Gerolstein

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coat of arms Germany map
Coat of arms of the city of Gerolstein
Gerolstein
Map of Germany, position of the city of Gerolstein highlighted

Coordinates: 50 ° 13 ′  N , 6 ° 40 ′  E

Basic data
State : Rhineland-Palatinate
County : Vulkaneifel
Association municipality : Gerolstein
Height : 358 m above sea level NHN
Area : 64.38 km 2
Residents: 7757 (Dec. 31, 2019)
Population density : 120 inhabitants per km 2
Postal code : 54568
Primaries : 06591, 06558
License plate : DAU
Community key : 07 2 33 026
City structure: 10 districts (with core city)
Association administration address: Kyllweg 1
54568 Gerolstein
Website : gerolstein.org
City Mayor : Uwe Schneider ( SPD )
Location of the city of Gerolstein in the Vulkaneifel district
Scheid Hallschlag Ormont Kerschenbach Reuth Stadtkyll Jünkerath Schüller Gönnersdorf Esch Feusdorf Lissendorf Birgel Steffeln Wiesbaum Berndorf Hillesheim (Eifel) Oberbettingen Basberg Kerpen (Eifel) Üxheim Nohn Oberehe-Stroheich Walsdorf Dohm-Lammersdorf Duppach Kalenborn-Scheuern Rockeskyll Pelm Berlingen Hohenfels-Essingen Gerolstein Neroth Birresborn Kopp (Vulkaneifel) Mürlenbach Densborn Salm Dreis-Brück Betteldorf Daun Dockweiler Hinterweiler Kirchweiler Kradenbach Nerdlen Sarmersbach Gefell Hörscheid Darscheid Utzerath Schönbach Steiningen Steineberg Demerath Winkel (Eifel) Immerath Strotzbüsch Mückeln Strohn Gillenfeld Ellscheid Saxler Udler Mehren Schalkenmehren Üdersdorf Brockscheid Bleckhausen Oberstadtfeld Wallenborn Niederstadtfeld Weidenbach Schutz Meisburg Deudesfeld Borler Bongard Boxberg Neichen Beinhausen Katzwinkel Hörschhausen Berenbach Kötterichen Höchstberg Kaperich Lirstal Oberelz Arbach Retterath Uersfeld Mannebach Bereborn Kolverath Sassen Gunderath Horperath Ueß Mosbruch Kelberg Gelenberg Bodenbach Reimerath Welcherath Brücktal Kirsbach Drees Nitz Landkreis Mayen-Koblenz Landkreis Cochem-Zell Landkreis Bernkastel-Wittlich Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm Nordrhein-Westfalen Landkreis Ahrweiler Belgienmap
About this picture
Gerolstein, aerial photo (2015)

Gerolstein an der Kyll is a town in the Eifel in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate . It is the administrative seat of the association of the same name and in terms of population just behind the district town of Daun, it is the second largest municipality in the district; In terms of area, however, the largest. The Gerolsteiner Brunnen beverage company is located in the village . Gerolstein is a state-approved climatic health resort and designated as a middle center according to state planning .

City structure

The city of Gerolstein is divided into ten districts or districts:

district associated living spaces
Bewing In the Wiesental
Bushich In the rough meadow, low area
Gees Forest house Gees, location shooting range Gees
Core city Buchenhof, Ferienorf Felsenhof, fish breeding establishment, Fuchsbau, Haus Waldfrieden, Immenhof, Im Schleifmühlchen, Meerfelder Hof, Nollenborn, Reginenhof, Sandborn, Schauerbach, Tannenhof, Waldhof, Wiesenhof
Hinterhausen -
Lissingen Denkelseifen, Eifel barracks, Hof Schwammert
Michelbach Forsthaus Grindelborn
Müllenborn House Weitblick, Lenzenhof, Schäferhof, school camp
Oos Sonnenhof
Roth House on the bush
Müllenborn, aerial photo (2015)
Oos, aerial photo (2015)

history

Core city Gerolstein

From the region immediately around Gerolstein, sites of the Paleolithic Age are known with the Buchenloch and the Magdalenahöhle , which attest to the presence of both the Neanderthal and the first modern humans. In the Bronze Age the Dietzenley was used by the Celts as a refuge. Temples and dwellings are known from Roman times and have been preserved in remnants.

Gerolstein on a map from the 16th century (grid lines 20–50)

A form of name of Gerolstein first appeared in connection with the building of the Löwenburg in 1115 as Gerhardstein Castle . Gerolstein was granted city rights in 1336. In 1691 the city was almost completely destroyed by Jülich troops when it was liberated from French occupation. After the reconstruction, fires in 1708 and 1784 again almost completely destroyed the city. In the Treaty of Lunéville in 1801, Gerolstein on the left bank of the Rhine fell to France. As a sovereign, Count Sternberg-Manderscheid was awarded the goods of the former Weissenau and Schussenried monasteries in Upper Swabia as compensation for the loss of Blankenheim, Jünkerath, Gerolstein and Dollendorf in the 1803 Reichsdeputationshauptschluss . Due to the resolutions of the Congress of Vienna , Gerolstein came to the Kingdom of Prussia in 1815 .

Mineral water fountain in the park

There is evidence that water has been bottled and sold at the mineral spring, which was already used by the Celts and Romans , since 1724. This forms the basis for the Gerolsteiner mineral water industry to this day. At the end of the Second World War (1944/45), 80 percent of Gerolstein's railway junction was destroyed by bombing. The city charter was reassigned in 1953.

Bewingen district

Bewingen, aerial photo (2016)

Bewingen is the northernmost district of the city of Gerolstein and is three kilometers from the city center. Here the Kyll flows in a large arc around the mighty dolomite and basalt massifs , which stretch from west to east. The valley narrows, and only the railway line, a field road and the river have room in the valley floor. The street looks for its way to Gerolstein over the Bewinger Höhe and thus shortens the way to the nearby central center a lot. This is caused by the two volcanic elevations, the Kasselburg massif with Burlich and the Hahn on the western side of the Kyll, two attached volcanic cones, and the Rockeskyller head , also a volcanic representative on the eastern side of the Kyll, which with its volcanic rocks and lava deposits, Ashes and cinder from the Quaternary period narrow the river valley.

