Willmenrod
Encyclopedia
Willmenrod is an Ortsgemeinde – a community belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
– in the Westerwaldkreis
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
.
.
and clay
deposits. Until after the war, basalt was still being quarried
in Willmenrod and broken up into chips and crushed stone in the community. One hundred and twenty hectares of the municipal area is wooded.
, in the east on Wengenroth and Berzhahn
, in the south on Girkenroth
and Dorndorf
and in the west on Weltersburg
and Guckheim
.
In 1805, almost the whole village was burnt down in a great fire. Owing to the thatched roofs and tight rows of houses that prevailed then, such a catastrophe was very nearly inevitable.
Owing to the community’s location on the Elbbach, which afforded a great deal of waterpower, it was possible to run five mills here.
in a municipal election on 13 June 2004.
stands for the five mills which were formerly of great importance. The lozenges stand for the lesser noble house of Willmenrod. The blue wavy fess stands for the Elbbach’s special importance. The various tincture
s stand for the community’s changing overlords.
club and a mixed choir
.
, who took his stage name from the community’s name, and who is buried in the graveyard here.
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
Willmenrod lies in the valley of the Elbach between the 475-m-high Watzenhahn and the Stromberg in the middle of the WesterwaldWesterwald
The Westerwald is a low mountain range on the right bank of the River Rhine in the German federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia. It is a part of the Rhine Massif...
.
Geology
The landscape is characterized by basaltBasalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
and clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
deposits. Until after the war, basalt was still being quarried
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...
in Willmenrod and broken up into chips and crushed stone in the community. One hundred and twenty hectares of the municipal area is wooded.
Neighbouring communities
Willmenrod borders in the north on Sainscheid and WesterburgWesterburg
Westerburg is a small town of roughly 6,000 inhabitants in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The town is named after the castle built on a hill above the mediaeval town centre -Location:...
, in the east on Wengenroth and Berzhahn
Berzhahn
Berzhahn is an Ortsgemeinde – a community belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde – in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-Location:Berzhahn lies on the north slope of the broad woodland 4 km southeast of Westerburg...
, in the south on Girkenroth
Girkenroth
Girkenroth is an Ortsgemeinde – a community belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde – in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-Location:Girkenroth lies 7 km south of Westerburg at the foot of the Watzenhahn woodland...
and Dorndorf
Dorndorf
Dorndorf is a municipality in the Wartburgkreis district of Thuringia, Germany....
and in the west on Weltersburg
Weltersburg
Weltersburg is an Ortsgemeinde – a community belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde – in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-Location:...
and Guckheim
Guckheim
Guckheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a community belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde – in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
.
Climate
Despite the claim to the contrary in the folksong Oh du schöner Westerwald, the wind does not whistle quite so cold. Rather, a moderate climate holds sway here. In winter, the snow is limited, in summer, it is only seldom unbearably hot and when there is stormy weather, the two mountain ridges keep the wind off the community’s location.History
In 1212, Willmenrod had its first documentary mention as Wernbolderode. Since 1712 it has borne its current name.In 1805, almost the whole village was burnt down in a great fire. Owing to the thatched roofs and tight rows of houses that prevailed then, such a catastrophe was very nearly inevitable.
Owing to the community’s location on the Elbbach, which afforded a great deal of waterpower, it was possible to run five mills here.
Population development
For a few years, the population figure has been swinging between 650 and 700.Community council
The council is made up of 13 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 waterwheel in community’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...
stands for the five mills which were formerly of great importance. The lozenges stand for the lesser noble house of Willmenrod. The blue wavy fess stands for the Elbbach’s special importance. The various 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 stand for the community’s changing overlords.
Clubs
Willmenrod has a fire brigade, a sport club, a fruit-growing and gardeningGardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
club and a mixed choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
.
Sons and daughters of the town
The best known Willmenroder was the television cook Clemens WilmenrodClemens Wilmenrod
Clemens Wilmenrod was the first German television cook. His pseudonym was derived from the municipality Willmenrod in the Westerwald region, where he was born as Karl Clemens Hahn. Wilmenrod is considered the inventor of Toast Hawaii, "Arabian riders' meat" and "stuffed strawberry"...
, who took his stage name from the community’s name, and who is buried in the graveyard here.
External links
- Gudrun Fünter: Willmenrod - Ein Ortsporträt