Pünderich
Encyclopedia
Pünderich is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell
district
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Zell
, whose seat is in the municipality of Zell an der Mosel
.
, which lies roughly 3 km away as the crow flies
.
origin. The oldest known name for the place is Pontaricum, meaning “Place with Ferry” or “Ferryman’s Place”.
settlement from the 1st century BC until the 3rd to 4th century AD.
About 250, the Franks
showed up in the region for the first time. Only 25 years later, they went along with the Alamanni
plundering the Moselle valley, leaving extensive destruction in their wake. Between 408 and 460 also came troubled times as Vandals
, Suebi
and Franks once more marauded across the land. Trade and transport collapsed utterly.
In the 6th century, the Frankish kings Christianized
the Moselle valley and the first church in the Zeller Hamm – the local bow in the Moselle – arose. In 882, however, the Norman
invasions led to a cultural collapse in the region.
bequeathed an estate in Pundricho to the Springiersbach Monastery. An even older document describes a vineyard
in the cadastral area of “Zinselt”, across the river from Pünderich near the former ford
on the Moselle. Other documents from between 1143 and 1148 name the village as Punterche, Pundriche, Punderacha or Pondreka.
convent
. The church on the Petersberge was once the mother church to the branch churches in Zell
, Kaimt, Corray, Merl and Pünderich. After the convent was dissolved in 1515 by Archbishop Richard von Greiffenklau, the nuns, under protest, had to move to “Mullay”, a forlorn dwelling diagonally across the river from Burg
.
The likelihood is high that a parish had been established at Pünderich beginning in 1515. Confirming this is the church’s building date, which can be reliably reckoned to be 1529. This church had a length of 59 Schuh (roughly 18.5 m) and a breadth of 43 Schuh (roughly 13.5 m). In 1766, a new church building was built on the old square by the master builder of the Springiersbach church, Paul Staehling, for 2,400 Reichsthaler
; in the same year a sacristy
was built onto it for 140 Reichsthaler. Only nine years later, however, the church was falling into disrepair, and building director Johann Seiz was commissioned to examine the building. He suggested replacing the vaulting, which he found to be too flat and too weak, with a wooden ceiling and improvements to the roof frame. These things were done by the following year, and the churchtower was also built higher. The church that stands today is from 1766, as shown on the lintel above the lefthand entrance door. The church’s dimensions are some 25 ×11 m. The three-sided quire faces the east. The original entrance with formerly purely Gothic
jambs is now glazed to make room for a spiral stairway up to the gallery. Today, entry is through two side doors in the porch.
In the Thirty Years' War
, Pünderich had to fight Spaniards
(1625) and Swedes
(1632). In the 20th century, small finds from this time were unearthed. Pünderich did not suffer as badly from the Plague, which first appeared in the village in 1597, as some other places. The “Black Death” is estimated to have claimed 25 million lives, or roughly one third of Europe’s population. It wiped out whole villages and great swathes of land and had a profound effect on mediaeval
people’s view of the world, and on economic life. The high point in the Plague’s ravages in Briedel
/Pünderich came between June/July 1635 and late August 1636. Pünderich lost only 5.3% of its population. The losses were far worse in some nearby places (Briedel 26%; Zell 27.3%; Kaimt 36.2%; Alf
36.6%; Bremm
55%; Ediger
44.2%). The Plague wrought particular havoc in the Cochemer Krampen, a 24-kilometre-long stretch of the Moselle made up of many winding bows beginning downstream of Pünderich at Bremm
, and running downstream from there to just beyond Cochem
.
There was also another loss during the French
occupation later in the same century: during the war, the French razed the wall girding the village, as they did with all fortifications along the Moselle between 1683 and 1685, so that now only parts of it can be made out. It had stood for almost three centuries.
The French also forced the locals to supply building materials, livestock and their labour in the years from 1687 to 1692 so that the French could built their fort, Mont Royal. Up to 8,000 workers were forced into this. The fort could house 22,000 soldiers and 3,000 horses. The French only withdrew after the Treaty of Ryswick
(Rijswijk
) had been signed in 1697, ending the Nine Years' War (known in Germany as the Pfälzischer Erbfolgekrieg, or War of the Palatine Succession). All together, Pünderichers had had to put up with almost 80 years of occupation in the 17th century.