Kasselburg ruins near Pelm (near Gerolstein)

The ending -ingen indicates an early Alemannic settlement. Bewingen was first mentioned in documents in 1218 as the property of the monastery and church of Niederehe. There, in the years 1162 to 1175, the brothers Theoderich, Alexander and Albero from Kerpen Castle established a foundation for the Premonstratensian women. Bewingen was next mentioned in writing in 1282. In that year, Gerhard IV. Von Blankenheim acquired lands, a. a. Steffeln, Niederbettingen and Bewingen. In the Middle Ages, the lords of Kasselburg and Gerhardstein Castle (Gerolstein) also owned land and titled rights in the place. During the French period, from 1794, Bewingen was assigned to the Mairie Rockeskyll . Even in Prussian times, the place remained with the Rockeskyll mayor. The formerly independent municipality of Bewingen has been incorporated into the city of Gerolstein since 1969.

One of the oldest buildings is the small chapel, consecrated to St. Brixius , which was repaired in 1744/45. Its late Gothic choir points to a previous church, which was probably built around 1500.

Büscheich / Niedereich district

Büscheich-Niedereich is about five kilometers from the city center. The oldest written mention comes from the year 1352. Niedereich was first mentioned in 1398.

In 1501 the Eich (Niedereich) family farm belonged to the Gerolstein county. On May 13, 1661 the Eich Erbhof was divided into Lower and Upper Range.

When the French occupied the Eifel in the 18th century, the counts lost all possessions. After the French were driven out, the Eifel became Prussian. In 1815 the Prussian government renamed the town of Obereich to Büscheich.

Gees district

Gees, a district of Gerolstein since December 1, 1973 - previously an independent municipality - is located 2.5 km east of the city center of Gerolstein and has approx. 300 inhabitants. The first written mention of the place can be found in a Prüm document from the year 1136. In 1353 Gees together with Hundswinkel (a desert north-east of Neroth), Hengstweiler (desert east of Gees), Hof Hane (near Neroth) and Pelm as a tithe sold to the Archbishop of Trier. Nothing is known about the origin of the peculiar name Gees. Instead, the place was usually called "Gense" in historical documents; so in a document from 1364, in which Roylff von Buydisheim (Büdesheim) assigned his tithe to "Gensen" to the Lord von Schönecken as a fief. The resulting noble family wrote itself Gense. At the end of the 18th century during the French occupation, Gees consisted only of individual houses and farms that belonged to the municipality of Pelm. It was not until the Prussian era that Gees became its own municipality and the local ban was established. During the Second World War, Gees was the scene of a disaster. Around 7:30 a.m. on November 4, 1944, a cruise missile - a V1 - fell in the middle of a residential building and the stables belonging to it. Troops had parked an ammunition truck in a barn next door; the grenades burst at the same time as the V1 explosive charge. The detonation caused a powerful wave of tremors that only subsided far beyond the municipal boundary. The two houses opposite were also completely destroyed, and a neighboring house was badly damaged. The pressure of the explosion threw people and cattle for meters through the air and covered roofs almost everywhere in the village. There were 13 fatalities. No less is the number of those who suffered a serious ailment for life.

The Geeser Church “St. Nikolaus ”- belonging to the parish of Gerolstein - is the center of the village. There are sparse historical sources about the construction of the Gees chapel. The church is mentioned in the history of the parishes of the Diocese of Trier in 1580; she has St. Nicholas as her patron. The church was added on several times. In 1904, a new building was added to the former east tower that was still standing.

The Gees trilobite field is also world-famous among paleontologists and geologists . Systematic excavation work and novel preparation methods led to the uncovering of numerous exceptional specimens, which were distributed worldwide in paleontological museums and collections. The rush of countless collectors and the rampant destruction of the original rock, flora and fauna led to the temporary protection as a nature reserve. Today digging and collecting fossils in the trilobite fields is prohibited.

At the eastern edge, exit towards Neroth, approx. 30 m below the village hall, there is the "Geeser Drees" (in the Vulkaneifel mineral fountains are also called "Dreese".) Here an artesian spring gushes in a sandstone enclosure - i. H. the mineral water flows out of its own accord on the surface of the earth - with its very own mineralization. The Geeser Drees is one of the iron-rich springs, which can be easily recognized by the fact that the water drains and the spring pot are covered with rust-red iron hydroxides and oxides. The spring is freely accessible all year round and can be tasted.

Furthermore, it deserves special mention that the age-old pagan custom of driving out winter, known as “Scheiwe Sonndesch” or “Scheiben Sonntag”, has been preserved in Gees. In Gees, winter has been driven out with a burning straw wheel for many generations. This is to welcome spring and drive away the harsh winter. To do this, the young people of the village wrap a wheel with straw and let it roll down the slope of the “Baarlay” when it gets dark. The quieter the bike, the better the year becomes, according to tradition. Eggs and bacon collected in the village are then eaten. Alternatively, there is also "Heedeligkooche" (buckwheat pancakes) made with sparkling water from the Geeser Drees. The "Scheiwe Sonndesch" takes place on the first weekend after Shrovetide.

Hinterhausen district

Hinterhausen is on the edge of volcanic mountains, in the west of the Daun district in the Gerolstein community. In the course of the general regional reform, the independent municipality became a district of Gerolstein in 1969. The place is 5 km from the city. Seen southwest from there, on the ridge, in front of the forest in the distance. The forest trees close off the view to the west. Due to the high altitude, there is not so much moisture in the spring and so the fruit tree blossom is often spared from cold spring frosts. The place can be found between Dreisbach and Huntsbach, the side valleys of the Kyll. It is surrounded by meadows and fields. The waters from Lombach and Lehmbach to Dreisbach meander through these. From the federal road 410 Gerolstein – Prüm, the district road 31 branches off shortly after Lissingen in the direction of Kopp. The road goes through the village. At a distance of 2 km it crosses the Birresborn – Büdesheim district road (K 77) while still in the Hinterhausener Bann. In the vicinity of this intersection, the parcel “Litt” borders the Bitburg-Prüm district.

