Klausen, Germany
Encyclopedia
Klausen is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich
district
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
.
. The nearest middle centres
are Wittlich
and Bernkastel-Kues
. The Grönbach and the Kramesbach empty into the Salm. Klausen belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Wittlich-Land
, whose seat is in Wittlich
, although that town is itself not in the Verbandsgemeinde.
in Klausen amounts to 749 mm, falling into the middle third of the precipitation chart for all Germany. At 51% of the German Weather Service’s weather station
s, lower figures are recorded. The driest month is February. The most rainfall comes in August. In that month, precipitation is 1.4 times what it is in February. Precipitation varies only minimally and is spread out quite evenly throughout the year.
, put up, on a spot where nothing had yet been built (but now the site of the Church of Eberhardsklausen) a wooden figure showing Mary with Jesus
in her arms after having been taken off the cross (Pietà
). The figure was soon moved into a so-called Marienhäuschen (“little Mary house”). Two years later came the building of the first chapel on this spot. On 25 March 1449, the Late Gothic
Church of Mary (Marienkirche), work on which had begun in 1446 under Antwerp master builder Cluys, was consecrated by Archbishop
of Trier
Jakob von Sierck. About 1480 came the carved high altar, which is still to be found in the church today. It is one of the oldest preserved examples of “Antwerp altarpiece” production. A monastery of Augustinian
canon
s from the Congregation of Windesheim
, built near the church, was consecrated in 1461. The church soon developed into a pilgrimage
site that still draws worshippers today in some numbers.
In the course of the War of the Polish Succession
, Imperial troops under Friedrich Heinrich von Seckendorff’s command beat a French
army led by Marshal
François de Franquetot de Coigny
on 20 October 1735 at the Battle of Clausen
(commonly spelt thus in English history texts).
In 1802, the Augustinian canons’ monastery was dissolved. The monastery church became a parish church that also ministered to the many pilgrims. In 1927, the parish in Klausen was raised to deaconry. On 7 June 1969 came the amalgamation of the municipalities of Krames and Pohlbach into the municipality of Klausen (the old Eberhardsklausen with the monastery zone was not a self-administering municipality, but rather it was shared between the municipalities of Krames and Pohlbach). Until the amalgamation of the municipalities of Krames and Pohlbach, Klausen was merely the parish’s name.
In 1988, Klausen was awarded the statewide first prize in the contest “for exemplary ecological performance” and was the winner in its Regierungsbezirk
in the contest Unser Dorf soll schöner werden (“Our village should become lovelier”).
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
The municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results:
on 27 June 2004.
The municipality’s arms
might in English heraldic
language be described thus: Or a fleur-de-lis, the middle petal winged and charged with a cross azure, and doubly seeded vert.
one kilometre away. Landesstraßen (State Roads) 47 (from Trier
to Machern
) and 50 (from Piesport
to Binsfeld
) both run right through the municipality and form the links to the neighbouring municipalities: Salmtal
in the north, Piesport
in the south, Esch
and Sehlem
in the east and Osann-Monzel
in the west.
Bus route 304 of the Rhein-Mosel Verkehrsgesellschaft (RMV) links Klausen by way of Altrich
several times daily (Saturdays only once; Sundays not at all) with the district seat of Wittlich
, where transfers are possible in all directions at the bus station. RMV bus route 212 runs direct buses twice daily on weekdays between Klausen and the nearest city, Trier
, passing through Esch
, Rivenich
, Hetzerath
, Föhren
and Schweich
on the way.
The nearest Regionalbahn
stations are Salmtal
and Sehlem (Kr Wittlich)
on the Koblenz-Trier railway line, both of which are some 5 km away from Klausen. Wittlich’s main railway station, some 15 km away from Klausen, is the nearest long-distance station. It can be reached by bus with only one transfer to route 301 or 305 at the Wittlich bus station, and the trip takes, depending on where one transfers, between 20 and 87 minutes.
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 southern 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....