The year 1784 wrought catastrophe throughout Europe
, and brought the river Moselle its greatest ever flood. On 9 February 1784, Pünderich’s lower village was particularly gravely stricken. After the frightful ice flows from 24 to 26 February, the Moselle’s waters rose until on 29 February, the flood reached the high water mark set in the 1740 flood, eventually exceeding it by three Schuh (roughly a metre). The flood also deposited sediments in many places, causing lasting problems.
Beginning in 1794, Pünderich, which had until now been ruled by the Electorate of Trier, lay under French
rule. In 1814 it was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia
at the Congress of Vienna
.
In the latter half of the 19th century, agricultural
life was marked by bad harvests and famines, prompting many to turn their backs on the village and emigrate to North America
or Brazil
. This hit Pünderich hard, shrinking its population from just under 800 to roughly 300, as just under 500 people left between 1850 and 1900.
of Rhineland-Palatinate
.
In the 1950s, Pünderich underwent a profound change. Agricultural activities such as cropraising and livestock raising yielded to winegrowing. Tourists began coming, and the municipality opened a campground. By the mid 1960s, old barns and storehouses were being turned into guest accommodations. There was a further building boom in the late 20th century which brought holiday homes.
Under the Verwaltungsvereinfachungsgesetz (“Administration Simplification Law”) of 18 July 1970, with effect from 7 November 1970, the municipality was grouped into the Verbandsgemeinde of Zell
. In 1984, the municipality was awarded the title “Prettiest Village in the Regierungsbezirk
of Koblenz”.
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
might be described thus: Gules two bendlets surmounting two bendlets sinister Or.
’s Directory of Cultural Monuments:
Since the summer of 2008, the Altes Fährhaus – or Altes Fährhäuschen – has been used on sunnier weekends as an entry point to the village. It is open from May to October, weather permitting.
The barrel calibrating workshop is still equipped as such, just as it was in its heyday, but is now a museum. Towards the back stand two iron kettles, one measuring 1 200 L and the other 150 L. On the kettles are gauges. An old woodburning stove served to heat the branding iron up until it was red-hot. Other tools of the craft can still be viewed today.
in 1974.
Ferries have long been running in Pünderich. The municipality acquired its first ferry, made from wood, in 1879, but this was cast aside in 1896 in favour of a new iron ferryboat (locals were amazed that an iron boat could float). Early in 1940, Pünderich secured a bigger ferry, this one a reaction ferry
. It was, however, motorized in 1963/1964, but this was technically outdated by 1974. The municipality was therefore obliged to obtain a cable-free ferry. This was converted in the 1990s, and is still in service today.
), followed by tourism
. Over the last few years, many modern guest accommodations have been built. Pünderich is a popular holiday destination, partly because it is among the few places on the Moselle whose riverfront is cut off by neither a road nor a railway. There are also campgrounds and caravan
parks.
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 Cochem-Zell
Cochem-Zell
Cochem-Zell is a district in the north-west of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighboring districts are Mayen-Koblenz, Rhein-Hunsrück, Bernkastel-Wittlich, and Vulkaneifel.- 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...
. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Zell
Zell (Verbandsgemeinde)
Zell is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Cochem-Zell, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Zell....
, whose seat is in the municipality of Zell an der Mosel
Zell (Mosel)
Zell is a town in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Zell has roughly 4,300 inhabitants and is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde.-Location:...
.
Location
The municipality lies on the river Moselle inside a bend, on the right bank, not far upstream from ZellZell (Mosel)
Zell is a town in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Zell has roughly 4,300 inhabitants and is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde.-Location:...
, which lies roughly 3 km away as the crow flies
As the crow flies
"As the crow flies" or beelining is an idiom for the shortest route between two points; the geodesic distance.An example is the great-circle distance between Key West and Pensacola, at either end of the U.S...