Once a settlement of 4, later 5 residential buildings with utility buildings and a place of prayer. The landlord had his property in Lissingen. There was reason to build a castle there in the 11th century. No wasteland was free to the east. The population increased and there was a lack of land. That left only the clearing to the west. This resulted in the establishment of a small settlement in Hinterhausen. The ending Hausen comes from the Franconian period (11th – 13th centuries). According to the ancestors' statements, it was Hinterhausen for the castle owners and the valley dwellers from Lissingen - over there the houses? It was the capital of one of the six Zennerei (Centnerei, von centum Hundert). The place seems to have come to Prüm after the 13th century because it is not mentioned in the - registro bonorum Prümimsium - from 1222. During the French administration, Hinterhausen belonged to the Mairie Büdesheim in the canton of Prüm. In 1775 there was a description of the ban for Lissingen and Hinterhausen.

After the agrarian reform in 1810, the big turning point was for farms. With the division of real estate came the fragmentation of property. The lands were divided into many inheritances to the children or heirs. We find many dwarf plots, especially near the village. Some property transfers took place through marriage or - however - according to the needs of the inheritance participants. For some enterprising young people, the division of real estate created a new livelihood. They were used to a busy day with extensive field work, responsible treatment of animals and a rural life. In 1852 there were 9 houses and 70 residents in the village. In 1945 there were 14 houses in the village, 13 of which were mainly farms with a total of 335 hectares of land. A major change has occurred since the last war. Many landowners no longer manage their inheritance. You have chosen other professions. More and more farms are giving up. Structural change, that's what it is called. Others still see their land as a hidden reserve and they lease out their land. At the present time in 2002 there are still 304 hectares of land on Hinterhausener Bann.

Litt is a hallway that is already mentioned in 964 in the feudal register of the Prüm Abbey. The land belonged to the Büdesheim court. Probably some of it came to Lissingen Castle through the Zennerei. Titles are mentioned in the register. From this, 2/3 of the remaining 1/3 fall to the current pastor in Büdesheim. Own live from this place and pay annually

  • Hanßen von Hinterhausen 9 alb and I Hahn
  • Hofmann there 6 2 and 2 cocks
  • Brauns 11 alb and 1 cock
  • Schulteßen 3 1/2 alb and 1 tap

The fact that there were no fixed borders here is proven by a land register from the Prüm monastery from the year 893. In 1936 Litt is drained. The water is drained in drainage pipes towards Huntsbach. Gorse and hedges are cleared. This creates more arable land for Hinterhausen.

House names until 1955
The village house names arose partly from the origin of a person, partly from their occupation and, not least, are derived from a personal peculiarity of the person named.
Surname origin date
Wipe Weber 1903
Prejel on the Brühl 1867
Scrappy chandler 1870
Bakes 1781
Hansen Ardennes House 1856
Hommels 1913
Iron ice 1891
Virbrungens Brauns in front circa 1900
Honebrungens Brauns in the back 1860
Scholzen Schulteßen 1858
Zeiyen formerly Luzia Hermes Zey 1838
Landenberg from Landenberg 1876
Churches at the church 1828
Justify Quote from the builder: "It does not follow my Just" 1832

In the years 1921-22 a power supply was built in the Daun district. Electricity came to our village. The power supply was scarce. In the first few years only 15 watt light bulbs were allowed to be used. Each household was only allowed 10 lighting points.

It was only from 1925 onwards that electric motors were designated for German agriculture, which also affects our village, as they were an enormous relief for threshing and wood cutting. The industrial mass production of the radio (people's receiver) made it possible for many families in the smallest villages to hear the most important news and entertainment programs even before the war.

In 1944, the increasing air strikes on overhead lines and other power supply facilities resulted in more and more unplanned power interruptions. Then in the war situation for a long time to a total power failure - also in our area. The long-forgotten sources of light such as candles, kerosene, oil and carbide lamps were honored again. As early as 1950, the regulations on the restriction of electricity consumption were repealed. Purchasing power is increasing and many electrical appliances are conquering the market. As soon as the financial means allowed it and the prerequisites such as sockets and power lines were available, the income class made use of the new acquisition.

Due to the altitude of 475 meters, the first television in town was able to broadcast its reception very early in 1954.

Until 1910 there was still a well or (Petz) for the daily water supply in or near every house. The construction of a water pipe made these unnecessary. Almost all of them were filled up and sealed. Three springs were recorded in the Hinterhausen forest and fed through pipes into a water tank. From there, the fresh and clear spring water could be forwarded to the residential buildings through regulation. The overflow from the water sources and the water reservoir was merged into an existing stream. The stream was kept clean every year by the villagers by labor. In the village the flowing water ran through three large water troughs. These were used to drink cattle. Below the village the water was diverted, as far as it could be made, over small knolls and hills. The meadows were irrigated in a simple way. In 1969 a new water pipe was built, which is connected to the existing elevated tank of the Eifel barracks. A very large supply of water is stored here.

The sewer connection was made in 1983 for the town and the holiday park.

From 1904 a postman came to the village every morning. As in all small communities, a post office was set up, which was limited in acceptance. This also connected the place to the telephone network. The calls were received in the aid center and also made from there. Today, in the age of private telephone connections and cell phones, something like this is no longer imaginable. Hinterhausen was part of the community of Lissingen. During an inspection in the school in 1779, 4 boys and 1 girl from Hinterhausen visited the one-class school. The teacher got 1 chunk from each child who learned to read, that writes 3 albums.

