Retterath
Encyclopedia
Retterath 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.
until the late 18th century, Retterath belonged to the County of Virneburg.
Up above Retterath runs a hiking trail around the Hochkelberg
. The twelve-kilometre-long path leads by places that are steeped in both history and blood. In the village, there was on Electoral-Trier-held lands a Virneburg high court occupied by 3 Heimburgen – roughly equivalent to “mayors” – from Retterath, Mannebach
and Lirstal
and 7 Schöffen (roughly “lay jurists”), according to a Weistum from 1468 (a Weistum – cognate with English
wisdom – was a legal pronouncement issued by men learned in law in the Middle Ages
and early modern times). The reconstructed gallows
remind one that this County of Virneburg blood court
held its executions
here in the woods. The condemned were not only hanged
from the gallows, but also, according to each one’s sentence, broken on the wheel
, drawn and quartered
or beheaded
. A stone’s throw from the gallows lies the Grüner Weiher, a pond where once women who had killed their child were drowned. In those days, women were also deemed guilty if they had become pregnant by rape
or if they were too poor to raise their child.
In 1809, the village had, together with Arbach
and Salcherath, its own municipal area. Under Prussia
n administration, Retterath was a municipality in the Bürgermeisterei (“Mayoralty”) of Kelberg
in the Adenau district.
In the 1820s, a killer was on the loose around Retterath. Five people fell victim to the one-armed fiend who throughout the region was known simply as Stumpfarm – “Stump-Arm”.
In the course of administrative restructuring in Rhineland-Palatinate
in 1970, the municipality, along with the others in the Amt of Kelberg, was assigned to the Daun district, which has since been given the name Vulkaneifel.
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: Per fess wavy, azure a dove volant bearing an oil jug in its beak argent, and Or seven lozenges gules, four and three.
The municipality’s and the church’s patron saint is Saint Remigius
, whose attribute is the dove bearing an oil jug in its beak, thus explaining the charge
above the line of partition. In feudal
times, Retterath belonged, as an Electoral-Trier fief, to the County of Virneburg. The charge below the line of partition is from the arms formerly borne by the Counts of Virneburg. An 18th-century court seal from Retterath also bore this device.
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.
History
In 954, Retterath had its first documentary mention in some documents from Archbishop of Trier Ruotbert (d. 956). From the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The 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...
until the late 18th century, Retterath belonged to the County of Virneburg.
Up above Retterath runs a hiking trail around the Hochkelberg
Hochkelberg
At the Hochkelberg is one of the ten highest mountains in the Vulkan Eifel in Germany. It is a former stratovolcano, at the southern foot of which lies the Mosbrucher Weiher, an explosion crater lake or maar. Below the summit of the Hochkelberg is a transmission tower.Originally the mountain...
. The twelve-kilometre-long path leads by places that are steeped in both history and blood. In the village, there was on Electoral-Trier-held lands a Virneburg high court occupied by 3 Heimburgen – roughly equivalent to “mayors” – from Retterath, Mannebach
Mannebach, Vulkaneifel
Mannebach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
and Lirstal
Lirstal
Lirstal is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
and 7 Schöffen (roughly “lay jurists”), according to a Weistum from 1468 (a Weistum – cognate with English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
wisdom – was a legal pronouncement issued by men learned in law in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The 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...
and early modern times). The reconstructed gallows
Gallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
remind one that this County of Virneburg blood court
Blood court
Blood Court or high justice in the Holy Roman Empire referred to the right of a Vogt to hold a criminal court inflicting bodily punishment, including the death penalty.Not every Vogt held the blood court...
held its executions
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
here in the woods. The condemned were not only hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
from the gallows, but also, according to each one’s sentence, broken on the wheel
Breaking wheel
The breaking wheel, also known as the Catherine wheel or simply the wheel, was a torture device used for capital punishment in the Middle Ages and early modern times for public execution by bludgeoning to death...
, drawn and quartered
Hanged, drawn and quartered
To be hanged, drawn and quartered was from 1351 a penalty in England for men convicted of high treason, although the ritual was first recorded during the reigns of King Henry III and his successor, Edward I...
or beheaded
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
. A stone’s throw from the gallows lies the Grüner Weiher, a pond where once women who had killed their child were drowned. In those days, women were also deemed guilty if they had become pregnant by rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
or if they were too poor to raise their child.
In 1809, the village had, together with Arbach
Arbach
Arbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
and Salcherath, its own municipal area. Under 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...
n administration, Retterath was a municipality in the Bürgermeisterei (“Mayoralty”) of Kelberg
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...
in the Adenau district.
In the 1820s, a killer was on the loose around Retterath. Five people fell victim to the one-armed fiend who throughout the region was known simply as Stumpfarm – “Stump-Arm”.
In the course of administrative restructuring 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 ....
in 1970, the municipality, along with the others in the Amt of Kelberg, was assigned to the Daun district, which has since been given the name Vulkaneifel.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 8 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
Retterath’s mayor is Hermann Hay, and his deputies are Leo Schüller and Franz-Josef Simon.Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: Durch Wellenschnitt von Blau über Gold geteilt, oben eine fliegende weiße Taube mit weißem Ölkrug im Schnabel, unten 7 (4:3) rote Rauten balkenweise.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: Per fess wavy, azure a dove volant bearing an oil jug in its beak argent, and Or seven lozenges gules, four and three.
The municipality’s and the church’s patron saint is Saint Remigius
Saint Remigius
Saint Remigius, Remy or Remi, , was Bishop of Reims and Apostle of the Franks, . On 24 December 496 he baptised Clovis I, King of the Franks...
, whose attribute is the dove bearing an oil jug in its beak, thus explaining 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...
above the line of partition. 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, Retterath belonged, as an Electoral-Trier fief, to the County of Virneburg. The charge below the line of partition is from the arms formerly borne by the Counts of Virneburg. An 18th-century court seal from Retterath also bore this device.
Buildings
- Saint RemigiusSaint RemigiusSaint Remigius, Remy or Remi, , was Bishop of Reims and Apostle of the Franks, . On 24 December 496 he baptised Clovis I, King of the Franks...
’s Catholic Parish Church (Pfarrkirche St. Remigius), Kirchstraße – Gothic RevivalGothic Revival architectureThe Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
basilica of slateSlateSlate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
quarrystone, 1862; churchyard/missionary cross from 1841. - At Brunnenstraße 1 – plastered building, apparently from 1880.
- Hauptstraße 18 – one-and-a-half-floor 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, from 18th century (?). - Hauptstraße 27 a – timber-frame house, partly solid, left half possibly from 18th century, right half newer.
- Hauptstraße/corner of Lindenstraße – wayside cross, basaltBasaltBasalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
shaft cross from 1751. - Kirchstraße 1 – timber-frame house, partly solid or slated, latter half of 19th century.
- Kirchstraße 8 a – solid house from 1743.
- Lindenstraße/corner of Hauptstraße – wayside cross, basalt shaft cross from 1748.