Börfink
Encyclopedia
Börfink is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Birkenfeld
district
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Birkenfeld
, whose seat is in the like-named town
.
in the Schwarzwälder Hochwald (forest) in the Hunsrück
. The municipal area is 78.8% wooded.
and in the southwest on Muhl, an outlying centre of Neuhütten
.
in Börfink amounts to 1 133 mm, which is very high, falling into the highest tenth of the precipitation chart for all Germany. At 91% of the German Weather Service’s weather station
s, lower figures are recorded. The driest month is July. The most rainfall comes in December. In that month, precipitation is 1.5 times what it is in July. Precipitation varies markedly. Only at 23% of the weather stations are higher seasonal swings recorded.
, Börfink belonged to the “Hinder” County of Sponheim
, while in Prussia
n times it belonged to the Trier district.
The Kommandobunker Börfink, also known as Bunker Erwin, was brought into service in 1964. This was, among other things, a secret NATO bunker at the Erbeskopf that was used for air surveillance in Central Europe during the Cold War
.
On 1 January 1971, the municipality, which had until this time been called Börfink-Muhl, dropped the second part of its name, and has been known ever since as Börfink.
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: Per bend sinister chequy gules and argent, and sable a charcoal maker’s fire Or.
The “chequy” pattern on the dexter (armsbearer’s right, viewer’s left) side is a reference to the village’s former allegiance to the “Hinder” County of Sponheim
, Oberamt of Birkenfeld. The charge
on the sinister (armsbearer’s left, viewer’s right) side, the charcoal maker’s fire, refers to a legend about the village’s founding: On the right bank of the Trau, on what is now Börfink’s location, a man named Balduin Hartmann is said to have built the first charcoal-making operation, named Balduinshäuschen after him.
The arms have been borne since 5 September 1972.
’s Directory of Cultural Monuments:
41, and to the south runs the Autobahn A 62
(Kaiserslautern
–Trier
). Available in nearby Neubrücke
is a railway station on the Nahe Valley Railway (Bingen
–Saarbrücken
).
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 Birkenfeld
Birkenfeld (district)
Birkenfeld is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Sankt Wendel , Trier-Saarburg, Bernkastel-Wittlich, Rhein-Hunsrück, Bad Kreuznach and Kusel.- 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...
. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Birkenfeld
Birkenfeld (Verbandsgemeinde)
Birkenfeld is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district of Birkenfeld, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Birkenfeld....
, whose seat is in the like-named town
Birkenfeld
Birkenfeld is a town and the district seat of the Birkenfeld district in southwest Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is also the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde.-Location:...
.
Location
The municipality lies on the Traunbach near the 816 m-high ErbeskopfErbeskopf
The Erbeskopf in the Hunsrück in Germany is a mountain with a height of 816 m. It forms the highest point in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, as well as the highest point of German territory on the left bank of the Rhine.-External links:*...
in the Schwarzwälder Hochwald (forest) in the Hunsrück
Hunsrück
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...
. The municipal area is 78.8% wooded.
Neighbouring municipalities
Börfink borders in the southeast on AbentheuerAbentheuer
Abentheuer is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Birkenfeld, whose seat is in the like-named town.-Location:The municipality lies on...
and in the southwest on Muhl, an outlying centre of Neuhütten
Neuhütten, Rhineland-Palatinate
Neuhütten is a municipality in the Trier-Saarburg district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany....
.
Constituent communities
Also belonging to Börfink are the outlying homesteads of Einschiederhof, Forellenhof Trauntal and Thranenweier.Climate
Yearly precipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
in Börfink amounts to 1 133 mm, which is very high, falling into the highest tenth of the precipitation chart for all Germany. At 91% of the German Weather Service’s weather station
Weather station
A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for observing atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind...
s, lower figures are recorded. The driest month is July. The most rainfall comes in December. In that month, precipitation is 1.5 times what it is in July. Precipitation varies markedly. Only at 23% of the weather stations are higher seasonal swings recorded.
History
In the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Börfink belonged to the “Hinder” County 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...
, while in 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...
n times it belonged to the Trier district.
The Kommandobunker Börfink, also known as Bunker Erwin, was brought into service in 1964. This was, among other things, a secret NATO bunker at the Erbeskopf that was used for air surveillance in Central Europe during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
On 1 January 1971, the municipality, which had until this time been called Börfink-Muhl, dropped the second part of its name, and has been known ever since as Börfink.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 6 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.
Mayor
Börfink’s mayor is Martin Döscher, and his deputies are Monika Schabert and Herbert Sicks.Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: In schräglinksgeteiltem Schild vorne rot-silber geschacht, hinten in Schwarz ein goldenes Köhlerfeuer.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 bend sinister chequy gules and argent, and sable a charcoal maker’s fire Or.
The “chequy” pattern on the dexter (armsbearer’s right, viewer’s left) side is a reference to the village’s former allegiance to the “Hinder” County 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...
, Oberamt of Birkenfeld. The 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...
on the sinister (armsbearer’s left, viewer’s right) side, the charcoal maker’s fire, refers to a legend about the village’s founding: On the right bank of the Trau, on what is now Börfink’s location, a man named Balduin Hartmann is said to have built the first charcoal-making operation, named Balduinshäuschen after him.
The arms have been borne since 5 September 1972.
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:
- Dorfstraße 13 – Quereinhaus (a combination residential and commercial house divided for these two purposes down the middle, perpendicularly to the street) with whole-grainWhole grainWhole grains are cereal grains that contain cereal germ, endosperm, and bran, in contrast to refined grains, which retain only the endosperm. Whole grains can generally be sprouted while refined grains generally will not sprout. Whole-meal products are made by grinding whole grains in order to make...
mill and inn, 1865, upper floor, 1878
Transport
To the east runs BundesstraßeBundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
41, and to the south runs the Autobahn A 62
Bundesautobahn 62
is an autobahn in southwestern Germany, connecting the A 1 with the A 6. It also connects numerous communities throughout the central Hunsrück mountains...
(Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern is a city in southwest Germany, located in the Bundesland of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate forest . The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfurt am Main, and from Luxembourg.Kaiserslautern is home to 99,469 people...
–Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
). Available in nearby Neubrücke
Hoppstädten-Weiersbach
Hoppstädten-Weiersbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
is a railway station on the Nahe Valley Railway (Bingen
Bingen am Rhein
Bingen am Rhein is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.The settlement’s original name was Bingium, a Celtic word that may have meant “hole in the rock”, a description of the shoal behind the Mäuseturm, known as the Binger Loch. Bingen was the starting point for the...
–Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city is situated at the heart of a metropolitan area that borders on the west on Dillingen and to the north-east on Neunkirchen, where most of the people of the Saarland live....
).