.
Name
The placename Pünderich is of CelticCeltic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
origin. The oldest known name for the place is Pontaricum, meaning “Place with Ferry” or “Ferryman’s Place”.
Roman and Frankish times
Things such as ceramics and coins have been found in districts of Pünderich, suggesting a RomanAncient 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 from the 1st century BC until the 3rd to 4th century AD.
About 250, the Franks
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...
showed up in the region for the first time. Only 25 years later, they went along with the Alamanni
Alamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
plundering the Moselle valley, leaving extensive destruction in their wake. Between 408 and 460 also came troubled times as Vandals
Vandals
The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century. The Vandals under king Genseric entered Africa in 429 and by 439 established a kingdom which included the Roman Africa province, besides the islands of Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics....
, Suebi
Suebi
The Suebi or Suevi were a group of Germanic peoples who were first mentioned by Julius Caesar in connection with Ariovistus' campaign, c...
and Franks once more marauded across the land. Trade and transport collapsed utterly.
In the 6th century, the Frankish kings Christianized
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
the Moselle valley and the first church in the Zeller Hamm – the local bow in the Moselle – arose. In 882, however, the Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
invasions led to a cultural collapse in the region.
First documentary mention
In 1128, Pünderich had its first documentary mention in a document in which Pope Honorius IIPope Honorius II
Pope Honorius II , born Lamberto Scannabecchi, was pope from December 21, 1124, to February 13, 1130. Although from a humble background, his obvious intellect and outstanding abilities saw him promoted through the ecclesiastical hierarchy...
bequeathed an estate in Pundricho to the Springiersbach Monastery. An even older document describes a vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
in the cadastral area of “Zinselt”, across the river from Pünderich near the former ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
on the Moselle. Other documents from between 1143 and 1148 name the village as Punterche, Pundriche, Punderacha or Pondreka.
Church history
Pünderich had very early on a relationship to the Marienburg, a now dissolved AugustinianAugustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
. The church on the Petersberge was once the mother church to the branch churches in Zell
Zell (Mosel)
Zell is a town in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Zell has roughly 4,300 inhabitants and is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde.-Location:...
, Kaimt, Corray, Merl and Pünderich. After the convent was dissolved in 1515 by Archbishop Richard von Greiffenklau, the nuns, under protest, had to move to “Mullay”, a forlorn dwelling diagonally across the river from Burg
Burg, Bernkastel-Wittlich
Burg is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
.
The likelihood is high that a parish had been established at Pünderich beginning in 1515. Confirming this is the church’s building date, which can be reliably reckoned to be 1529. This church had a length of 59 Schuh (roughly 18.5 m) and a breadth of 43 Schuh (roughly 13.5 m). In 1766, a new church building was built on the old square by the master builder of the Springiersbach church, Paul Staehling, for 2,400 Reichsthaler
Reichsthaler
The Reichsthaler was a standard Thaler of the Holy Roman Empire, established in 1566 by the Leipzig convention. It was also the name of a unit of account in northern Germany and of a silver coin issued by Prussia.-Reichsthaler coin:...
; in the same year a sacristy
Sacristy
A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.The sacristy is usually located inside the church, but in some cases it is an annex or separate building...
was built onto it for 140 Reichsthaler. Only nine years later, however, the church was falling into disrepair, and building director Johann Seiz was commissioned to examine the building. He suggested replacing the vaulting, which he found to be too flat and too weak, with a wooden ceiling and improvements to the roof frame. These things were done by the following year, and the churchtower was also built higher. The church that stands today is from 1766, as shown on the lintel above the lefthand entrance door. The church’s dimensions are some 25 ×11 m. The three-sided quire faces the east. The original entrance with formerly purely 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....
jambs is now glazed to make room for a spiral stairway up to the gallery. Today, entry is through two side doors in the porch.
16th to 18th century
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Pünderich townsmen were said to be among the wealthiest on the Moselle. According to the 1652 taxation roll, Pünderich had 56 winepressing centres, which said a good deal about the state of winegrowing in the municipality.In 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....
