Pleizenhausen
Encyclopedia
Pleizenhausen is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (district
) in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Simmern
, whose seat is in the like-named town
.
, roughly 5 km northeast of Simmern. The residential village also lies just west of the junction of two valleys, the Simmerbachtal and the Wahlbachtal, and about a kilometre east of the Simmern-Koblenz
road. At the nearby Weißmühle (“White Mill”), three brooks, the Simmerbach, Benzweilerbach and Wahlbach, all meet and flow together. The Geiersberg to the northeast stands as a prominent peak between the Simmerbach and Benzweilerbach valleys and stands out quite clearly on a relief map
.
Foundation at Trier
. It can, however, be assumed that there was settlement within Pleizenhausen’s current limits much earlier, for to the southwest of the village, remnants of an old Roman
villa rustica
are still being found in the fields even now. Furthermore, roadbuilding work also brought to light stones from the Roman road whose existence had long been supposed. In 1251, King William II of Holland had an army camp at Pleizenhausen, whence he moved on to Boppard
. In the time that followed, Pleizenhausen’s rulers changed often. In 1263, the Knights Eberhard of Sütersten sold Pleizenhausen’s wet meadow
to the Kumbd Cistercian convent. The Counts of Sponheim
shared the 24 fiefs with the Lords of Stein Kallenfels. Each was responsible for half the court cases, forfeits and crimes. In 1400, Count Palatine Rupprecht enfeoffed Dietmar of Reifenberg with the tithes from Pleizenhausen. In 1500, there were 20 farmsteads, and jurisdiction was shared among Electoral Palatinate, Sponheim-Kastellaun, the Lords of Stein Kallenfels and the Schmidtburgs.
From 1673, there was a school
in Pleizenhausen serving the villages of Bergenhausen
, Pleizenhausen, Rayerschied
and Altweidelbach
. There were often disagreements between parents, teachers and clerical school inspectors over such things as schooling hours and teachers’ pay. In 1738, the people of Altweidelbach withdrew from the arrangement because of the great distance to the school. Until 1824, the school was housed in the so-called Altes Gebäude (“Old Building”), which stood next to the church. This was a great stable building on whose upper floor the schoolroom was found. Later, across from what was then the rectory, a small school building with a teacher’s dwelling was built. This served until 1911, when a new, and for that time more comfortable, schoolhouse came into service. Classes were last held in this building in 1971.
Beginning in 1794, Pleizenhausen lay under French
rule. In 1815 it was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia
at the Congress of Vienna
.
Already standing on the spot where now stands the church built in 1793 was, as early as the turn of that century, another church, which was consecrated to Saint Wendelin
. In 1706, this church passed into the Reformed
Church’s hands. Farther south, the Catholics built their own church in 1772, a chapel
that still stands today, also consecrated to Saint Wendelin.
In the Second World War, a 1943 air battle left three farms ablaze from tracer bullets
. Between Bergenhausen and Pleizenhausen lay a camp run by the Nazi
Reichsarbeitsdienst
, which was utterly destroyed by bombing in 1945. Since 1946, Pleizenhausen has been part of the then newly founded state
of Rhineland-Palatinate
.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the village was stricken remarkably often by catastrophic fires, leading people to muse that the village’s old name Blitzenhusen might have been an old curse that was still affecting Pleizenhausen in the present (Blitz means “lightning” in German
). In June 1998, the municipality celebrated its 900-year jubilee with a great festival.
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
’s Directory of Cultural Monuments:
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 Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (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 Simmern
Simmern (Verbandsgemeinde)
Simmern is a Verbandsgemeinde in the Rhein-Hunsrück district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Its seat is in Simmern.The Verbandsgemeinde Simmern consists of the following Ortsgemeinden :...
, whose seat is in the like-named town
Simmern
Simmern is a town of 8,000 inhabitants in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, the district seat of the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis, and the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde...
.
Location
The municipality lies in the HunsrückHunsrück
The Hunsrück is a low mountain range in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the river valleys of the Moselle , the Nahe , and the Rhine . The Hunsrück is continued by the Taunus mountains on the eastern side of the Rhine. In the north behind the Moselle it is continued by the Eifel...
, roughly 5 km northeast of Simmern. The residential village also lies just west of the junction of two valleys, the Simmerbachtal and the Wahlbachtal, and about a kilometre east of the Simmern-Koblenz
Koblenz
Koblenz 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...
road. At the nearby Weißmühle (“White Mill”), three brooks, the Simmerbach, Benzweilerbach and Wahlbach, all meet and flow together. The Geiersberg to the northeast stands as a prominent peak between the Simmerbach and Benzweilerbach valleys and stands out quite clearly on a relief map
Cartographic relief depiction
Terrain or relief is an essential aspect of physical geography, and as such its portrayal presents a central problem in cartography, and more recently GIS and 3D Visualization....
.
History
In 1098, Pleizenhausen had its first documentary mention in a directory of holdings kept by Saint Symeon’sSymeon of Trier
Saint Symeon of Trier , also Simeon, , was a monk and recluse . He is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church with his feast day on May 1.-Life:...
