Liederschiedt
Encyclopedia
Liederschiedt is a commune
in the Moselle
department in Lorraine
in north-eastern France
.
It is located on the German
border. It is situated on top of a large hill and surrounded mostly by forestry and farms that cover much of the area.
in 1313 under the name Ludenschiedt. The name was derived from two two shepherds Leudo and Scheide. The town has shifted hands many times from France to Germany and also been the scene of much battle particularly during World War II
. The main importance was the fact the town was on a hill that was very difficult to climb making the road through Liederschiedt vital to transporting weaponry such as jeep
s and tanks. Today the route has been designated D86 B and has had the name Rue Principale (Main Street).
This has resulted in massive population shifts. In 1817 the village was home to 459 residents and by 1852 had reached a peak of 650. The population decreased to 132 people by 1999. The shift is mostly a result of World War II and the movement of people from Liederschiedt to the nearby town of Roppeviller. The population is also aging steadily and the majority of the town is over the age of fifty most likely the culprit for the decline over the past forty years.
Many families still remain in Liederschiedt though even after many generations the largest and possibly oldest are Hener and Megel. Other families include Mauss, Schwartz, Schaefer, Schunk, Wagner, Hauck, and Muller.
The town is virtually all Caucasian
. The main difference is the heritage
of the residents. The solid majority are French, but a significant portion of the town are German due to the closeness to the border. Like most rural areas in France there are not many Arabs like the cities however the town does have a number of residents from other countries not in the European Union
such as New Caledonia
. Grasses and hay
are grown to feed livestock
such as cows, chickens, goats, and geese. Even more is produced today thanks to modern farming techniques and equipment. Indeed without farming the town may have never existed since it is the main source of jobs.
Cows are probably the most important and prevalent animal since they produce milk
and to a lesser extent are used for meat
. In fact at one point there was even a laiterie(building used for the production of milk). Trough
s were even constructed along a couple of roads from which the cows could drink. However, today the laiterie is now a private residence and the troths are rarely used. Today milk production is currently conducted in several large buildings on the outskirts of the village along Rue des Gardiens.
Another resource that is important to the inhabitants is wood
. The surrounding forests provide a plentiful supply of wood that is used to provide heat in the winter using stoves usually in basements, which heat water used in radiators and bathrooms.
The second most significant building would probably be the town hall, which was at first an elementary school, but was closed after it became to costly to keep running. Today, a preschool is located on the opposite end of town next to the water tower another significant structure.
and the solid majority practice Roman Catholicism. However, the number of attendees at the church in town has dwindled over the years and now the village only has mass once a month due to a shortage of priests in the area.
The church is dedicated to Saint-Wendelin also called Wendelin of Trier
the patron saint of country people and herdsmen. The structure was built in 1821 and was built to replace a chapel
constructed in 1755. The church was destroyed during World War II, but the residents were able to salvage the door. However, as the church was rebuilt the key was changed to the door to symbolize a new era.
The graveyard
unfortunately suffered the same fate as the church for the most part. Today only two graves
are left that date prior to World War II and World War I. One grave has lost its inscription and is gradually becoming overgrown. The other belongs to a young man named Cliln Miiller (6 April 1863 - 13 March 1876) and still bears an inscription, but a clear translation is unavailable since it is old German.
Indeed the number of churchgoers has slid, but Christianity has for a long time been deep rooted in the village as shown through their monuments to God. Like much of Europe there are crosses that have been built over the years. In Liederschiedt there are actually five around the village. The oldest cross
dates back to 1709 and is still standing despite some minor damage. Most were constructed thanks to generous families such as one built in 1927 by the Lang family. Another by the Hener-Wagner family and one from the Mauss-Megel family in 1964. There is also one last cross located in the center of town along the Rue Principale but no date nor sponsor is present.
is Joseph Schaefer, who has been in office since the 1990s.
