Henau
Encyclopedia
Henau is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (district
) in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Kirchberg
, whose seat is in the like-named town
.
, at an elevation of 400 m above sea level
, above the Kellenbach.
unearthed within the municipality’s limits. These are now kept at the Hunsrückmuseum in Simmern
.
In 1316, Henau had its first documentary mention in a document from Count Simon II of Sponheim
. The Koppenstein Castle ruin, found within the municipality’s limits, held town rights beginning in 1330, but had fallen into disrepair by the 16th century. Beginning in 1794, Henau lay under French
rule. In 1815 it 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
.
The municipality’s arms
might in English heraldic
language be described thus: Per fess, vert a lion passant guardant argent armed and langued gules and chequy azure and Or an arming buckle of the second studded of the third.
The lion (Löwe) is perhaps somewhat confusingly also called a leopard in the German blazon. This confusion also arises in English heraldry, with “leopard” often being the word used in earlier times for a cat charge
in this particular attitude
, namely “passant” (that is, striding along). James Parker, though, holds that “lion” was the usual term for both in later times, and that practically the same creature was meant, anyway. Whichever the cat is meant to be, the charge is drawn from the arms once borne by the Knights of Steinkallenfels, who were as early as the 12th century the lords of the Kellenbach high court and held lands in Henau, which itself was part of the high court’s territory. The cat also recalls the Knights of Kellenbach, who were among the Steinkallenfelses’ descendants, and in the 13th century, were also part-owners of the Kellenbach high court. The “chequy” pattern below the line of partition refers to the Counts of Sponheim
. It was they who held Koppenstein Castle, now within Henau’s municipal limits, and they also held a share of the Kellenbach court. The buckle stands for yet another knightly family, the Knights of Schmidtburg, who were likewise part-owners of the Kellenbach high court, and who later also came into ownership of Koppenstein Castle.
’s Directory of Cultural Monuments:
has all but disappeared, and one large company works almost all farmlands. Above the village is a big quartzite
stripmine.
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 Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (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 Kirchberg
Kirchberg (Verbandsgemeinde)
Kirchberg is a Verbandsgemeinde in the Rhein-Hunsrück district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Its seat is in Kirchberg.The Verbandsgemeinde Kirchberg consists of the following Ortsgemeinden :...
, whose seat is in the like-named town
Kirchberg, Rhein-Hunsrück
-History:Archaeological finds make it clear that by 400 BC, the Treveri, a people of mixed Celtic and Germanic stock, from whom the Latin name for the city of Trier, Augusta Treverorum, is also derived, had settled here...
.
Location
The municipality lies on the western edge of the Soonwald, a heavily wooded section of the west-central HunsrückHunsrück
The Hunsrück is a low mountain range in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the river valleys of the Moselle , the Nahe , and the Rhine . The Hunsrück is continued by the Taunus mountains on the eastern side of the Rhine. In the north behind the Moselle it is continued by the Eifel...
, at an elevation of 400 m above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, above the Kellenbach.
History
Bearing witness to Henau’s very early history are a stone hammer and a loom weightWarp-weighted loom
The warp-weighted loom is a simple and ancient form of loom in which the warp yarns hang freely from a bar supported by upright poles which can be placed at a convenient slant against a wall. Bundles of warp threads are tied to hanging weights called loom weights which keep the threads taut....
unearthed within the municipality’s limits. These are now kept at the Hunsrückmuseum in Simmern
Simmern
Simmern is a town of 8,000 inhabitants in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, the district seat of the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis, and the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde...
.
In 1316, Henau had its first documentary mention in a document from Count Simon II of Sponheim
County of Sponheim
The County of Sponheim was an independent territory in the Holy Roman Empire which lasted from the 11th century until the early 19th century...
. The Koppenstein Castle ruin, found within the municipality’s limits, held town rights beginning in 1330, but had fallen into disrepair by the 16th century. Beginning in 1794, Henau 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. In 1815 it 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 6 council members, who were elected at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.Mayor
Henau’s mayor is Hermann Kilz jr., and his deputies are Helmut Becker and Rosemarie Ebert.Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: In geteiltem Schild oben in Grün ein schreitender, herschauender, rotbewehrter silberner Löwe (= schreitender Leopard), unten blau-golden geschacht, belegt mit einer silbernen Schnalle, besetzt mit roten Edelsteinen.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, vert a lion passant guardant argent armed and langued gules and chequy azure and Or an arming buckle of the second studded of the third.
The lion (Löwe) is perhaps somewhat confusingly also called a leopard in the German blazon. This confusion also arises in English heraldry, with “leopard” often being the word used in earlier times for a cat 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 this particular attitude
Attitude (heraldry)
In heraldry, an attitude is the position in which an animal, fictional beast, mythical creature, human or human-like being is emblazoned as a charge, supporter or crest. Many attitudes apply only to predatory beasts and are exemplified by the beast most frequently found in heraldry — the lion. ...
, namely “passant” (that is, striding along). James Parker, though, holds that “lion” was the usual term for both in later times, and that practically the same creature was meant, anyway. Whichever the cat is meant to be, the charge is drawn from the arms once borne by the Knights of Steinkallenfels, who were as early as the 12th century the lords of the Kellenbach high court and held lands in Henau, which itself was part of the high court’s territory. The cat also recalls the Knights of Kellenbach, who were among the Steinkallenfelses’ descendants, and in the 13th century, were also part-owners of the Kellenbach high court. The “chequy” pattern below the line of partition refers to the Counts of Sponheim
County of Sponheim
The County of Sponheim was an independent territory in the Holy Roman Empire which lasted from the 11th century until the early 19th century...
. It was they who held Koppenstein Castle, now within Henau’s municipal limits, and they also held a share of the Kellenbach court. The buckle stands for yet another knightly family, the Knights of Schmidtburg, who were likewise part-owners of the Kellenbach high court, and who later also came into ownership of Koppenstein Castle.
Culture and sightseeing
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:
- Hauptstraße, on the village’s outskirts – water cistern; hexagonal quarrystone building, battlements, marked 1924
- Soonwaldstraße 1 – timber-frameTimber framingTimber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
double house, sided, 19th century - Koppenstein Castle ruin, northeast of Henau on a wooded mountain ridge – founding in 10th century (?); upper castle with five-sided keep, latter half of the 13th century; bailey, south, east and north sides girded by doubled ringwall, entrance in the south, beneath the keep remnants of the lodgings, rectangular building with corner turrets
Economy and infrastructure
The once dominant form of agricultureAgriculture
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...
has all but disappeared, and one large company works almost all farmlands. Above the village is a big quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
stripmine.