Brauneberg
Encyclopedia
Brauneberg is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich
district
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
. It is known above all for its wine
and its meteorological distinctions.
. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Bernkastel-Kues, whose seat is in the town of the same name.
weather station
by Jörg Kachelmann
. Nevertheless, Brauneberg is not said to be Germany’s number-one hotspot because the weather station is not included in official measurements owing to its location on a slate mountain.
Although the outlying centre of Hirzlei is indeed an integral part of Brauneberg, there is no direct road linking it to the main centre. The village representative – Ortsvorsteher – of Hirzlei is Ewald Adam.
The name Brauneberg is first mentioned in documents dating 588. The old placename, Dusemond, may well have stemmed from what one of the vineyards here was called in Roman
times: dulcis mons (Latin
for “sweet mountain”). In 1925, the village’s name was changed to Brauneberg.
Dusemond belonged to the old County of Veldenz, into which Count Palatine
Louis II
introduced the Reformation
in 1523. In the Thirty Years' War
, the Prince-Archbishop-Elector of Trier
seized ownership of the village. Only with the 1648 Peace of Westphalia
was the Count of Veldenz reinstated with all his old rights, whereby the village’s parish once more became Protestant
. With the occupation of the County of Veldenz by France
in 1680, however, the situation changed yet again and there arose a dispute over Catholics’ status within the County. By decree, the French settled the situation on 21 December 1684: Under its terms, in places with only one church – such as was the case in Dusemond – this would be given over to use by both denominations. The local church thus became a simultaneous church
. Only in 1955 did this change, when it was decided to divide the church and separate it structurally. Since then, one third of the church has been used by the Evangelical
congregation and the other two thirds by the Catholics. This matches the shares of the cost paid by each for the building of today’s church, which was completed in 1777.
The church itself was built between 1775 and 1777 to plans by Palatine court master builder Franz Wilhelm Rabaliatti
. The onion-domed
tower is the only such churchtower in the whole Moselle region. Although the church has been divided, it is still under both denominations’ joint ownership.
Today’s municipality of Brauneberg came into being on 7 June 1969 through the merger of the municipalities of Brauneberg and Filzen.
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman. The sixteen seats on council are shared among the three voters’ groups Licht (6 seats), Denzer (6 seats) and Hepp (4 seats).
, winegrowing is the most important branch of industry. Vines are worked overwhelmingly in steep-slope vineyards in an area of 323 ha. Customarily, it is Riesling
that is grown, although in some even and steep-slope vineyards smaller quantities of Müller-Thurgau
, Kerner
and Dornfelder
are grown.
Brauneberg’s vineyards belong to the winemaking appellation – Großlage – of Kurfürstlay, and are further grouped into these locations:
The vines at Mandelgraben cover an area of 175 ha. The name refers to the almond
trees (Mandel means “almond” in German
) that once grew here.
Klostergarten is with its 95 ha Brauneberg’s second biggest vineyard. The name comes from the garden (Garten) at the Franciscan
convent (Kloster) in the outlying centre of Filzen.
The steep slope opposite Brauneberg is called Juffer (Moselle Franconian for standard German Jungfer or Jungfrau – maiden or virgin). Within this location, the area around the sundial (Sonnenuhr) is regarded as the choicest part of the vineyard and is given the name Juffer Sonnenuhr.
This small vineyard of only 0.38 ha likewise lies in the Juffer underneath a jutting crag.
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 Bernkastel-Wittlich
Bernkastel-Wittlich
Bernkastel-Wittlich is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Vulkaneifel, Cochem-Zell, Rhein-Hunsrück, Birkenfeld, Trier-Saarburg and Bitburg-Prüm.- 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 is known above all for its wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
and its meteorological distinctions.
Location
The municipality lies on the Moselle near Bernkastel-KuesBernkastel-Kues
Bernkastel-Kues is a well-known winegrowing centre on the Middle Moselle in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Bernkastel-Kues, whose seat is in the town of the same name.
Climate
Here on 11 August 1998, the highest ever temperature in Germany was measured, 41.2 °C, at the MeteomediaMeteomedia AG
Meteomedia is a company founded by Jörg Kachelmann, which operates a large network of Weather stations in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. The company's services include weather forecasts, severe weather warnings and meteorological consultancy. The headquarters of the company are situated in Gais...
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...
by Jörg Kachelmann
Jörg Kachelmann
Jörg Andreas Kachelmann is a Swiss presenter, journalist and entrepreneur in the meteorological field.- Biography :Jörg Kachelmann spent his youth in Schaffhausen...
. Nevertheless, Brauneberg is not said to be Germany’s number-one hotspot because the weather station is not included in official measurements owing to its location on a slate mountain.
Constituent communities
Brauneberg’s Ortsteile are Brauneberg, Filzen and Hirzlei.Although the outlying centre of Hirzlei is indeed an integral part of Brauneberg, there is no direct road linking it to the main centre. The village representative – Ortsvorsteher – of Hirzlei is Ewald Adam.
History
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....
times: dulcis mons (Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for “sweet mountain”). In 1925, the village’s name was changed to Brauneberg.
Dusemond belonged to the old County of Veldenz, into which Count Palatine
Count palatine
Count palatine is a high noble title, used to render several comital styles, in some cases also shortened to Palatine, which can have other meanings as well.-Comes palatinus:...
