Hörscheid
Encyclopedia
Hörscheid 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 Daun
, whose seat is in the like-named town
.
, 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.
The highest elevation in the municipal area is the Kapp, lying to the northeast, at 590 m above sea level
. The village itself lies on a long ridge from which the land slopes down on either side. Falling away steeply to the north from the village towards the Hasenbach is a wooded slope; to the south are meadowlands that slope down to the Maubach. Both these brooks flow together in the west of the municipal area, whereafter the Maubach flows down to a place near Boverath
where it empties into the river Lieser.
In the east of the municipal area rises the river Alf, whence it flows towards the south.
Hörscheid is a one-street village (by some definitions, a “thorpe”), but the street in question is not a through road
. This is greatly valued by families with children. West of the village runs the newly built stretch of the Autobahn A 1 from Trier
to Cologne
. In 1982, Hörscheid was the regional winner in the contest Unser Dorf soll schöner werden (“Our village should become lovelier”).
settlement. A stone villa from the 2nd to 4th century once stood here on the Roman road
from Trier
to Cologne
. The Romans had diverted and channelled one of the Alf’s lesser sources. The aqueduct lay 1.3 m underground and ran to the neighbouring village of Darscheid
, ending at a fountain, which is no longer extant.
The village’s name is believed to have been derived from the Celtic
word for “mountain forest” or “deer forest”, although this is uncertain. The ending —scheid points to forest clearing in the Early Middle Ages
. In 1465, Hörscheid had its first documentary mention, according to which the village already existed in 1398. In the 16th century, the settlement consisted of five hearths. The village was from Frankish
times part of the Amt of Daun, which as of 1354 belonged to the Electorate of Trier. Ecclesiastically, however, the whole Amt of Daun belonged to the Electorate of Cologne. The area is mainly Roman Catholic, and Hörscheid has belonged to the Parish of Darscheid
since 1803. The bell at Saint Brigid’s
Catholic Chapel was poured in 1678, meaning that there must also have been a chapel as early as that. It was renovated in 1850. The Evangelical
parish belongs to the Deaconry of Adenau
.
In 1787, there was a “winter school” (Winterschule – a kind of agricultural school that grew up in response to the Industrial Revolution
) in Hörscheid. The teacher at the time was Johann Peter Stoll. Later, schoolchildren went to a one-room
primary school in Darscheid
, which was closed in 1975. Ever since, Hörscheid schoolchildren have been attending the two-stream primary school in Mehren
. A kindergarten
is also available in Darscheid.
Life for Eifel dwellers was often hard owing to the rough climate and the poor soils. Owing to the great neediness in the early 19th century, 31 persons all together emigrated from Hörscheid to North America
. Only beginning in 1860 could the food supply for the people be lastingly ensured by reforestation
of the sparse heath
and improved agricultural
methods. In 1912 came the merging of fields that through inheritance had become splintered. In 1931, a central water supply was built. In 1933, a great deal of the heathland was cultivated.
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: Argent a pallet wavy azure, dexter a cross gules and sinister in base an oakleaf bendwise sinister proper and in chief fire of the third.
The red cross on the silver field refers to the municipality’s centuries-long history with the Electoral-Trier Amt of Daun. The wavy blue pallet (narrow vertical stripe) symbolizes the source of the river Alf. The green oakleaf refers to the interpretation of the placename as meaning “mountain forest”, and also to the harvest of oak bark for tanning
in the rural cadastral area Gebrannter Berg that was once undertaken. The red flame is Saint Brigid’s
attribute, thus representing the municipality’s patron saint.
The arms have been borne since 7 May 1991.
that was newly built in 1850 with a Baroque
altar from 1738, there is also within municipal limits a picturesque Heiligenhäuschen (a small, shrinelike structure consecrated to a saint or saints) that was built in the 1960s with a Pietà
made of reddish basalt
. Centrally located are, besides the chapel, the fountain square built in 1980, a playground renovated in 2006 with citizens’ personal contributions and a community centre with a fire station.
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 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 :...
.
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.
The highest elevation in the municipal area is the Kapp, lying to the northeast, at 590 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...
. The village itself lies on a long ridge from which the land slopes down on either side. Falling away steeply to the north from the village towards the Hasenbach is a wooded slope; to the south are meadowlands that slope down to the Maubach. Both these brooks flow together in the west of the municipal area, whereafter the Maubach flows down to a place near Boverath
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 :...
where it empties into the river Lieser.
In the east of the municipal area rises the river Alf, whence it flows towards the south.
Hörscheid is a one-street village (by some definitions, a “thorpe”), but the street in question is not a through road
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
. This is greatly valued by families with children. West of the village runs the newly built stretch of the Autobahn A 1 from 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....
to Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. In 1982, Hörscheid was the regional winner in the contest Unser Dorf soll schöner werden (“Our village should become lovelier”).
History
The area was settled as early as the New Stone Age, with Celtic stone hatchets having been found in the settlement area. The rural cadastral area Runkelhof shows traces of RomanAncient 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. A stone villa from the 2nd to 4th century once stood here on the Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
from 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....
to Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. The Romans had diverted and channelled one of the Alf’s lesser sources. The aqueduct lay 1.3 m underground and ran to the neighbouring village of Darscheid
Darscheid
Darscheid is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, ending at a fountain, which is no longer extant.
