Kaisersesch
Encyclopedia
Kaisersesch is a town in the Cochem-Zell
district in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
. It is the administrative seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde
, to which it also belongs.
halfway between the rivers Elz
and Endert in the headwaters of the Pommerbach, roughly 14 km north of Cochem
and 16 km southwest of Mayen
. Its elevation is 410 m above sea level
.
and Roman times
. A Roman presence is known to have existed here from a gravesite and a water supply line that have been unearthed.
In the Early Middle Ages
, Asche, as it was once known, was among the Lotharingia
n county palatine’s holdings. Sometime between 1051 and 1056, Esch, as it came to be known, had its first documentary mention in a donation document dealing with the Ezzonid heiress Richeza’s great donation to the Brauweiler Monastery near Cologne
. Beginning in 1294, Esch was a court centre in the Electorate of Trier. In 1320, it was heavily fortified, and the following year, on Archbishop Balduin’s instigation, it was granted town rights by King Louis the Bavarian
. Thereafter, the town was known as Kaisersesch (“Emperor’s Esch”), although locals sometimes still call it simply Esch even today.
In the Nine Years' War (known in Germany as the Pfälzischer Erbfolgekrieg, or War of the Palatine Succession), the town was all but utterly destroyed in 1689 by the French
. Beginning in 1794, Kaisersesch lay under French rule, under which it was stripped of its town rights. In 1815 it was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia
at the Congress of Vienna
.
In 1895, the Andernach
-Gerolstein
railway reached Kaisersesch, and the town began to develop as an important regional centre in the eastern Eifel, which was the first economic boost that the town had had since its destruction in the Nine Years' War.
Since 1946, Kaisersesch has been part of the then newly founded state
of Rhineland-Palatinate
. On 22 November 1997, Kaisersesch was granted town rights once again.
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
The municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results:
).
The town’s arms
might in English heraldic
language be described thus: Argent a cross gules, in dexter chief a mullet over a crescent sable.
The cross refers to the Electorate of Trier, and the charge
s in dexter chief (in the upper right from the armsbearer’s point of view, but upper left from the viewer’s) are court symbols that crop up often in the Rhenish region.
The arms have been borne since 1954, but are based on an old court seal from the 15th century that shows exactly this composition.
’s Directory of Cultural Monuments:
The steeple
at Saint Pancras’s Church is also of special note in that it is noticeably crooked.
Cochem-Zell
Cochem-Zell is a district in the north-west of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighboring districts are Mayen-Koblenz, Rhein-Hunsrück, Bernkastel-Wittlich, and Vulkaneifel.- History :...
district 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 is the administrative seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde
Kaisersesch (Verbandsgemeinde)
Kaisersesch is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Cochem-Zell, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Kaisersesch....
, to which it also belongs.
Location
The town lies in the eastern EifelEifel
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....
halfway between the rivers Elz
Elzbach
The Elzbach is a small river in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, a left tributary of the Moselle. It rises in the Eifel, near Kelberg. The Elz flows through Monreal and along the castle Burg Eltz. It flows into the Moselle in Moselkern, in the Verbandsgemeinde of Treis-Karden....
and Endert in the headwaters of the Pommerbach, roughly 14 km north of Cochem
Cochem
Cochem is the seat of and the biggest place in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With just under 5,000 inhabitants, Cochem falls just behind Kusel, in the like-named district, as Germany's second smallest district seat...
and 16 km southwest of Mayen
Mayen
Mayen is a town in the Mayen-Koblenz District of the Rhineland-Palatinate Federal State of Germany, in the eastern part of the Volcanic Eifel Region. As well as the main town, there are five further settlements which are part of Mayen, they are: Alzheim, Kürrenberg, Hausen-Betzing, Hausen and Nitztal...
. Its elevation is 410 m above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
.
History
The place where Kaisersesch now stands was once a crossroads in prehistoricPrehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
and Roman times
Ancient 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....
. A Roman presence is known to have existed here from a gravesite and a water supply line that have been unearthed.
In the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
, Asche, as it was once known, was among the Lotharingia
Lotharingia
Lotharingia was a region in northwest Europe, comprising the Low Countries, the western Rhineland, the lands today on the border between France and Germany, and what is now western Switzerland. It was born of the tripartite division in 855, of the kingdom of Middle Francia, itself formed of the...
n county palatine’s holdings. Sometime between 1051 and 1056, Esch, as it came to be known, had its first documentary mention in a donation document dealing with the Ezzonid heiress Richeza’s great donation to the Brauweiler Monastery near 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...
. Beginning in 1294, Esch was a court centre in the Electorate of Trier. In 1320, it was heavily fortified, and the following year, on Archbishop Balduin’s instigation, it was granted town rights by King Louis the Bavarian
Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....
