Bruch, Rhineland-Palatinate
Encyclopedia
Bruch is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich
district
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
.
on the long-distance hiking trail, the Eifelsteig, some 10 km west of the district seat, Wittlich, at an elevation of 190 m above sea level
. Bruch also lies on both sides of the river Salm. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Wittlich-Land
, whose seat is in Wittlich
, although that town is itself not in the Verbandsgemeinde.
times, Finds and remains such as a Roman graveyard, for instance, are clues to this.
In 1138, Bruch had its first documentary mention in the name Fridelo de Brucha, who cropped up in the Himmerod Monastery’s founding document. Until this Family “von Bruch” died out about 1334, the village’s history was tightly bound to this family’s. After their days had ended, the lordship passed to Dietrich von Dune (Daun
).
In the 16th century, Bruch was granted its own jurisdiction. The gallows
that came along with this stood on the so-called Galgenberg (“Gallows Mountain”) east of the castle, on an old linking road to Bergweiler
.
In the 18th century, the village’s geographical situation as outlined above led to a rather odd situation: The village belonged to two separate states, as the lands west of the Salm were part of the Duchy of Luxembourg
and those lying east of the river belonged to the Electorate of Trier
As of 1794, though, the whole of Bruch lay under French
rule. In 1815, the village 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
.
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: Bendy of six Or and gules, a castle argent with roofs and windows azure.
The castle is, of course, the local one, the Brucher Burg, and the diagonal-stripe pattern (“bendy”) was the arms borne by the noble Lords of Bruch, who lived at the castle, their family seat, in the first half of the 12th century.
Bruch was granted the right to bear its own arms in 1983.
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...
.
Location
The municipality lies in the EifelEifel
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....
on the long-distance hiking trail, the Eifelsteig, some 10 km west of the district seat, Wittlich, at an elevation of 190 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...
. Bruch also lies on both sides of the river Salm. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Wittlich-Land
Wittlich-Land
Wittlich-Land is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Bernkastel-Wittlich, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is located around the town Wittlich, which is the seat of Wittlich-Land, but not part of the Verbandsgemeinde....
, whose seat is in Wittlich
Wittlich
The town of Wittlich is the seat of the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and thereby the middle centre for a feeder area of 56 municipalities in the Eifel and Moselle area with its population of roughly 64,000...
, although that town is itself not in the Verbandsgemeinde.
History
Bruch’s beginnings are believed to reach all the way back to 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....
times, Finds and remains such as a Roman graveyard, for instance, are clues to this.
In 1138, Bruch had its first documentary mention in the name Fridelo de Brucha, who cropped up in the Himmerod Monastery’s founding document. Until this Family “von Bruch” died out about 1334, the village’s history was tightly bound to this family’s. After their days had ended, the lordship passed to Dietrich von Dune (Daun
Daun
Daun may refer to:* Daun, Germany, a town* Kreis Daun, the former name of the district Vulkaneifel in Germany* Karl Daun, German theologian* Count Leopold Joseph von Daun , Austrian field marshal...
).
In the 16th century, Bruch was granted its own jurisdiction. The gallows
Gallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
that came along with this stood on the so-called Galgenberg (“Gallows Mountain”) east of the castle, on an old linking road to Bergweiler
Bergweiler
Bergweiler is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
.
In the 18th century, the village’s geographical situation as outlined above led to a rather odd situation: The village belonged to two separate states, as the lands west of the Salm were part of the Duchy of Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and those lying east of the river belonged to the Electorate of Trier
As of 1794, though, the whole of Bruch 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, the village 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 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.
Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: Schild, von oben links nach unten rechts sechsmal von Gold und Rot schräggeteilt, belegt mit einem silbernen Burgturm mit blauem Dach und zwei blauen Fenstern.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: Bendy of six Or and gules, a castle argent with roofs and windows azure.
The castle is, of course, the local one, the Brucher Burg, and the diagonal-stripe pattern (“bendy”) was the arms borne by the noble Lords of Bruch, who lived at the castle, their family seat, in the first half of the 12th century.
Bruch was granted the right to bear its own arms in 1983.
Moated castle
The moated castle in Bruch, standing in a hollow surrounded by wooded hills on the Salm, dates in its older parts from the early 14th century, and was the seat of the Lords of Bruch, who are witnessed beginning in the 12th century. Today the castle is under private ownership.Further points of interest
- Burghaus (Hepgesburg) (1413)
- Oilmill (from the 19th century, established at one of the oldest mills on the Salm, from 1284)
- Potter’s workshop with an old kiln from the 17th century
- Saint Roch’s Parish Church (Pfarrkirche St. Rochus, built in 1807)
- Disused copperCopperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mine from 1740 - Galgenberg (“Gallows Mountain”), old execution site
- Burgstraße 6, sandstone figures and reliefs
External links
- Municipality’s official webpage
- http://www.swr.de/landesschau-rp/hierzuland/-/id=100766/nid=100766/did=2349992/9942kf/index.htmlBrief portrait of Bruch at SWR FernsehenSWR FernsehenSWR Fernsehen is a German regional television channel targeting the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. It is produced by Südwestrundfunk and is one of eight regional "third channels" broadcast by the ARD members....
]