. The nearest middle centres
Central Place Theory
Central place theory is a geographical theory that seeks to explain the number, size and location of human settlements in an urban system. The theory was created by the German geographer Walter Christaller, who asserted that settlements simply functioned as 'central places' providing services to...
are 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...
and Bernkastel-Kues
Bernkastel-Kues
Bernkastel-Kues is a well-known winegrowing centre on the Middle Moselle in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
. The Grönbach and the Kramesbach empty into the Salm. Klausen 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.
Constituent communities
Klausen’s Ortsteile are Klausen, Pohlbach, Krames, Neu-Minheim, Hof Weidenhaag and Pohlbacher Mühle.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 Klausen amounts to 749 mm, falling into the middle third of the precipitation chart for all Germany. At 51% 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 February. The most rainfall comes in August. In that month, precipitation is 1.4 times what it is in February. Precipitation varies only minimally and is spread out quite evenly throughout the year.
History
In 1442, Klausen had its first documentary mention when Eberhard, who revered MaryMary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
, put up, on a spot where nothing had yet been built (but now the site of the Church of Eberhardsklausen) a wooden figure showing Mary with Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
in her arms after having been taken off the cross (Pietà
Pietà
The Pietà is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus, most often found in sculpture. As such, it is a particular form of the Lamentation of Christ, a scene from the Passion of Christ found in cycles of the Life of Christ...
). The figure was soon moved into a so-called Marienhäuschen (“little Mary house”). Two years later came the building of the first chapel on this spot. On 25 March 1449, the Late Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic 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....
Church of Mary (Marienkirche), work on which had begun in 1446 under Antwerp master builder Cluys, was consecrated by Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of 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....
Jakob von Sierck. About 1480 came the carved high altar, which is still to be found in the church today. It is one of the oldest preserved examples of “Antwerp altarpiece” production. A monastery of Augustinian
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
s from the Congregation of Windesheim
Congregation of Windesheim
The Congregation of Windesheim was a branch of the Augustinians. It took its name from an Augustinian monastery about four miles south of Zwolle on the IJssel, in the Netherlands....
, built near the church, was consecrated in 1461. The church soon developed into a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
site that still draws worshippers today in some numbers.
In the course of the War of the Polish Succession
War of the Polish Succession
The War of the Polish Succession was a major European war for princes' possessions sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II, King of Poland that other European powers widened in pursuit of their own national interests...
, Imperial troops under Friedrich Heinrich von Seckendorff’s command beat a 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...
army led by Marshal
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
François de Franquetot de Coigny
François de Franquetot de Coigny
François de Franquetot de Coigny was a Marshal of France, Count, and from 1747, the Duke of Coigny.He was born in the Coigny château near Coutances, Normandy as son of Robert-Jean de Coigny, and Marie-Françoise de Matignon. His uncle was Charles-Auguste de Goyon-Matignon, Marshal of France and his...
on 20 October 1735 at the Battle of Clausen
Battle of Clausen
The Battle of Clausen was fought on 20 October 1735 near the town of Klausen , which was then in the Electorate of Trier and part of the Holy Roman Empire, and is now in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate...
(commonly spelt thus in English history texts).
In 1802, the Augustinian canons’ monastery was dissolved. The monastery church became a parish church that also ministered to the many pilgrims. In 1927, the parish in Klausen was raised to deaconry. On 7 June 1969 came the amalgamation of the municipalities of Krames and Pohlbach into the municipality of Klausen (the old Eberhardsklausen with the monastery zone was not a self-administering municipality, but rather it was shared between the municipalities of Krames and Pohlbach). Until the amalgamation of the municipalities of Krames and Pohlbach, Klausen was merely the parish’s name.
In 1988, Klausen was awarded the statewide first prize in the contest “for exemplary ecological performance” and was the winner in its Regierungsbezirk
Regierungsbezirk
In Germany, a Government District, in German: Regierungsbezirk – is a subdivision of certain federal states .They are above the Kreise, Landkreise, and kreisfreie Städte...
in the contest Unser Dorf soll schöner werden (“Our village should become lovelier”).
