Salmtal
Encyclopedia
Salmtal is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich
district
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
. It became well known countrywide for the football club FSV Salmrohr
, who played in the Second Football Bundesliga
in the 1986/1987 season.
– the municipality’s namesake) on the Autobahnen A 1 and A 60, and on the Koblenz–Trier line. Salmtal belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Wittlich-Land
, whose seat is in Wittlich
, although that town is itself not in the Verbandsgemeinde.
), and in 1250, Dörbach had its first documentary mention as Derinbach. Beginning in 1794, both Dörbach and Salmrohr lay under French
rule. In 1814 they were assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia
at the Congress of Vienna
. From 1947, they were part of the then newly founded state
of Rhineland-Palatinate
. On 7 June 1969, the new municipality of Salmtal was formed out of the two former municipalities.
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:
The municipality’s arms
might in English heraldic
language be described thus: Per pale argent an anchor palewise azure and vair proper, in a chief Or a demilion gules armed of the first.
The charge
s are all drawn from Dörbach’s and Salmrohr’s history. Salmrohr and part of Dörbach were once under the lordship of the Knights of Esch, which accounts for the arms’ similarity to those borne by that municipality
. However, in Salmtal’s arms, the “vair” pattern (called Eisenhutfeh in German
, or “iron hat fur”, a reference to the helmetlike shapes) appears only on the sinister (armsbearer’s left, viewer’s right) side, with an anchor charge on the dexter (armsbearer’s right, viewer’s left) side. This is drawn from the arms borne by Abbot Jacobus Otto of Trier, which can be seen on the gable at the Dörbacher Mühle (mill), formerly known as the estate mill of the former Klausen Augustinian
Canonical Monastery.
The arms have been borne since 3 January 1980, when they were approved by the Regierungsbezirk
administration.
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...
. It became well known countrywide for the football club FSV Salmrohr
FSV Salmrohr
FSV Salmrohr is a German association football club in the village of Salmrohr, Rhineland-Palatinate. Founded in 1921, the small club has limited resources and has relied largely on local talent, but still managed two decades of play in the tier III Amateur Oberliga Südwest and Regionalliga...
, who played in the Second Football Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
in the 1986/1987 season.
Location
The municipality lies in the Wittlich Depression (Wittlicher Senke) in the valley of the river Salm (“Salmtal” in GermanGerman 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....
– the municipality’s namesake) on the Autobahnen A 1 and A 60, and on the Koblenz–Trier line. Salmtal 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.
History
In 1007, Salmrohr had its first documentary mention as Rore bei Seleheim (compare SehlemSehlem
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 :...
), and in 1250, Dörbach had its first documentary mention as Derinbach. Beginning in 1794, both Dörbach and Salmrohr 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 they were 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,...
. From 1947, they were part of the then newly founded state
States 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 ....
. On 7 June 1969, the new municipality of Salmtal was formed out of the two former municipalities.
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:
| FWG 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... |
CDU | WG Hower | WG Rauen | SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
Total | |
| 2009 | 8 | 5 | 3 | – | – | 16 seats |
| 2004 | – | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 16 seats |
Mayors
Since 2007, Reinhard Berg has been Mayor of Salmtal. He succeeded Manfred Hower (FWG Hower).Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: Unter goldenem Schildhaupt, darin ein wachsender roter, silberbewehrter Löwe, gespaltener Schild, vorne in Silber ein blauer Anker, hinten Eisenhutfeh in Silber.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 an anchor palewise azure and vair proper, in a chief Or a demilion gules armed of the first.
The charge
Charge (heraldry)
In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
s are all drawn from Dörbach’s and Salmrohr’s history. Salmrohr and part of Dörbach were once under the lordship of the Knights of Esch, which accounts for the arms’ similarity to those borne by that municipality
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 :...
. However, in Salmtal’s arms, the “vair” pattern (called Eisenhutfeh 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....
, or “iron hat fur”, a reference to the helmetlike shapes) appears only on the sinister (armsbearer’s left, viewer’s right) side, with an anchor charge on the dexter (armsbearer’s right, viewer’s left) side. This is drawn from the arms borne by Abbot Jacobus Otto of Trier, which can be seen on the gable at the Dörbacher Mühle (mill), formerly known as the estate mill of the former Klausen Augustinian
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
Canonical Monastery.
The arms have been borne since 3 January 1980, when they were approved by 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...
administration.
Culture and sightseeing
Salmtal has the following points of interest:- Acidic spring in the Hexengraben (“Witch Ditch”)
- Saint Martin’s Parish Church (Pfarrkirche St. Martin)
- Dörbacher Mühle (mill)
- Salmrohrer Mühle (mill)
- Saint Wendelin’sWendelin of TrierSaint Wendelin or Wendelin of Trier was a hermit and abbot.-Life:There is very little definite information about this saint. His earliest biographies , did not appear until after 1417. The story as told there is that Wendelin was the son of a Scottish king...
Chapel (Wendelinuskapelle)