Dodenburg
Encyclopedia
Dodenburg is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich
district
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
.
some 16 km west of Wittlich in the middle of broad mixed forests. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Wittlich-Land
, whose seat is in Wittlich
, although that town is itself not in the Verbandsgemeinde.
with the knight Werner von der Pforte zu Bruch dealing with plots of land in Rodenerde (a long vanished village) “not far from Dodenburg and monastery” (Heckenmünster
). Werner von der Pforte was Theoderich von Bruch’s liegeman.
The Dodenburg itself – a castle (Burg is German
for “castle”) – had its first documentary mention in Trier documents from 1279 under the name Dudenburg. This moated castle gave the place its name. It was converted between 1791 and 1794 in the Baroque
style by the Counts of Kesselstatt
. The two-winged building with the round corner towers, which still recall the former moated castle, is likewise today under private ownership. The park complex with its avenues still exists in its original form.
Beginning in 1794, Dodenburg lay under French
rule. In 1814 it was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia
at the Congress of Vienna
. Since 1946, it has been part of the then newly founded state
of Rhineland-Palatinate
.
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, argent a dragon rampant sans forelegs wings displayed gules, and barry of ten argent and azure.
The numbers referring to the sinister (armsbearer’s left, viewer’s right) side (“9” and “ten”) do not match because English heraldry counts the number of bars, whereas German heraldry counts the number of divisions.
The red dragon on a silver field is the arms once borne by the House of Kesselstatt. Dodenburg’s history was shaped considerably by the Imperial Counts (Reichsgrafen) of Kesselstatt. The Dodenburg castle, a former moated castle, was through a shared inheritance bequeathed in 1790 to Kasimir Friedrich von Kesselstatt. In the mid 18th century, he had been enfeoffed with it. The Luxembourg
tincture
s (blue and silver) symbolize the village’s former allegiance to the Duchy of Luxembourg.
The arms have been borne since 1981.
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 in the 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....
some 16 km west of Wittlich in the middle of broad mixed forests. It 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.
History
In 1231, the Archbishop of Trier Theoderich documented and confirmed an accord from Himmerod AbbeyHimmerod Abbey
Himmerod Abbey is a Cistercian monastery in the community of Großlittgen in the Verbandsgemeinde of Manderscheid in the district of Bernkastel-Wittlich, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, located in the Eifel, in the valley of the Salm.-First foundation:Himmerod Abbey was founded in 1134 by Saint...
with the knight Werner von der Pforte zu Bruch dealing with plots of land in Rodenerde (a long vanished village) “not far from Dodenburg and monastery” (Heckenmünster
Heckenmünster
Heckenmünster is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
). Werner von der Pforte was Theoderich von Bruch’s liegeman.
The Dodenburg itself – a castle (Burg is 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....
for “castle”) – had its first documentary mention in Trier documents from 1279 under the name Dudenburg. This moated castle gave the place its name. It was converted between 1791 and 1794 in the Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque 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...
style by the Counts of Kesselstatt
Counts of Kesselstatt
This page is about the title Count of Kesselstatt . The title is accompanied by the style of His Excellency; wives and daughters of Counts of Kesselstatt would be "Her Excellency Countess Forename of Kesselstatt". They are cousins of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein. Their historic seat is...
. The two-winged building with the round corner towers, which still recall the former moated castle, is likewise today under private ownership. The park complex with its avenues still exists in its original form.
Beginning in 1794, Dodenburg lay under 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...
rule. In 1814 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,...
. 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 ....
.
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.
Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: Der Schild ist von links oben nach rechts unten geteilt. In der rechten oberen Hälfte oben in Silber ein roter Drache, in der linken unteren Hälfte 9 mal in Silber und Blau quer geteiltes Feld.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, argent a dragon rampant sans forelegs wings displayed gules, and barry of ten argent and azure.
The numbers referring to the sinister (armsbearer’s left, viewer’s right) side (“9” and “ten”) do not match because English heraldry counts the number of bars, whereas German heraldry counts the number of divisions.
The red dragon on a silver field is the arms once borne by the House of Kesselstatt. Dodenburg’s history was shaped considerably by the Imperial Counts (Reichsgrafen) of Kesselstatt. The Dodenburg castle, a former moated castle, was through a shared inheritance bequeathed in 1790 to Kasimir Friedrich von Kesselstatt. In the mid 18th century, he had been enfeoffed with it. The Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
tincture
Tincture (heraldry)
In heraldry, tinctures are the colours used to emblazon a coat of arms. These can be divided into several categories including light tinctures called metals, dark tinctures called colours, nonstandard colours called stains, furs, and "proper". A charge tinctured proper is coloured as it would be...
s (blue and silver) symbolize the village’s former allegiance to the Duchy of Luxembourg.
The arms have been borne since 1981.
External links
- Municipality’s official webpage
- http://www.swr.de/landesschau-rp/hierzuland/-/id=100766/nid=100766/did=3617282/1t33di3/index.htmlBrief portrait with film about Dodenburg 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....
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