Volpertsberg
| Volpertsberg | ||
|---|---|---|
| height | 426.4 m above sea level NN | |
| location | Lahn-Dill District , Central Hesse | |
| Mountains | southwestern Schelder Forest , Gladenbacher Bergland | |
| Dominance | 1.3 km → Wickenhain in the northwest | |
| Notch height | 37.9 m ↓ immediately east of the summit | |
| Coordinates | 50 ° 42 ′ 56 " N , 8 ° 19 ′ 45" E | |
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The Volpertsberg in the Schelder Forest ( Gladenbacher Bergland ) is located in the area of the Herborn district of Seelbach and immediately north of the village. It has a height of 426 m above sea level. NN and is owned by the State of Hesse . The mountain is almost completely forested; its forest area is about 100 hectares , of which about 60% is deciduous forest and 40% is coniferous forest . To wild species in particular are wild boar , deer , fox , badger , hare , marten and various kinds of wild pigeons before. The mountain is surrounded by the Monzenbach in the north and west , which then flows into the Aar near Seelbach .
Environmental controversy
Geologically, consists of the mountain from the mainly in the construction industry (road, building construction and civil engineering ) used diabase , with deposits of loess . Therefore, there have been plans for several years to build a diabase quarry up to 10 hectares in size on the summit of the mountain, where the basic material for high-quality fine chippings will be extracted. This facility would therefore be geographically located between two existing quarries, the "Oberscheld" quarry located about 800 m to the northeast and the "Monzenbach" quarry located about 1000 m to the south.
The reduction is promoted by the south side of the mountain on the highest point on the north side and in soles are led m 20 to 25 m in height to a degradation depth of about 300 above sea level (about 10 m above the level of Monzenbachs) downwards. At the end of the mining activity, the mining area should have an average width of 250 m and a length of around 360 m. In the end, in place of today's mountain peak, a hollow cone pointing downwards and flattened at the bottom will have emerged, which descends in four to five levels to a depth of 300 m above sea level. The overburden is to be used for road construction and for backfilling the quarry after mining has been completed. It is planned to backfill at an average of 360 m above sea level. According to the planning, the resulting high steep walls will serve as a geotope and for rock breeders such as eagle owls and peregrine falcons . To the southeast, the opencast mine is to be filled in such a way that a depression is created in which a pond is to be formed; at the deepest point, it should be backfilled up to 340 m above sea level. Overburden is to be laid on the soles of the southern demolition walls in such a way that a rubble and block debris surface is created. The restoration should begin only after the completion of mining activities, and the area always naturally for the greater part of succession is to be set by seed test flight.
This project is resolutely rejected and fought against by local environmental and citizens' initiatives because of its feared effects on the landscape , the structure of the landscape and the natural habitat. With the breakthrough of the Oberscheld quarry, only 800 m northeast of the Volpertsberg, through the apex of the Wickenhain, which is expected in a few years, this open-cast mine will break through into the upper Monzenbachtal. Only about 1000 m south of the Volpertsberg, the Monzenbach quarry already affects the quality and functionality of the small river through extensive overbuilding. An additional quarry on the Volpertsberg would therefore also affect the middle reaches of the Monzenbach.
History
The name "Volpertsberg" in connection with the, in documents of the area from the 14th century. called "Volprecht von Dernbach" is rather unlikely. The local field name research, however, makes a connection between the name and the forest pasture economy that was once operated here very likely. Because of the "Scheldt Forest" that begins here, the relief of the northern Seelbacher district is much more pronounced than that of the southern part of the district. Even if the Wasenberg with its around 460m is the highest mountain in the Herbornseelbach area, the Monzenbach with its deep valley that flows around the Volpertsberg gives this mountain (426m) its outstanding shape. It is characteristic of the landscape of the district and the region. Land use in the past centuries was essentially different from what we know today. The first "potatoes" in Herbornseelbach were grown around 1792 up here on the so-called "Engelscheid". Today it is hard to imagine that the land was still cultivated even in such apparently unfavorable locations. Before the Thirty Years' War, the mountain was called "Volperchsberg", which can also be found in the local dialect. This is probably the "vol" [mhd. for pig] "pherrich" [mhd. for pen / fence], that is, the "pig pen" mountain.
It has been proven that the people of Seelbach used to drive their pigs into the woods for fattening, as is common practice in many places. On the one hand, through the Aar to the south into the so-called “Hörre”, but also here up to the Volpertsberg. It remains to be seen whether the entire mountain was surrounded by a wicker fence (so-called "hurdles") or the like, but it is also not known how the later border course around the mountain was then determined. It can be assumed that here, as is so often the case, at least in part, an existing borderline was used. The well-known local researcher Otto Schäfer reports in his "Compilation from the history of Herborn-Seelbach" (published in 1950) about prehistoric settlement sites on the Volpertsberg, unfortunately without describing them in detail. What Otto Schäfer was still able to learn from the old villagers at the beginning of the last century, unfortunately, he did not pass on to us in detail. Apparently the mountain was owned by the Seelbachers before the Thirty Years' War (<1636), because a small reference in the Dillenburg pension bills indicates changes in ownership immediately after the war and plague year 1635, which was devastating for our village.
"[1622] ... the reception of lenses from the Medem in Herbornseelbach was so low, received only 4 mests ..."
"[1634] ... the parish of Herbornseelbach declined 8 Mesten from the grain 1 Malter who was guilty this year, since the parish was very badly spoiled by the war people ..." "... Estate oats: the parish Herbornseelbach declined 26 Malter, da the same completely ruined by the war people ... "
"[1636] ... Grain by grace: the community now and in the future forever because of swapping the Volpersberg next to 2 Malter oats 1 gl. 8 alb. ..." Apparently the government at that time still enriched itself with the plight of the population, because entries about other Nassau Villages explain the "miraculous" Nassau land increase after the misery years.
The lordly border around the Volpertsberg resulting from this barter is still valid today and still separates state and communal forests. Many old stately boundary stones and signs still bear witness to the former importance of this boundary. Hunting was one of the most important forest uses in this area in the past. The counts and princes of Nassau on the one hand had game shot for consumption at the court table and on the other hand organized court hunts as part of court life and for the entertainment of their visitors. The services of the subjects, the so-called "hunting threats", were very unpopular with the population because they hindered farm work. On the so-called "Kutschenplatz" on the Volpertsberg (389m above sea level), according to tradition, the carriages of the hunting guests were parked during stately hunts. According to stories, the "Kutschenplatz" was approached from Dillenburg through the Hustenbachtal along the north side of the "Volpertsberg". The old footpath from Herborn-Seelbach to Oberscheld also leads over this square. Coming up from the Hirtenborn, it continues northwards, steeply downhill into the Monzbachtal and from there further up the Lohrtal and over to Oberscheld.
Web links
- Citizens' initiative "CONTRA ABBAU VOLPERTSBERG" ( Memento from June 2, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
Remarks
- ↑ Provided that it has not yet been removed! It is still shown on maps at 434 m, but as an opencast mining area.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Hike around the Volpertsberg , on heimatverein-seelbach.de, accessed on August 30, 2020