, Pünderich had to fight Spaniards
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(1625) and Swedes
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(1632). In the 20th century, small finds from this time were unearthed. Pünderich did not suffer as badly from the Plague, which first appeared in the village in 1597, as some other places. The “Black Death” is estimated to have claimed 25 million lives, or roughly one third of Europe’s population. It wiped out whole villages and great swathes of land and had a profound effect on mediaeval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
people’s view of the world, and on economic life. The high point in the Plague’s ravages in Briedel
Briedel
Briedel is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Zell, whose seat is in the municipality of Zell an der Mosel...
/Pünderich came between June/July 1635 and late August 1636. Pünderich lost only 5.3% of its population. The losses were far worse in some nearby places (Briedel 26%; Zell 27.3%; Kaimt 36.2%; Alf
Alf, Rhineland-Palatinate
Alf is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Zell, whose seat is in the municipality of Zell an der Mosel.- Location :At Alf, the Alf,...
36.6%; Bremm
Bremm
Bremm is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
55%; Ediger
Ediger-Eller
Ediger-Eller is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Cochem, whose seat is in the like-named town.- Location :Ediger-Eller lies on the...
44.2%). The Plague wrought particular havoc in the Cochemer Krampen, a 24-kilometre-long stretch of the Moselle made up of many winding bows beginning downstream of Pünderich at Bremm
Bremm
Bremm is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, and running downstream from there to just beyond Cochem
Cochem
Cochem is the seat of and the biggest place in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With just under 5,000 inhabitants, Cochem falls just behind Kusel, in the like-named district, as Germany's second smallest district seat...
.
There was also another loss during the 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...
occupation later in the same century: during the war, the French razed the wall girding the village, as they did with all fortifications along the Moselle between 1683 and 1685, so that now only parts of it can be made out. It had stood for almost three centuries.
The French also forced the locals to supply building materials, livestock and their labour in the years from 1687 to 1692 so that the French could built their fort, Mont Royal. Up to 8,000 workers were forced into this. The fort could house 22,000 soldiers and 3,000 horses. The French only withdrew after the Treaty of Ryswick
Treaty of Ryswick
The Treaty of Ryswick or Ryswyck was signed on 20 September 1697 and named after Ryswick in the Dutch Republic. The treaty settled the Nine Years' War, which pitted France against the Grand Alliance of England, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire and the United Provinces.Negotiations started in May...
(Rijswijk
Rijswijk
Rijswijk is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a suburb of The Hague and covers an area of 14.48 km² ....
) had been signed in 1697, ending the Nine Years' War (known in Germany as the Pfälzischer Erbfolgekrieg, or War of the Palatine Succession). All together, Pünderichers had had to put up with almost 80 years of occupation in the 17th century.
The year 1784 wrought catastrophe throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and brought the river Moselle its greatest ever flood. On 9 February 1784, Pünderich’s lower village was particularly gravely stricken. After the frightful ice flows from 24 to 26 February, the Moselle’s waters rose until on 29 February, the flood reached the high water mark set in the 1740 flood, eventually exceeding it by three Schuh (roughly a metre). The flood also deposited sediments in many places, causing lasting problems.
Beginning in 1794, Pünderich, which had until now been ruled by the Electorate of Trier, 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,...
.
In the latter half of the 19th century, agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
life was marked by bad harvests and famines, prompting many to turn their backs on the village and emigrate to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
or Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. This hit Pünderich hard, shrinking its population from just under 800 to roughly 300, as just under 500 people left between 1850 and 1900.
20th century
The earlier half of the 20th century was characterized in Pünderich, as it was everywhere, by the world wars. In the First World War, 35 soldiers from Pünderich fell. In the Second World War, losses totalled 61. Because of the railway lines, Pünderich was targeted several times for aerial bombing. Since 1946, Pünderich has been part of the then newly founded stateStates 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 ....
.
