Hachenburg
Encyclopedia
Geography
The town 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 Siegen
Siegen
Siegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region...
, roughly 10 km west of Bad Marienberg
Bad Marienberg
Bad Marienberg is a town in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and also the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality.- Geography :...
on the river Nister. Hachenburg is the administrative seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Hachenburg
Hachenburg (Verbandsgemeinde)
Hachenburg is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Westerwaldkreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Hachenburg....
, a kind of collective municipality (See Verbandsgemeinde
Verbandsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde is an administrative unit in the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt.-Rhineland-Palatinate:...
).
The castle and the town
The castle (Schloss), former seat of the Counts of SaynSayn
Sayn was a mediæval German County located in the Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia. There were two Counties of Sayn: the first County emerged in 1139. It became closely associated with the County of Sponheim early in its existence. Count Henry II was notable for being accused of...
, was founded about 1180 by Count Heinrich II of Sayn.
Building was finished in 1212 under Count Heinrich III, the founder’s son, who was also mentioned as the town’s and the castle’s first owner. At the same time, under the Count’s overlordship, came the building of the neighbouring Marienstatt Cistercian Monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
.
In 1314, Hachenburg, whose name comes from a castle hill protected by thornbushes, was granted town rights. The original settlement lay not on the 390-m-high castle hill, but rather some 1.5 km away in the dale about 100 m lower through which runs the Rothbach, on the site of what is now the outlying constituent community of Altstadt (which explains its name – Altstadt is German for “Old Town”), which had its first documentary mention in 1343. The Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
St. Bartolomäuskirche, built there about 1200 and nowadays an 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...
church is Hachenburg’s oldest preserved building, followed by the Steinernes Haus (“Stone House”), known as Zur Krone, from the 15th century, at the Old Market (Alter Markt) in the town centre. The castle church only arose in the late 15th century and underwent several remodellings until the 18th century. The Catholic church Maria Himmelfahrt
Assumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
, from the early 18th century, belonged at first to a 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....
monastery, but later, in 1813, became the parish church. In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, the town’s population was most likely never more than about 500 to 1,000, and in the 17th and 18th centuries it was between 1,000 and 1,500. Only after the Second World War did this small town’s population reach first 3,000, and nowadays almost 6,000.
On 13 October 1654, there was a great town fire in which not only did a great deal of the inner town burn down, but also the castle. Counts Salentin von Manderscheid and Georg Friedrich von Sayn-Hachenburg undertook to build the town anew, and also the castle, although this time as a Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
structure. The inner town today still bears the shape that they gave it. Most of the lovely timber-frame
Timber framing
Timber 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...
houses on Friedrichstraße, Herrnstraße, the Old Market, Perlgasse, Mittelstraße, Judengasse and Wilhelmstraße come from the 17th and 18th centuries. The sweeping Baroque castle was built to architect Julius Ludwig Rothweil’s plans between 1715 and 1746. It has had many owners over the last century. For a few decades, however, it has been the seat of Deutsche Bundesbank
Deutsche Bundesbank
The Deutsche Bundesbank is the central bank of the Federal Republic of Germany and as such part of the European System of Central Banks . Due to its strength and former size, the Bundesbank is the most influential member of the ESCB. Both the Deutsche Bundesbank and the European Central Bank are...
’s training centre and professional college.
In the Second World War, Hachenburg was largely spared any great damage, but other disasters had ravaged it in the past. There were several great fires (in 1400, 1439, 1484, 1541, 1594 and 1654), and war beset the town several times, bringing suffering, especially 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....
(1618–1648), the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
(1756–1763) and both the so-called Coalition Wars (1792–1797 and 1799–1802).
In 1799, after the last count’s death, the county passed to Nassau-Weilburg, and Hachenburg lost its status as a Residenzstadt.
Past Jewish life
The JewishJudaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
graveyard was first mentioned in 1587 as a Judenkirchhof (“Jews’ churchyard”). Eighty-three grave
Grave (burial)
A grave is a location where a dead body is buried. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries....
s can still be found today, among them some double graves. Most of the still preserved graves were made by Hachenburg stonemason and sculptor Wilhelm Sax (16 August 1891 – 26 June 1955). Other stonemasonry works were done by Albert Mai (31 Dezember 1891 – 15 March 1976) and his son Herbert Mai (born 5 March 1925), who was later Wilhelm Sax’s son-in-law. In 1913, 126 Jews lived in Hachenburg; in 1932 there were 99.
Town council
The council is made up of 23 council members, including the extraofficial mayor (Bürgermeister), who were elected in a municipal election on 7 June 2009.| SPD | CDU | Grüne | FDP | FW | Total | |
| 2004 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 22 seats |
Culture
Hachenburg is home toare institutions such as the Landschaftsmuseum Westerwald (“Westerwald Landscape Museum”) and the notably well equipped town libraryLibrary
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
.
