Mehren, Vulkaneifel
Encyclopedia
Mehren 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
.
, 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. Mehren also lies on the Autobahn A 1.
in Mehren amounts to 832 mm, which is high, falling into the highest third of the precipitation chart for all Germany. At 69% of the German Weather Service’s weather station
s, higher figures are recorded. The driest month is April. The most rainfall comes in December. In that month, precipitation is 1.5 times what it is in April. Precipitation varies hardly at all and is distributed evenly throughout the year. Only at 0% of the weather stations are lower seasonal swings recorded.
, about 700 BC. Archaeologists
have named the finds from ancient settlements, because they show such a uniformity among themselves, after the biggest centre in the area, calling the artifacts part of the “Mehren culture”.
The remains of a Roman
settlement were believed to have been found on the Mürmes (a moorland), and others have been confirmed near Schalkenmehren
railway station and in Weinfeld. The Frankish
settlement that followed the Roman period shows up mainly in grave finds and even in the traditional structures still seen today in the old village layout.
In 1282 and 1284, Mehren had its first documentary mentions in connection with donations to Prüm Abbey
. According to a legend, the village of Mehren arose “out of several estates”, or in German
, aus mehreren Höfen, the dative
form of mehrere (“several”) in that phrase supposedly being where the village’s name came from.
While it is true that such noble estates existed, the name’s origins are not quite as the legend says. Clearly, the name developed from the prehistoric term mer, for “marshy water”, through the Old High German
derivative therefrom, meri, followed by Meren (14th century), Muren (1654) and Mem (1683) to today’s form, Mehren (compare the English
word “mere”). The most important lordly estates were the Zolverhof, the one believed to have been near the Mürmes, and the one that formerly stood on the Hostert, the Demeklischer Hof, which until 1482 belonged to the Count of Manderscheid.
In a church register from Archbishop Heinrich von Virneburg from 1316, the parish of Meren is already listed, whereafter it was to grow until 1803 into one of the biggest and most sprawling parochial regions in the so-called Eifel
Deaconry. Belonging to this body, besides the parochial seat of Mehren, were the villages of Trittscheid, Tettscheid, Ellscheid
, Steineberg
, Steiningen
, Allscheid, Darscheid
and parts of Schönbach
.
The oldest part of Saint Matthias
’s Parish Church – the quire – was built in 1534 under Archbishop of Trier
Josef von Metzhausen. The churchtower with the curved cupola comes from 1825, but only in the early 20th century was it given the former Himmerod Abbey
church’s portal. Together with the rectory, built in 1730, and the school, today a community centre, built in 1838 and 1875, the parish church forms the dominant feature of the village’s appearance.
The village of Mehren has grown over the centuries to a considerable size in comparison with neighbouring places.
While life under the Electoral overlords brought little else but a scant livelihood in farming for the overwhelming majority of the people in Mehren, in the 19th century, there was an economic upswing during which Mehren grew into a prosperous market centre with a brewery
, a tannery, many inn
s, craft businesses and shops. For broad sectors of the population, though, the new wealth brought no relief from the great need for a livelihood, and thus, between the years 1842 and 1890, no fewer than 364 people from Mehren emigrated to the United States
.
The municipality’s arms
might in English heraldic
language be described thus: Per pale argent a cross gules and vert an axe palewise sinister of the first.
The cross is Electoral Trier’s old armorial bearing, while the other charge
, the axe, is Saint Matthias
’s attribute, thus representing the municipality’s and the church’s patron saint. The field tincture
on the sinister (armsbearer’s left, viewer’s right) side, vert (green), stands for the rustic charm of the local countryside and woods.
, in both the youth and senior sections.
TC (tennis
club) Blau-Weiß Mehren has a good 100 members and puts forth 5 teams that take part in competitions (2 youth teams, 2 men’s teams and 1 men’s young seniors team).
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 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....
known for its volcanic history, geographical and geological features, and even ongoing activity today, including gases that sometimes well up from the earth. Mehren also lies on the Autobahn A 1.
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 Mehren amounts to 832 mm, which is high, falling into the highest third of the precipitation chart for all Germany. At 69% 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, higher figures are recorded. The driest month is April. The most rainfall comes in December. In that month, precipitation is 1.5 times what it is in April. Precipitation varies hardly at all and is distributed evenly throughout the year. Only at 0% of the weather stations are lower seasonal swings recorded.
History
The Mehren area is known to have been settled as early as late Hallstatt timesHallstatt culture
The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Central European culture from the 8th to 6th centuries BC , developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC and followed in much of Central Europe by the La Tène culture.By the 6th century BC, the Hallstatt culture extended for some...
, about 700 BC. Archaeologists
Archaeology
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...
have named the finds from ancient settlements, because they show such a uniformity among themselves, after the biggest centre in the area, calling the artifacts part of the “Mehren culture”.
The remains 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....
settlement were believed to have been found on the Mürmes (a moorland), and others have been confirmed near Schalkenmehren
Schalkenmehren
Schalkenmehren is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
railway station and in Weinfeld. The Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
settlement that followed the Roman period shows up mainly in grave finds and even in the traditional structures still seen today in the old village layout.
In 1282 and 1284, Mehren had its first documentary mentions in connection with donations to Prüm Abbey
Prüm Abbey
Prüm Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey in Prüm/Lorraine, now in the diocese of Trier , founded by a Frankish widow Bertrada, and her son Charibert, count of Laon, on 23 June 720. The first abbot was Angloardus....
. According to a legend, the village of Mehren arose “out of several estates”, or in 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....
