Niederstadtfeld
Encyclopedia
Niederstadtfeld 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 Daun
, whose seat is in the like-named town
.
, 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.
Niederstadtfeld lies roughly 8 km southwest of Daun, southwestwards towards Bitburg
, near Bundesstraße
257, and can be reached directly over Landesstraße (State Road) 27. The original village (now the village centre) stands on a ridge between the Kälberbach and Schwemmbach valleys in a side valley of the river Kleine Kyll.
The Kleine Kyll valley is part of the protected area
“Zwischen Uess und Kyll”. The newer built-up area today stretches farther along the ridge between the Kälberbach and Schwemmbach valleys as well as along the slope of the Kleine Kyll, with the sport complex, the primary school, the Hauptschule
and the tennis court
s all having been built down in the valley. The Kleine Kyll itself rises above Neroth and empties into the river Lieser downstream from Manderscheid
at the Neumühle (“New Mill”).
The local elevation ranges from 386 to 420 m above sea level
, and the municipality’s area is 913 ha, 465 ha of which is wooded and another 345 ha of which is agricultural
land.
, Deudesfeld
, Meisburg
, Neroth
, Oberstadtfeld
, Salm
, Schutz
, Üdersdorf
, Wallenborn
and Weidenbach
.
, Urold von Daun, as a donation to the newly founded collegiate foundation at Prüm, a deed that was also approved by Emperor Heinrich II
. This ownership arrangement found further confirmation in 1136 under Abbot Albero, who appointed Count Bezelino as the Vogt
. Thus it could have been that the collegiate foundation lost its grip on Stadefeld because the nobility not only claimed the local lordship, but also contributed to the building of a church, which was first mentioned in 1330.
In 1457, Archbishop Johann II, the Margrave of Baden
, in right of the Lordships of Schönecken, enfeoffed the brothers Heinrich, Johann and Friedrich, Lords of Pyrmont and Ehrenberg, with, among other things, holdings and assets, and also with “Stadefeld”. In 1460, Archbishop Johann II took Stadefeld as well as the rest of Heinrich’s holdings, people and villages into his protection against payment of a yearly protection fee. The municipality of Niederstadtfeld owned 1469 Morgen
(roughly 465 ha) of woodlands, 482 Morgen (roughly 153 ha) of wasteland and wilderness and 10 Morgen (roughly 3 ha) of meadowland and other kinds of land.
In 1565, Archbishop of Trier Johann VI enfeoffed Count Dietrich I of Manderscheid-Kayl, for him and Margaretha von Sombref’s other heirs, with, among other things, holdings of the Lords of Pyrmont, including Stadtfeld. Both Niederstadtfeld and Oberstadtfeld
belonged to the Electoral-Trier Amt of Manderscheid. Niederstadtfeld had a special court. The parish belonged to the rural chapter of Kyllburg in the Diocese of Trier.
The parish was responsible to either the Count of Manderscheid-Kayl or the Lord of Wiltberg, who took turns in this position. Besides Niederstadtfeld, Oberstadtfeld
was also part of this parish. The mill at Niederstadtfeld belonged to the municipality.
In August 1794, fire broke out in the newly built barn at the old rectory, which swiftly spread through the lower village, as most houses there still had thatched roofs. Many houses, barns and stables were destroyed in this fire.
In 1800, a new industry began, sickle
making. This afforded many villagers a livelihood. Other industries that cropped up in the 19th century were hat
making and lead
mining. The lead mine’s now caved-in shafts can still be seen even today.
In the time that followed the Franco-Prussian War
(1870-1871), when great economic need prevailed, many people from Niederstadtfeld emigrated to the United States
. Named are the families Pauls, Steffes, Ewen, Weber, Eull and Basten.
About the turn of the 20th century, with the beginnings of industrialization, migration to industrial areas began in Niederstadtfeld, as it likewise did in many other villages. The only livelihoods offered in the village were in forestry
, agriculture
and the village’s two sawmill
s.
Niederstadtfeld – unlike its neighbour Oberstadtfeld
– came through the Second World War relatively unscathed.
In 1955, a ball factory took over the sawmill that once stood on the former Kreisstraße (District Road) 8. Not long afterwards, though – in 1959 – the heat-pressing works, still in business today, set up shop in exactly the same spot.
The municipality’s arms
might in English heraldic
language be described thus: A fess gules charged with balances argent, in chief Or a fess dancetty of three of the first, and in base argent a cogwheel spokeless azure.
Beginning in 1565, Niederstadtfeld belonged to the Counts of Manderscheid and was until 1794 in the Electoral-Trier Amt of Manderscheid. The red fess dancetty (that is, horizontal zigzag stripe) was the charge
borne in those lords’ arms. Within the Manderscheid high court, Niederstadtfeld had its own court for Niederstadtfeld, Schutz
and Deudesfeld
. The balances are meant to document this historical fact. The cogwheel in the lower division of the escutcheon stands for both the earliest beginnings of the handicraft industry in Niederstadtfeld and the industry still found here today.
