Drees
Encyclopedia
Drees 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 the northeast on Herresbach
, Baar
and Mittelbaar
, in the east on Niederbaar
, in the southeast on Nitz
, in the south on Kirsbach
, in the southwest on Welcherath
, in the west on Nürburg
and in the northwest on Meuspath
.
term for “bubbling spring”. This is akin to the old Germanic
word Thrais, for “bubbles”, “to bubble” or “to swirl”. The namesake mineral spring
, the result of volcanic activity in the area, no longer exists.
The village belonged to the Electorate of Cologne until 1794.
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 embattled of seven, azure a fountain with four streams argent, and argent a cross tau, hanging from each arm a bell, gules.
The partition horizontally across the middle in the pattern of a crenellated wall (“Per fess embattled”) refers to the time when Drees belonged to the Electoral-Cologne Amt of Nürburg. The fountain is, in a way, a canting
charge
, referring to the municipality’s name, which comes from an old Celtic
word for a spring (although it hardly resembles the modern German
word for this, Brunnen). The “cross tau” – one without an upper arm – is Saint Anthony’s
Cross and thus a reference to the municipality’s patron saint, whose attributes include this cross and a bell, two of which also appear in these arms.
258. It also leads westwards by way of Nitz, likewise to the B 258. Southwestwards runs Kreisstraße 92 to Welcherath and Landesstraße (State Road) 94.
s over rough ground for training or leisure.
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.
Neighbouring municipalities
Drees borders in the north on DöttingenHerresbach
Herresbach is a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-External links:*...
, in the northeast on Herresbach
Herresbach
Herresbach is a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-External links:*...
, Baar
Baar, Rhineland-Palatinate
Baar is a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....
and Mittelbaar
Baar, Rhineland-Palatinate
Baar is a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....
, in the east on Niederbaar
Baar, Rhineland-Palatinate
Baar is a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....
, in the southeast on Nitz
Nitz
Nitz is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, in the south on Kirsbach
Kirsbach
Kirsbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, in the southwest on Welcherath
Welcherath
Welcherath is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, in the west on Nürburg
Nürburg
Nürburg is a town in the German district of Ahrweiler, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is also the name of the local castle, Burg Nürburg , which was built in the High Middle Ages. The town is best known for its 24 kilometer race track, the Nürburgring...
and in the northwest on Meuspath
Meuspath
Meuspath is a municipality in the district of Ahrweiler, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany....
.
History
In 1222, Drees had its first documentary mention under the name Dreyse. The word comes from the CelticCeltic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
term for “bubbling spring”. This is akin to the old Germanic
Germanic languages
The Germanic languages constitute a sub-branch of the Indo-European language family. The common ancestor of all of the languages in this branch is called Proto-Germanic , which was spoken in approximately the mid-1st millennium BC in Iron Age northern Europe...
word Thrais, for “bubbles”, “to bubble” or “to swirl”. The namesake mineral spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
, the result of volcanic activity in the area, no longer exists.
The village belonged to the Electorate of Cologne until 1794.
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.
Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: Durch Zinnenschnitt geteilt von Blau und Silber. Oben ein silberner Brunnen mit geteiltem Wasserstrahl. Unten ein rotes Antoniuskreuz mit 2 Pilgerglöckchen.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 embattled of seven, azure a fountain with four streams argent, and argent a cross tau, hanging from each arm a bell, gules.
The partition horizontally across the middle in the pattern of a crenellated wall (“Per fess embattled”) refers to the time when Drees belonged to the Electoral-Cologne Amt of Nürburg. The fountain is, in a way, a canting
Canting arms
Canting arms are heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name in a visual pun or rebus. The term cant came into the English language from Anglo-Norman cant, meaning song or singing, from Latin cantāre, and English cognates include canticle, chant, accent, incantation and recant.Canting arms –...
charge
Charge (heraldry)
In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
, referring to the municipality’s name, which comes from an old 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 a spring (although it hardly resembles the modern 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....
word for this, Brunnen). The “cross tau” – one without an upper arm – is Saint Anthony’s
Anthony the Great
Anthony the Great or Antony the Great , , also known as Saint Anthony, Anthony the Abbot, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, Anthony the Anchorite, Abba Antonius , and Father of All Monks, was a Christian saint from Egypt, a prominent leader among the Desert Fathers...
Cross and thus a reference to the municipality’s patron saint, whose attributes include this cross and a bell, two of which also appear in these arms.
Buildings
- Saint Anthony’s and Saint Bernard’s Catholic Church (branch church), Kapellenweg 2, quire from 17th century, 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...
, late 18th century. - At Hauptstraße 5 – 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, latter half of 19th century. - Wayside chapel, southwest of the village on the road to WelcherathWelcherathWelcherath is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, plaster building, possibly 18th century, 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...
niche cross marked “16?5” (yeardate therefore uncertain). - Wayside cross, southeast of the village on the road to NitzNitzNitz is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, basalt niche cross from 1646.
Transport
Among the local roads, Kreisstraße (District Road) 93 leads northwards towards Döttingen and to BundesstraßeBundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
258. It also leads westwards by way of Nitz, likewise to the B 258. Southwestwards runs Kreisstraße 92 to Welcherath and Landesstraße (State Road) 94.
Established businesses
North of the village, west of the road to Döttingen, is found an off-road track in a disused quarry run by the company Camp 4 Fun (even in German) where companies and private citizens can drive off-road vehicleOff-road vehicle
An off-road vehicle is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with deep, open treads, a flexible suspension, or even caterpillar tracks...
s over rough ground for training or leisure.
External links
- Municipality’s official webpage
- Drees in the collective municipality’s Web pages
- http://www.swr.de/landesschau-rp/hierzuland/-/id=100766/nid=100766/did=2699006/mbv95u/index.htmlBrief portrait of Drees with film 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....
]