, aus mehreren Höfen, the dative
Dative case
The dative case is a grammatical case generally used to indicate the noun to whom something is given, as in "George gave Jamie a drink"....
form of mehrere (“several”) in that phrase supposedly being where the village’s name came from.
While it is true that such noble estates existed, the name’s origins are not quite as the legend says. Clearly, the name developed from the prehistoric term mer, for “marshy water”, through the Old High German
Old High German
The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of...
derivative therefrom, meri, followed by Meren (14th century), Muren (1654) and Mem (1683) to today’s form, Mehren (compare the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
word “mere”). The most important lordly estates were the Zolverhof, the one believed to have been near the Mürmes, and the one that formerly stood on the Hostert, the Demeklischer Hof, which until 1482 belonged to the Count of Manderscheid.
In a church register from Archbishop Heinrich von Virneburg from 1316, the parish of Meren is already listed, whereafter it was to grow until 1803 into one of the biggest and most sprawling parochial regions in the so-called 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....
Deaconry. Belonging to this body, besides the parochial seat of Mehren, were the villages of Trittscheid, Tettscheid, Ellscheid
Ellscheid
Ellscheid is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, Steineberg
Steineberg
Steineberg is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, Steiningen
Steiningen
Steiningen is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, Allscheid, Darscheid
Darscheid
Darscheid is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
and parts of Schönbach
Schönbach, Rhineland-Palatinate
Schönbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
.
The oldest part of Saint Matthias
Saint Matthias
Matthias , according to the Acts of the Apostles, was the apostle chosen by the remaining eleven apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following Judas' betrayal of Jesus and his suicide.-Biography:...
’s Parish Church – the quire – was built in 1534 under Archbishop 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....
Josef von Metzhausen. The churchtower with the curved cupola comes from 1825, but only in the early 20th century was it given the former Himmerod Abbey
Himmerod 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...
church’s portal. Together with the rectory, built in 1730, and the school, today a community centre, built in 1838 and 1875, the parish church forms the dominant feature of the village’s appearance.
The village of Mehren has grown over the centuries to a considerable size in comparison with neighbouring places.
While life under the Electoral overlords brought little else but a scant livelihood in farming for the overwhelming majority of the people in Mehren, in the 19th century, there was an economic upswing during which Mehren grew into a prosperous market centre with a brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
, a tannery, many inn
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
s, craft businesses and shops. For broad sectors of the population, though, the new wealth brought no relief from the great need for a livelihood, and thus, between the years 1842 and 1890, no fewer than 364 people from Mehren emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 16 council members, who were elected at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.Mayor
Mehren’s mayor is Josef Ring, and his deputies are Dr. Andreas Schüller and Ewald KlütschCoat of arms
The German blazon reads: Schild von Silber und Grün gespalten. Vorne ein rotes Balkenkreuz, hinten eine silberne, nach links gewendete Axt.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 pale argent a cross gules and vert an axe palewise sinister of the first.
The cross is Electoral Trier’s old armorial bearing, while the other 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...
, the axe, is Saint Matthias
Saint Matthias
Matthias , according to the Acts of the Apostles, was the apostle chosen by the remaining eleven apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following Judas' betrayal of Jesus and his suicide.-Biography:...
’s attribute, thus representing the municipality’s and the church’s patron saint. The field 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...
on the sinister (armsbearer’s left, viewer’s right) side, vert (green), stands for the rustic charm of the local countryside and woods.
Sport
SV (Sportverein – sport club) Mehren plays in a playing community along with SV DarscheidDarscheid
Darscheid is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, in both the youth and senior sections.
TC (tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
club) Blau-Weiß Mehren has a good 100 members and puts forth 5 teams that take part in competitions (2 youth teams, 2 men’s teams and 1 men’s young seniors team).
Buildings
- Saint MatthiasSaint MatthiasMatthias , according to the Acts of the Apostles, was the apostle chosen by the remaining eleven apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following Judas' betrayal of Jesus and his suicide.-Biography:...
’s Parish Church, Hauptstraße, west tower 1825, former quire from 1534 incorporated into nave from 1965-1966, portal about 1700, warriors’ memorial 1914-1918, 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,...
churchyard cross from 1542. - Am Beckersberg 2 – house, latter half of 19th century.
- Hauptstraße 12 – Quereinhaus (a combination residential and commercial house divided for these two purposes down the middle, perpendicularly to the street) from 1847.
- Hauptstraße 14 – timber-frameTimber framingTimber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
house, partly solid. - Hauptstraße 16 – five-axis building with mansard roofMansard roofA mansard or mansard roof is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope at a steeper angle than the upper that is punctured by dormer windows. The roof creates an additional floor of habitable space, such as a garret...
, possibly 18th century, entrance from mid 19th century. - Poststraße 11 – corner estate, ClassicistClassicismClassicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
plastered building, about 1880, stable-barn, bakehouse or servants quarters. - Poststraße 17 – Classicist plastered building from 1847.
- Steininger Straße 30 – quarrystone house, partly fitted with timber framing, 1608.
- Heiligenhäuschen (a small, shrinelike structure consecrated to a saint or saints), south of the village on the road to SchalkenmehrenSchalkenmehrenSchalkenmehren is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, enclosed wall block, 19th century? - Heiligenhäuschen, west of and above the village northeast of the Weinfelder MaarMaarA maar is a broad, low-relief volcanic crater that is caused by a phreatomagmatic eruption, an explosion caused by groundwater coming into contact with hot lava or magma. A maar characteristically fills with water to form a relatively shallow crater lake. The name comes from the local Moselle...
, wall block from 1770
External links
- Municipality’s official webpage
- http://www.swr.de/hierzuland-rp/archiv/2003/01/03/index.htmlBrief portrait of Mehren with film 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....
]