Walsdorf, Rhineland-Palatinate
Encyclopedia
Walsdorf 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 Hillesheim
, whose seat is in the like-named town
.
in the Vulkaneifel
, 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.
; however, it is not universally agreed that this is a reference to Walsdorf. It is certain, though, that there were landholdings on the Arensberg (mountain) in 1023. In 1353, a Centerei Walsdorf (“tithing centre of Walsdorf”). On 17 March 1974, the formerly self-administering municipality of Zilsdorf was amalgamated with Walsdorf.
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:
The municipality’s arms
might in English heraldic
language be described thus: Argent a bend sinister gules charged with three cinquefoils Or pierced azure, the whole between an annulet and a fleur-de-lis, both of the second.
Both Walsdorf and the formerly separate centre of Zilsdorf lay under the Imperially immediate ownership of the Dukes of Arenberg
in the Middle Ages
. They bore three cinquefoils (this device is so-called in English heraldry, but the German blazon describes them as Mispelblüten, German
for common medlar blossoms) in the same tincture
s in which they appear in Walsdorf’s arms (and the field in their arms was of the same tincture as the bend sinister in Walsdorf’s arms). These cinquefoils now appear as a charge
in the municipal arms to recall this era in the municipality’s history. The annulet is Saint Arnulf’s
attribute and the lily Saint Anthony’s
, thus representing the municipality’s two patron saints, the former being Walsdorf’s and the latter Zilsdorf’s. In each case, the saint is both the village’s and the church’s patron.
, the lava
quarry
in the south of Walsdorf and the volcanic
crater Arensberg (also called Arnulphusberg) in the north.
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 Hillesheim
Hillesheim (Verbandsgemeinde)
Hillesheim is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district Vulkaneifel, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Hillesheim....
, whose seat is in the like-named town
Hillesheim
Hillesheim is the third largest town in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde, to which it also belongs.- Location :...
.
Location
The municipality lies roughly 3 km southeast of HillesheimHillesheim
Hillesheim is the third largest town in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde, to which it also belongs.- Location :...
in the Vulkaneifel
Vulkan 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.
Constituent communities
The neighbouring community of Zilsdorf was amalgamated with Walsdorf on 17 March 1974.History
In 806, Villa Wallemaresdorp had its first documentary mention in a document dealing with a donation to Prüm AbbeyPrüm 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....
; however, it is not universally agreed that this is a reference to Walsdorf. It is certain, though, that there were landholdings on the Arensberg (mountain) in 1023. In 1353, a Centerei Walsdorf (“tithing centre of Walsdorf”). On 17 March 1974, the formerly self-administering municipality of Zilsdorf was amalgamated with Walsdorf.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 12 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:
| Schäfer | Meyers | Müller | Slupek | Total | |
| 2009 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 12 seats |
Mayor
Walsdorf’s mayor is Horst Kolitsch; the representative from the outlying centre of Zilsdorf is Andreas Gross.Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: In silbernem Schild ein schräglinker, roter Balken, belegt mit 3 goldenen Mispelblüten mit blauen Butzen, oben begleitet von einem roten Ring, unten von einer roten Lilie.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: Argent a bend sinister gules charged with three cinquefoils Or pierced azure, the whole between an annulet and a fleur-de-lis, both of the second.
Both Walsdorf and the formerly separate centre of Zilsdorf lay under the Imperially immediate ownership of the Dukes of Arenberg
Arenberg
Arenberg, also spelled as Aremberg or Ahremberg, is a historic county, principality and finally duchy located in modern Germany. The Dukes of Arenberg remain a prominent Belgian aristocratic family.- History :...
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...
. They bore three cinquefoils (this device is so-called in English heraldry, but the German blazon describes them as Mispelblüten, 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....
for common medlar blossoms) in the same tincture
Tincture (heraldry)
In heraldry, tinctures are the colours used to emblazon a coat of arms. These can be divided into several categories including light tinctures called metals, dark tinctures called colours, nonstandard colours called stains, furs, and "proper". A charge tinctured proper is coloured as it would be...
s in which they appear in Walsdorf’s arms (and the field in their arms was of the same tincture as the bend sinister in Walsdorf’s arms). These cinquefoils now appear as a 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...
in the municipal arms to recall this era in the municipality’s history. The annulet is Saint Arnulf’s
Arnulf of Metz
Saint Arnulf of Metz was a Frankish bishop of Metz and advisor to the Merovingian court of Austrasia, who retired to the Abbey of Remiremont....
attribute and the lily Saint Anthony’s
Anthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua or Anthony of Lisbon, O.F.M., was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. Though he died in Padua, Italy, he was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, which is where he was raised...
, thus representing the municipality’s two patron saints, the former being Walsdorf’s and the latter Zilsdorf’s. In each case, the saint is both the village’s and the church’s patron.
Buildings
- Saint Arnulf’sArnulf of MetzSaint Arnulf of Metz was a Frankish bishop of Metz and advisor to the Merovingian court of Austrasia, who retired to the Abbey of Remiremont....
Catholic Parish Church (Pfarrkirche St. Arnulf), Koblenzer Straße 16 – ClassicistClassicismClassicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
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...
, 1828. - Bergstraße 5 – estate complex; four-axis house, possibly from the late 19th century; bakehouse/house for elderly, from 1808; commercial building, partly 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...
, 18th century (or older?). - Goßbergstraße 3 – estate along street with lengthy commercial section.
- Beside Kirchstraße 9 – Quereinhaus (a combination residential and commercial house divided for these two purposes down the middle, perpendicularly to the street), 1786.
- Kölner Straße (no number) – former railway station on the Ahrtalbahn (railway), Renaissance Revival building with half-hipped roof, original coloured glazing, apparently from 1910.
- Kölner Straße 24 – Quereinhaus, apparently from 1890.
- Tannenweg 5 – villaVillaA villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
, historicized plastered building, possibly from between 1915 and 1920. - Graveyard, southeast of the village – 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,...
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...
shaft cross from 1680. - Wayside cross, east of the village on the road to Zilsdorf – post-Baroque shaft cross from 1812.
Zilsdorf
- Saint Anthony’sAnthony of PaduaAnthony of Padua or Anthony of Lisbon, O.F.M., was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. Though he died in Padua, Italy, he was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, which is where he was raised...
Catholic Church (branch church; Filialkirche St. Antonius), Antoniusweg 2 – biaxial aisleless church, 1815. - Auf der Steip 9 – parallel estate, building with half-hipped roof, 19th century, stately 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...
commercial building, partly solid, 18th century. - Auf der Steip 10 – one-floor Quereinhaus, apparently from 1887.
- Hauptstraße 9 – estate along street; house from 1817, commercial building from 1826.
- Wayside cross, west of the village on the road to Walsdorf – shaft cross from 1817.
- Wayside cross, northwest of the village beside the entrance to the wayside chapelChapelA 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,...
– shaft cross, possibly from early 19th century.
Natural monuments
Worthy of note are the Walsdorfer Trockenmaar, a dried-up maarMaar
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...
, the lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
in the south of Walsdorf and the volcanic
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
crater Arensberg (also called Arnulphusberg) in the north.