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 Daun
Daun (Verbandsgemeinde)
Daun is a collective municipality in the Vulkaneifel district of Rhineland-Palatinate. The seat of the Daun Verbandsgemeinde is in the municipality of Daun.- Constituent municipalities:# Betteldorf# Bleckhausen# Brockscheid...
, whose seat is in the like-named town
Daun, Germany
Daun is a town in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the district seat and also the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Daun.- Location :...
.
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.
Niederstadtfeld lies roughly 8 km southwest of Daun, southwestwards towards Bitburg
Bitburg
Bitburg It is situated approx. 25 km north-west of Trier, and 50 km north-east of Luxembourg . One American airbase, Spangdahlem Air Base, is located nearby.-History:...
, near Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
257, and can be reached directly over Landesstraße (State Road) 27. The original village (now the village centre) stands on a ridge between the Kälberbach and Schwemmbach valleys in a side valley of the river Kleine Kyll.
The Kleine Kyll valley is part of the protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
“Zwischen Uess und Kyll”. The newer built-up area today stretches farther along the ridge between the Kälberbach and Schwemmbach valleys as well as along the slope of the Kleine Kyll, with the sport complex, the primary school, the Hauptschule
Hauptschule
A Hauptschule is a secondary school in Germany and Austria, starting after 4 years of elementary schooling, which offers Lower Secondary Education according to the International Standard Classification of Education...
and the tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s all having been built down in the valley. The Kleine Kyll itself rises above Neroth and empties into the river Lieser downstream from Manderscheid
Manderscheid
Manderscheid can refer to:*Manderscheid, Bernkastel-Wittlich, a town in the district Bernkastel-Wittlich, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.*Manderscheid, Bitburg-Prüm a village in the district Bitburg-Prüm, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, part of the Verbandsgemeinde Arzfeld.*the Counts of Manderscheid...
at the Neumühle (“New Mill”).
The local elevation ranges from 386 to 420 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...
, and the municipality’s area is 913 ha, 465 ha of which is wooded and another 345 ha of which is agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
land.
Neighbouring municipalities
Niederstadtfeld’s neighbours are BleckhausenBleckhausen
Bleckhausen is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, Deudesfeld
Deudesfeld
Deudesfeld is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the southwest Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Daun, whose seat is in the like-named town...
, Meisburg
Meisburg
Meisburg 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 Daun, whose seat is in the like-named town...
, Neroth
Neroth
Neroth is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, Oberstadtfeld
Oberstadtfeld
Oberstadtfeld is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, Salm
Salm, Germany
Salm is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, Schutz
Schutz, Germany
Schutz is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, Üdersdorf
Üdersdorf
Üdersdorf is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, Wallenborn
Wallenborn
Wallenborn 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 Daun, whose seat is in the like-named town...
and Weidenbach
Weidenbach, Vulkaneifel
Weidenbach 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 Daun, whose seat is in the like-named town...
.
History
In 1016, the village of Stadefeld (“Field on the Shore of the Kleine Kyll”) had its first documentary mention. In this year, the village was transferred by the Abbot of PrümPrüm Abbey
Prüm Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey in Prüm/Lorraine, now in the diocese of Trier , founded by a Frankish widow Bertrada, and her son Charibert, count of Laon, on 23 June 720. The first abbot was Angloardus....
, Urold von Daun, as a donation to the newly founded collegiate foundation at Prüm, a deed that was also approved by Emperor Heinrich II
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II , also referred to as Saint Henry, Obl.S.B., was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of the Germans in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004...
. This ownership arrangement found further confirmation in 1136 under Abbot Albero, who appointed Count Bezelino as the Vogt
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
. Thus it could have been that the collegiate foundation lost its grip on Stadefeld because the nobility not only claimed the local lordship, but also contributed to the building of a church, which was first mentioned in 1330.
In 1457, Archbishop Johann II, the Margrave of Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
, in right of the Lordships of Schönecken, enfeoffed the brothers Heinrich, Johann and Friedrich, Lords of Pyrmont and Ehrenberg, with, among other things, holdings and assets, and also with “Stadefeld”. In 1460, Archbishop Johann II took Stadefeld as well as the rest of Heinrich’s holdings, people and villages into his protection against payment of a yearly protection fee. The municipality of Niederstadtfeld owned 1469 Morgen
Morgen
A morgen was a unit of measurement of land in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the Dutch colonies, including South Africa and Taiwan. The size of a morgen varies from 1/2 to 2½ acres, which equals approximately 0.2 to 1 ha...
(roughly 465 ha) of woodlands, 482 Morgen (roughly 153 ha) of wasteland and wilderness and 10 Morgen (roughly 3 ha) of meadowland and other kinds of land.
