Mosbruch
Encyclopedia
Mosbruch is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Kelberg
, whose seat is in the like-named municipality
.
, a part of the Eifel
known for its volcanic history, geographical and geological features, and even ongoing activity today, including gases that sometimes well up from the earth.
Near Mosbruch rises the Üßbach. The foremost point of interest, however, is the Mosbrucher Weiher, a dried-up maar
and today a nature conservation area.
of unknown date sitting on a ridge northwest of the village. They have, however, been damaged by grave-robbing activities, and finds made at the site in the 19th and 20th centuries have been lost.
In 1440 came a documentary reference to two places, Mosbruch and Zum Ried. The former has since absorbed the latter, but there are still two chapels in the municipality, one for each of the two formerly separate municipalities. In feudal
times, the Üßbach formed the border between the Electorate of Cologne and the Electorate of Trier.
Zum Ried (“At the Reed”) is also spelt “Zumried”.
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
The municipality’s arms
might in English heraldic
language be described thus: Quarterly, first argent a cross sable, second gules issuant from fess point an abbess’s staff bendwise sinister of the first, third gules two candles with fire per saltire of the first, and fourth argent a lozenge of the third.
The black cross in the first quartering is the charge
formerly borne by the Electorate of Cologne, to which Mosbruch belonged ecclesiastically until 1803. The Electors of Cologne also owned the Mosbrucher Weiher, the now dry (but then still filled with water) maar
, in which fish were raised. The silver abbess’s staff in the second quartering stands for Saint Mechtildis
, the patron saint of the chapel in Zumried (formerly a separate municipality but now part of Mosbruch). The candles per saltire (that is, in the manner of an X-shaped cross) stand for Saint Blaise
, the patron saint of the chapel in Mosbruch. In feudal
times, the village belonged to the County of Virneburg, whose Counts bore as an armorial charge seven lozenges in two rows, of four and three. A single lozenge has become a charge in Mosbruch’s arms to represent these former lords.
Municipalities of Germany
Municipalities are the lowest level of territorial division in Germany. This may be the fourth level of territorial division in Germany, apart from those states which include Regierungsbezirke , where municipalities then become the fifth level.-Overview:With more than 3,400,000 inhabitants, the...
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
Verbandsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde is an administrative unit in the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt.-Rhineland-Palatinate:...
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district
Districts of Germany
The districts of Germany are known as , except in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein where they are known simply as ....
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 belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Kelberg
Kelberg (Verbandsgemeinde)
Kelberg is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Vulkaneifel, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Kelberg....
, whose seat is in the like-named municipality
Kelberg
Kelberg is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the like-named Verbandsgemeinde, and is home to its seat...
.
Location
The municipality lies in the VulkaneifelVulkan Eifel
The Vulkan Eifel is a region in the Eifel Mountains in Germany, that is defined to a large extent by its volcanic geological history. Characteristic of the Vulkan Eifel are its typical explosion crater lakes or maars, and numerous other signs of volcanic activity such as volcanic tuffs, lava...
, a part of the Eifel
Eifel
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....
known for its volcanic history, geographical and geological features, and even ongoing activity today, including gases that sometimes well up from the earth.
Near Mosbruch rises the Üßbach. The foremost point of interest, however, is the Mosbrucher Weiher, a dried-up maar
Maar
A maar is a broad, low-relief volcanic crater that is caused by a phreatomagmatic eruption, an explosion caused by groundwater coming into contact with hot lava or magma. A maar characteristically fills with water to form a relatively shallow crater lake. The name comes from the local Moselle...
and today a nature conservation area.
History
Bearing witness to prehistoric settlement in what is now Mosbruch is a group of six barrowsTumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
of unknown date sitting on a ridge northwest of the village. They have, however, been damaged by grave-robbing activities, and finds made at the site in the 19th and 20th centuries have been lost.
In 1440 came a documentary reference to two places, Mosbruch and Zum Ried. The former has since absorbed the latter, but there are still two chapels in the municipality, one for each of the two formerly separate municipalities. In feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
times, the Üßbach formed the border between the Electorate of Cologne and the Electorate of Trier.
Zum Ried (“At the Reed”) is also spelt “Zumried”.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 6 council members, who were elected by 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...
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: Von Silber und Rot geviert; 1. ein schwarzes Balkenkreuz, 2. ein silberner Äbtissinenstab, 3. zwei silberene gekreuzte Kerzen, 4. eine rote Raute.The municipality’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: Quarterly, first argent a cross sable, second gules issuant from fess point an abbess’s staff bendwise sinister of the first, third gules two candles with fire per saltire of the first, and fourth argent a lozenge of the third.
The black cross in the first quartering is 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...
formerly borne by the Electorate of Cologne, to which Mosbruch belonged ecclesiastically until 1803. The Electors of Cologne also owned the Mosbrucher Weiher, the now dry (but then still filled with water) maar
Maar
A maar is a broad, low-relief volcanic crater that is caused by a phreatomagmatic eruption, an explosion caused by groundwater coming into contact with hot lava or magma. A maar characteristically fills with water to form a relatively shallow crater lake. The name comes from the local Moselle...
, in which fish were raised. The silver abbess’s staff in the second quartering stands for Saint Mechtildis
Mechtildis of Edelstetten
Mechtildis was Benedictine abbess and renowned miracle worker. Mechtildis was the daughter of Count Berthold of Andechs, whose wife, Sophie, founded a monastery on their estate at Diessen, Bavaria, and placed their daughter there at the age of five. In 1153, the Bishop of Augsburg placed her as...
, the patron saint of the chapel in Zumried (formerly a separate municipality but now part of Mosbruch). The candles per saltire (that is, in the manner of an X-shaped cross) stand for Saint Blaise
Saint Blaise
Saint Blaise was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea . According to his Acta Sanctorum, he was martyred by being beaten, attacked with iron carding combs, and beheaded...
, the patron saint of the chapel in Mosbruch. In feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
times, the village belonged to the County of Virneburg, whose Counts bore as an armorial charge seven lozenges in two rows, of four and three. A single lozenge has become a charge in Mosbruch’s arms to represent these former lords.
Buildings
- Catholic branch church, Zum Weiher 1, triaxial 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...
from 1857. - Catholic chapel, Zumriederstraße, biaxial aisleless church from 18th/19th century.
- Hauptstraße 12 – estate complex, 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 from 19th century, timber-frame commercial building, partly solid, 18th/19th century. - Friedrichsmühle (mill), south of the village on the Üßbach.