Höchstberg
Encyclopedia
Höchstberg is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Kelberg
, whose seat is in the like-named municipality
.
, 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.
in Höchstberg amounts to 799 mm, falling into the middle third of the precipitation chart for all Germany. At 0% of the German Weather Service’s weather station
s, lower figures are recorded. The driest month is April. The most rainfall comes in November. In that month, precipitation is 1.4 times what it is in April. Precipitation varies only slightly. At none of the weather stations are lower seasonal swings recorded.
and the remnants of a Roman
farm lead to the conclusion that people settled the area as early as the 2nd century. Höchstberg’s first documentary mention, though, only goes back as far as 1389. The document’s content is merely a lease in which Tilgin von Daun leased the estate in Husen bei Uersfeld to the Burgmann
and administrator Peter von Nürburg.
The occasion for the documentary mention in 1620 was a sensational murder trial: local peasants were accused of having assassinated Spanish
riders who were travelling through the area and having robbed them. The peasants were later either hanged or broken on the wheel. If the documents from that time are being read correctly, it is clear that the peasants were simply victims of a show trial: What may have been the justifiable killing of Spaniards in view of the times stood in connection with the Thirty Years' War
as a political scandal, and the peasants who were sentenced to death were proverbial “pawns” in the game of ensuring the political intrigues in the Empire.
Within the framework of the French Revolution
, the Rhineland
became the “Frankish Republic”, and encamped in the Kelberg area in 1794 was a French
corps (roughly 10,000 men) for whose supplies the surrounding municipalities had to pay. Höchstberg at this time was home to 69 inhabitants.
French influence ebbed in 1815 with the Congress of Vienna
: The Rhineland became Prussia
n. In connection with the building of the Eifelquerbahn (“Cross-Eifel Railway”) from Mayen
to Gerolstein
and baryte mining, there was an economic upswing in the early 20th century.
In 1934, Höchstberg was given its current name. The old name, Hausen, could have been confused with another place named Hausen, one of Mayen’s outlying centres.
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 fess argent a cross sable and sable dexter a book gules garnished of the first and leaved Or, charged with a cross humetty of the same, and sinister a feather bendwise sinister of the first.
Until the end of feudal
times, Gunderath was an Electoral-Cologne holding, and the Cross of Cologne in the upper half of the escutcheon recalls this time. The book and the quill
are Mark the Evangelist
’s attributes, thus representing the municipality’s and the church’s patron saint.
The arms have been borne since 1988.
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 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 Kelberg
Kelberg (Verbandsgemeinde)
Kelberg is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Vulkaneifel, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Kelberg....
, whose seat is in the like-named municipality
Kelberg
Kelberg is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the like-named Verbandsgemeinde, and is home to its seat...
.
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.
Climate
Yearly precipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
in Höchstberg amounts to 799 mm, falling into the middle third of the precipitation chart for all Germany. At 0% of the German Weather Service’s weather station
Weather station
A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for observing atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind...
s, lower figures are recorded. The driest month is April. The most rainfall comes in November. In that month, precipitation is 1.4 times what it is in April. Precipitation varies only slightly. At none of the weather stations are lower seasonal swings recorded.
History
barrowsTumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
and the remnants of a 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....
farm lead to the conclusion that people settled the area as early as the 2nd century. Höchstberg’s first documentary mention, though, only goes back as far as 1389. The document’s content is merely a lease in which Tilgin von Daun leased the estate in Husen bei Uersfeld to the Burgmann
Burgmann
A Burgmann was a member of the low aristocracy in the Middle Ages who guarded and defended castles. They were hired by a lord of the castle to take on the burghut, the guarding and defense of a castle....
and administrator Peter von Nürburg.
The occasion for the documentary mention in 1620 was a sensational murder trial: local peasants were accused of having assassinated Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
riders who were travelling through the area and having robbed them. The peasants were later either hanged or broken on the wheel. If the documents from that time are being read correctly, it is clear that the peasants were simply victims of a show trial: What may have been the justifiable killing of Spaniards in view of the times stood in connection with the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
as a political scandal, and the peasants who were sentenced to death were proverbial “pawns” in the game of ensuring the political intrigues in the Empire.
Within the framework of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
became the “Frankish Republic”, and encamped in the Kelberg area in 1794 was a 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...
corps (roughly 10,000 men) for whose supplies the surrounding municipalities had to pay. Höchstberg at this time was home to 69 inhabitants.
French influence ebbed in 1815 with 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,...
: The Rhineland became 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. In connection with the building of the Eifelquerbahn (“Cross-Eifel Railway”) from Mayen
Mayen
Mayen is a town in the Mayen-Koblenz District of the Rhineland-Palatinate Federal State of Germany, in the eastern part of the Volcanic Eifel Region. As well as the main town, there are five further settlements which are part of Mayen, they are: Alzheim, Kürrenberg, Hausen-Betzing, Hausen and Nitztal...
to Gerolstein
Gerolstein
Gerolstein is a town in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde. Gerolstein is headquarters to a large mineral water firm, Gerolsteiner Brunnen...
and baryte mining, there was an economic upswing in the early 20th century.
In 1934, Höchstberg was given its current name. The old name, Hausen, could have been confused with another place named Hausen, one of Mayen’s outlying centres.
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
Höchstberg’s mayor is Wilhelm Leichsenring, and his deputies are Otmar Simon and Berthold Karst.Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: Von Silber über Schwarz geteilt, oben ein schwarzes Balkenkreuz, unten rechts ein silbern gefasstes, rotes Buch mit goldenem Kreuz, links eine weiße Feder.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 argent a cross sable and sable dexter a book gules garnished of the first and leaved Or, charged with a cross humetty of the same, and sinister a feather bendwise sinister of the first.
Until the end of feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
times, Gunderath was an Electoral-Cologne holding, and the Cross of Cologne in the upper half of the escutcheon recalls this time. The book and the quill
Quill
A quill pen is a writing implement made from a flight feather of a large bird. Quills were used for writing with ink before the invention of the dip pen, metal-nibbed pens, the fountain pen, and, eventually, the ballpoint pen...
are Mark the Evangelist
Mark the Evangelist
Mark the Evangelist is the traditional author of the Gospel of Mark. He is one of the Seventy Disciples of Christ, and the founder of the Church of Alexandria, one of the original four main sees of Christianity....
’s attributes, thus representing the municipality’s and the church’s patron saint.
The arms have been borne since 1988.
Club life
Höchstberg has a lively club life: shooting club, youth social club, amateur football team, Höchstberg Volunteer Fire Brigade. In late August every year, the village festival is held.Buildings
- Saint Mark’s Catholic Church (Kirche St. Markus), Hauptstraße 8, four-axis 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...
, about 1950/1960. - Hauptstraße 17 – 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...
house, part of an estate complex, partly solid, partly slated, possibly from about 1800. - Hauptstraße 42 – former school, partly 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...
quarrystone, partly timber-frame, partly slated, from 1910. - Uersfeld railway station, Am Bahnhof 3, plaster building, waiting hall a quarrystone building, apparently from 1906.