Thalfang
Encyclopedia
The climatic spa of Thalfang is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich
district
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
. It is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Thalfang am Erbeskopf
.
on the Hunsrückhöhenstraße (“Hunsrück Heights Road”, a scenic road across the Hunsrück built originally as a military road on Hermann Göring
’s orders), some 7 km northwest of the Erbeskopf
. Thalfang lies roughly 25 km southeast of Wittlich
and 25 km east of Trier
. Through the municipality flows the Thalfanger Bach.
On a map of the Archbishopric of Trier from 1645, the village is shown as Thalfinck.
Only under French
rule was the Mark Dhronecken dissolved, and the Mayoralties (Mairies) of Talling
and Thalfang came into being. To the Mayoralty of Thalfang also belonged the villages of Bäsch, Burtscheid
, Deuselbach
, Dhronecken, Etgert
, Hilscheid
, Immert
, Malborn
, Rorodt
and a place called Röderbach, which was forsaken about 1900. However, only 19 years later, once the Prussia
ns held sway in the region, the Mayoralties of Talling and Thalfang were united into an entity called the Amt of Thalfang. Since 1947, Thalfang has belonged to the state
of Rhineland-Palatinate
. On 7 June 1969, the Ortsgemeinde of Bäsch was amalgamated with Thalfang. In the years from 1969 to 1972, the Ortsgemeinden of Gräfendhron
, Horath
, Merschbach
, Büdlich
, Breit
and Heidenburg
were grouped together with Thalfang to form the Verbandsgemeinde of Thalfang am Erbeskopf
.
Among other historical events it might be noted that Erich Honecker
, later the East German leader, worked as a roofer in the 1920s during construction of what was then to be the new town hall.
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
The municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results:
might be described thus: Argent a cross abased and to dexter gules, surmounting the centre of which two salmon addorsed of the field between four crosses Or, in sinister chief, an arched church gateway with gates closed sable.
The red cross on the silver field refers to the former allegiance to the Electorate of Trier. The two salmon among the four golden crosses are drawn from the arms formerly borne by the Counts of Salm (Salm means “salmon” in German
). They refer to Count Ernst, the only one of the Waldgraves and Rhinegraves from this family who is buried at the graveyard in Thalfang; the salmon motif is also carved into his gravestone. The Rost (“grille”), the way into the churchyard, stands as a symbol for the oldest building in Thalfang.
and Morbach
.
, Trier
and the Erbeskopf
, as well as the relatively short distance to Luxembourg
and France
, make Thalfang a popular holiday destination.
(1815-1889). The German engineer and chemist Wilhelm Kathol died in Thalfang in 1944.
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 Bernkastel-Wittlich
Bernkastel-Wittlich
Bernkastel-Wittlich is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Vulkaneifel, Cochem-Zell, Rhein-Hunsrück, Birkenfeld, Trier-Saarburg and Bitburg-Prüm.- History :...
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 is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Thalfang am Erbeskopf
Thalfang am Erbeskopf
Thalfang am Erbeskopf is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Bernkastel-Wittlich, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Its seat of administration is in Thalfang....
.
Location
The municipality lies in the western 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...
on the Hunsrückhöhenstraße (“Hunsrück Heights Road”, a scenic road across the Hunsrück built originally as a military road on Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
’s orders), some 7 km northwest of the Erbeskopf
Erbeskopf
The Erbeskopf in the Hunsrück in Germany is a mountain with a height of 816 m. It forms the highest point in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, as well as the highest point of German territory on the left bank of the Rhine.-External links:*...
. Thalfang lies roughly 25 km southeast of Wittlich
Wittlich
The town of Wittlich is the seat of the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and thereby the middle centre for a feeder area of 56 municipalities in the Eifel and Moselle area with its population of roughly 64,000...
and 25 km east of 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....
. Through the municipality flows the Thalfanger Bach.
History
In 632, Thalfang had its first documentary mention. Beginning in the 12th century, Thalfang belonged to the Mark Dhronecken.On a map of the Archbishopric of Trier from 1645, the village is shown as Thalfinck.
