Herscheid
Encyclopedia
Herscheid is a municipality in the southern Märkischer Kreis
, in North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
.
mountains. Altitudes in the municipality extend from 250m above sea level in the valley of the Schwarze Ahe up to the highest elevation, the 663.3m high Nordhelle. The municipality covers an area of 58.924 km², of which 58% is forest and 33% is used agriculturally. Most of the area is protected as a nature reserve, the Naturpark Ebbegebirge.
The first written document mentioning Hertsceido dates from 1072 in a charter of bishop Anno of Cologne
. However, the settlements in what is now the municipal area probably date back to the 4th century. From the 12th century till 1753 the parish of Herscheid formed a court district. During the French occupation (1806 till 1814), the Mairie Ebbe covered Herscheid and neighbouring Valbert.
The station Hüinghausen was made for narrow gauge railway.
as reward for help in fighting in the Ebbe mountains against the episcopal state of Cologne). The red-and-white chequered fess
of the Counts also appears, Herscheid having been formerly part of their territory. The coat of arms was designed by Otto Hupp
, and was granted on October 17, 1935. The coat of arms is also featured on the town flag.
Märkischer Kreis
The Märkischer Kreis is a district in central North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Unna, Soest, Hochsauerland, Olpe, Oberbergischer Kreis, Ennepe-Ruhr, and the city of Hagen.-History:...
, in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, 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...
.
Geography
Herscheid is located in the Ebbegebirge ("Ebbe Mountains"), a part of the SauerlandSauerland
The Sauerland is a rural, hilly area spreading across most of the south-eastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, in parts heavily forested and, apart from the major valleys, sparsely inhabited...
mountains. Altitudes in the municipality extend from 250m above sea level in the valley of the Schwarze Ahe up to the highest elevation, the 663.3m high Nordhelle. The municipality covers an area of 58.924 km², of which 58% is forest and 33% is used agriculturally. Most of the area is protected as a nature reserve, the Naturpark Ebbegebirge.
History
Archbishopric of Cologne
The Electorate of Cologne was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne . It was ruled by the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of...
. However, the settlements in what is now the municipal area probably date back to the 4th century. From the 12th century till 1753 the parish of Herscheid formed a court district. During the French occupation (1806 till 1814), the Mairie Ebbe covered Herscheid and neighbouring Valbert.
The station Hüinghausen was made for narrow gauge railway.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms of Herscheid is above a fess abased chequy of three rows gules and argent, a demi-stag salient proper. The stag, or deer, (German Hirsch) has a double significance: it refers both to the etymological origin of the name Herscheid as area where deer live and also to the old hunting privileges formerly enjoyed here (said to have been given by one of the Counts of the MarkMark (county)
The County of Mark was a county and state of the Holy Roman Empire in the Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle. It lay on both sides of the Ruhr River along the Volme and Lenne Rivers....
as reward for help in fighting in the Ebbe mountains against the episcopal state of Cologne). The red-and-white chequered fess
Fess
In heraldry, a fess or fesse is a charge on a coat of arms that takes the form of a band running horizontally across the centre of the shield. Writers disagree in how much of the shield's surface is to be covered by a fess or other ordinary, ranging from one-fifth to one-third...
of the Counts also appears, Herscheid having been formerly part of their territory. The coat of arms was designed by Otto Hupp
Otto Hupp
Otto Hupp was a German graphical artist. His main working area was heraldry, yet he also worked as a typeface designer, creating commercial symbols and metal works....
, and was granted on October 17, 1935. The coat of arms is also featured on the town flag.