Wilgersdorf
Encyclopedia
Wilgersdorf is a village in the district Siegen-Wittgenstein
in North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
.
Apart from that, it is also the biggest part (by area) of the municipality Wilnsdorf
.
(see Rothaarsteig
for the nearby hiking trail). Highest elevations of the area are the Kalteiche (579.3 m | 1900.6 ft) and the Tiefenrother Höhe (552.3 m | 1812 ft). In the southern part of the village arises the Weiss, which joins the river Sieg after 18.1 km (11.2 mi). Wilgersdorf has a total area of 11.54 km² (4.46 sq mi).
In 1491, the villages was completely destroyed by a major fire. The plaque killed 1563 ten of 204 inhabitants, 45 % died 1636 by hunger
or disease
. From 1579 onwards the village belonged to the parish of Haiger
, since 1595 to Wilnsdorf. 1716 started with the construction of a Simultaneum
in the village. The place fell under the control of John of Nassau
in 1621. Wilgersdorf was united to one municipality with Wilnsdorf and Rödgen in 1648 and assigned to the Amt of Wilnsdorf in 1818.
Big fires destroyed many houses in 1857 and 1920.
Piped water supply was available by 1906 and by 1911 the local mill provided electricity for the village. The fire service was established in 1927. In 1953 a Protestant community house was built. A catholic church was consecrated in 1957, followed by a Protestant church in the 60's.
In 1963 dwelling and smelting places of the La Tène culture
(500 B.C., Iron age
) were found on the territory.
The Amt of Wilnsdorf was disbanded in 1969 and Wilgersdorf was integrated in the new municipality of Wilnsdorf.
Neue Hoffnung (transl.: new hope) was operated with 300 workers from 1883 to 1913 with a total depth of 440 m (1443 ft). Zinc
-, Lead
- and Silver
ores and also Iron
ore was mined.
Other mines were Neues Jerusalem, Viktoria and Bomkutte.
Siegen-Wittgenstein
Siegen-Wittgenstein is a Kreis in the southeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Olpe, Hochsauerlandkreis, Waldeck-Frankenberg, Marburg-Biedenkopf, Lahn-Dill, Westerwaldkreis, Altenkirchen.-History:...
in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, 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...
.
Apart from that, it is also the biggest part (by area) of the municipality Wilnsdorf
Wilnsdorf
Wilnsdorf is a municipality in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:The southern municipal limits, with the Kalteiche peak, part of the Rothaargebirge, form not only the community's highest point, at 579 m above sea level, but also the boundary...
.
Geography
Wilgersdorf is located in a rich forestregion in the RothaargebirgeRothaargebirge
The Rothaargebirge is a low mountain range reaching heights of up to 843.1 m in North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse, Germany....
(see Rothaarsteig
Rothaarsteig
The Rothaarsteig is a 154.80 km long hiking trail along the crest of the Rothaargebirge mountain range in Germany in the border region between the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse...
for the nearby hiking trail). Highest elevations of the area are the Kalteiche (579.3 m | 1900.6 ft) and the Tiefenrother Höhe (552.3 m | 1812 ft). In the southern part of the village arises the Weiss, which joins the river Sieg after 18.1 km (11.2 mi). Wilgersdorf has a total area of 11.54 km² (4.46 sq mi).
History
Wilgersdorf had its first documentary mention in 1377 under the name Vylgirstorff.In 1491, the villages was completely destroyed by a major fire. The plaque killed 1563 ten of 204 inhabitants, 45 % died 1636 by hunger
Hunger
Hunger is the most commonly used term to describe the social condition of people who frequently experience the physical sensation of desiring food.-Malnutrition, famine, starvation:...
or disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
. From 1579 onwards the village belonged to the parish of Haiger
Haiger
Haiger is a country town in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Hesse, Germany. The nearest city is Siegen, about 25 km north of Haiger.-Location:Haiger lies about 5 km west of Dillenburg, and 20 km southeast of Siegen on the eastern edge of the Westerwald range, near where the three states of...
, since 1595 to Wilnsdorf. 1716 started with the construction of a Simultaneum
Simultaneum
A shared church, or Simultankirche, Simultaneum or, more fully, simultaneum mixtum, a term first coined in 16th century Germany, is a church in which public worship is conducted by adherents of two or more religious groups. Such churches became common in Europe in the wake of the Reformation...
in the village. The place fell under the control of John of Nassau
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...
in 1621. Wilgersdorf was united to one municipality with Wilnsdorf and Rödgen in 1648 and assigned to the Amt of Wilnsdorf in 1818.
Big fires destroyed many houses in 1857 and 1920.
Piped water supply was available by 1906 and by 1911 the local mill provided electricity for the village. The fire service was established in 1927. In 1953 a Protestant community house was built. A catholic church was consecrated in 1957, followed by a Protestant church in the 60's.
In 1963 dwelling and smelting places of the La Tène culture
La Tène culture
The La Tène culture was a European Iron Age culture named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland, where a rich cache of artifacts was discovered by Hansli Kopp in 1857....
(500 B.C., Iron age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
) were found on the territory.
The Amt of Wilnsdorf was disbanded in 1969 and Wilgersdorf was integrated in the new municipality of Wilnsdorf.
Mines
The mineMining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
Neue Hoffnung (transl.: new hope) was operated with 300 workers from 1883 to 1913 with a total depth of 440 m (1443 ft). Zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
-, Lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
- and Silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
ores and also Iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
ore was mined.
Other mines were Neues Jerusalem, Viktoria and Bomkutte.
Trivia
- In the local tongue, the people of Wilgersdorf call themselves 'Wiljerschdorfer' (roughly pronounced 'WillWill (law)A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
'+'Yeah'+'R'+ShhSHHSHH can refer to:* Summer Heights High, an Australian TV series* Sonic hedgehog, an important protein during vertebrate organogenesis* Students Helping Honduras, an international non-governmental organization operating in the U.S. and Honduras...
+'Dwarf'+'R' for an English speaker - rolling the R's is required) - Like in other place of the district people may greet each other with the term 'Schur', sounding like the English 'sure', meaning 'Hi' or 'Good day'
- From an observation deck on top of the Tiefenrother Höhe hill 50°49′3.96"N 8°10′23.44"E, a regional famous view over the whole nearby uplands is possible (part of the Rothaarsteig hiking trail)
Literature
- Herbert Wiesner: 600 Jahre Wilgersdorf 1377-1977 (transl.: 600 years Wilgersdorf 1377-1977) – Chronicle and FestschriftFestschriftIn academia, a Festschrift , is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during his or her lifetime. The term, borrowed from German, could be translated as celebration publication or celebratory writing...
, author's edition, published by the local associations in 1977 - Kurt Becker: Unsere Väter - die Bergleute der Grube Bautenberg zwischen Gilsbach und Wilden, Dill und Westerwald (transl.: Our fathers: the miners of the mine Bautenberg between Gilsbach and Wilden, Dill and Westerwald), Dillbrecht 1994