Neffelbach

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Neffelbach
The Neffelbach near Hochkirchen

The Neffelbach near Hochkirchen

Data
Water code EN : 2746
location North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany
River system Rhine
Drain over Erft  → Rhine  → North Sea
source Northwest of Vlatten
50 ° 39 ′ 4 ″  N , 6 ° 31 ′ 8 ″  E
Source height 338  m above sea level NHN
muzzle At Kerpen in the Erft coordinates: 50 ° 53 ′ 34 ″  N , 6 ° 42 ′ 40 ″  E 50 ° 53 ′ 34 ″  N , 6 ° 42 ′ 40 ″  E
Mouth height 75  m above sea level NHN
Height difference 263 m
Bottom slope 6.5 ‰
length 40.3 km
Catchment area 236.973 km²

The Neffelbach is a 40.3 km long orographic left tributary of the Erft in the Zülpicher Börde , North Rhine-Westphalia ( Germany ).

source

The stream rises in the district of Düren , North Rhine-Westphalia , near Nideggen - Wollersheim, only about 100 m from the Maas / Rhine watershed .

Surname

The derivation of the name “Neffel” from the Rhenish “Nevvel” (fog), as the banks of the stream were often covered in fog in the morning , is now considered absurd. Rather, the pre-Germanic root for flowing waters napa, nafa, nep, similar to the old name of the Erft (arnafa), can be used, possibly with the diminutive ending with -el or -la, i.e. Neffel = small river in contrast to Arnapa = Erft = greater river.

Run

In the area of ​​the city of Zülpich it then flows through the district of Euskirchen , comes back to Sievernich (municipality of Vettweiß ) in the district of Düren and flows through Disternich , Müddersheim , Gladbach and Lüxheim . At Eggersheim it flows into the municipality of Nörvenich , which it leaves at Niederbolheim in the direction of Blatzheim , in order to flow further into the area of ​​the city of Kerpen , Rhein-Erft district . After 40.3 km the old bed of the Neffelbach flows into this river near the highway 163 at the bridge over the Erft . It only carries water during floods. Otherwise, the water is led around Kerpen via the artificially created floodwater. He is on his journey from the source to the mouth of 338  m above sea level. NHN to 76 m fallen.

Valley shape

The asymmetry of the brook valley is striking . The west bank is flat while the east bank rises steeply. This is based on the inclination of the slope to the northeast and articulated by fault lines arable plates of the Lower Rhine Basin sunken Erft plaice . The stream was pushed to the east and so undercut and steepened its east bank. It is therefore mostly overgrown with forest or scrub. The valley floor is a damp sole valley that is used with meadows. The soils to the east are only slightly covered with the fertile loess and are therefore often covered with forest or heather. That is why the Nörvenich Air Base is on this side of the valley. The western flanks are covered with loess and near the stream with alluvial loess and are therefore very fertile and covered with beet or wheat fields.

Settlements

The settlements are close to the groundwater on the west side of the stream. Directly by the stream or the branching mill ditches there were 36 mills, none of which are in operation anymore. Tanneries, which used to exist in many places, are no longer to be found today. Today the moated castles are mostly used as farms or residential complexes. New extensions are now with a clear view on the steep slope or at the height above the stream.

→ See also the list of mills on the Neffelbach

Settlement of the Neffelbach valley

In the corridors of Gladbach, Müddersheim and Mersheim there is a heavy sprinkling of Roman rubble. There were Terra Nigra , Samian ware , wall plaster, broken glass and many others found. No less than 50 Roman ruins have been mapped in this area. From the younger and middle Stone Age were stone axes , stone axes , hand axes and more found. For the intervening epochs, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age , apart from a bronze ax, no evidence has yet been found that could prove settlement continuity.

natural reserve

In the Düren district, the entire Neffelbach floodplain is under landscape protection . The Kerpener Bruch at the mouth of the stream is one of the Kerpener nature reserves . These and areas around Zülpich are part of the Rhineland Nature Park .

The stream in the communities of Vettweiß and Nörvenich was maintained by the Neffelbachverband (seat: Nörvenich town hall) until 1993 . In the area of ​​the cities of Nideggen and Kerpen, the Erftverband was responsible for the maintenance . The Erftverband has maintained the entire stream since 1993.

Route sign

Valley route on the Neffelbach

On April 22, 2007, the valley route on the Neffelbach cycle path was opened with a day of action by representatives of the neighboring districts and municipalities. The route leads from the park gate of the Eifel National Park in Heimbach to the train station in Kerpen- Sindorf and measures around 60 km. Due to the course in the valley, the inclines are moderate. The route is well connected to local public transport. It also connects the longer cycle paths along the Rur and Erft ( Erft cycle path and Rurufer cycle path ). The cycle path is marketed for tourism by the Rhineland Nature Park.

Viticulture

Viticulture in Hochkirchen

Viticulture on the Neffelbach has been completely given up. In earlier centuries, wine was grown on the slopes of the Neffelbach between Wollersheim and Hochkirchen.

Only a few relics from the viticulture period have survived today. Only a few field names still indicate the cultivation of wine, such as B. In the vineyards or Wingert pegs. Steps like those on the Rhine , Ahr or Moselle can still be seen on the steep eastern bank of the brook near Lüxheim, near Eggersheim and below the parish church in Hochkirchen.

There are written documents from the 18th and 19th centuries for the area between Wollersheim on the upper reaches of the Neffelbach and Gladbach. Isolated documents speak of field names that come from viticulture, namely in 1755 in Lüxheim and Nörvenich, in 1551 in Oberbolheim and Niederbolheim .

In 1885 there is a report on viticulture on the Neffelbach: The grapes, which are said to be of Burgundy origin, only ripen in very good years.

The largest cultivation areas were on the upper reaches of the stream near Wollersheim, Embken, Juntersdorf and Zülpich . According to the records of the provincial rent master , the wine was sold as a good middle class wine between 7 and 8 guilders per load in the Middle Ages .

There has already been evidence of viticulture in Wollersheim in 1338. The last evidence comes from the year 1807. In 1816 the vineyards in Müddersheim were cleared. In 1836 vineyards with 3,082 vines were planted in Zülpich . In the 20th century there is no evidence of the cultivation of wine, only below the Hochkirchen parish church , wine is still grown as a hobby.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. a b c d German basic map 1: 5000
  2. a b c Topographical Information Management, Cologne District Government, Department GEObasis NRW ( information )
  3. After Wilhelm Kaspers : The place names of the Düren area in their settlement history meaning. 1949.
  4. Note in: Michael Peter Greven: On the localization of the historical Aduatuca - Caesar's winter camp in the Northern Eifel. P. 119.
  5. Heimat-Blätter , supplement to the Dürener Zeitung , 9th year, No. 21, p. 168.