In 1565, Archbishop of Trier Johann VI enfeoffed Count Dietrich I of Manderscheid-Kayl, for him and Margaretha von Sombref’s other heirs, with, among other things, holdings of the Lords of Pyrmont, including Stadtfeld. Both Niederstadtfeld and Oberstadtfeld
Oberstadtfeld
Oberstadtfeld is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
belonged to the Electoral-Trier Amt of Manderscheid. Niederstadtfeld had a special court. The parish belonged to the rural chapter of Kyllburg in the Diocese of Trier.
The parish was responsible to either the Count of Manderscheid-Kayl or the Lord of Wiltberg, who took turns in this position. Besides Niederstadtfeld, Oberstadtfeld
Oberstadtfeld
Oberstadtfeld is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
was also part of this parish. The mill at Niederstadtfeld belonged to the municipality.
In August 1794, fire broke out in the newly built barn at the old rectory, which swiftly spread through the lower village, as most houses there still had thatched roofs. Many houses, barns and stables were destroyed in this fire.
In 1800, a new industry began, sickle
Sickle
A sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a variously curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crops or cutting succulent forage chiefly for feeding livestock . Sickles have also been used as weapons, either in their original form or in various derivations.The diversity of sickles that...
making. This afforded many villagers a livelihood. Other industries that cropped up in the 19th century were hat
Hat
A hat is a head covering. It can be worn for protection against the elements, for ceremonial or religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...
making and lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
mining. The lead mine’s now caved-in shafts can still be seen even today.
In the time that followed the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
(1870-1871), when great economic need prevailed, many people from Niederstadtfeld emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Named are the families Pauls, Steffes, Ewen, Weber, Eull and Basten.
About the turn of the 20th century, with the beginnings of industrialization, migration to industrial areas began in Niederstadtfeld, as it likewise did in many other villages. The only livelihoods offered in the village were in forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and the village’s two sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s.
Niederstadtfeld – unlike its neighbour Oberstadtfeld
Oberstadtfeld
Oberstadtfeld is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
– came through the Second World War relatively unscathed.
In 1955, a ball factory took over the sawmill that once stood on the former Kreisstraße (District Road) 8. Not long afterwards, though – in 1959 – the heat-pressing works, still in business today, set up shop in exactly the same spot.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 8 council members, who were elected at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.Mayor
Niederstadtfeld’s mayor is Günter Horten, and his deputies are Jakob Schnichels and Barbara Trosdorff.Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: Von Gold, Rot und Silber zweimal geteilt, oben ein roter Zickzackbalken, in der Mitte eine silberne Waage, unten ein blaues Zahnrad.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: A fess gules charged with balances argent, in chief Or a fess dancetty of three of the first, and in base argent a cogwheel spokeless azure.
Beginning in 1565, Niederstadtfeld belonged to the Counts of Manderscheid and was until 1794 in the Electoral-Trier Amt of Manderscheid. The red fess dancetty (that is, horizontal zigzag stripe) was 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...
borne in those lords’ arms. Within the Manderscheid high court, Niederstadtfeld had its own court for Niederstadtfeld, Schutz
Schutz, Germany
Schutz is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
and Deudesfeld
Deudesfeld
Deudesfeld is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the southwest Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Daun, whose seat is in the like-named town...
. The balances are meant to document this historical fact. The cogwheel in the lower division of the escutcheon stands for both the earliest beginnings of the handicraft industry in Niederstadtfeld and the industry still found here today.
Buildings
- Saint Sebastian’s Catholic Parish Church (Pfarrkirche St. Sebastian), Hauptstraße 14 – tower possibly mediaevalMiddle 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...
(church first mentioned in 1330), nave 1769, lengthened about 1840, sandstoneSandstoneSandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
churchyard cross from 1861. - Am Mühlscheid – wayside chapel.
- Hauptstraße 8 – BaroqueBaroque architectureBaroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
barn, 1795. - Hauptstraße 17 – Baroque house, 1796.
- Hauptstraße 24 – one-floor Quereinhaus (a combination residential and commercial house divided for these two purposes down the middle, perpendicularly to the street) from 1893.
- Wayside cross, south of the village on the road to SchutzSchutz, GermanySchutz is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, shaft cross from 1633. - Former mill at the way into Niederstadtfeld on Landesstraße (State Road) 27 coming from OberstadtfeldOberstadtfeldOberstadtfeld is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
(first mentioned in 1508).
Sport and leisure
- Since 2007, the Kosmos-Radweg (cycle path) has led from DaunDaun, GermanyDaun is a town in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the district seat and also the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Daun.- Location :...
to MeerfeldMeerfeldMeerfeld is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
by way of Niederstadtfeld.
Natural monuments
- Sour mineral springSpring (hydrosphere)A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
(Drees) on Landesstraße 27 going towards Schutz, roughly 50 m from the village. - Beech tree, trunk circumference 2.50 m, on the edge of the path in the Marschbach valley between WallenbornWallenbornWallenborn 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 Daun, whose seat is in the like-named town...
and Niederstadtfeld.