Esch, Vulkaneifel
Encyclopedia
Esch 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 Obere Kyll
, whose seat is in the municipality of Jünkerath
.
, 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.
road that led from Trier
to Cologne
(Via Agrippa
). In the 12th century, it had its first documentary mention. In the 16th century, there was a court in Esch that exercised high jurisdiction over several places in the nearby country. Esch became notorious for its witch trials in the 17th century. The village sustained very heavy damage in the Second World War. South of Esch lies a war grave
yard witnessing the heavy fighting in March 1945.
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: Gules, in base an inescutcheon Or charged with a lion rampant sable armed and langued gules and surmounted at the shoulder by a label of five points of the same, standing behind the inescutcheon Saint Peter in his glory, vested Or and turned to dexter, in his dexter hand a book argent and in his sinister hand a key palewise of the same, the wards to chief and dexter.
Esch’s coat of arms is modelled after an old seal from 1620 used by the Schöffen (roughly “lay jurists”). The black lion on the inescutcheon refers to the former lordship of the Counts of Manderscheid-Blankenheim. Esch’s patron saint is Saint Peter
, shown here with his attributes, the key and the book. He is also depicted with a halo (“in his glory”).
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 Obere Kyll
Obere Kyll
Obere Kyll is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Vulkaneifel, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the upper course of the river Kyll, approx. 55 km south-west of Bonn. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Jünkerath.The Verbandsgemeinde Obere Kyll consists of the following...
, whose seat is in the municipality of Jünkerath
Jünkerath
Jünkerath 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 Obere Kyll, and is home to its seat.- Location :Jünkerath, along with its outlying...
.
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.
History
Esch lies on the 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....
road that led 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...
(Via Agrippa
Via Agrippa
The term Via Agrippa, describes any stretch of the network of Roman roads in Gaul that were built by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, to whom Octavian entrusted the reorganization of the Gauls. In all, the Romans built of roads in Gaul.-Agrippa's project:...
). In the 12th century, it had its first documentary mention. In the 16th century, there was a court in Esch that exercised high jurisdiction over several places in the nearby country. Esch became notorious for its witch trials in the 17th century. The village sustained very heavy damage in the Second World War. South of Esch lies a war grave
War grave
A war grave is a burial place for soldiers or civilians who died during military campaigns or operations. The term does not only apply to graves: ships sunk during wartime are often considered to be war graves, as are military aircraft that crash into water...
yard witnessing the heavy fighting in March 1945.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 12 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: In Rot das goldene Brustbild des hl. Petrus mit silbernem Heiligenschein. In der rechten Hand ein silbernes Buch, in der Linken einen silbernen Schlüssel mit abgewendetem Bart haltend. Über einem goldenen Schilde, darin ein rotbewehrter schwarzer Löwe, belegt mit fünflätzigem, roten Turnierkragen.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: Gules, in base an inescutcheon Or charged with a lion rampant sable armed and langued gules and surmounted at the shoulder by a label of five points of the same, standing behind the inescutcheon Saint Peter in his glory, vested Or and turned to dexter, in his dexter hand a book argent and in his sinister hand a key palewise of the same, the wards to chief and dexter.
Esch’s coat of arms is modelled after an old seal from 1620 used by the Schöffen (roughly “lay jurists”). The black lion on the inescutcheon refers to the former lordship of the Counts of Manderscheid-Blankenheim. Esch’s patron saint is Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
, shown here with his attributes, the key and the book. He is also depicted with a halo (“in his glory”).
Buildings
- Saint MedardusMedardusSaint Medardus was the Bishop of Vermandois who removed the seat of the diocese to Noyon....
’s Catholic Parish Church, Kirchstraße, west tower 12th or 13th century, Late GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
nave, quire and transept from 1911, whole complex with churchyard, partly with older graves, and rectory (Hauptstraße 62). - Hauptstraße 33 – former school, representative mansard roofMansard roofA mansard or mansard roof is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope at a steeper angle than the upper that is punctured by dormer windows. The roof creates an additional floor of habitable space, such as a garret...
building, stair tower, Reform architecture, from 1913. - Hauptstraße 34 – house.
- Hauptstraße 62 – rectory, stately building with half-hipped gables, from 1775.
- Hauptstraße/corner of Jünkerather Straße – wayside cross, sandstoneSandstoneSandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
shaft cross, date unknown - Hauptstraße/corner of Kapellenstraße – wayside chapel, plaster building, apparently from 1870, shaft cross from 1720.
- Im Ecken 2 – one-floor Quereinhaus (a combination residential and commercial house divided for these two purposes down the middle, perpendicularly to the street), possibly from the late 18th century, old cobbles in yard.
- (At) Jünkerather Straße 2 – sandstone skirting of a house entrance, possibly from the mid 18th century.
- Wayside cross north of the village on a hill by the road to JünkerathJünkerathJünkerath 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 Obere Kyll, and is home to its seat.- Location :Jünkerath, along with its outlying...
, sandstone shaft cross, possibly from the 18th century.
External links
- http://www.swr.de/landesschau-rp/hierzuland/-/id=100766/nid=100766/did=2723056/1yji56f/index.htmlBrief portrait of Esch 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....
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