In the 1950s, Pünderich underwent a profound change. Agricultural activities such as cropraising and livestock raising yielded to winegrowing. Tourists began coming, and the municipality opened a campground. By the mid 1960s, old barns and storehouses were being turned into guest accommodations. There was a further building boom in the late 20th century which brought holiday homes.
Under the Verwaltungsvereinfachungsgesetz (“Administration Simplification Law”) of 18 July 1970, with effect from 7 November 1970, the municipality was grouped into the Verbandsgemeinde of Zell
Zell (Verbandsgemeinde)
Zell is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Cochem-Zell, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Zell....
. In 1984, the municipality was awarded the title “Prettiest Village in the 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...
of Koblenz”.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 12 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.
Mayor
Pünderich’s mayor is Werner Lay, and his deputies are Siegfried Busch and Felix Schnitzius.Coat of arms
The municipality’s 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...
might be described thus: Gules two bendlets surmounting two bendlets sinister Or.
Culture and sightseeing
Buildings
The following are listed buildings or sites in Rhineland-PalatinateRhineland-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 ....
’s Directory of Cultural Monuments:
- Graveyard, Hauptstraße – ChapelChapelA 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,...
to Our Lady of SorrowsOur Lady of SorrowsOur Lady of Sorrows , the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows , and Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to in relation to sorrows in her life...
(Kapelle zur schmerzhaften Muttergottes); aisleless churchAisleless churchAn Aisleless church is a single-nave church building that consists of a single hall-like room. While similar to the hall church, the aisleless church lacks aisles or passageways either side of the nave separated from the nave by colonnades or arcades, a row of pillars or columns...
, marked 1612, in the steep gable a BaroqueBaroque artBaroque painting is the painting associated with the Baroque cultural movement. The movement is often identified with Absolutism, the Counter Reformation and Catholic Revival, but the existence of important Baroque art and architecture in non-absolutist and Protestant states throughout Western...
Madonna; coat of arms of Elector of Trier Lothar von Metternich (1599-1623); Assumption of Mary, before which a modern BildstockBildstockA wayside shrine, is a religious image, usually in some sort of small shelter, placed by a road or pathway, sometimes in a settlement or at a crossroads, but often in the middle of an empty stretch of country road, or at the top of a hill or mountain. They have been a feature of many cultures,...
with CrucifixionCrucifixion of JesusThe crucifixion of Jesus and his ensuing death is an event that occurred during the 1st century AD. Jesus, who Christians believe is the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally executed on a cross...
relief, 18th or 19th century - Saint Mark the Evangelist’sMark the EvangelistMark the Evangelist is the traditional author of the Gospel of Mark. He is one of the Seventy Disciples of Christ, and the founder of the Church of Alexandria, one of the original four main sees of Christianity....
Catholic Parish Church (Pfarrkirche St. Markus Evangelist), Kirchstraße – BaroqueBaroque architectureBaroque 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...
aisleless churchAisleless churchAn Aisleless church is a single-nave church building that consists of a single hall-like room. While similar to the hall church, the aisleless church lacks aisles or passageways either side of the nave separated from the nave by colonnades or arcades, a row of pillars or columns...
, marked 1766, architect Paul Stehling (or Stähling), StrasbourgStrasbourgStrasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, adjustments by Johann Seiz; old churchyard wall; whole complex - Bahnhofstraße 2 – former schoolSchoolA 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...
; quarrystone building, early 20th century - Bahnhofstraße 4 – quarrystone building, partly 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...
, half-hipped roof, Swiss chalet styleSwiss chalet styleSwiss chalet style is an architectural style inspired by the chalets of Switzerland. The style originated in Germany in the early 19th century and was popular in parts of Europe and North America, notably in the architecture of Norway, the country house architecture of Sweden, Cincinnati, Ohio,...