Today the children for kindergarten and school are picked up in Gerolstein by bus and transported back.

In the hallway Hillenseifen and the Hufdell - Hinterhausen holiday park. In 1979 the Hinterhausen Forest Holiday Park was officially opened.

On January 12, 1953, the volunteer fire department was founded. 15 young men announced their entry. In 1959, the municipal council decided to build a joint building for the freezer and the fire station .

Roman

In the district boundary of Lissingen, northeast of Hinterhausen, there are wall remains of a large Roman villa. Rural construction: Occasionally an investigation by the Trier Provincial Museum found parts of the bathing complex. Trier Yearbook VII, V III. The Roman bricks built into the kitchen of the upper castle were found in the courtyard of the upper castle in 1913. In house number 20 in Lissingen, a 1.50 m high pine cone is walled in and concealed under plaster, which comes from the crowning of a Roman tomb. Like Sarresdorf, Lissingen emerged from a Roman settlement: both are on the right bank of the Kyll. Here, too, the Prüm Abbey takes ownership. At first the estate belonged to the Prümer Hof Büdesheim and then became an independent Prümer Zennerei. The whole thing is covered by bushes and trees.

In 1567, ore is mined in the Hinterhausen community. Even after 1840 - 1870 after the fall of the Eifel iron industry. In the district on the Lahr there are still hollows in the meadow landscape that originate from the mining of iron ore stones. We also find a quarry in the Pärdsheck district. According to oral statements, the uppermost layers were used to extract iron ore, the lower-lying stones were used for building blocks.

Wolfskaul is called a street. A few hundred years ago, according to stories from past generations, wolves looked in through the window in the evening. To protect people and pets, the (courtyard areas) courtyard buildings were built in a loose grouping in a ring road.

District of Lissingen

Lissingen is first mentioned in 1103. The striking landmark is the Lissingen Castle: It is a former moated castle from the 13th century and was divided into lower and upper castle in 1559. It was a fiefdom of the Prüm Abbey. Similar to Eltz Castle and Bürresheim Castle, Lissingen Castle was never destroyed. In addition to the Bertradaburg and Manderscheider castles, it is built from several eras.

The park in the upper castle was restored to its original condition using old postcards and engravings. In the castle garden there is a yew tree that is around 600–700 years old.

On the former Alte Lissinger Weg, this district has long since grown together with the city of Gerolstein. The district boundary on this street is the Rasbach, which rises in the Gerolstein Forest.

The ending -ingen suggests Franconian founding, but finds from Roman times show that the area around the place was settled earlier.

Michelbach district

Michelbach was first mentioned in a document in 1352, when Arnold I von Gerolstein transferred his goods there to Baldwin of Trier for money and received them back as a fief.

The small chapel of St. According to the number on the portal of the west tower, Stefanus dates from 1781; However, this date probably marks the new or reconstruction of an older chapel, because an old bell shows the year 1517. A second, which had to be delivered to the war metal collection point in 1917, bore the year 1792, according to the deceased teacher Schifferings. This bell was replaced by the Hubertus bell in 2009 on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the hunting lease due to a donation from the Hünemeyer hunting tenant family.

Michelbach has developed into a resort with a hotel and many holiday apartments.

In 1985 Michelbach was the district winner of the special class in the competition “Our village should be more beautiful”.

Müllenborn district

A special feature are the karst springs that gush in and around Müllenborn in the Oosbach valley . The "Große Müllenborn", which rises from the central Devonian Schönecker dolomite, is a main supplier for the water supply in the Gerolsteiner Land with 2,000–3,000 m³ emptying per day. In 1980 the construction of a network system for the Gerolstein community for water supply began. Almost all communities in Gerolsteiner Land were supplied with safe drinking water via this network. The maximum amount of water pumped from Müllenborn's deep well is up to 900,000 m³ annually. In the direction of Oos, the Utzig karst spring rises on the right side of the valley; There is a height difference of 3.8 meters between the natural spring outlets to the left and right of the Oos. The main source outlet is located at the top right, but you can also see bubbling outlets in the lower-lying pond on the other side of the street by means of rising bubbles.

The strong springs were already used to drive mills in the early Middle Ages, which is how the place got its name. Müllenborn once had five mills, which were not primarily flour mills, but were used for wood and iron processing.

Archabbot Caesarius von Prüm mentions Mulenburne in his 1222 commentary on the Prümer Urbar of 893 as the old mill property of the Prüm Abbey. Through an exchange of goods, the place came to the Lords of Blankenheim in 1291. At the end of the 15th century, the place belongs to the county of Gerolstein as part of the Roth farm.

The beginnings of the Müllenborn iron industry can also be traced back to this time. The prosperous town houses built by the riding masters, as the hut owners were called, still tell of the heyday of the iron industry, especially in the Napoleonic era. The location of the hut at that time can no longer be seen today, a notice board provides information. The water collecting basin (the "Klous") to drive the hammer mill, operated by a mill wheel, which can be seen next to the Antonius Chapel and the designation of the lower district of Müllenborn as "Auf der Hütte", are the last witnesses to iron extraction.

In the seventies of the last century, iron mining, peeling and piling died out with the ironworks. Time also passed through a dairy, embroidery and other small industries that used water power, as well as the stone quarries in the Rother Kopf.

The Catholic branch church of Saint Anthony of Padua dates back to 1682. It is a simple building with small windows raised up. It was probably the first chapel in Müllenborn and represents a special feature in terms of its construction and history, as it has a vaulted cellar and a storage floor. Over three hundred years ago, the then owner Johann Carl Coels had the small chapel built as a private prayer house “on the hut” out of gratitude or satisfaction. The wooden altar from the 17th century is characterized by late cartilage. In the middle niche of the wooden altar from the 17th century stands the large wooden figure of St. Anthony of Padua with the baby Jesus standing in a blessing on a Bible, next to the wooden figures of St. Joseph and John the Baptist. In many descriptions of the altar it is said that on the right side of the altar there is the figure of St. John the Evangelist. Due to clear symbols, the statue is a representation of St. John the Baptist. Only since 2004 has the donated statue of St. Antonius the altar structure, which was very venerated in Müllenborn.