Louis II
Louis II, Duke of Bavaria
Duke Louis II of Bavaria was Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine from 1253. Born in Heidelberg, he was a son of duke Otto II and Agnes of the Palatinate...
introduced 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...
in 1523. In 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....
, the Prince-Archbishop-Elector of 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....
seized ownership of the village. Only with the 1648 Peace of Westphalia
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia was a series of peace treaties signed between May and October of 1648 in Osnabrück and Münster. These treaties ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, with Spain formally recognizing the...
was the Count of Veldenz reinstated with all his old rights, whereby the village’s parish once more became Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
. With the occupation of the County of Veldenz by France
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...
in 1680, however, the situation changed yet again and there arose a dispute over Catholics’ status within the County. By decree, the French settled the situation on 21 December 1684: Under its terms, in places with only one church – such as was the case in Dusemond – this would be given over to use by both denominations. The local church thus became a simultaneous church
Simultaneum
A shared church, or Simultankirche, Simultaneum or, more fully, simultaneum mixtum, a term first coined in 16th century Germany, is a church in which public worship is conducted by adherents of two or more religious groups. Such churches became common in Europe in the wake of the Reformation...
. Only in 1955 did this change, when it was decided to divide the church and separate it structurally. Since then, one third of the church has been used by 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...
congregation and the other two thirds by the Catholics. This matches the shares of the cost paid by each for the building of today’s church, which was completed in 1777.
Franz Wilhelm Rabaliatti
Francesco Rabaliatti was a German architect and Court Builder to the Prince-elector Karl Theodor.Rabaliatti was born in Gameragna di Stella...
. The onion-domed
Onion dome
An onion dome is a dome whose shape resembles the onion, after which they are named. Such domes are often larger in diameter than the drum upon which they are set, and their height usually exceeds their width...
tower is the only such churchtower in the whole Moselle region. Although the church has been divided, it is still under both denominations’ joint ownership.
Today’s municipality of Brauneberg came into being on 7 June 1969 through the merger of the municipalities of Brauneberg and Filzen.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 16 council members, who were elected by proportional representationProportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman. The sixteen seats on council are shared among the three voters’ groups Licht (6 seats), Denzer (6 seats) and Hepp (4 seats).
Winegrowing
Besides tourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, winegrowing is the most important branch of industry. Vines are worked overwhelmingly in steep-slope vineyards in an area of 323 ha. Customarily, it is Riesling
Riesling
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally...
that is grown, although in some even and steep-slope vineyards smaller quantities of Müller-Thurgau
Müller-Thurgau
Müller-Thurgau is a variety of white grape which was created by Hermann Müller from the Swiss Canton of Thurgau in 1882. It is a crossing of Riesling with Madeleine Royale. It is used to make white wine in Germany, Austria, Northern Italy, Hungary, England, in Australia, Czech Republic, Slovakia,...
, Kerner
Kerner (grape)
The Kerner grape is an aromatic white grape variety. It was bred in 1929 by August Herold by crossing Trollinger and Riesling. Herold was working at a plant breeding station in Lauffen in the Württemberg region of Germany. This station belonged to a state breeding institute headquartered in...
and Dornfelder
Dornfelder
Dornfelder is a dark-skinned variety of grape of German origin used for red wine. It was created by August Herold at the grape breeding institute in Weinsberg in the Württemberg region in 1955. Herold crossed the grape varieties Helfensteiner and Heroldrebe, the latter which bears his name, to...
are grown.
Brauneberg’s vineyards belong to the winemaking appellation – Großlage – of Kurfürstlay, and are further grouped into these locations:
- Mandelgraben
The vines at Mandelgraben cover an area of 175 ha. The name refers to the almond
Almond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
trees (Mandel means “almond” in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
) that once grew here.
- Klostergarten
Klostergarten is with its 95 ha Brauneberg’s second biggest vineyard. The name comes from the garden (Garten) at 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 (Kloster) in the outlying centre of Filzen.
- Juffer and Juffer Sonnenuhr
The steep slope opposite Brauneberg is called Juffer (Moselle Franconian for standard German Jungfer or Jungfrau – maiden or virgin). Within this location, the area around the sundial (Sonnenuhr) is regarded as the choicest part of the vineyard and is given the name Juffer Sonnenuhr.
- Kammer
This small vineyard of only 0.38 ha likewise lies in the Juffer underneath a jutting crag.
Historical
In 1868, under the leadership of the Royal Cadastral Inspector, Steuerrath Clotten, a winegrowing map for the Regierungsbezirk of Trier was compiled for the Royal government at Trier. For the Brauneberg (Dusemond) area, under the Großlage of Brauneberg, the following individual locations were marked on it:- Hasenläufer
- Kammer
- Falkenberg
- Juffer
- Mötschert
- Burgerslay
Sons and daughters of the town
- Ulli BögershausenUlli BögershausenUlli Bögershausen is a German solo guitarist and guitar teacher. He is internationally known due to touring Japan, USA and Taiwan in 1995 and further authored several educational books for guitar playing....
, internationally known solo guitarist and guitar teacher - Katja Fehres, Moselle Wine Queen, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer 2006/2007
- Fabian Ostermann, conductor and international juror of CISM (Confédération Internationale des Sociétés musicales)
- Johann Matthias Schreiber (1709–1771), German organ builder