, about 1900/1910; whole complex - Brunnenstraße 3 – quarrystone building, old measuring standards and office for calibrating barrels, centre for weights and measures
- Eltzerstraße 1 – timber-frame house, partly solid, 18th century
- Eltzerstraße 5 – timber-frame house, partly solid, early 18th century
- Eltzerstraße 7 – timber-frame house, partly solid, marked 1603 (possibly a conversion), essentially possibly from the 16th century
- Eltzerstraße 19 – Eltzer Hof; late mediaevalLate Middle AgesThe Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....
plastered building, 16th or 17th century; one-floor timber-frame barn - Hauptstraße – Alter Friedhof (“Old Graveyard”); warriors’ memorial, chapelChapelA 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,...
with relief; graveyard cross, marked 1895 - Hauptstraße 30 – quarrystone villa, about 1900/1910, in the back considerably older timber-frame house, plastered
- Hauptstraße 33 – winemaker’s villa; 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...
, about 1910, cellar/winepress house with ExpressionistExpressionist architectureExpressionist architecture was an architectural movement that developed in Europe during the first decades of the 20th century in parallel with the expressionist visual and performing arts....
gable; whole complex - Hauptstraße 63 – old school (?); quarrystone building, latter half of the 19th century
- Hauptstraße 65 – winemaker’s house; quarrystone building, early 20th century
- Hauptstraße 68 – villa with several wings; Baroque Revival plastered building, 1910/1915; second plastered building, mansard roof; whole complex of buildings with garden
- Kirchstraße 3 – timber-frame house, partly solid, mansard roof, 18th century; whole complex of buildings with garden
- Kirchstraße 6 – Baroque door, marked 1716
- Kirchstraße 10/12 – timber-frame house, partly solid or plastered, essentially from the 18th century
- Kirchstraße 13 – two-winged timber-frame house, partly solid, balloon frame, half-hipped roof, essentially possibly from the latter half of the 16th century; timber-frame house meeting it at right angle, partly solid, 17th or 18th century
- Kirchstraße 16 – timber-frame house, partly solid, marked 1517 and 1631 (addition); meeting it a solid building, possibly older
- Kirchstraße 18 – building with half-hipped roof, 17th century
- Kirchstraße 21 – timber-frame house, partly solid, plastered, hipped roof, 18th century; adjoining timber-frame house, plastered, 18th century
- Kirchstraße 22 – timber-frame house, partly solid, plastered, partly slated, essentially from the 17th or 18th century
- Kirchstraße 23 – three-floor timber-frame house, partly solid, half-hipped roof, marked 1602 and 1663
- Kirchstraße 24 – timber-frame house, partly solid, latter half of the 17th century; in the back timber-frame house, 18th or 19th century
- Kirchstraße 30 – three-floor timber-frame house, partly solid, marked 1715
- Kirchstraße 33 – relief, 18th century
- Kirchstraße 37 – two-winged timber-frame house, partly solid, marked 1663, likelier to be from the early 18th century, and reconstructed after 1949
- Marienburgerstraße 4 – three-floor timber-frame house, partly solid, plastered, 18th or 19th century
- Marienburgerstraße 7 – timber-frame house, partly solid, early 18th century
- Marienburgerstraße 8 – timber-frame house, partly solid, mansard roof, 18th century, ground-floor pelmetPelmetA pelmet is a framework placed above a window, used to conceal curtain fixtures. These can be used decoratively and also help insulate the window by preventing convection currents. It is similar in appearance to a valance, which performs the same function but is made of fabric...
s from the 19th century - Marienburgerstraße 13 – Altes Rathaus (“Old Town Hall”); three-floor timber-frame house, partly solid, balloon frame, stairway, dendrochronologicallyDendrochronologyDendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...