A small bell was found for the year 1830, which was renewed around 1882, with the result that the predecessor, which was certainly around 200 years old, was melted down.

It was not until 1803 that Roth belonged to the diocese of Trier as a parish and Müllenborn as a parish branch. It is no longer possible to determine when the chapel was made accessible to the general public, but it can be assumed that it was opened early for the people of Müllenborn. Until 1930 it served the hut owner Schruff, the sole owner, as a private band without a verifiable contract as a branch church. The Schruff family donated the chapel to the community of Müllenborn in 1930, which means that from January 16, 1931, the place itself had to pay for the maintenance. Back then, the rush of visitors to the church was much greater than it is today, which meant that the chapel was too small and a gallery (the duck hall) was built in. When during the Second World War the big "dying of bells" began, because the metal was needed for the war industry, the bell was melted down and a new one was not purchased until 1950 by Pastor Lenz. Since this was larger and heavier, the roof structure had to be reinforced with a massive roof turret. In 1969 it was renovated and when the old paintwork was removed, tendril-shaped paintings on two ceiling beams came to light, which were lovingly restored. In 2005 the chapel was renovated.

Maintenance, design and restoration have resulted in some costs for Müllenborn since it was donated. A second chapel, the Marienkapelle, was also built in Müllenborn in 1944, which is why the chapel association was founded in 2004, which takes care of all matters of both chapels.

At the end of the village in the direction of Roth is the small Marienkapelle on Fricksbach. During the Second World War, out of fear, need and desperation, some Müllenborn citizens vowed that they would build a chapel as a token of thanks if the place and the people were spared the consequences of the war. Apart from blown bridges and damage to buildings, the village was largely spared. However, it was not until 1957 that the vow could be redeemed and planning could begin. On September 8th, the completed Lady Chapel was blessed with a donated statue of Our Lady.

At the western exit of the town there are large blocks of federal sandstone conglomerate, which geologically originate from a massive rock fall not too long ago. In addition to the so-called natural concrete, there are other types of rock formed by volcanism. An information board, which is located on the right-hand side near the exit from the village in the direction of Oos at the edge of the forest, provides information about the rocks and the large rock in front of which it is standing.

Many circular hiking and cycling trails are available; one leads to a Celtic grave on Lenzerath and another to the Peter Scholz Cross on the so-called Ooser Nase. Access to the Eifelsteig is also possible from the site and is signposted.

Anyone who sets out to Rother Kopf and walks along the farm roads above the country house will find the ice caves there, which are often a refuge for bats.

District Oos

The name Oos is believed to be derived from the Roman word Ausava. Ausava was a fortified rest station on the large Roman road Trier-Cologne, a small fort with several houses and a horse changing station. The horse trough is said to have been at the "Eschenborn" spring, which is still used today as a cattle trough.

The church tower of the Rochus Chapel is the oldest building in the Daun / Vulkaneifelkreis district and dates from the 12th century. This tower is built on the foundations of a former watchtower, while the small two-aisled structure was rebuilt in 1906/07. 1972 Oos was incorporated into the city of Gerolstein.

Roth district

Four kilometers southwest of the center of Gerolstein, the village of Roth is a district with 161 inhabitants. Presumably the name of the village can be traced back to its origin through clearing. The place "Roide" is in 1136 in a deed of donation by Bishop Adalbero III. von Basel , listed as the owner of the Prüm Abbey. At the end of the 15th century, the Roth farm then became the property of the County of Gerolstein. As the seat of the mayor and the lower jurisdiction for the surrounding villages it gained special importance.

The probably oldest house in town, the so-called "Scholzenhof", which has been preserved to this day, dates from this period.

Opposite it is the building of the Catholic Church, which defines the townscape. This has its origins in the Antonius Chapel, which is first mentioned in 1505. Even today, Antonius the hermit is the patron saint of the community. Roth has been an independent parish since 1701. The church in its current form was built at the end of the 19th century with an extension after the Second World War.

Then as now, the region's fertile soil is valued, so that it was characterized by agricultural use from an early stage. In addition to the usual field crops, sugar beets were to be grown as a specialty during the French era . To the regret of the authorities at the time, however, their plan failed because the peasantry did not trust this idea.

Everything is interrupted by a large number of pastures and meadows, which are mainly used by the two local dairy farms. Roth became known nationwide not only because of its agriculture, but also because of the existing volcanic rock.

Tens of thousands of years ago, during volcanic eruptions, loose basalt tuffs were piled up on top of the existing sandstone coverings of the basement.

In the “Eiflia Illustrata” of 1854 it is further stated: “On the 'Rother head' there is a slagy, conglomerate-like lava with mica and augite. They used to be used for millstones. The so-called Rother ice cave on the northwest side of the "Rother Kopf" in a wild forest area, formed by lava walls, under the shade of tall beech trees, was probably created by breaking millstones and is nothing more than an abandoned millstone pit. It is about 20 paces long, the floor and the walls, consisting of solid lava, are covered with ice. "

Today there are designated hiking trails, such as B. the Eifelsteig , to the caves.

Ice formation no longer takes place these days, but to this day a visit to the cave refreshes hikers in summer. But the stone was not only processed into millstones, it was also widely used as building material in the region. An example from the immediate vicinity: the former rectory in Roth. It was built in 1865 and consists of blocks of local volcanic slag.

There are certainly no architectural or cultural highlights of overriding importance to be found in the village of Roth, but a large number of small pieces of jewelery framed by nature promise interesting activities in and around Roth.

Incorporations

On June 7, 1969, the municipalities of Bewingen, Hinterhausen and Lissingen were incorporated into Gerolstein, and Büscheich, Gees, Michelbach, Müllenborn, Oos and Roth were incorporated on December 1, 1973.