The town has usually sided with the Union for a Popular Movement
(UMP) during the Fifth Republic
. This was evident in the 2002 election where Jacques Chirac
received an overwhelming 78.11% of the vote in the second round against opponent Jean-Marie Le Pen
of the Front National who trailed with 21.89%. However, in the first round Mr. Le Pen received the most votes with 23.67% versus Mr. Chirac who had only 18.99% and Socialist Party
candidate Lionel Jospin with just 14.49%. This was once again apparent in 2007 where Nicolas Sarkozy
received 30.57% in the first round while Segolene Royal
took 22.08%. The second round wasn't much different with Sarkozy bringing in 56.56% and Royal with 43.44% in the Moselle
region where Liederschiedt is located.
proved to be the worst with eleven dead, World War II
however was also costly with the loss of nine lives. A memorial
was constructed in 1920 for the fallen in the Great War. The names are as follows: Nicolas Goettman (1883-1914), Jacques Schwartz (1882-1914), Jean Lang (1884-1915),Joseph Becker (1889-1915), Jacques Megel (1894-1915), Jeannic Cassiwn (1888-1916), Jean AD Lang (1879-1916), Guillaume Pung (1896-1916), Nicolas Schaefer (1888-1918), Auguste Goettmann (1883-1918), and Joseph Mathy (1893-1918). Not long after World War II more names were added to the memorial those lost were Charles Hener (1922-1943), Nicolas Geyer (1924-1943), Marcel Zuck (1919-1944), Edouard Muller(1915-1944), Pierre Kubler (1915-1944), and Gaston Mauss (1923-1945) all soldiers and two civilians: Jacques Mauss (1880-1940) and Andre Schunk (1939-1945) after playing with munitions.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Moselle
Moselle
Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
department in Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
in north-eastern France
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...
.
It is located on the German
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...
border. It is situated on top of a large hill and surrounded mostly by forestry and farms that cover much of the area.
History
It was first mentioned on a map of SturzelbronnSturzelbronn
Hops Sturzelbronn is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
in 1313 under the name Ludenschiedt. The name was derived from two two shepherds Leudo and Scheide. The town has shifted hands many times from France to Germany and also been the scene of much battle particularly during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The main importance was the fact the town was on a hill that was very difficult to climb making the road through Liederschiedt vital to transporting weaponry such as jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
s and tanks. Today the route has been designated D86 B and has had the name Rue Principale (Main Street).
Many families still remain in Liederschiedt though even after many generations the largest and possibly oldest are Hener and Megel. Other families include Mauss, Schwartz, Schaefer, Schunk, Wagner, Hauck, and Muller.
Demographics
The following graph shows the historical population:The town is virtually all Caucasian
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
. The main difference is the heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
of the residents. The solid majority are French, but a significant portion of the town are German due to the closeness to the border. Like most rural areas in France there are not many Arabs like the cities however the town does have a number of residents from other countries not in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
such as New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
Natural resources
The area surrounding the town is very rich. The soil has been used for farming for many generations and today produces many crops especially cereals that can be used to make flourFlour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
. Grasses and hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
are grown to feed livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
such as cows, chickens, goats, and geese. Even more is produced today thanks to modern farming techniques and equipment. Indeed without farming the town may have never existed since it is the main source of jobs.
Cows are probably the most important and prevalent animal since they produce milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
and to a lesser extent are used for meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
. In fact at one point there was even a laiterie(building used for the production of milk). Trough
Trough
Trough may refer to:* Trough , the lowest turning point of a business cycle* Trough or manger, a container for animal feed* Watering trough, a receptacle of drinking water for domestic and non-domestic livestock...
s were even constructed along a couple of roads from which the cows could drink. However, today the laiterie is now a private residence and the troths are rarely used. Today milk production is currently conducted in several large buildings on the outskirts of the village along Rue des Gardiens.
Another resource that is important to the inhabitants is wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
. The surrounding forests provide a plentiful supply of wood that is used to provide heat in the winter using stoves usually in basements, which heat water used in radiators and bathrooms.
Buildings
The town is home to a number of buildings such as the homes of a number of farmers whose farms surround the town. The church is probably the most noticeable as its spire shoots up into the air over the village. The church was built following World War II on top of the ruins of what was once the town's first church. The graveyard however even after much fighting still has several graves dating back before the war.The second most significant building would probably be the town hall, which was at first an elementary school, but was closed after it became to costly to keep running. Today, a preschool is located on the opposite end of town next to the water tower another significant structure.
Religion
Nearly all residents of the village are ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and the solid majority practice Roman Catholicism. However, the number of attendees at the church in town has dwindled over the years and now the village only has mass once a month due to a shortage of priests in the area.