dated to 1548 - Marienburgerstraße 15 – timber-frame house, partly solid, half-hipped roof, marked 1623
- Marienburgerstraße 17 – timber-frame house, partly solid, marked 1596, likelier to be from the early 18th century; adjoining second timber-frame house
- Marienburgerstraße 18 – timber-frame house, partly solid, mansard roof, about 1800
- Marienburgerstraße 21 – timber-frame house, partly solid, plastered, 18th century; timber-frame barn, mansard roof
- Marienburgerstraße 22 – Baroque door
- Marienburgerstraße 23 – timber-frame house, partly solid, balloon frame, 16th century; three-floor timber-frame house, partly solid, half-hipped roof, late 17th century
- Marienburgerstraße 24 – Altes Fährhaus (“Old Ferryhouse”); three-floor timber-frame house, partly solid, marked 1621
- Rathausstraße – timber-frame house, partly solid, mansard roof, 18th or 19th century; hearth heating plate
- Rathausstraße 10 – building with mansard roof, possibly from the 18th century
- Rathausstraße 11 – timber-frame house, partly solid, marked 1617, timber framing on upper floor from the 17th century
- Rathausstraße 16 – timber-frame house, partly solid, Mansarddach, late 18th or early 19th century
- Rathausstraße 20 – timber-frame house, partly solid, mansard roof, marked 1722
- Rathausstraße 23 – timber-frame house, plastered, 18th century
- Römerstraße 15 – timber-frame house, partly solid, plastered, half-hipped roof, 17th or 18th century
- Springiersbacherstraße 1 – hipped mansard roof, Swiss chalet style, about 1910
- Springiersbacherstraße 27/29 – Springiersbacher Hof; big building with hipped roof, marked 1747 (coat of arms) and 1784
- Facing Pünderich across the Moselle – quarrystone building, inside, a wayside cross, 19th century
- In the vineyard across the Moselle from Pünderich – tunnel and Substructural walls of the Koblenz-Trier railway line.
Since the summer of 2008, the Altes Fährhaus – or Altes Fährhäuschen – has been used on sunnier weekends as an entry point to the village. It is open from May to October, weather permitting.
Other sites
Although not a listed site, the Marienburg is still worth seeing. It is also the local vineyard’s namesake, and the 786 m-long railway slope viaduct, too, bears its name. This bridge is the longest of this type in Germany. There is also a lookout tower with an outstanding, broad view on the Prinzenkopf, a local mountain. The old wooden tower was torn down in September 2008, and the new steel one opened the following June.Museums
Up from the church on Düppelstraße, the quarrystone Eichhäuschen – the building where measuring standards were enforced – still stands. Oaken wine barrels of all sizes were still being calibrated here up to 1981.The barrel calibrating workshop is still equipped as such, just as it was in its heyday, but is now a museum. Towards the back stand two iron kettles, one measuring 1 200 L and the other 150 L. On the kettles are gauges. An old woodburning stove served to heat the branding iron up until it was red-hot. Other tools of the craft can still be viewed today.
Transport
Pünderich was linked to the railway network on 15 May 1880 when the Koblenz–Trier line opened. The station was not always economically viable, since it stood on the other side of the Moselle, but a boom came when the Moselle Valley Railway (Moseltalbahn) was built. It opened on 20 August 1905. Two days earlier, the postal coach service had been suspended. Local people affectionately called this railway the Saufbähnchen (roughly “Little Guzzling Railway”). Pünderich had two railway stations at this time. It now has none. The Saufbähnchen was closed in 1960, although the station still stands in the village, and the other one fell victim to electrificationRailway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
in 1974.
Ferries have long been running in Pünderich. The municipality acquired its first ferry, made from wood, in 1879, but this was cast aside in 1896 in favour of a new iron ferryboat (locals were amazed that an iron boat could float). Early in 1940, Pünderich secured a bigger ferry, this one a reaction ferry
Reaction ferry
A reaction ferry is a cable ferry that uses the reaction of the current of a river against a fixed tether to propel the vessel across the river...
. It was, however, motorized in 1963/1964, but this was technically outdated by 1974. The municipality was therefore obliged to obtain a cable-free ferry. This was converted in the 1990s, and is still in service today.
Economy
Pünderich’s main livelihood is still winegrowing (mainly RieslingRiesling
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally...
), followed by tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. Over the last few years, many modern guest accommodations have been built. Pünderich is a popular holiday destination, partly because it is among the few places on the Moselle whose riverfront is cut off by neither a road nor a railway. There are also campgrounds and caravan
Travel trailer
A travel trailer or caravan is towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent . It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places...
parks.