Population development

The development of the population of Gerolstein in relation to today's urban area; the values ​​from 1871 to 1987 are based on censuses:

Population development of Gerolstein from 1815 to 2018 according to the table below
year Residents
1815 1876
1835 2394
1871 2832
1905 3616
1939 5216
1950 5557
1961 5916
1970 7075
1987 6460
year Residents
2005 7587
2007 7563
2008 7497
2011 7594
2012 7529
2015 7613
2017 7616
2018 7616

politics

Gerolstein is the administrative seat of the municipality of the same name Gerolstein .

City council

The city ​​council in Gerolstein consists of 24 council members, who were elected in a personalized proportional representation in the local elections on May 26, 2019 , and the mayor as chairman.

Distribution of seats:

choice SPD CDU GREEN FDP FWG BUV Flat share total
2019 6th 9 4th 1 - - 4th 24 seats
2014 6th 10 3 1 3 1 - 24 seats
2009 6th 11 2 1 - 4th - 24 seats
2004 5 13 - 1 2 3 - 24 seats
  • FWG = Free Voting Community Landkreis Vulkaneifel e. V.
  • BUV = BürgerUnion Vulkaneifel e. V.

mayor

The honorary city ​​mayor is elected directly every five years . In June 2019, Uwe Schneider (SPD) was elected mayor in a runoff election against the previous incumbent Friedhelm Bongartz (CDU).

coat of arms

Coat of arms of Gerolstein
Blazon : "In gold, a red armored and tongued black lion, topped with a five-legged red tournament collar."
Reasons for the coat of arms: The black lion is the Jülich lion , heraldic animal of the duchy of the same name , to which Gerolstein once belonged. The coat of arms goes back to the Counts of Gerolstein-Blankenheim and can be found for the first time in 1567 in the seal of the jury of Gerolstein. The city of Gerolstein has had the coat of arms since around 1890.

Town twinning

City partnerships exist with Digoin in France (since 1987) and Gilze-Rijen in the Netherlands .

Attractions

Gerolstein with Munterley, Auberg and Rother Hecke

In addition to the following attractions, there are the Papenkaule dry maar in and around Gerolstein , the Buchenloch (a 36-meter-long karst cave) inhabited by Stone Age people , the millstone caves / ice caves near Roth, a natural history museum and a local museum. A walk leads to the from the Gerolsteiner Kalkmulde 100 meters above the upstanding Kyll Gerolsteiner dolomites, a Devonian Kalkriff that of the extinct Rugosen , Tabu distillates and stromatoporoids was formed with the Hustley, the Munterley and the Auberg. They dominate the townscape of Gerolstein 100 meters above the valley level. In the southeastern district of Gees, in the direction of Salm, there are the Gees trilobite fields, a well-known area of ​​discovery of exceptionally well-preserved Devonian trilobites , which is now a nature reserve .

Löwenburg

The Löwenburg is first mentioned in a document in 1115, see Gerolstein Castle .

Lissingen Castle

Lissingen Castle (Niederburg)

The former moated castle Lissingen is located on the edge of the Lissingen district, not far from the Kyll . The oldest parts of the building date from 1280, although the castle was mentioned in a document as early as 1212. Unlike most of the Eifel castles, it was not destroyed. In 1559 it was divided into a lower and an upper castle. The lower castle is used as an event and cultural facility.

Church of the Redeemer

Gerolstein: Church of the Redeemer with Munterley

The Protestant Church of the Redeemer was built by Franz Schwechten between 1907 and 1913 and inaugurated on October 15, 1913. The interior decoration appears downright lavish for a church in the diaspora with large gold mosaics, round arches and a dominating dome .

Villa Sarabodis

The remains of a Roman mansion ( Villa rustica ) are referred to as Villa Sarabodis . They were found in 1907 during preparatory work for the building of the Church of the Redeemer. The remains are dated to the 1st century AD. The Kirchenbauverein Berlin , which also built the Erlöserkirche, uncovered the finds: foundations and a hypocaust (an ancient underfloor heating ) can be viewed in a protective structure today.

Juddekirchhof

The Juddekirchhof , as it is popularly known, is a Celtic - Roman place of worship . It is located above Gerolstein on the Hustley , part of the Gerolstein Dolomites.

The Roman Marcus Victorius Pellentius had this temple district built in 124 AD. The remains of the wall of the cult site are approx. 63 by 46 meters. Within this ring wall, the foundations have been preserved several buildings, including two temples belong, one of which Hercules , the other the Celtic goddess Caiva was dedicated. In 1927/28 remains of the temple precinct were excavated.

Former Gerolstein depot

From the formerly important Gerolstein depot are u. a. Roundhouse and turntable received ready for use.

Gerolstein depot, aerial photo (2016)

See also

Economy and Infrastructure

School system

One of the schools in Gerolstein is the St. Matthias-Gymnasium (SMG). It was opened as a private school at 89 Hauptstrasse on April 26, 1911 under the direction of Professor Lipowicz. It was named Gerolstein Higher Boys School . After chaotic conditions during the First World War , the school comes under municipal ownership, but is subordinate to the Prüm Higher School . In 1920 Hubert Rahm became headmaster for the next 34 years. During inflation , school fees become so high that many families can no longer afford to attend school and the school is closed. The reopening followed in 1924 and in 1927 the first girl attended the higher boys' school in Gerolstein . Since the male teachers and older students were recruited as soldiers during World War II , the school was closed again in 1944. Before the building was destroyed by a bombing raid, it served as a hospital and soldiers' quarters. In 1946 the school was finally reopened and for the first time in Gerolstein the secondary school leaving certificate could be obtained. The renaming to Progymnasium Gerolstein follows . The first building at the current location in Digoinstraße was inaugurated in 1953 and five years later the first class of high school graduates is leaving. In the following 10 years the number of pupils doubled, so that more and more is cultivated. In 1974, 1200 students attend the Gerolsteiner Gymnasium. 1975 the change to the sponsorship of the district of Daun and the renaming to St. Matthias-Gymnasium Gerolstein takes place, this name the school bears to this day. Hermann-Josef Molitor retired in 1992 after 25 years as headmaster. His successor was Heribert Steinmetz, who held this position until summer 2014. His successor was Jutta Schmitz. A comprehensive renovation will be carried out between 1996 and 2006. In 2011 the SMG celebrates its 100th anniversary with a big ceremony, a project week and an anniversary chronicle.