Foundation at Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
. It can, however, be assumed that there was settlement within Pleizenhausen’s current limits much earlier, for to the southwest of the village, remnants of an old Roman
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....
villa rustica
Villa rustica
Villa rustica was the term used by the ancient Romans to denote a villa set in the open countryside, often as the hub of a large agricultural estate . The adjective rusticum was used to distinguish it from an urban or resort villa...
are still being found in the fields even now. Furthermore, roadbuilding work also brought to light stones from the Roman road whose existence had long been supposed. In 1251, King William II of Holland had an army camp at Pleizenhausen, whence he moved on to Boppard
Boppard
Boppard is a town in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, lying in the Rhine Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It belongs to no Verbandsgemeinde. The town is also a state-recognized tourism resort and is a winegrowing centre.-Location:Boppard lies on the upper Middle...
. In the time that followed, Pleizenhausen’s rulers changed often. In 1263, the Knights Eberhard of Sütersten sold Pleizenhausen’s wet meadow
Wet meadow
A wet meadow is a semi-wetland meadow which is saturated with water throughout much of the year. Wet meadows may occur because of poor drainage or the receipt of large amounts of water from rain or melted snow. They may also occur in riparian zones....
to the Kumbd Cistercian convent. The Counts of Sponheim
County of Sponheim
The County of Sponheim was an independent territory in the Holy Roman Empire which lasted from the 11th century until the early 19th century...
shared the 24 fiefs with the Lords of Stein Kallenfels. Each was responsible for half the court cases, forfeits and crimes. In 1400, Count Palatine Rupprecht enfeoffed Dietmar of Reifenberg with the tithes from Pleizenhausen. In 1500, there were 20 farmsteads, and jurisdiction was shared among Electoral Palatinate, Sponheim-Kastellaun, the Lords of Stein Kallenfels and the Schmidtburgs.
From 1673, there was a school
School
A 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...
in Pleizenhausen serving the villages of Bergenhausen
Bergenhausen
Bergenhausen is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, Pleizenhausen, Rayerschied
Rayerschied
Rayerschied is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
and Altweidelbach
Altweidelbach
Altweidelbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
. There were often disagreements between parents, teachers and clerical school inspectors over such things as schooling hours and teachers’ pay. In 1738, the people of Altweidelbach withdrew from the arrangement because of the great distance to the school. Until 1824, the school was housed in the so-called Altes Gebäude (“Old Building”), which stood next to the church. This was a great stable building on whose upper floor the schoolroom was found. Later, across from what was then the rectory, a small school building with a teacher’s dwelling was built. This served until 1911, when a new, and for that time more comfortable, schoolhouse came into service. Classes were last held in this building in 1971.
Beginning in 1794, Pleizenhausen lay under 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...
rule. 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,...
.
Already standing on the spot where now stands the church built in 1793 was, as early as the turn of that century, another church, which was consecrated to Saint Wendelin
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...
. In 1706, this church passed into the Reformed
Reformed churches
The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations characterized by Calvinist doctrines. They are descended from the Swiss Reformation inaugurated by Huldrych Zwingli but developed more coherently by Martin Bucer, Heinrich Bullinger and especially John Calvin...
Church’s hands. Farther south, the Catholics built their own church in 1772, 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,...
that still stands today, also consecrated to Saint Wendelin.
In the Second World War, a 1943 air battle left three farms ablaze from tracer bullets
Tracer ammunition
Tracer ammunition are bullets that are built with a small pyrotechnic charge in their base. Ignited by the burning powder, the phosphorus tail burns very brightly, making the projectile visible to the naked eye...
. Between Bergenhausen and Pleizenhausen lay a camp run by the Nazi
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Reichsarbeitsdienst
Reichsarbeitsdienst
The Reichsarbeitsdienst was an institution established by Nazi Germany as an agency to reduce unemployment, similar to the relief programs in other countries. During the Second World War it was an auxiliary formation which provided support for the Wehrmacht.The RAD was formed during July 1934 as...
, which was utterly destroyed by bombing in 1945. Since 1946, Pleizenhausen 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 ....
.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the village was stricken remarkably often by catastrophic fires, leading people to muse that the village’s old name Blitzenhusen might have been an old curse that was still affecting Pleizenhausen in the present (Blitz means “lightning” in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
). In June 1998, the municipality celebrated its 900-year jubilee with a great festival.
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.
Mayor
Pleizenhausen’s mayor is Peter Graus, and his deputies are Norbert Vogt and Heinz Haunert.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:
- EvangelicalEvangelical Church in GermanyThe Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
parish church, Hauptstraße 4 – 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...
, marked 1794; standing before it, a cross - Saint Wendelin’sWendelin of TrierSaint 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...
Catholic Church (Kirche St. Wendelin), Oberweseler Straße 2 – aisleless church, marked 1772; whole complex of buildings with graveyard - Hauptstraße 7 – L-shaped estate; building with half-hipped roof, timber framingTimber 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...
plastered, early 19th century