. Thereafter, the town was known as Kaisersesch (“Emperor’s Esch”), although locals sometimes still call it simply Esch even today.
In the Nine Years' War (known in Germany as the Pfälzischer Erbfolgekrieg, or War of the Palatine Succession), the town was all but utterly destroyed in 1689 by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Beginning in 1794, Kaisersesch lay under French rule, under which it was stripped of its town rights. In 1815 it was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
at the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
.
In 1895, the Andernach
Andernach
Andernach is a town in the district of Mayen-Koblenz, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, of currently about 30,000 inhabitants. It is situated towards the end of the Neuwied basin on the left bank of the Rhine between the former tiny fishing village of Fornich in the north and the mouth of the...
-Gerolstein
Gerolstein
Gerolstein is a town in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde. Gerolstein is headquarters to a large mineral water firm, Gerolsteiner Brunnen...
railway reached Kaisersesch, and the town began to develop as an important regional centre in the eastern Eifel, which was the first economic boost that the town had had since its destruction in the Nine Years' War.
Since 1946, Kaisersesch has been part of the then newly founded state
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
of 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 ....
. On 22 November 1997, Kaisersesch was granted town rights once again.
Town council
The council is made up of 20 council members, who were elected by proportional representationProportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
The municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results:
| SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
CDU | UBL | FWG | Total | |
| 2009 | 3 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 20 seats |
| 2004 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 20 seats |
Mayor
Kaisersesch’s mayor is Josef Wältermann (CDU), and his deputies are Renate Lergenmüller (CDU) and Walter Walgenbach (SPDSocial Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
).
Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: In Silber ein durchgehendes rotes Kreuz, im ersten Winkel ein sechs-strahliger schwarzer Stern über liegendem schwarzen Halbmond.The town’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: Argent a cross gules, in dexter chief a mullet over a crescent sable.
The cross refers to the Electorate of Trier, and the 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...
s in dexter chief (in the upper right from the armsbearer’s point of view, but upper left from the viewer’s) are court symbols that crop up often in the Rhenish region.
The arms have been borne since 1954, but are based on an old court seal from the 15th century that shows exactly this composition.
Buildings
The following are listed buildings or sites in Rhineland-PalatinateRhineland-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 ....
’s Directory of Cultural Monuments:
- Saint Pancras’s Catholic Parish Church (Pfarrkirche St. Pankratius), Balduinstraße – Romanesque RevivalRomanesque Revival architectureRomanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
pseudo-basilica, 1898-1900, architect Lambert von Fisenne, GelsenkirchenGelsenkirchenGelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....
, side tower from early 14th century - Forest chapelChapelA chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
Zur schmerzhaften Muttergottes (“To Our Lady of SorrowsOur Lady of SorrowsOur Lady of Sorrows , the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows , and Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to in relation to sorrows in her life...
”); plastered building, one-sided hipped saddle roof, bears yeardates 1796 and 1833 - Bahnhofstraße 33 – villa with hipped roof, 1928; whole complex with garden
- Balduinstraße 7 – BurgmannBurgmannA Burgmann was a member of the low aristocracy in the Middle Ages who guarded and defended castles. They were hired by a lord of the castle to take on the burghut, the guarding and defense of a castle....
enhaus, so-called “old prison”; essentially mediaeval Middle AgesThe 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...
, parts of the old wall - Koblenzer Straße (no number) – former schoolSchoolA 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...
; two-winged building, built since 1836, architect Johann Claudius von Lassaulx, KoblenzKoblenzKoblenz 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...
; teacher’s house, 1901 - Koblenzer Straße 46 – country estate, 18th century; 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, partly solid, plastered - Koblenzer Straße 48 – timber-frame house, partly solid or slated, 17th century, essentially possibly from the 16th century; whole complex with barn
- Old graveyard, Pankratiusstraße (monumental zone) – chapel, Gothic RevivalGothic Revival architectureThe Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
brick 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...
, 19th century; gravestones, 18th and 19th centuries - Turmgarten (“Tower Garden”) – round tower from the town fortifications, now only preserved as scant remnants
- Von der Leyenstraße/corner of Höfchen – relief stone
- South of the village on Landesstraße (State Road) 98 (monumental zone) – JewishJudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
graveyard; 22 grave steles from 1920 to 1941
Other sights
Kaisersesch is also home to a well preserved Roman wall.The steeple
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
at Saint Pancras’s Church is also of special note in that it is noticeably crooked.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Werner HöferWerner HöferWerner Höfer was a German journalist. He started his career as a Nazi propagandist, working for the newspaper Das Reich. From 1933 to 1945 he was a member of the Nazi Party....
- Peter Kremer (writer)
- Oswald Mathias UngersOswald Mathias UngersOswald Mathias Ungers was a German architect and architectural theorist, known for his rationalist designs and the use of cubic forms. Among his notable projects are museums in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Cologne....
(architect)