Deudesfeld
Encyclopedia
Deudesfeld is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the southwest Vulkaneifel district
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Daun
, whose seat is in the like-named town
. In Deudesfeld, Moselle Franconian
is spoken.
, a part of the Eifel
known for its volcanic history, geographical and geological features, and even ongoing activity today, including gases that sometimes well up from the earth.
given name Dedin with the placename ending —feld (“field”). The customary dialectal name Deisselt is actually a corruption of the name Desserath (formerly Deissilrod), an outlying centre.
Finds of golden coins, potsherds and bits of tools dating from Roman
times have led to the conclusion that there was already a settlement of some kind here as early as the 3rd century. Deudesfeld had its first documentary mention in 1171 when the knight Ludwig von Deudesfeld was mentioned by name as a witness. Among other things, the founding of the Cistercian Saint Thomas’s Convent on the Kyll
can be traced back to him in connection with an extensive donation that brought Deudesfeld a dependence lasting centuries. Only when the convent’s holdings were sold off under French
rule, which began in 1794, was the bond with the ecclesiastical order broken. Deudesfeld’s allegiance to the Electorate of Trier also ended with the coming of the French.
Over the centuries, Deudesfeld was not spared the evils that afflicted other communities. Witches were persecuted and the Plague swept through. In particular, though, the secular and ecclesiastical authorities led to exploitation and repression. Sackings and atrocities in mediaeval
wars only made the suffering keener. In the 17th century, the village was even emptied for seven years as the villagers hid themselves in the woods to survive. Even in Napoleonic times
, when French
troops came marching in, things got no better; the consequences were taxes payable to the French state, and young men being pressed into the Revolutionary army.
Further hardship came on 12 September 1888 when, within a few hours, a great fire destroyed the whole southwestern part of the village, burning 21 houses (out of 80 all together) and 24 barns and stables to rubble and ashes.
The earlier half of the 20th century was characterized foremost by the two World Wars and their aftermath, even for those living in a small village in the Eifel
like Deudesfeld. Reconstruction after the Second World War brought along with it a far-reaching change in structure. While until the mid 20th century the villagers had mainly been small farmers, craftsmen and forestry workers, this has over the last few decades undergone a sweeping change. In 1956 there were still 56 agricultural
businesses in Deudesfeld. Today, however, the Hochscheider Hof is the only one left that is run as a fulltime operation.
Since that time, tourism
has also earned significant importance for Deudesfeld as one of the municipality’s main income earners. This has been favoured by state recognition of Deudesfeld as a recreation municipality, as well as by its location in the wooded Vulkaneifel with its well linked hiking trails and its many nearby outing destinations.
The municipality’s arms
might in English heraldic
language be described thus: Per fess sable a bend counter-compony argent and gules, and argent an axe and a hatchet per saltire azure, both helved of the first, the axe in bend surmounting the hatchet.
The bend (slanted stripe) with the checkerboard pattern above the line of partition is the charge
borne by the Cistercian order, who held the convent founded by Ludwig von Deudesfeld. The tools below the line of partition stand for the municipality’s longtime patrons, the Apostles Simon
and Jude; their attributes are carpentry tools.
plays a great rôle in Deudesfeld. Each year sees some 50,000 overnight stays, most of them in the outlying centre of Desserath. Since 1960, Deudesfeld has been a state-recognized recreation community. Available to guests are more than 250 guest beds.
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 southwest Vulkaneifel 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 belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Daun
Daun (Verbandsgemeinde)
Daun is a collective municipality in the Vulkaneifel district of Rhineland-Palatinate. The seat of the Daun Verbandsgemeinde is in the municipality of Daun.- Constituent municipalities:# Betteldorf# Bleckhausen# Brockscheid...
, whose seat is in the like-named town
Daun, Germany
Daun is a town in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the district seat and also the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Daun.- Location :...
. In Deudesfeld, Moselle Franconian
Moselle Franconian
Moselle Franconian is a group of West Central German dialects, part of the Central Franconian language area.It is spoken in the southern Rhineland and along the course of the Moselle River, from the Siegerland in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia throughout western Rhineland-Palatinate and...
is spoken.
Location
The municipality lies in the VulkaneifelVulkan Eifel
The Vulkan Eifel is a region in the Eifel Mountains in Germany, that is defined to a large extent by its volcanic geological history. Characteristic of the Vulkan Eifel are its typical explosion crater lakes or maars, and numerous other signs of volcanic activity such as volcanic tuffs, lava...
, a part of the 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....
known for its volcanic history, geographical and geological features, and even ongoing activity today, including gases that sometimes well up from the earth.
Constituent communities
The municipality is made up of the main centre, likewise called Deudesfeld, and the outlying centre (Ortsteil) of Desserath, as well as the homesteads of Mausensmühle and Turnermühle.History
Deudesfeld, formerly Dudensvelt, Dudenesfelt or Dudesfeld, gets its name from the FrankishFranks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
given name Dedin with the placename ending —feld (“field”). The customary dialectal name Deisselt is actually a corruption of the name Desserath (formerly Deissilrod), an outlying centre.
