Aach, Rhineland-Palatinate
Encyclopedia
Aach is a municipality in the German
state of Rhineland-Palatinate
. It is part of Trier-Land
, a Verbandsgemeinde
.
. Later there also was a settlement of the Roman Empire
. The current municipality was first mentioned in the year 953 under its Latin
name Aquacuum. Despite being situated so close to the City of Trier
it was not part of the Archbishopric of Trier
. Belonging to the Benedictine
monastery St. Irminen it was itself reichsfrei
. This fact caused many Jews to settle down in Aach after they were expelled from Trier in the 16th century.
During the time of the Napoleonic Wars
Aach was—according to the Treaty of Lunéville
1802—a part of France
. After Napoleon's ultimate defeat in 1815 Aach became a part of the new Prussia
n Rhineland
province. Prussia itself became a part of the German Empire
in 1871.
Under nazi
rule between 1933 and 1945 Aach's Jewish citizens were either forced to emigrate or murdered in the Nazi concentration camps
. Nowadays there is no organized Jewish community in Aach anymore. The synagogue
and the Jewish cemetery, however, still exist.
After World War II
Aach became a part of the new (West) German state of Rhineland-Palatinate
.
Aach is famous for its "Viez", the typical hard cider of the region.
twelve seats, the other four went to the free voters' association FWG Aach e. V. In the same elections Mayor Josef Krein (CDU) was voted into office with nearly 74% of the votes. The last elections in 2009 brought the Christian Democrats all sixteen seats. Ralf Kierspel (CDU) was voted with 92,72% as mayor.
. It is situated in the southern Eifel
mountains.
Aach can be reached via Autobahn A 64 (connecting Trier and Luxembourg
) at exit no. 3 about 3.7 km south of Aach. The next railway station is the central station of Trier.
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...
state 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 ....
. It is part of Trier-Land
Trier-Land
Trier-Land is a Verbandsgemeinde in the Trier-Saarburg district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the border with Luxembourg, north and west of Trier...
, a Verbandsgemeinde
Verbandsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde is an administrative unit in the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt.-Rhineland-Palatinate:...
.
History
The settlements on Aach's ground date back to the Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
. Later there also was a settlement of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. The current municipality was first mentioned in the year 953 under its Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
name Aquacuum. Despite being situated so close to the City of Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
it was not part of the Archbishopric of Trier
Archbishopric of Trier
The Archbishopric of Trier was a Roman Catholic diocese in Germany, that existed from Carolingian times until the end of the Holy Roman Empire. Its suffragans were the dioceses of Metz, Toul and Verdun. Since the 9th century the Archbishops of Trier were simultaneously princes and since the 11th...
. Belonging to the Benedictine
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
monastery St. Irminen it was itself reichsfrei
Reichsfreiheit
Imperial immediacy was a privileged feudal and political status, which the estates of the realm such as an imperial city, a religious entity, a feudal principality, or a minor lordship could attain within the Holy Roman Empire...
. This fact caused many Jews to settle down in Aach after they were expelled from Trier in the 16th century.
During the time of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
Aach was—according to the Treaty of Lunéville
Treaty of Lunéville
The Treaty of Lunéville was signed on 9 February 1801 between the French Republic and the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, negotiating both on behalf of his own domains and of the Holy Roman Empire...
1802—a part of 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...
. After Napoleon's ultimate defeat in 1815 Aach became a part of the new 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...
n Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
province. Prussia itself became a part of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
in 1871.
Under nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
rule between 1933 and 1945 Aach's Jewish citizens were either forced to emigrate or murdered in the Nazi concentration camps
Nazi concentration camps
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...
. Nowadays there is no organized Jewish community in Aach anymore. The synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
and the Jewish cemetery, however, still exist.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Aach became a part of the new (West) German state 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 ....
.
Aach is famous for its "Viez", the typical hard cider of the region.
Law and government
Aach has a council with sixteen seats. The elections in 2004 brought the CDUChristian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
twelve seats, the other four went to the free voters' association FWG Aach e. V. In the same elections Mayor Josef Krein (CDU) was voted into office with nearly 74% of the votes. The last elections in 2009 brought the Christian Democrats all sixteen seats. Ralf Kierspel (CDU) was voted with 92,72% as mayor.
Geography
Aach lies about 6 km north of the center of TrierTrier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
. It is situated in the southern Eifel
Eifel
The Eifel is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the south of the German-speaking Community of Belgium....
mountains.
Aach can be reached via Autobahn A 64 (connecting Trier and Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
) at exit no. 3 about 3.7 km south of Aach. The next railway station is the central station of Trier.