The development of the number of students at the SMG:

year total Boys girl
1911 20th 20th
1921 39 39
1928 69 63 6th
1944 184 121 63
1951 259 203 56
1961 397 270 127
1971 844 478 366
1980 1,184 545 639
1992 570 265 305
2001 738 314 424
2011 1.011 463 548

The St. Matthias-Gymnasium Gerolstein maintains several school partnerships:

  • School partnership with the Lycée / Collège von Digoin since 1985 (this resulted in the city partnership Gerolstein-Digoin)
  • Since 1987 there have been exchanges with Ramat Gan (Israel)
  • School partnership with the Groupe Scolaire de Kansi in Rwanda since 2007

The Albertinum Bishop's Boarding School was located in a former hotel in the nearby Albertinumweg from 1946 to 1982.

economy

The nationwide known mineral water producer Gerolsteiner Brunnen is based in Gerolstein.

Cellular coverage

The core city offers good mobile radio coverage in the Telekom , Vodafone and O2 networks . The reception varies in the different parts of the city and is therefore not covered nationwide.

The district of Müllenborn is one of the few regions in Germany that, for economic reasons, is not served by any mobile operator. However, improvements can be expected here from 2021.

Public WiFi access

Since summer 2016, the city of Gerolstein has offered 30 free WiFi locations.

armed forces

Eifelkaserne ( Information Technology Battalion 281 ). In the barracks there is the so-called BSG-G : This is one of the three fixed ground stations of the Bundeswehr's satellite communications system SATCOMBw and has two C-band - an X-band - and two Ku-band antennas.

traffic

Street

Gerolstein is on the federal road 410 , which leads from the Luxembourg border ( Dasburg ) to Hirten bei Mayen .

rail

Gerolstein train station (seen from the tracks)
Gerolstein train station (seen from the Kyll )

The station Gerolstein with former depot Gerolstein lies on the Eifel circuit ( Cologne - Euskirchen -Gerolstein- Trier ) on which the rail transport

run.

Local rail passenger transport is carried out by DB Regio NRW , which uses VAREO diesel multiple units of the DB series 620 and 622 in single to triple traction for speeds of up to 120 km / h for all lines .

The tariff of the Verkehrsverbund Region Trier (VRT) and the tariff of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg as well as the NRW tariff apply to all local public transport (ÖPNV) .

Gerolstein up branches Kaisersesch disused Eifelquerbahn on down -Kaisersesch to Andernach from (KBS 478), as well as the disused West Eifelbahn that used on Prüm to St. Vith led and the railway junction Pronsfeld to Waxweiler and Neuerburg branched.

A reactivation of the Eifelquerbahn is currently being sought

Bus transport

Bus traffic (public transport) is coordinated by the Trier Region Transport Association and thus offers a uniform tariff structure with the entire Trier region .

The bus stop at the train station with the following lines counts as the central bus station (ZOB) / bus station :

Line number Locations to be served Frequency of use comment
411 Lissingen - Müllenborn - Oos -

Büdesheim - Wallersheim / Weinsheim - Prüm

Mon – Sat: every 2 hours

Sunday: 2 trips

Rhein-Mosel transport company

(until December 2020)

460 Lissingen - Büdesheim - Wallersheim - Fleringen - Prüm -

Pronsfeld - Arzfeld - Dasburg - Clerf / Clerafaux (train station)

(Runs in summer as a bicycle bus with a bicycle trailer)

Mon - Sat: every 2 hours

Sunday: every 4 hours

Line bundle Schneifel (from December 2020)

Operator: André Bustouristik

Takt complements each other from / to Prüm with line 465

Mon - Sat 1 hour, Sun 2 hours

465 Lissingen - Büdesheim - Wallersheim - Fleringen - Prüm -

Bleialf - Winterspelt - St. Vith

(Runs in summer as a bicycle bus with a bicycle trailer)

Mon - Sat: every 2 hours

Sunday: every 4 hours

Line bundle Schneifel (from December 2020)

Operator: André Bustouristik

Takt complements each other from / to Prüm with line 460

Mon - Sat 1 hour, Sun 2 hours

500 Pelm - Rockeskyll - Dockweiler - Daun -

Elms - Auderath - Faid - Cochem

(Runs in summer as a bicycle bus with a bicycle trailer)

Mon – Sun: every 2 hours DB Regiobus Rhein-Mosel GmbH

(until December 2021)

504 Pelm - Gees - Neroth - Berlingen -

Steinborn - Neunkirchen - Pützborn - Daun

Mon – Fri: every 2 hours FriBus

(until December 2023)

515 Pelm - Rockeskyll - Hohenfels-Essingen -

Dockweiler - Waldkönigen - Daun

only school traffic Line bundle Eastern Vulkaneifel

Operator: DB Regiobus Rhein-Mosel GmbH

522 (Gerolstein Nordstadt -) Bewingen / Roth -

Kalenborn-Schänen - Hillesheim - Nohn

only school traffic

single trips during holidays

Rhein-Mosel transport company

(until December 2023)

523 Pelm - Gees / Büscheich - Michelbach -

Salm / Neroth - Oberstadtfeld - Manderscheid

single trips during holidays DB Regiobus Rhein-Mosel GmbH

(until December 2021)

531 Waldstraße - Waldfriedhof - Büscheich - Michelbach -

Oberstadtfeld - Bettenfeld - Manderscheid

School traffic

Mon - Sat every 2 hours

(as on-call bus)

Eifelmaare line bundle (from December 2021)

Operator: still open

VRT on-call bus! drove outside of the school traffic

must be registered by phone 60 minutes in advance.

more information at www.vrt-info.de/rufbus

The new bus network

The Verkehrsverbund Region Trier (VRT) will implement a new bus concept to improve public transport by 2025. This also includes the introduction of an on-call bus, which can be ordered by telephone and which then drives to the desired stops on the route. In the Gerolstein urban area, the Kylltal line bundle is assigned, which includes bus services within the entire Gerolstein community .

