Duppach
Encyclopedia
Duppach is an Ortsgemeinde (a municipality
), part of a group of municipalities called the Verbandsgemeinde of Gerolstein
, which is located in the town of Gerolstein
in the Vulkaneifel district
of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
.
, a part of the Eifel
region known for its volcanic origins, geographical and geological features. There is still ongoing volcanic activity and gases sometimes well up from the earth. The elevation of the region of Duppach ranges from 400 to 600 m above sea level
. The village itself is located on slightly lower ground at 460 m above sea level. The towns of Hillesheim
and Gerolstein
are both 10 km away. The town of Prüm
is 13 km away.
digs in the outlying area of Weiermühle which began in 2002, remnants of a Roman
villa and two large burial monuments were found. The Archäologischer Förderverein Duppach e.V. (“Duppach Club for the Promotion of Archaeology”) founded in 2003 has been continuing work on the digs, albeit at irregular intervals. The digs are supervised by Dr. Peter Henrich.
In 843, Duppach is mentioned for the first time as Duibach in period documents. From 1334 until the French Revolution
, Duppach was part of the County of Manderscheid-Blankenheim. Since 1970, it is part of the Verbandsgemeinde of Gerolstein
.
at the municipal elections held on June 7, 2009, and the mayor is its chairperson.
Here is a description of the municipality’s arms
in English heraldic
: A rampant black lion with red claws is shown above a pair of white deer antlers surrounding a gold cross with a background of gold over blue divided by a wavy line.
The charge
in the upper half of the escutcheon is taken from the coat of arms used by the old Counts of Manderscheid-Blankenheim, which included a lion rampant in the same tincture
s as the lion in Duppach’s arms, although in the latter, it is a demi-lion cut off by the dividing line. The pair of antlers (“attires”) surrounding the cross is one of Saint Hubert’s
attributes, thus making it a reference to the patron saint of the village and of its church. The wavy line of partition symbolizes the many streams found in the area.
’s oldest churches. In 1926, the larger Baroque Revival Saint Hubert Church (St. Hubertus-Kirche) was built, as the older building was no longer large enough to suit the needs of the parish. Since its destruction in the Second World War, all that is left of the 14th-century church today is the chancel which is used as a graveyard chapel.
In the 1950s, the AEG
electrical company had a retirement home built in the Duppacher Wald (forest around Duppach) for Konrad Adenauer
, who was Chancellor
of Germany at the time. However, once the press heard of this corruption and reported it, work on the house was stopped. The half-finished house still stands in the woods and has been falling to ruins ever since.
Other buildings of interest include the following:
(known in the Eifel
as Drees) where villagers come to collect mineral water
. The spring is rich in iron
and minerals. The water is also rich in carbonic acid
(H2CO3), known to many as soda water, which is typical of the Eifel region, a former volcanic area.
, Chairman of the Board of Governors at Commerzbank
AG, was born on September 16, 1944 in Duppach.
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...
), part of a group of municipalities called the Verbandsgemeinde of Gerolstein
Gerolstein (Verbandsgemeinde)
Gerolstein is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Vulkaneifel, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Gerolstein....
, which is located in the town of Gerolstein
Gerolstein
Gerolstein is a town in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde. Gerolstein is headquarters to a large mineral water firm, Gerolsteiner Brunnen...
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 ....
of the state 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 ....
, 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
Duppach is located in the VulkaneifelVulkan 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....
region known for its volcanic origins, geographical and geological features. There is still ongoing volcanic activity and gases sometimes well up from the earth. The elevation of the region of Duppach ranges from 400 to 600 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...
. The village itself is located on slightly lower ground at 460 m above sea level. The towns of Hillesheim
Hillesheim
Hillesheim is the third largest town in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde, to which it also belongs.- Location :...
and Gerolstein
Gerolstein
Gerolstein is a town in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde. Gerolstein is headquarters to a large mineral water firm, Gerolsteiner Brunnen...
are both 10 km away. The town of Prüm
Prüm
Prüm is a town in the Westeifel , Germany. Formerly a district capital, today it is the administrative seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Prüm.-Geography:...
is 13 km away.
History
At archaeologicalArchaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
digs in the outlying area of Weiermühle which began in 2002, remnants of a Roman
Ancient 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....
villa and two large burial monuments were found. The Archäologischer Förderverein Duppach e.V. (“Duppach Club for the Promotion of Archaeology”) founded in 2003 has been continuing work on the digs, albeit at irregular intervals. The digs are supervised by Dr. Peter Henrich.
