Oberelbert
Encyclopedia
Oberelbert is an Ortsgemeinde – a community belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
– in the Westerwaldkreis
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
.
in the Nassau Nature Park on the Stelzenbach. The community belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Montabaur
, a kind of collective municipality. Its seat is in the like-named town
.
), the Archbishop
of Trier
owned, among other things, a Wildhube (a fief that required the holder to protect Imperial hunting rights) at Elewartin. In the time between 1212 and 1214 there was in the extensive woodlands around Humbach – the Spurginberch Forest – two Försterhuben at Elwartin. These were foresters’ farmsteads with fields in the forest. In 1233 there was a dispute between members of the St. Florin Monastery at Koblenz involving the use of the Pfaffenholz Forest near Elewarthe. In 1362 came a documentary mention of Niederelbert
(inferiori Elewarten), which suggests that there must have been an Oberelbert by this time, too (Nieder– is German
for “nether” or “lower”, while Ober– means “upper”). It was not until 1436, however, that Oberelbert was explicitly named (Obern and Nyddern Elwart). In a treaty
, the Lords of Helfenstein, as holders of the Elbert landlordship, and the villages of Nieder Elbartt and Obern Elbartt reached a compromise thanks to concessions from the farmers and a meal from the landlords.
In 1476, or by 1584 at the latest, Oberelbert had a chapel
. The Oberelbert coalmine was part of the Amt and Bann of Montabaur before 1500, but after the Bann of Montabaur was partitioned about 1550 or 1560, the community passed to the Bann of Holler. In 1508, the representatives from Oberelbert and Niederelbert acknowledged by old usage in a Weisentum the Archbishop of Trier as their overlord and the Lords of Helfenstein as Lords of the Court. In 1519, the Archbishop of Trier transferred half the Elbert landlordship to the Lords of Nassau (at the Sporkenburg
, which was a castle
) as a fief. In 1602, three fourths of the landlordship was held by the Lords of Metternich. The other fourth was a cameralistic possession in the Electorate of Trier. Between 1630 and 1636, during the Thirty Years' War
, Oberelbert was utterly destroyed and became uninhabitable. Beginning about 1642, building work to restore the community and settle it once again was undertaken.
In 1711, a new chapel was built. In 1770, a parish
was established with Welschneudorf
as a branch. In 1795, the villagers brought their livestock
to the Metternicher Heck (paddock) before the plundering French Revolution
ary Army could steal the animals. In 1802, Oberelbert’s hitherto Trier subjects became subjects of the Duchy of Nassau.
On 12 September 1811, the village burnt down, leaving only six small houses standing. Many important buildings had to be restored. In 1812, the community bakery
was built once again, followed by the parish house in 1815 and 1816, the school
in 1823 and 1824 and the church between 1830 and 1832.
Between 1813 and 1815, scattered French
soldiers on their way back home from Russia
brought typhus
to the village. Many died as a result of this illness. In 1820, the graveyard
was moved from the church to its current location.
In 1866, the Duchy was annexed by Prussia
. In 1913, at the Bußkreuz, an aerodrome
was established. In mid-August, two planes were in an accident during approach.
In 1916, during the First World War, petroleum
shortages led to a quickening of the electrical
supply. On 3 March, electric streetlights shone for the first time. In 1923, the houses were connected to the new central waterworks
. Postal bus
service between Montabaur
and Welschneudorf
by way of Oberelbert was begun on 11 November 1926. Between 1926 and 1931, there was considerable building work in the community. In the Second World War (1939–1945), 38 Oberelberters lost their lives as a result of acts of war.
After the war, the community was expanded beginning in 1953. A new school was built in 1962 and dedicated in 1964. Rubbish collection
began in 1966. In 1972, the community joined the Verbandsgemeinde of Montabaur. In 1982, schooling in the community ended. The Stelzenbachhalle (community hall) was built in 1993 and 1994, and dedicated on 25 November 1994.