A connection to the other medium-sized centers is ensured by adjacent bundles of lines. (Line 700, line bundle Moselmaare from December 2021 towards Daun / Ulmen & Cochem ) Dial-a-bus line 531

(Dir. Müscheich and Michelbach continue to Manderscheid) as well as line 460/465 Dir. Prüm , Clervaux (L) and St. Vith (B)

Gerolstein Bewingen, industrial area, Gerolsteiner Brunnen

sons and daughters of the town

Trivia

The operetta La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein , composed by Jacques Offenbach in 1867, is set in a fictional German duchy of Gerolstein around 1840 based on the libretto. All of this has no relation to the location.

literature

  • Peter Daners: The Protestant Church of the Redeemer in Gerolstein (=  Rheinische Kunststätten . Issue 445). Cologne 2000, ISBN 3-88094-854-2 .
  • Hedwig Judeich (ed.): The Ammerländer Friedrich Schwarting (1883–1918) church painter in the empire. Diary entries with documents and images . Isensee, Oldenburg 1989, ISBN 3-920557-84-0 .
  • Jürgen Krüger: The Church of the Redeemer in Gerolstein. An example of the church building program of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Langewiesche, Königstein i. Ts. 2013, ISBN 978-3-7845-0593-0 .

Web links

Further content in the
sister projects of Wikipedia:

Commons-logo.svg Commons - multimedia content
Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg Wikivoyage - Travel Guide

Individual evidence

  1. State Statistical Office of Rhineland-Palatinate - population status 2019, districts, communities, association communities ( help on this ).
  2. ^ A b State Statistical Office Rhineland-Palatinate: My village, my city. Retrieved October 31, 2019 .
  3. State Statistical Office Rhineland-Palatinate (ed.): Official directory of the municipalities and parts of the municipality. Status: January 2019 [ Version 2020 is available. ] . S. 113 f . (PDF; 3 MB).
  4. ^ Entry on city ​​rights (Gerolstein, municipality of Gerolstein) in the database of cultural assets in the Trier region ; accessed on November 14, 2015.
  5. ^ Rolf Dettmann, Matthias Weber: The Kylltal in the Eifel. Cologne 1986, p. 76.
  6. ^ Dohm / Winter: Gerolstein 1986
  7. ^ Dohm / Winter: Gerolstein 1986
  8. www.jahrbuch-daun.de: The V1 carried terror into the country - November 4, 1944 in Gees: "Fear of friends" ( Memento from February 22, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  9. Festschrift 100 years of the branch church “St. Nicholas “Gees
  10. www.jahrbuch-daun.de: The trilobite fields near Gees ( Memento from February 22, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  11. ^ Quellen-Gerolsteiner Land / weekly newspaper of the Gerolsteiner Land
  12. ^ Gees - A portrait of the place by Peter Thielen
  13. www.parkgerolstein.de
  14. Official municipality directory 2006 ( Memento from December 22, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) (= State Statistical Office Rhineland-Palatinate [Hrsg.]: Statistical volumes . Volume 393 ). Bad Ems March 2006, p. 177 (PDF; 2.6 MB). Info: An up-to-date directory ( 2016 ) is available, but in the section "Territorial changes - Territorial administrative reform" it does not give any population figures.  
  15. ^ The Regional Returning Officer Rhineland-Palatinate: Local elections 2019, city and municipal council elections.
  16. Uwe Schneider elected mayor. In: Website City of Gerolstein. June 18, 2019, accessed June 21, 2019 .
  17. Uwe Schneider elected mayor. In: Verbandsgemeinde Gerolstein. June 18, 2019, accessed June 21, 2019 .
  18. Gerolstein has a new mayor. In: WochenSpiegel. June 17, 2019, accessed June 21, 2019 .
  19. Former Gerolstein depot
  20. Friends of the St. Matthias-Gymnasium Gerolstein (ed.): 100 Years St. Matthias-Gymnasium Gerolstein 1911–2011. Druckerei Heyer, Gerolstein 2011, pp. 14–20.
  21. ^ The Albertinum Episcopal Boarding School in Gerolstein
  22. Violence at the Albertinum Gerolstein Episcopal Boarding School (Vulkaneifel district)
  23. Birgit Reichert: Eisenschmitt in the Eifel - A place without reception. In: The world. December 2, 2015, accessed on December 11, 2015 : "..." The number of available customers is too small, the technical and economic effort is very high. Expansion is therefore uneconomical. ' The same applies to Müllenborn in the Vulkaneifel. These places are the exception, however, the Telekom has a coverage of 99.8 percent throughout Germany ... "
  24. Hardy Schmidt-Ellinger: Welcome to the free WLAN of the city of Gerolstein based on freifunk.net. City of Gerolstein, accessed on September 6, 2018 .
  25. Thomas Schenkel: SATCOMBw. Satellite communication for the Bundeswehr. (PDF 1.68 MB) (No longer available online.) MilSat Services GmbH, March 12, 2010, archived from the original on August 10, 2014 ; Retrieved December 30, 2011 .
  26. Former Gerolstein depot
  27. Reactivation of the Eifelquerbahn. Retrieved April 16, 2020 .
  28. The new bus network is coming . Vulkaneifel district. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  29. bus concept . VRT. Retrieved June 27, 2019.