In 843, Duppach is mentioned for the first time as Duibach in period documents. From 1334 until 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...
, Duppach was part of the County of Manderscheid-Blankenheim. Since 1970, it is part of the Verbandsgemeinde of Gerolstein
Gerolstein (Verbandsgemeinde)
Gerolstein is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Vulkaneifel, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Gerolstein....
.
Municipal Council
The council has 8 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 elections held on June 7, 2009, and the mayor is its chairperson.
Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: Durch Wellenschnitt von Gold über blau geteilt; oben ein wachsender schwarzer, rotbewehrter Löwe, unten zwei silberne Hirschstangen, ein goldenes Kreuz einschließend.Here is a description of 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...
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"...
: A rampant black lion with red claws is shown above a pair of white deer antlers surrounding a gold cross with a background of gold over blue divided by a wavy line.
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...
in the upper half of the escutcheon is taken from the coat of arms used by the old Counts of Manderscheid-Blankenheim, which included a lion rampant in the same 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 as the lion in Duppach’s arms, although in the latter, it is a demi-lion cut off by the dividing line. The pair of antlers (“attires”) surrounding the cross is one of Saint Hubert’s
Hubertus
Saint Hubertus or Hubert , called the "Apostle of the Ardennes" was the first Bishop of Liège...
attributes, thus making it a reference to the patron saint of the village and of its church. The wavy line of partition symbolizes the many streams found in the area.
Buildings
The current graveyard chapel dates back to the year 1330 and is one of 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....
’s oldest churches. In 1926, the larger Baroque Revival Saint Hubert Church (St. Hubertus-Kirche) was built, as the older building was no longer large enough to suit the needs of the parish. Since its destruction in the Second World War, all that is left of the 14th-century church today is the chancel which is used as a graveyard chapel.
In the 1950s, the AEG
AEG
Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft was a German producer of electrical equipment founded in 1883 by Emil Rathenau....
electrical company had a retirement home built in the Duppacher Wald (forest around Duppach) for Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...
, who was Chancellor
Chancellor of Germany
The Chancellor of Germany is, under the German 1949 constitution, the head of government of Germany...
of Germany at the time. However, once the press heard of this corruption and reported it, work on the house was stopped. The half-finished house still stands in the woods and has been falling to ruins ever since.
Other buildings of interest include the following:
- Auf dem langen Garten 1 – house that was once part of a two-sided estate (former rectory) originally built around 1743, its current outward appearance is more recent.
- Hauptstraße – remnants of the former Saint Hubert Catholic Church, Late GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
, built in 1551. - Hauptstraße 25 – Quereinhaus (combined residential and commercial space divided down the middle in a line which is perpendicular to the street), built in 1876, cobbled courtyard.
- Wayside cross, north of the village on the road to Steffeln, sandstoneSandstoneSandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
pedestal cross, 19th century. - Weiermühle 13/15 – stately home built in 1815.
Acidic spring
About 1 000 m outside the village, there is an acidic springSpring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
(known in 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....
as Drees) where villagers come to collect mineral water
Mineral water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
. The spring is rich in iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
and minerals. The water is also rich in carbonic acid
Carbonic acid
Carbonic acid is the inorganic compound with the formula H2CO3 . It is also a name sometimes given to solutions of carbon dioxide in water, because such solutions contain small amounts of H2CO3. Carbonic acid forms two kinds of salts, the carbonates and the bicarbonates...
(H2CO3), known to many as soda water, which is typical of the Eifel region, a former volcanic area.
Sons and daughters of the town
Klaus-Peter MüllerKlaus-Peter Müller
Klaus-Peter Müller is a German banker. He is the Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors of Commerzbank AG, Germany's second-largest bank...
, Chairman of the Board of Governors at Commerzbank
Commerzbank
Commerzbank AG is the second-largest bank in Germany, after Deutsche Bank, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main.-Activities:Commerzbank is mainly active in commercial bank, retail banking and mortgaging. It suffered reversals in investment banking in early 2000s and scaled back its Securities unit...
AG, was born on September 16, 1944 in Duppach.
External links
- Municipality’s official webpage
- Duppach (Gerolsteiner Land)
- Video about Duppach at Hierzuland (SWRSWRSWR may refer to:Technology:* Standing wave ratio, a wave and antenna concept* Steel Wire ropeRadio stations:* Südwestrundfunk, a public broadcasting company for the southwest of Germany...
)