In 1997, Oberelbert was expecting its one thousandth inhabitant.
in a municipal election on 13 June 2004.
by the two antlers. Standing above, for the hereditary mill is the golden, eight-spoked waterwheel in blue. The silver bend sinister wavy symbolizes the Stelzenbach. The tincture
s blue and gold stand for the former territorial allegiance to the Duchy of Nassau. The church is symbolized by the old neat flèche
as a small belltower with black “sound windows” below in a red field. The tinctures red and silver are those formerly borne by the Electorate of Trier.
Fischbach/Rhön
, Thuringia
Also known as Fischbach bei Bad Salzungen
, this community is a small village in the Rhön near Kaltennordheim
.
Verbandsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde is an administrative unit in the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt.-Rhineland-Palatinate:...
– in the Westerwaldkreis
Westerwaldkreis
The Westerwaldkreis is a district in the east of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
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
Oberelbert lies roughly 5 km south of MontabaurMontabaur
Montabaur is a town and the district seat of the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. At the same time, it is also the administrative centre of the Verbandsgemeinde of Montabaur – a kind of collective municipality – to which 24 other communities belong...
in the Nassau Nature Park on the Stelzenbach. The community belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Montabaur
Montabaur (Verbandsgemeinde)
Montabaur is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Westerwaldkreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Montabaur....
, a kind of collective municipality. Its seat is in the like-named town
Montabaur
Montabaur is a town and the district seat of the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. At the same time, it is also the administrative centre of the Verbandsgemeinde of Montabaur – a kind of collective municipality – to which 24 other communities belong...
.
History
Sometime before 1200, in the municipal area (Bann) of the village of Humbach (MontabaurMontabaur
Montabaur is a town and the district seat of the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. At the same time, it is also the administrative centre of the Verbandsgemeinde of Montabaur – a kind of collective municipality – to which 24 other communities belong...
), the 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....
owned, among other things, a Wildhube (a fief that required the holder to protect Imperial hunting rights) at Elewartin. In the time between 1212 and 1214 there was in the extensive woodlands around Humbach – the Spurginberch Forest – two Försterhuben at Elwartin. These were foresters’ farmsteads with fields in the forest. In 1233 there was a dispute between members of the St. Florin Monastery at Koblenz involving the use of the Pfaffenholz Forest near Elewarthe. In 1362 came a documentary mention of Niederelbert
Niederelbert
Niederelbert is an Ortsgemeinde – a community belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde – in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-Location:...
(inferiori Elewarten), which suggests that there must have been an Oberelbert by this time, too (Nieder– 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 “nether” or “lower”, while Ober– means “upper”). It was not until 1436, however, that Oberelbert was explicitly named (Obern and Nyddern Elwart). In a treaty
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
, the Lords of Helfenstein, as holders of the Elbert landlordship, and the villages of Nieder Elbartt and Obern Elbartt reached a compromise thanks to concessions from the farmers and a meal from the landlords.
In 1476, or by 1584 at the latest, Oberelbert had a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
. The Oberelbert coalmine was part of the Amt and Bann of Montabaur before 1500, but after the Bann of Montabaur was partitioned about 1550 or 1560, the community passed to the Bann of Holler. In 1508, the representatives from Oberelbert and Niederelbert acknowledged by old usage in a Weisentum the Archbishop of Trier as their overlord and the Lords of Helfenstein as Lords of the Court. In 1519, the Archbishop of Trier transferred half the Elbert landlordship to the Lords of Nassau (at the Sporkenburg
Sporkenburg
The Sporkenburg is a late medieval castle ruin about one kilometre south of Eitelborn in the district of Westerwaldkreis in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.- Location :...
, which was a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
) as a fief. In 1602, three fourths of the landlordship was held by the Lords of Metternich. The other fourth was a cameralistic possession in the Electorate of Trier. Between 1630 and 1636, during the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, Oberelbert was utterly destroyed and became uninhabitable. Beginning about 1642, building work to restore the community and settle it once again was undertaken.
