Waldems
Encyclopedia
Waldems is a community in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis
in the Regierungsbezirk
of Darmstadt
in Hesse
, Germany
. The community’s administrative seat is Waldems-Esch.
in a widely wooded setting at the northwest foot of the Feldberg massif
at 250 to 629.3 m above sea level
, giving the community the district’s highest point, an unnamed spot 1 km east of the constituent community of Wüstems.
, in the east on the community of Schmitten
, in the southeast on the community of Glashütten
(all three in the Hochtaunuskreis
), in the south and west on the town of Idstein
(Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis) and in the northwest on the town of Bad Camberg
(Limburg-Weilburg
).
times.
The first of the constituent communities to have a documentary mention was Bermbach, which was named as Barenbach in a document from the Lorsch codex
in 772. For many centuries this was borderland; the Limes
ran nearby, and later, the Electoral Mainz’s
, Hesse’s
and Nassau’s
spheres of influence all came up against each other here. From 1276 to 1570 the village was bound to the noble family of the Lords of Bermbach. Later, Bermbach was mentioned in connection with the persecution of witches and the legendary Schinderhannes
(1801).
The constituent community of Esch goes back to a settlement from the 6th century, having had its first documentary mention as Eschze in the rent register of the archive deacon at Dietkirchen. Esch lies at the junction of the ancient Frankfurt
-Limburg
-Cologne
trade road and the linking road between the Rhine and the Wetterau
, and thereby always had a high traffic volume.
The story of how Niederems came to be can be traced back to 1274. Through hunger, pestilence and wars, the population figure was always very low. In particular, the Thirty Years' War
reduced the number of households considerably.
Settlement in Reichenbach can be traced back to pre-Christian times. Worth mentioning are the barrow
“Goldkessel” and the Celtic circular rampart
. In 1428, the place was mentioned as Richinbach in the annals of Nassau-Idstein. In 1772, a fire destroyed the old village centre, although this was quickly rebuilt. From 1604 to 1968, Reichenbach had its own school.
Near the constituent community of Steinfischbach are found in the form of the barrows Totenkopf and Goldkessel clues to an early settlement. The village had its first documentary mention in 1156 under the name Vispach in a document from Archbishop Arnold of Mainz. Nearby there were iron ore prospecting
and a quarry
for millstone
s, road gravel, cobblestone
s and border stones.
Wüstems was mentioned in 1435 as Wosten Emsse in a record by Cuno von Reifenberg. The name’s first syllable, Wüst, likely derives from Wüstungen (German
for “abandoned settlements”) and refers to a forsaken village or rural area. The name of the brook, Ems, is from Old High German
Ohm. Both these name elements point to a settlement period lasting more than 2,000 years. Also pointing to such a thing is the Celtic circular rampart on the nearby Taunus peak, Burg.
In 1806, the municipal area belonged to the Duchy of Nassau. In 1866 it passed to Prussia
.
In the framework of municipal reform in Hesse, the hitherto self-governing communities of Bermbach, Esch, Niederems, Reichenbach, Steinfischbach and Wüstems merged in 1972 into today’s greater community of Waldems.
, Hautes-Alpes
, France
since 1982 Szikszó
, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County
, Hungary
since 1997
and forestry
. In the latter half of the 20th century, though, Waldems converted itself into a residential community. Most workers earn their living, by way of the good transport links, in the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region.
on the A 3 (Cologne
–Frankfurt), 8 km away. Furthermore, Bundesstraße
n 8 and 275 run through the municipal area, crossing in Esch.
The nearest railway station is in Idstein on the Main-Lahn railway. Stopping here is, among others, RMV
line 20.
Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis
Rheingau-Taunus is a Kreis in the west of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Limburg-Weilburg, Hochtaunuskreis, Main-Taunus, district-free Wiesbaden, Mainz-Bingen, Rhein-Lahn.-Geography:...
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 Darmstadt
Darmstadt (region)
Darmstadt is one of the three Regierungsbezirke of Hesse, Germany, located in the south of the state.- External links :*...
in Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
, 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...
. The community’s administrative seat is Waldems-Esch.
Location
Waldems lies in the TaunusTaunus
The Taunus is a low mountain range in Hesse, Germany that composes part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains. It is bounded by the river valleys of Rhine, Main and Lahn. On the opposite side of the Rhine, the mountains are continued by the Hunsrück...
in a widely wooded setting at the northwest foot of the Feldberg massif
Großer Feldberg
The Großer Feldberg is the highest mountain in the Taunus mountains. It is situated in the Hochtaunuskreis district in Hessen, Germany....
at 250 to 629.3 m above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, giving the community the district’s highest point, an unnamed spot 1 km east of the constituent community of Wüstems.
