Singlis
Encyclopedia
The formerly independent community of Singlis has been since its amalgamation with Borken
in 1974 with its population then of 880.
The following constituent communities are in direct neighbourhood. In the southeast is Lembach (among to the municipal of Homberg), in southwest Borken, in the northwest Gombeth
and in the east Lendorf.
lies Singlis, an ancient settlement whose roots reach back to the early Stone Age
. Singlis's first documentary mention came, as did Großenenglis's, in 775 in the Breviarium sancti Lulli. In the centuries that followed, the noble family of von Züschen did especially well, amassing quite a bit of wealth. In 1265, the family sold their holdings in Singlis together with everything on the lands, including the mill
and the court
in Singlis and Nordwig to the monastery
at Haina
. The monastery built their new domain with about 55 morgen
of land into one of its most important farms. As a result of the Reformation
and the monastery's consequent dissolution, its farm in Singlis, along with its income, was assigned to the University of Marburg
. The farm was put in a landgravial reeve's
care and was called the Universitäts-Vogtei Singlis ("Singlis University Reeveship"). In the middle of the 19th century, the farm was sold and later, the parts were sold off to various farmers in Singlis. The village belonged in 1578 to the Amt
of Borken and at the time had about 52 households. After the general drop in population in this part of the world due to the Thirty Years' War
, it was not until the early 19th century that the population once again reached its former level. Today, Singlis has 909 inhabitants. The church's current location was presumably the centre of settlement in the early Middle Ages
. The land there is roughly 2 m higher than that around it, keeping it well above most flood
water. A church was first mentioned in 1265 when the von Züschens sold the monastery their landholdings. The church that stands today was built between 1700 and 1710 as a simple hall and has since been thoroughly renovated several times, the latest work having been done in 1971. Since then, the bell tower
has stood to the north next to the church. Singlis has been since the Reformation the seat of a parish
and has an affiliated church in Lendorf.
Singlis's Schwalmmühle – Mill on the Schwalm – was first mentioned in 1266. At that time it lay right on the Schwalm, that is to say, right where the river Gilsbach joins it today. Only in 1508 was a millstream dug and the mill moved to the place where it still stands now. From that time until 1977, the mill was owned by the Wagner and Nöll families. In 1807, the writer Ernst Koch was born in Singlis. PreussenElektra, as the new owner, shut the mill down, at least as a grist mill, but to this day they still use it to generate electricity, which is fed into the grid
. The 503-hectare rural area was also affected by brown coal strip mining from 1960 to 1972. The former strip mine with the name "Singlis" lay just west of the village and is nowadays a 70-hectare pond.
Borken, Hesse
Borken is a small town with about 13,000 inhabitants in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, Germany.The town is a former centre for brown coal mining and coal-fired electrical generation in Hesse. The coalmine, unlike those in other regions, also had underground workings...
in 1974 with its population then of 880.
The following constituent communities are in direct neighbourhood. In the southeast is Lembach (among to the municipal of Homberg), in southwest Borken, in the northwest Gombeth
Gombeth
Gombeth is a constituent community of Borken and had its first documentary mention in 857 as "Gumbetta die Marka". Once an independent community, it has now been amalgamated with Borken. Gombeth is surrounded on all sides by brown coal mines, being found to the south, towards Singlis , and towards...
and in the east Lendorf.
History
Where the river Gilsbach, coming from Pfaffenhausen, empties into the SchwalmSchwalm
The Schwalm is a river in Hesse, Germany, right tributary of the Eder. It rises on the north side of the Vogelsberg Mountains. It flows north through Alsfeld, Schwalmstadt and Borken...
lies Singlis, an ancient settlement whose roots reach back to the early Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
. Singlis's first documentary mention came, as did Großenenglis's, in 775 in the Breviarium sancti Lulli. In the centuries that followed, the noble family of von Züschen did especially well, amassing quite a bit of wealth. In 1265, the family sold their holdings in Singlis together with everything on the lands, including the mill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
and the court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
in Singlis and Nordwig to the monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
at Haina
Haina
Haina is a community in Waldeck-Frankenberg in northwest Hesse, Germany.-Location:Haina lies in Waldeck-Frankenberg south of Frankenberg and east of Burgwald at the southwest slope of the Kellerwald range...
. The monastery built their new domain with about 55 morgen
Morgen
A morgen was a unit of measurement of land in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the Dutch colonies, including South Africa and Taiwan. The size of a morgen varies from 1/2 to 2½ acres, which equals approximately 0.2 to 1 ha...
of land into one of its most important farms. As a result of the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
and the monastery's consequent dissolution, its farm in Singlis, along with its income, was assigned to the University of Marburg
Philipps University of Marburg
The Philipp University of Marburg , was founded in 1527 by Landgrave Philip I of Hesse as the world's oldest university dating back to a Protestant foundation...
. The farm was put in a landgravial reeve's
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
care and was called the Universitäts-Vogtei Singlis ("Singlis University Reeveship"). In the middle of the 19th century, the farm was sold and later, the parts were sold off to various farmers in Singlis. The village belonged in 1578 to the Amt
Amt (subnational entity)
Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only found in Germany, but formerly also common in northern European countries. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to a U.S...
of Borken and at the time had about 52 households. After the general drop in population in this part of the world due to 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....
, it was not until the early 19th century that the population once again reached its former level. Today, Singlis has 909 inhabitants. The church's current location was presumably the centre of settlement in the early Middle Ages
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...
. The land there is roughly 2 m higher than that around it, keeping it well above most flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
water. A church was first mentioned in 1265 when the von Züschens sold the monastery their landholdings. The church that stands today was built between 1700 and 1710 as a simple hall and has since been thoroughly renovated several times, the latest work having been done in 1971. Since then, the bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
has stood to the north next to the church. Singlis has been since the Reformation the seat of a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
and has an affiliated church in Lendorf.
Singlis's Schwalmmühle – Mill on the Schwalm – was first mentioned in 1266. At that time it lay right on the Schwalm, that is to say, right where the river Gilsbach joins it today. Only in 1508 was a millstream dug and the mill moved to the place where it still stands now. From that time until 1977, the mill was owned by the Wagner and Nöll families. In 1807, the writer Ernst Koch was born in Singlis. PreussenElektra, as the new owner, shut the mill down, at least as a grist mill, but to this day they still use it to generate electricity, which is fed into the grid
Electric power transmission
Electric-power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to Electrical substations located near demand centers...
. The 503-hectare rural area was also affected by brown coal strip mining from 1960 to 1972. The former strip mine with the name "Singlis" lay just west of the village and is nowadays a 70-hectare pond.