The church is dedicated to Saint-Wendelin also called Wendelin of Trier
Wendelin of Trier
Saint Wendelin or Wendelin of Trier was a hermit and abbot.-Life:There is very little definite information about this saint. His earliest biographies , did not appear until after 1417. The story as told there is that Wendelin was the son of a Scottish king...
the patron saint of country people and herdsmen. The structure was built in 1821 and was built to replace a chapel
Chapel
A 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,...
constructed in 1755. The church was destroyed during World War II, but the residents were able to salvage the door. However, as the church was rebuilt the key was changed to the door to symbolize a new era.
The graveyard
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
unfortunately suffered the same fate as the church for the most part. Today only two graves
Graves
Graves is an important subregion of the Bordeaux wine region. Graves is situated on the left bank of the Garonne river, in the upstream part of the region, southeast of the city Bordeaux and stretch over...
are left that date prior to World War II and World War I. One grave has lost its inscription and is gradually becoming overgrown. The other belongs to a young man named Cliln Miiller (6 April 1863 - 13 March 1876) and still bears an inscription, but a clear translation is unavailable since it is old German.
Indeed the number of churchgoers has slid, but Christianity has for a long time been deep rooted in the village as shown through their monuments to God. Like much of Europe there are crosses that have been built over the years. In Liederschiedt there are actually five around the village. The oldest cross
Cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
dates back to 1709 and is still standing despite some minor damage. Most were constructed thanks to generous families such as one built in 1927 by the Lang family. Another by the Hener-Wagner family and one from the Mauss-Megel family in 1964. There is also one last cross located in the center of town along the Rue Principale but no date nor sponsor is present.
Government and politics
The current mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
is Joseph Schaefer, who has been in office since the 1990s.
The town has usually sided with the Union for a Popular Movement
Union for a Popular Movement
The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
(UMP) during the Fifth Republic
French Fifth Republic
The Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, introduced on 4 October 1958. The Fifth Republic emerged from the collapse of the French Fourth Republic, replacing the prior parliamentary government with a semi-presidential system...
. This was evident in the 2002 election where Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
received an overwhelming 78.11% of the vote in the second round against opponent Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen is a French far right-wing and nationalist politician who is founder and former president of the Front National party. Le Pen has run for the French presidency five times, most notably in 2002, when in a surprise upset he came second, polling more votes in the first round than...
of the Front National who trailed with 21.89%. However, in the first round Mr. Le Pen received the most votes with 23.67% versus Mr. Chirac who had only 18.99% and Socialist Party
Socialist Party (France)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
candidate Lionel Jospin with just 14.49%. This was once again apparent in 2007 where Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
received 30.57% in the first round while Segolene Royal
Ségolène Royal
Marie-Ségolène Royal , known as Ségolène Royal, is a French politician. She is the president of the Poitou-Charentes Regional Council, a former member of the National Assembly, a former government minister, and a prominent member of the French Socialist Party...
took 22.08%. The second round wasn't much different with Sarkozy bringing in 56.56% and Royal with 43.44% in the Moselle
Moselle
Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
region where Liederschiedt is located.
World War I and World War II
The town lost a number of residents in both wars. World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
proved to be the worst with eleven dead, World War II
however was also costly with the loss of nine lives. A memorial
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
was constructed in 1920 for the fallen in the Great War. The names are as follows: Nicolas Goettman (1883-1914), Jacques Schwartz (1882-1914), Jean Lang (1884-1915),Joseph Becker (1889-1915), Jacques Megel (1894-1915), Jeannic Cassiwn (1888-1916), Jean AD Lang (1879-1916), Guillaume Pung (1896-1916), Nicolas Schaefer (1888-1918), Auguste Goettmann (1883-1918), and Joseph Mathy (1893-1918). Not long after World War II more names were added to the memorial those lost were Charles Hener (1922-1943), Nicolas Geyer (1924-1943), Marcel Zuck (1919-1944), Edouard Muller(1915-1944), Pierre Kubler (1915-1944), and Gaston Mauss (1923-1945) all soldiers and two civilians: Jacques Mauss (1880-1940) and Andre Schunk (1939-1945) after playing with munitions.