Forst (Eifel)
Encyclopedia
Forst is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell
district
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Treis-Karden
, whose seat is in the like-named municipality
. It is not to be confused with Forst (Hunsrück)
, which lies in the same district. The Forst that this article deals with has distinguished itself with the official tag “(Eifel)” since 1 June 1970.
(“Further Eifel”) between Treis-Karden
and Kaisersesch
.
. The landholders about 1790 were Saint Castor’s
Foundation (Stift St. Kastor) in Karden, the Barons of Clodt, the Counts of Leyen, the Counts Waldbott von Bassenheim, the Rosenthal Monastery and the Franciscan
convent in Karden. Beginning in 1794, Forst lay under French
rule, and about 1802 came Secularization
of all monastic holdings. In 1815 Forst was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia
at the Congress of Vienna
. Since 1946, it has been part of the then newly founded state
of Rhineland-Palatinate
.
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
The municipality’s arms
might in English heraldic
language be described thus: Per pall reversed, dexter argent a temple sable, sinister vert a church of the first, and in base Or four roundels in fess under which three lozenges in fess, all gules.
The partition into three fields is a reference to the centres of Forst, Molzig and Pfaffenhausen, which are all parts of the municipality of Forst (Eifel). The temple on the dexter (armsbearer’s right, viewer’s left) side refers to the Roman
settlement whose remnants were found in the cadastral area known as Stockborn. The parish had nine estates and its midpoint was the old church, seen on the sinister (armsbearer’s left, viewer’s right) side, which in 1288 was named in Rudolf von Polch’s will. The parish’s 1587 seal shows, among other things, the arms borne by the Lords of Brunsperch-Brohl, now also borne as a charge
in the base of Forst’s arms. These lords long held the Pellenz
court as a fief.
The arms have been borne since 1987.
’s Directory of Cultural Monuments:
The outlying centre of Pfaffenhausen has no sites in the directory.
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 Cochem-Zell
Cochem-Zell
Cochem-Zell is a district in the north-west of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighboring districts are Mayen-Koblenz, Rhein-Hunsrück, Bernkastel-Wittlich, and Vulkaneifel.- History :...
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 Treis-Karden
Treis-Karden (Verbandsgemeinde)
Treis-Karden is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district of Cochem-Zell, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Treis-Karden....
, whose seat is in the like-named municipality
Treis-Karden
Treis-Karden is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde to which it also belongs...
. It is not to be confused with Forst (Hunsrück)
Forst (Hunsrück)
Forst is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Zell, whose seat is in the municipality of Zell an der Mosel. It is not to be confused...
, which lies in the same district. The Forst that this article deals with has distinguished itself with the official tag “(Eifel)” since 1 June 1970.
Location
The municipality lies in the VordereifelEifel
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....
(“Further Eifel”) between Treis-Karden
Treis-Karden
Treis-Karden is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde to which it also belongs...
and Kaisersesch
Kaisersesch
Kaisersesch is a town in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde, to which it also belongs.- Location :...
.
Constituent communities
Forst’s Ortsteile are Forst (main centre), Molzig and Pfaffenhausen.History
In two papal documents from 1178 and 1186, the village is named as Vosca and Vostra. Forst is the midpoint of the Forster Kirchspiel (parish), which was already a parochial and jurisdictional entity by the Middle AgesMiddle 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...
. The landholders about 1790 were Saint Castor’s
Castor of Karden
Saint Castor of Karden was a priest and hermit of the 4th century who is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church. Castor was a pupil of Maximinus of Trier around 345 AD, and was ordained as a priest by Maximinus. Like his teacher, Castor may have come from the region of Aquitaine...
Foundation (Stift St. Kastor) in Karden, the Barons of Clodt, the Counts of Leyen, the Counts Waldbott von Bassenheim, the Rosenthal Monastery and the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
convent in Karden. Beginning in 1794, Forst lay 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, and about 1802 came Secularization
Secularization
Secularization is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions...
of all monastic holdings. In 1815 Forst was assigned to the Kingdom of 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...
at the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
. Since 1946, it has been part of the then newly founded state
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
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 ....
.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 8 council members, who were elected by 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...
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
Mayor
Forst’s mayor is Franz-Josef Meiner, and his deputies are Gerhard Weber and Paul Geisen.Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: Schild im Göpelschnitt geteilt. Vorne in Silber ein stilisierter schwarzer Tempel, hinten in Grün eine silberne Kirche, unten in Gold über drei roten Rauten vier rote Kugeln, jeweils balkenweise.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 pall reversed, dexter argent a temple sable, sinister vert a church of the first, and in base Or four roundels in fess under which three lozenges in fess, all gules.
The partition into three fields is a reference to the centres of Forst, Molzig and Pfaffenhausen, which are all parts of the municipality of Forst (Eifel). The temple on the dexter (armsbearer’s right, viewer’s left) side refers to the 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....
settlement whose remnants were found in the cadastral area known as Stockborn. The parish had nine estates and its midpoint was the old church, seen on the sinister (armsbearer’s left, viewer’s right) side, which in 1288 was named in Rudolf von Polch’s will. The parish’s 1587 seal shows, among other things, the arms borne by the Lords of Brunsperch-Brohl, now also borne as a 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...
in the base of Forst’s arms. These lords long held the Pellenz
Pellenz
Pellenz is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Mayen-Koblenz, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated north-east of Mayen, and south of Andernach...
court as a fief.
The arms have been borne since 1987.
Buildings
The following are listed buildings or sites in Rhineland-PalatinateRhineland-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 ....
’s Directory of Cultural Monuments:
Forst (main centre)
- Binniger Straße – wayside chapelChapelA chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
, 18th or 19th century - Hauptstraße 7 – former schoolSchoolA school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
; building with half-hipped roof, partly plastered, Swiss chalet styleSwiss chalet styleSwiss chalet style is an architectural style inspired by the chalets of Switzerland. The style originated in Germany in the early 19th century and was popular in parts of Europe and North America, notably in the architecture of Norway, the country house architecture of Sweden, Cincinnati, Ohio,...
, from 1912 - Hauptstraße 8 – so-called Fränkischer Hof; quarrystone building, from 1896; at the stable second-hand stone, from 1686; whole complex
- In der Hohl – old Saint Castor’sCastor of KardenSaint Castor of Karden was a priest and hermit of the 4th century who is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church. Castor was a pupil of Maximinus of Trier around 345 AD, and was ordained as a priest by Maximinus. Like his teacher, Castor may have come from the region of Aquitaine...
Catholic Parish Church (Pfarrkirche St. Kastor); RomanesqueRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
tower, upper floor from 1873; whole complex with graveyard; cross with warriors’ memorial, 1920s; wayside cross, 1711; basaltBasaltBasalt 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...
grave cross, 1598; basalt wayside cross with CrucifixionCrucifixion of JesusThe crucifixion of Jesus and his ensuing death is an event that occurred during the 1st century AD. Jesus, who Christians believe is the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally executed on a cross...
group, 1702 and 1846 (renovation) - Pfaffenhausener Straße 25 – BaroqueBaroque architectureBaroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
door - On Kreisstraße (District Road) 23, going towards BinningenBinningen, Rhineland-PalatinateBinningen is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Treis-Karden, whose seat is in the like-named municipality.- Location :The...
– grave cross, 18th century - On Kreisstraße 28 – wayside chapel; plastered quarrystone building, 18th century
- On Kreisstraße 28, going towards DünfusDünfusDünfus is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
– basalt wayside cross, 18th or 19th century
Molzig
- Molzigerstraße: basalt wayside cross, from 1696
The outlying centre of Pfaffenhausen has no sites in the directory.