Only 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 was the Mark Dhronecken dissolved, and the Mayoralties (Mairies) of Talling
Talling
Talling is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
and Thalfang came into being. To the Mayoralty of Thalfang also belonged the villages of Bäsch, Burtscheid
Burtscheid, Rhineland-Palatinate
Burtscheid is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Deuselbach
Deuselbach
Deuselbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Dhronecken, Etgert
Etgert
Etgert is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Hilscheid
Hilscheid
Hilscheid is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Immert
Immert
Immert is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Malborn
Malborn
Malborn is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Rorodt
Rorodt
Rorodt is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
and a place called Röderbach, which was forsaken about 1900. However, only 19 years later, once the 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...
ns held sway in the region, the Mayoralties of Talling and Thalfang were united into an entity called the Amt of Thalfang. Since 1947, Thalfang has belonged to the 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 ....
. On 7 June 1969, the Ortsgemeinde of Bäsch was amalgamated with Thalfang. In the years from 1969 to 1972, the Ortsgemeinden of Gräfendhron
Gräfendhron
Gräfendhron is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Horath
Horath
Horath is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Merschbach
Merschbach
Merschbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Büdlich
Büdlich
Büdlich is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Breit
Breit
Breit may refer to:* Breit, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany* Breit equation* Relativistic Breit-Wigner distribution* Breit Rabi Oscillation, Rabi cycle- Persons with the surname Breit :* Franz Breit , Obstetrician...
and Heidenburg
Heidenburg
Heidenburg is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
were grouped together with Thalfang to form the Verbandsgemeinde of Thalfang am Erbeskopf
Thalfang am Erbeskopf
Thalfang am Erbeskopf is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Bernkastel-Wittlich, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Its seat of administration is in Thalfang....
.
Among other historical events it might be noted that Erich Honecker
Erich Honecker
Erich Honecker was a German communist politician who led the German Democratic Republic as General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1971 until 1989, serving as Head of State as well from Willi Stoph's relinquishment of that post in 1976....
, later the East German leader, worked as a roofer in the 1920s during construction of what was then to be the new town hall.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 16 council members, who were elected by proportional representationProportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
The municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results:
| SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
CDU | FDP Free Democratic Party (Germany) The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government... |
FL | Total | |
| 2009 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 16 seats |
| 2004 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 16 seats |
| 1999 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 16 seats |
Coat of arms
The municipality’s armsCoat 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 be described thus: Argent a cross abased and to dexter gules, surmounting the centre of which two salmon addorsed of the field between four crosses Or, in sinister chief, an arched church gateway with gates closed sable.
The red cross on the silver field refers to the former allegiance to the Electorate of Trier. The two salmon among the four golden crosses are drawn from the arms formerly borne by the Counts of Salm (Salm means “salmon” 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....
). They refer to Count Ernst, the only one of the Waldgraves and Rhinegraves from this family who is buried at the graveyard in Thalfang; the salmon motif is also carved into his gravestone. The Rost (“grille”), the way into the churchyard, stands as a symbol for the oldest building in Thalfang.
Established businesses
Thalfang is headquarters to the Hochwald Nahrungsmittel-Werke (“foodworks”), the biggest commercial enterprise in the Trier region and one of Germany’s biggest dairy businesses.Transport
Thalfang lies on the Hunsrückhöhenstraße between HermeskeilHermeskeil
Hermeskeil is a town in the Trier-Saarburg district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Hunsrück, approx. 25 km southeast of Trier...
and Morbach
Morbach
Morbach is a municipality that belongs to no Verbandsgemeinde – a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
.
Tourism
The idyllic location and the proximity to tourist destinations such as the MoselleMoselle
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...
, 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....
and the Erbeskopf
Erbeskopf
The Erbeskopf in the Hunsrück in Germany is a mountain with a height of 816 m. It forms the highest point in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, as well as the highest point of German territory on the left bank of the Rhine.-External links:*...
, as well as the relatively short distance to Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and 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...
, make Thalfang a popular holiday destination.
Sons and daughters of the town
Thalfang’s foremost son is the rabbi and philosopher Samuel HirschSamuel Hirsch
Samuel Hirsch, was a major Reform religious philosopher and rabbi.-Biography:Born in Thalfang , he received his training at Metz...
(1815-1889). The German engineer and chemist Wilhelm Kathol died in Thalfang in 1944.