In 1711, a new chapel was built. In 1770, a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
was established with Welschneudorf
Welschneudorf
Welschneudorf is an Ortsgemeinde – a community belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde – and a Luftkurort in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-Location:...
as a branch. In 1795, the villagers brought their livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
to the Metternicher Heck (paddock) before the plundering 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...
ary Army could steal the animals. In 1802, Oberelbert’s hitherto Trier subjects became subjects of the Duchy of Nassau.
On 12 September 1811, the village burnt down, leaving only six small houses standing. Many important buildings had to be restored. In 1812, the community bakery
Bakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
was built once again, followed by the parish house in 1815 and 1816, the school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
in 1823 and 1824 and the church between 1830 and 1832.
Between 1813 and 1815, scattered 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...
soldiers on their way back home from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
brought typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
to the village. Many died as a result of this illness. In 1820, the graveyard
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
was moved from the church to its current location.
In 1866, the Duchy was annexed by 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...
. In 1913, at the Bußkreuz, an aerodrome
Aerodrome
An aerodrome, airdrome or airfield is a term for any location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve cargo, passengers or neither...
was established. In mid-August, two planes were in an accident during approach.
In 1916, during the First World War, petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
shortages led to a quickening of the electrical
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
supply. On 3 March, electric streetlights shone for the first time. In 1923, the houses were connected to the new central waterworks
WaterWorks
WaterWorks is a water park owned by Cedar Fair, located at the back of Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. When it debuted in 1992, it was originally named Hurricane Reef...
. Postal bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
service between Montabaur
Montabaur
Montabaur is a town and the district seat of the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. At the same time, it is also the administrative centre of the Verbandsgemeinde of Montabaur – a kind of collective municipality – to which 24 other communities belong...
and Welschneudorf
Welschneudorf
Welschneudorf is an Ortsgemeinde – a community belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde – and a Luftkurort in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-Location:...
by way of Oberelbert was begun on 11 November 1926. Between 1926 and 1931, there was considerable building work in the community. In the Second World War (1939–1945), 38 Oberelberters lost their lives as a result of acts of war.
After the war, the community was expanded beginning in 1953. A new school was built in 1962 and dedicated in 1964. Rubbish collection
Waste management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
began in 1966. In 1972, the community joined the Verbandsgemeinde of Montabaur. In 1982, schooling in the community ended. The Stelzenbachhalle (community hall) was built in 1993 and 1994, and dedicated on 25 November 1994.
In 1997, Oberelbert was expecting its one thousandth inhabitant.
Community council
The council is made up of 17 council members, including the extraofficial mayor (Bürgermeister), who were elected in a 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...
in a municipal election on 13 June 2004.
Coat of arms
The community’s name is symbolized in the armsCoat 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...
by the two antlers. Standing above, for the hereditary mill is the golden, eight-spoked waterwheel in blue. The silver bend sinister wavy symbolizes the Stelzenbach. The 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 gold stand for the former territorial allegiance to the Duchy of Nassau. The church is symbolized by the old neat flèche
Flèche
A flèche is used in French architecture to refer to a spire and in English to refer to a lead-covered timber spire, or spirelet. These are placed on the ridges of church or cathedral roofs and are usually relatively small...
as a small belltower with black “sound windows” below in a red field. The tinctures red and silver are those formerly borne by the Electorate of Trier.
Town partnerships
Fischbach/RhönFischbach/Rhön
Fischbach/Rhön is a municipality in the Wartburgkreis district of Thuringia, Germany....
, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
Also known as Fischbach bei Bad Salzungen
Bad Salzungen
Bad Salzungen is a town in Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wartburgkreis district. It is situated on the river Werra, 5 km east of Tiefenort and 20 km south of Eisenach. Near the town, there's a Bundeswehr barrack, the Werratal-Kaserne, which was built in 1972 for the GDR Army....
, this community is a small village in the Rhön near Kaltennordheim
Kaltennordheim
Kaltennordheim is a town in the Wartburgkreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated in the Rhön Mountains, 22 km southwest of Bad Salzungen, and 35 km east of Fulda....
.