Finds of golden coins, potsherds and bits of tools dating from Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times have led to the conclusion that there was already a settlement of some kind here as early as the 3rd century. Deudesfeld had its first documentary mention in 1171 when the knight Ludwig von Deudesfeld was mentioned by name as a witness. Among other things, the founding of the Cistercian Saint Thomas’s Convent on the Kyll
Kyll
The Kyll , noted by the Roman poet Ausonius as Celbis, is a 142km long river in western Germany , left tributary of the Moselle. It rises in the Eifel mountains, near the border with Belgium and flows generally south through the towns Stadtkyll, Gerolstein, Kyllburg and east of Bitburg...
can be traced back to him in connection with an extensive donation that brought Deudesfeld a dependence lasting centuries. Only when the convent’s holdings were sold off 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, which began in 1794, was the bond with the ecclesiastical order broken. Deudesfeld’s allegiance to the Electorate of Trier also ended with the coming of the French.
Over the centuries, Deudesfeld was not spared the evils that afflicted other communities. Witches were persecuted and the Plague swept through. In particular, though, the secular and ecclesiastical authorities led to exploitation and repression. Sackings and atrocities in mediaeval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
wars only made the suffering keener. In the 17th century, the village was even emptied for seven years as the villagers hid themselves in the woods to survive. Even in Napoleonic times
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...
, when 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...
troops came marching in, things got no better; the consequences were taxes payable to the French state, and young men being pressed into the Revolutionary army.
Further hardship came on 12 September 1888 when, within a few hours, a great fire destroyed the whole southwestern part of the village, burning 21 houses (out of 80 all together) and 24 barns and stables to rubble and ashes.
The earlier half of the 20th century was characterized foremost by the two World Wars and their aftermath, even for those living in a small village in the 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....
like Deudesfeld. Reconstruction after the Second World War brought along with it a far-reaching change in structure. While until the mid 20th century the villagers had mainly been small farmers, craftsmen and forestry workers, this has over the last few decades undergone a sweeping change. In 1956 there were still 56 agricultural
Agriculture
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...
businesses in Deudesfeld. Today, however, the Hochscheider Hof is the only one left that is run as a fulltime operation.
Since that time, tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
has also earned significant importance for Deudesfeld as one of the municipality’s main income earners. This has been favoured by state recognition of Deudesfeld as a recreation municipality, as well as by its location in the wooded Vulkaneifel with its well linked hiking trails and its many nearby outing destinations.
Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: Im von Schwarz über Silber geteilten Schild oben ein rotweiß geschachter Schrägrechtsbalken, unten eine blaue Axt mit Beil gekreuzt.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 fess sable a bend counter-compony argent and gules, and argent an axe and a hatchet per saltire azure, both helved of the first, the axe in bend surmounting the hatchet.
The bend (slanted stripe) with the checkerboard pattern above the line of partition is 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...
borne by the Cistercian order, who held the convent founded by Ludwig von Deudesfeld. The tools below the line of partition stand for the municipality’s longtime patrons, the Apostles Simon
Simon the Zealot
The apostle called Simon Zelotes, Simon the Zealot, in Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13; and Simon Kananaios or Simon Cananeus , was one of the most obscure among the apostles of Jesus. Little is recorded of him aside from his name...
and Jude; their attributes are carpentry tools.
Main centre
- Saint Simon’s and Saint Jude’s Catholic Parish Church, Hauptstraße 14, Gothic RevivalGothic Revival architectureThe Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
aisleless churchAisleless churchAn Aisleless church is a single-nave church building that consists of a single hall-like room. While similar to the hall church, the aisleless church lacks aisles or passageways either side of the nave separated from the nave by colonnades or arcades, a row of pillars or columns...
, 1880. - Birkenstraße/corner of Hauptstraße – wayside cross (sandstoneSandstoneSandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
shaft cross from 1650). - Near Hauptstraße 1 – sandstone Heiligenhäuschen (a small, shrinelike structure consecrated to a saint or saints).
- Hauptstraße 29 – estate along the street from 1914.
- Manderscheider Straße 2 – Quereinhaus (a combination residential and commercial house divided for these two purposes down the middle, perpendicularly to the street), apparently from 1880.
- Meisburger Straße/corner of Gartenstraße – wayside cross, formerly designed for an altar (?).
- Waldweg – sandstone wayside cross, shaft cross from 18th or early 19th century.
- Mausemühle, northwest of the village on the Salm, an old mill, mostly fenced off.
Desserath
- Hauptstraße 3 – Quereinhaus, apparently from 1901.
- Turnermühle, south of Desserath on the Salm, six-axis house, possibly from the latter half of the 19th century, barn with stable.
- Wayside cross, north of the village on a service path.
Economy and infrastructure
TourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
plays a great rôle in Deudesfeld. Each year sees some 50,000 overnight stays, most of them in the outlying centre of Desserath. Since 1960, Deudesfeld has been a state-recognized recreation community. Available to guests are more than 250 guest beds.