The village’s name is believed to have been derived from the Celtic
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
word for “mountain forest” or “deer forest”, although this is uncertain. The ending —scheid points to forest clearing in the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
. In 1465, Hörscheid had its first documentary mention, according to which the village already existed in 1398. In the 16th century, the settlement consisted of five hearths. The village was from Frankish
Franks
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...
times part of the Amt of Daun, which as of 1354 belonged to the Electorate of Trier. Ecclesiastically, however, the whole Amt of Daun belonged to the Electorate of Cologne. The area is mainly Roman Catholic, and Hörscheid has belonged to the Parish of Darscheid
Darscheid
Darscheid is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
since 1803. The bell at Saint Brigid’s
Brigid of Kildare
Saint Brigit of Kildare, or Brigit of Ireland , nicknamed Mary of the Gael is one of Ireland's patron saints along with Saints Patrick and Columba...
Catholic Chapel was poured in 1678, meaning that there must also have been a chapel as early as that. It was renovated in 1850. The Evangelical
Evangelical Church in Germany
The Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
parish belongs to the Deaconry of Adenau
Adenau
Adenau is a town in the High Eifel in Germany. It is known as the Johanniterstadt because the Order of Saint John was based there in the Middle Ages. The town's coat of arms combines the black cross of the Electorate of Cologne with the lion of the lords of Nürburg...
.
In 1787, there was a “winter school” (Winterschule – a kind of agricultural school that grew up in response to the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
) in Hörscheid. The teacher at the time was Johann Peter Stoll. Later, schoolchildren went to a one-room
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
primary school in Darscheid
Darscheid
Darscheid is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, which was closed in 1975. Ever since, Hörscheid schoolchildren have been attending the two-stream primary school in Mehren
Mehren, Vulkaneifel
Mehren is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
. A kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
is also available in Darscheid.
Life for Eifel dwellers was often hard owing to the rough climate and the poor soils. Owing to the great neediness in the early 19th century, 31 persons all together emigrated from Hörscheid to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Only beginning in 1860 could the food supply for the people be lastingly ensured by reforestation
Reforestation
Reforestation is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands that have been depleted, usually through deforestation....
of the sparse heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
and improved 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...
methods. In 1912 came the merging of fields that through inheritance had become splintered. In 1931, a central water supply was built. In 1933, a great deal of the heathland was cultivated.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 6 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.
Mayors
Hörscheid’s mayor is Hans Schuh. He was elected in the mayoral contest on 7 September 2009 and succeeded Walter Steinebach.Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: In Silber ein blauer Wellenstab, vorn ein durchgehendes rotes Balkenkreuz, hinten über einem grünen Eichenblatt eine rote Flamme.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: Argent a pallet wavy azure, dexter a cross gules and sinister in base an oakleaf bendwise sinister proper and in chief fire of the third.
The red cross on the silver field refers to the municipality’s centuries-long history with the Electoral-Trier Amt of Daun. The wavy blue pallet (narrow vertical stripe) symbolizes the source of the river Alf. The green oakleaf refers to the interpretation of the placename as meaning “mountain forest”, and also to the harvest of oak bark for tanning
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
in the rural cadastral area Gebrannter Berg that was once undertaken. The red flame is Saint Brigid’s
Brigid of Kildare
Saint Brigit of Kildare, or Brigit of Ireland , nicknamed Mary of the Gael is one of Ireland's patron saints along with Saints Patrick and Columba...
attribute, thus representing the municipality’s patron saint.
The arms have been borne since 7 May 1991.
Culture and sightseeing
Besides a chapel consecrated to Saint Brigid of KildareBrigid of Kildare
Saint Brigit of Kildare, or Brigit of Ireland , nicknamed Mary of the Gael is one of Ireland's patron saints along with Saints Patrick and Columba...
that was newly built in 1850 with a Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque 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...
altar from 1738, there is also within municipal limits a picturesque Heiligenhäuschen (a small, shrinelike structure consecrated to a saint or saints) that was built in the 1960s with a Pietà
Pietà
The Pietà is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus, most often found in sculpture. As such, it is a particular form of the Lamentation of Christ, a scene from the Passion of Christ found in cycles of the Life of Christ...
made of reddish basalt
Basalt
Basalt 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...
. Centrally located are, besides the chapel, the fountain square built in 1980, a playground renovated in 2006 with citizens’ personal contributions and a community centre with a fire station.
Buildings
- Saint Brigid’sBrigid of KildareSaint Brigit of Kildare, or Brigit of Ireland , nicknamed Mary of the Gael is one of Ireland's patron saints along with Saints Patrick and Columba...
Catholic Church (branch church; Filialkirche St. Brigida), Hauptstraße, biaxial 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...
, 18th/19th century (?).
Economy and infrastructure
The small village is home to three major agricultural businesses of which two are outlying farms, and business selling tiles.External links
- Chronicle in the 1977 Daun district local yearbook
- Municipality’s official webpage (under construction at time of writing)