Theatre
- Varied yearround events by the municipal culture department, the Hachenburger Kulturzeit
- The Figurentheaterfestival (puppet shows), held every other year in autumn
- Hachenburger Kunstwoche (“Art Week”), likewise held every other year
- The yearround Kleinkunstprogramm (“Cabaret Programme”), at which almost every great name in cabaretCabaretCabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
and chansonChansonA chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The...
has been a guest.
Music
- Schlosskonzerte (“castle concerts”) by the Hachenburger Kulturkreis (“culture circle”) from August to April, with prominent chamber musicChamber musicChamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
and jazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
concerts - Orgelkonzerte (“organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
concerts”) at the Evangelical castle church and the Catholic parish church - The concerts by the Marienstatter Musikkreis (“music circle”) with an impressive yearly programme of spiritual music
- The summertime musical series Treffpunkt Alter Markt (“meeting place Old Market”) every Thursday evening
- The yearly benefit concert "Umsonst & Drinnen" at the Stadthalle (“town hall” – an event venue, not the administrative building)
Regular events
- The town’s biggest traditional folk festivalFolk festivalA Folk festival celebrates traditional folk crafts and folk music.-Canada:Alberta*Calgary Folk Music Festival*Canmore Folk Music Festival*Edmonton Folk Music Festival*Jasper Folk Festival*Wild Mountain Music FestOntario*Barriefolk...
, the Hachenburger Kirmes, takes place each year on the weekend of the second Sunday in August. On Saturday evening, Hachenburgers and their guests gather at their Old Market to raise their kermis tree amid much music and witty speeches. A fortnight later, Altstadt follows suit with its own kermis with its own special customs. - Moreover, there is yet another series of further events by, among others, clubs, the Werbering Hachenburg (“advertising ring”) and private event organizers, who round out the extensive offerings.
- The Burggartenfest (“Castle Garden Festival”), held every other year, is Rhineland-Palatinate’s biggest themed festival with a diverse programme for the whole family.
- Each year on the first Saturday in November, the Katharinenmarkt is held. It is Rhineland-Palatinate’s biggest one-day marketMarketA market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
. - For three years now, on Altweiber (“Old Women’s Day”), the CarnivalCarnivalCarnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
Session is held at the Stadthalle. This is organized by the local "Möhnenverein" (roughly, “Foolish Women’s Club”; it is part of the Carnival festivities).
Transport
Hachenburg lies on the Oberwesterwaldbahn (railway) to Limburg and Au (Sieg). From there, the cities of CologneCologne
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...
, 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...
, Frankfurt am Main and Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
may be reached directly.
Education
- Fachhochschule der Deutschen Bundesbank (professional college)
- Grundschule Am Schloss Hachenburg (primary school)
- Grundschule Altstadt (primary school)
- Graf-Heinrich-RealschuleRealschuleThe Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
- Burggartenschule (special school whose main foci are learning and socio-emotional development)
- Schule am Rothenberg (special school whose main focus is speech)
- Duale Oberschule Hachenburg
- Landes Waldarbeiterschule (forestry school)
People
- Wolfram Christ (born 1958), violist and professor at the Freiburg Music College
- Albertine von Grün (born 1749; died 1792), letter write from the circle about the young GoetheJohann Wolfgang von GoetheJohann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
- Karl-Eberhard Hain (born 1960), jurist and professor at the Johannes Gutenberg University, MainzMainzMainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
- Heribert Klein (born 1957; died 2005 in Limburg an der Lahn), journalist and organist
- Hendrik Hering (born 1964), Minister for Economics, Transport, Agriculture and Winemaking in Mainz
- Rolf Steinhaus (born 1916; died 2004 in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler), Vice-Admiral in the Bundesmarine
- Johann Daniel Müller (born 1716, died no earlier than 1786 presumably in RigaRigaRiga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
), court musician, cantorCantor (church)A cantor is the chief singer employed in a church with responsibilities for the ecclesiastical choir; also called the precentor....
and school servant in Hachenburg, concert director in Frankfurt am Main in the young Goethe’s social circle, Radical PietistRadical PietismRadical Pietism refers to a movement within Protestantism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid 18th century and later, which emphasized the need for a "religion of the heart" instead of the head, and was characterized by ethical purity, inward devotion, charity, asceticism, and even...
“ProphetProphetIn religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
” and religious founder.
Further reading
- Anonymous: Hachenburg: Gartenstadt des schönen Westerwaldes, Höhenluftkurort. Hachenburg u.a.: Ebner Verl. [Faltblatt], 1930.
- Müller, Markus: Gemeinden und Staat in der Reichsgrafschaft Sayn-Hachenburg 1652-1799. Wiesbaden 2005 (= Beiträge zur Geschichte Nassaus und des Landes Hessen, Bd. 3). Wichtigste Forschungsarbeit zur Grafschaft.
- Struif, Bruno M.: Hachenburg - Zeitspuren einer Westerwälder Residenzstadt. Hachenburg 1999. ISBN 3-00-005238-0. Sehr schöner Bildband über Hachenburger Geschichte, 304 S., Literaturverzeichnis S. 280-293.