like-named town
.
between the Kleine Kyll and the Lieser in the Vulkaneifel
, a part of the Eifel
known for its volcanic history, geographical and geological features, and even ongoing activity today, including gases that sometimes well up from the earth.
Southeast of the village lies the nature conservation area Wacholdergelände bei Bleckhausen (“Juniper Lands near Bleckhausen”), the biggest of its kind anywhere in the Eifel.
During the time of French
administration, Bleckhausen was raised to parish; formerly, it was parochially bound with Manderscheid. Schutz
was also assigned to the parish of Bleckhausen.
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
The municipality’s arms
might in English heraldic
language be described thus: Argent a bend gules surmounted by a bendlet dancetty Or, in sinister a cross tau sable and in dexter three bars wavy azure.
The bend (diagonal stripe) overlaid with the thinner zigzag stripe (“bendlet dancetty”) was inspired by the arms once borne by the Counts of Manderscheid, once and long Bleckhausen’s lords. The T-shaped cross is Saint Anthony’s cross, and thus a reference to the local patron saint. The bars represent both the municipal limits and the charming pastoral scenery, characterized by the Kleine Kyll, Waldbach and Trombach valleys.
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 Vulkaneifel 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 Daun
Daun (Verbandsgemeinde)
Daun is a collective municipality in the Vulkaneifel district of Rhineland-Palatinate. The seat of the Daun Verbandsgemeinde is in the municipality of Daun.- Constituent municipalities:# Betteldorf# Bleckhausen# Brockscheid...
, whose seat is in the like-named town
Daun, Germany
Daun is a town in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the district seat and also the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Daun.- Location :...
.
Location
The municipality lies southeast of WeidenbachWeidenbach, Vulkaneifel
Weidenbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Daun, whose seat is in the like-named town...
between the Kleine Kyll and the Lieser in the Vulkaneifel
Vulkan Eifel
The Vulkan Eifel is a region in the Eifel Mountains in Germany, that is defined to a large extent by its volcanic geological history. Characteristic of the Vulkan Eifel are its typical explosion crater lakes or maars, and numerous other signs of volcanic activity such as volcanic tuffs, lava...
, a part of the Eifel
Eifel
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....
known for its volcanic history, geographical and geological features, and even ongoing activity today, including gases that sometimes well up from the earth.
Southeast of the village lies the nature conservation area Wacholdergelände bei Bleckhausen (“Juniper Lands near Bleckhausen”), the biggest of its kind anywhere in the Eifel.
History
On 15 June 1354, Bleckhausen had its first documentary mention when Archbishop of Trier Bohemond II (1354–1362) acknowledged the chapel at Bleckhausen built under Archbishop Baldwin (1307–1354). The village belonged to the Electoral-Trier Amt of Manderscheid. In 1721, there were 25 inhabitants in Bleckhausen.During the time of 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...
administration, Bleckhausen was raised to parish; formerly, it was parochially bound with Manderscheid. Schutz
Schutz, Germany
Schutz is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
was also assigned to the parish of Bleckhausen.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 8 council members, who were elected by 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...
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: In Silber ein roter Schrägrechtsbalken, belegt mit einer goldenen Zickzackleiste; oben ein schwarzes Antoniuskreuz, unten drei blaue Wellenleisten.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: Argent a bend gules surmounted by a bendlet dancetty Or, in sinister a cross tau sable and in dexter three bars wavy azure.
The bend (diagonal stripe) overlaid with the thinner zigzag stripe (“bendlet dancetty”) was inspired by the arms once borne by the Counts of Manderscheid, once and long Bleckhausen’s lords. The T-shaped cross is Saint Anthony’s cross, and thus a reference to the local patron saint. The bars represent both the municipal limits and the charming pastoral scenery, characterized by the Kleine Kyll, Waldbach and Trombach valleys.
Buildings
- Belonging to the municipality is the Bleckhausener Mühle, a gristmill under monumental protection on the Kleine Kyll southwest of the village. It was first mentioned in 1718 (although the official state Directory of Cultural Monuments says that it dates from 1799). Parts of the milling works are still preserved. In the early 20th century, the miller’s family, numbering 14 members, was housed in the little mill building next to the workrooms.
- Saint Anthony’s Catholic Church (branch church), Hauptstraße 19, 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...
from 1787, lengthened in 1846, additions to the side and the tower after 1945 - Alte Poststraße 4 – Quereinhaus (a combination residential and commercial house divided for these two purposes down the middle, perpendicularly to the street), apparently from 1870
- (Opposite) Brunnenstraße 2 a, well house, possibly from the 19th century
- Brunnenstraße 5 a – former school with half-hipped gables, partly covered in slates, apparently from 1843
- Brunnenstraße 12 – Quereinhaus from 1818, cobbled yard
- Brunnenstraße/corner of Alte Poststraße – well house, possibly from the 19th century
- Hauptstraße – sandstone wayside cross from 1810
Natural monuments
Among these are the juniper heath and the Drei Eichen (“Three Oaks”) natural monument.Further reading
- about the Bleckhausener Mühle: Heimatjahrbucharchiv Landkreis Vulkaneifel. Ein Projekt der Kreisverwaltung Vulkaneifel in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Weiss-Verlag, Büro Daun. Jhrg. 2004 S. 69