Neighbouring communities
Waldems is the easternmost community in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis and borders in the northeast on the community of WeilrodWeilrod
Weilrod is a municipality made up of several villages in the northwest Hochtaunuskreis lying in the Weil Valley in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Weilrod lies north of the crest of the Taunus, from 210 to 600 m above sea level...
, in the east on the community of Schmitten
Schmitten, Germany
Schmitten is a climatic spa and municipality in the Hochtaunuskreis in Hesse, Germany.-Geography:Schmitten is the highest community in the Taunus some 24 km north of Frankfurt am Main within whose limits is the Großer Feldberg ....
, in the southeast on the community of Glashütten
Glashütten
Glashütten is a small municipality in the Hochtaunuskreis. This community in the Taunus, which is made up of the three formerly independent communities of Glashütten, Schloßborn and Oberems, lies in the Hochtaunus Nature Park, not far from Königstein im Taunus, Germany.-Neighbouring...
(all three in the Hochtaunuskreis
Hochtaunuskreis
The Hochtaunuskreis is a Kreis in the middle of Hesse, Germany and is part of the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Neighbouring districts are Lahn-Dill, Wetteraukreis, district-free Frankfurt, Main-Taunus, Rheingau-Taunus, Limburg-Weilburg.The Hochtaunuskreis and the Landkreis Starnberg...
), in the south and west on the town of Idstein
Idstein
Idstein is a town of about 25,000 inhabitants in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. Because of its well preserved historical Altstadt it is part of the Deutsche Fachwerkstraße , connecting towns with fine timber-frame buildings and...
(Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis) and in the northwest on the town of Bad Camberg
Bad Camberg
Bad Camberg is, with 15,000 inhabitants, the second biggest town in Limburg-Weilburg district in Hesse, Germany, as well as the southernmost town in the Regierungsbezirk of Gießen...
(Limburg-Weilburg
Limburg-Weilburg
Limburg-Weilburg is a Kreis in the west of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Lahn-Dill, Hochtaunuskreis, Rheingau-Taunus, Rhein-Lahn, Westerwaldkreis.-History:...
).
Constituent communities
The community’s six Ortsteile are Bermbach, Esch (administrative seat), Niederems (with Reinborn), Reichenbach, Steinfischbach and Wüstems.History
Although traces of settlement go far back, the current places in the community go back to clearing in FrankishCarolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term which has been used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty in the Early Middle Ages. This dynasty is seen as the founders of France and Germany, and its beginning date is based on the crowning of Charlemagne, or Charles the...
times.
The first of the constituent communities to have a documentary mention was Bermbach, which was named as Barenbach in a document from the Lorsch codex
Lorsch codex
The Lorsch Codex is an important historical document created between about 1175 to 1195 AD in the Monastery of Saint Nazarius in Lorsch, Germany. It consists of 460 pages in large format containing more than 3800 entries...
in 772. For many centuries this was borderland; the Limes
Limes Germanicus
The Limes Germanicus was a line of frontier fortifications that bounded the ancient Roman provinces of Germania Inferior, Germania Superior and Raetia, dividing the Roman Empire and the unsubdued Germanic tribes from the years 83 to about 260 AD...
ran nearby, and later, the Electoral Mainz’s
Archbishopric of Mainz
The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780–82 and 1802. In the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, the Archbishop of Mainz was the primas Germaniae, the substitute of the Pope north of the Alps...
, Hesse’s
Landgraviate of Hesse
The Landgraviate of Hesse was a Landgraviate of the Holy Roman Empire. It existed as a unity from 1264 to 1567, when it was divided between the sons of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse.-History:...
and Nassau’s
House of Nassau
The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled Count of Nassau, then elevated to the princely class as...
spheres of influence all came up against each other here. From 1276 to 1570 the village was bound to the noble family of the Lords of Bermbach. Later, Bermbach was mentioned in connection with the persecution of witches and the legendary Schinderhannes
Schinderhannes
Johannes Bückler , nicknamed Schinderhannes, was a German outlaw who orchestrated one of the most fascinating crime sprees in German history. He was born at Miehlen, the son of Johann and Anna Maria Bückler. He began an apprenticeship to a tanner, but turned to petty theft. At 16 he was arrested...
(1801).
The constituent community of Esch goes back to a settlement from the 6th century, having had its first documentary mention as Eschze in the rent register of the archive deacon at Dietkirchen. Esch lies at the junction of the ancient Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
-Limburg
Limburg an der Lahn
Limburg an der Lahn is the district seat of Limburg-Weilburg in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Limburg lies in western Hesse between the Taunus and the Westerwald on the river Lahn....
-Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
trade road and the linking road between the Rhine and the Wetterau
Wetterau
The Wetterau is a fertile undulating tract, watered by the Wetter, a tributary of the Nidda River, in the western German state of Hesse, between the hilly province Oberhessen and the north-western Taunus mountains....
