Großholbach
Encyclopedia
Großholbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a community belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
– in the Westerwaldkreis
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
.
between Koblenz
and Gießen
on the edge of the Nassau Nature Park. Through Großholbach runs the Holbach, which empties into the Gelbach. The community belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Montabaur
, a kind of collective municipality.
church was newly built, and in 1823 came the first school
. The volunteer fire brigade was officially founded in 1958 and later, in 1972, so was the youth fire brigade. In 1984, the community’s arms
were introduced.
in a municipal election on 7 June 2009.
be described thus: Party per bend wavy sinister, argent an oakleaf and twig vert, vert a sword Or per bend sinister.
The wavy parting is meant to stand for the Holbach, a brook that runs through the municipal area. The oak
leaf stands for the Bildches Eich, a memorial consecrated to Mary
and a village landmark. The golden sword
symbolizes community patron Saint Sebastian’s martyrdom. The green background here stands for the wealth of woodland.
s are Montabaur and Diez on the A 3 (Cologne
–Frankfurt), each some 5 km away.
Verbandsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde is an administrative unit in the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt.-Rhineland-Palatinate:...
– in the Westerwaldkreis
Westerwaldkreis
The Westerwaldkreis is a district in the east of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
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 community lies in the WesterwaldWesterwald
The Westerwald is a low mountain range on the right bank of the River Rhine in the German federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia. It is a part of the Rhine Massif...
between Koblenz
Koblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
and Gießen
Gießen
Gießen, also spelt Giessen is a town in the German federal state of Hesse, capital of both the district of Gießen and the administrative region of Gießen...
on the edge of the Nassau Nature Park. Through Großholbach runs the Holbach, which empties into the Gelbach. The community belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Montabaur
Montabaur (Verbandsgemeinde)
Montabaur is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Westerwaldkreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Montabaur....
, a kind of collective municipality.
History
In 1200, Großholbach had its first documentary mention. In 1738, the parishParish
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...
church was newly built, and in 1823 came the first school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
. The volunteer fire brigade was officially founded in 1958 and later, in 1972, so was the youth fire brigade. In 1984, the community’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...
were introduced.
Community council
The council is made up of 12 council members who were elected in a 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...
in a municipal election on 7 June 2009.
Coat of arms
Since 1984, the community has borne its own arms. They might heraldicallyHeraldry
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"...
be described thus: Party per bend wavy sinister, argent an oakleaf and twig vert, vert a sword Or per bend sinister.
The wavy parting is meant to stand for the Holbach, a brook that runs through the municipal area. The oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
leaf stands for the Bildches Eich, a memorial consecrated to Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
and a village landmark. The golden sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
symbolizes community patron Saint Sebastian’s martyrdom. The green background here stands for the wealth of woodland.
Transport
The nearest Autobahn interchangeInterchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
s are Montabaur and Diez on the A 3 (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...
–Frankfurt), each some 5 km away.