Municipal council
The council is made up of 16 council members, who were elected by proportional representationProportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
The municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results:
| FBL Klausen | WG Kohl | FWG Maes Free Voters Free Voters is a German concept in which an association of persons participates in an election without having the status of a registered political party. Usually it is a locally organized group of voters in the form of a registered association . In most cases, Free Voters are active only at the... |
WG Dietzen | SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
Total | |
| 2009 | 11 | 5 | – | – | – | 16 seats |
| 2004 | 7 | – | 5 | 3 | 1 | 16 seats |
Mayor
The Mayor is Alois Meyer, who reached the mayoralty in a runoff electionTwo-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
on 27 June 2004.
Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: In Gold eine zur Kreuzblume erblühte blaue Lilie mit doppeltem grünen Fruchtknoten.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: Or a fleur-de-lis, the middle petal winged and charged with a cross azure, and doubly seeded vert.
Economy and infrastructure
Klausen has at its disposal a network of hiking trails roughly 60 km long.Transport
Klausen is connected to the Autobahn A 1 through the Salmtal 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...
one kilometre away. Landesstraßen (State Roads) 47 (from 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....
to Machern
Machern
Machern is a town in the Leipzig district in Saxony, Germany. It is in the vicinity of the city of Leipzig.- Geography and Transport :Machern lies 20 km east of Leipzig, about 10 km west of Wurzen over the Mulda river...
) and 50 (from Piesport
Piesport
Piesport is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
to Binsfeld
Binsfeld
Binsfeld is a village in the commune of Weiswampach, in northern Luxembourg. , the village has a population of 220....
) both run right through the municipality and form the links to the neighbouring municipalities: Salmtal
Salmtal
Salmtal is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
in the north, Piesport
Piesport
Piesport is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
in the south, Esch
Esch, Bernkastel-Wittlich
Esch is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
and Sehlem
Sehlem
Sehlem is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
in the east and Osann-Monzel
Osann-Monzel
Osann-Monzel is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – and a winegrowing centre in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
in the west.
Local public transport
Klausen lies in cell 338 in the Verkehrsverbund Region Trier (VRT) plan and has all together 5 bus stops at its disposal.Bus route 304 of the Rhein-Mosel Verkehrsgesellschaft (RMV) links Klausen by way of Altrich
Altrich
Altrich is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
several times daily (Saturdays only once; Sundays not at all) with the district seat of 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...
, where transfers are possible in all directions at the bus station. RMV bus route 212 runs direct buses twice daily on weekdays between Klausen and the nearest city, 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....
, passing through Esch
Esch, Bernkastel-Wittlich
Esch is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Rivenich
Rivenich
Rivenich is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Hetzerath
Hetzerath
Hetzerath is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Föhren
Föhren
Föhren is a municipality in the Trier-Saarburg district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany....
and Schweich
Schweich
Schweich is a municipality in the Trier-Saarburg district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the river Moselle, approx. northeast of Trier....
on the way.
The nearest Regionalbahn
RegionalBahn
The Regionalbahn is a type of local passenger train in Germany.-Service:Regionalbahn trains usually call at all stations on a given line, with the exception of RB trains within S-Bahn networks, these may only call at selected stations...
stations are Salmtal
Salmtal
Salmtal is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
and Sehlem (Kr Wittlich)
Sehlem
Sehlem is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
on the Koblenz-Trier railway line, both of which are some 5 km away from Klausen. Wittlich’s main railway station, some 15 km away from Klausen, is the nearest long-distance station. It can be reached by bus with only one transfer to route 301 or 305 at the Wittlich bus station, and the trip takes, depending on where one transfers, between 20 and 87 minutes.
Further reading
- Peter Dohms (1985): Eberhardsklausen - Kloster, Kirche, Wallfahrt. Trier 1985
- Peter Dohms (2001): Klausener Pilgerbuch. Trier 2001
- 500 Jahre Wallfahrtskirche Klausen, hgg. Martin Persch, Michael Embach, Peter Dohms, (Quellen und Abhandlungen zur mittelrheinischen Kirchengeschichte 104), Mainz 2003, ISBN 3-929135-38-8