, and thereby always had a high traffic volume.
The story of how Niederems came to be can be traced back to 1274. Through hunger, pestilence and wars, the population figure was always very low. In particular, 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....
reduced the number of households considerably.
Settlement in Reichenbach can be traced back to pre-Christian times. Worth mentioning are the barrow
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
“Goldkessel” and the Celtic circular rampart
Circular rampart
A circular rampart is an embankment built in the shape of a circle that was used as part of the defences for a military fortification, hill fort or refuge, or was built for religious purposes or as a place of gathering....
. In 1428, the place was mentioned as Richinbach in the annals of Nassau-Idstein. In 1772, a fire destroyed the old village centre, although this was quickly rebuilt. From 1604 to 1968, Reichenbach had its own school.
Near the constituent community of Steinfischbach are found in the form of the barrows Totenkopf and Goldkessel clues to an early settlement. The village had its first documentary mention in 1156 under the name Vispach in a document from Archbishop Arnold of Mainz. Nearby there were iron ore prospecting
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
and a quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
for millstone
Millstone
Millstones or mill stones are used in windmills and watermills, including tide mills, for grinding wheat or other grains.The type of stone most suitable for making millstones is a siliceous rock called burrstone , an open-textured, porous but tough, fine-grained sandstone, or a silicified,...
s, road gravel, cobblestone
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
s and border stones.
Wüstems was mentioned in 1435 as Wosten Emsse in a record by Cuno von Reifenberg. The name’s first syllable, Wüst, likely derives from Wüstungen (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 “abandoned settlements”) and refers to a forsaken village or rural area. The name of the brook, Ems, is from 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...
Ohm. Both these name elements point to a settlement period lasting more than 2,000 years. Also pointing to such a thing is the Celtic circular rampart on the nearby Taunus peak, Burg.
In 1806, the municipal area belonged to the Duchy of Nassau. In 1866 it passed to 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 the framework of municipal reform in Hesse, the hitherto self-governing communities of Bermbach, Esch, Niederems, Reichenbach, Steinfischbach and Wüstems merged in 1972 into today’s greater community of Waldems.
Community council
The municipal election held on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results:| Parties and voter communities | % 2006 |
Seats 2006 |
% 2001 |
Seats 2001 |
|
| CDU | Christian Democratic Union of Germany | 29.2 | 8 | 26.7 | 8 |
| SPD | Social Democratic Party of Germany Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
34.3 | 9 | 37.3 | 12 |
| GREENS | Bündnis 90/Die Grünen | 10.0 | 3 | 6.4 | 2 |
| FDP | Free Democratic Party Free Democratic Party (Germany) The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government... |
4.0 | 1 | 3.1 | 1 |
| FWG | Freie Wählergemeinschaft | 16.1 | 4 | 20.3 | 6 |
| UWK | Unabhängiger Wählerkreis | 6.3 | 2 | 6.2 | 2 |
| Total | 100.0 | 27 | 100.0 | 31 | |
| Voter turnout in % | 52.2 | 58.0 | |||
Town partnerships
The community of Waldems maintains partnerships with the following places: Saint-Bonnet-en-ChampsaurSaint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur
Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France.-Geography:The commune is located at the mouth of the valley of the high Drac on the major route between Gap and Grenoble next to Écrins National Park...
, Hautes-Alpes
Hautes-Alpes
Hautes-Alpes is a department in southeastern France named after the Alps mountain range.- History :Hautes-Alpes is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
, France
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...
since 1982 Szikszó
Szikszó
Szikszó is a small town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary, 15 kilometers from county capital Miskolc.-History:Szikszó was first mentioned in documents in 1280. It belonged to the estate of the Aba clan. After 1370 Aba Estates in the area became the property of King Sigismund and then...
, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén is the name of an administrative county in north-eastern Hungary , on the border with Slovakia. It shares borders with the Hungarian counties Nógrád, Heves, Hajdú-Bihar and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg. The capital of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county is Miskolc...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
since 1997
Economy and infrastructure
Formerly, the villagers drew their livelihood from agricultureAgriculture
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...
and forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
. In the latter half of the 20th century, though, Waldems converted itself into a residential community. Most workers earn their living, by way of the good transport links, in the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region.
Transport
The community is well linked to the long-distance road network through the Idstein Autobahn interchangeInterchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
on the A 3 (Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
–Frankfurt), 8 km away. Furthermore, Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
n 8 and 275 run through the municipal area, crossing in Esch.
The nearest railway station is in Idstein on the Main-Lahn railway. Stopping here is, among others, RMV
Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund
The Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund is an organised transport network in the German state of Hesse, centred around the city of Frankfurt am Main. Its head office is located in Hofheim im Taunus...
line 20.