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Altweidelbach is an ''
Ortsgemeinde A Verbandsgemeinde (; plural Verbandsgemeinden) is a low-level administrative division, administrative unit in the Germany, German States of Germany, federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt. A Verbandsgemeinde is typically compose ...
'' – a municipality belonging to a '' Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the
Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis is a district (german: Kreis) in the middle of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The neighbouring districts are (from north clockwise) Mayen-Koblenz, Rhein-Lahn, Mainz-Bingen, Bad Kreuznach, Birkenfeld, Bernkastel-Wittlich, Coc ...
( district) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Simmern-Rheinböllen, whose seat is in
Simmern Simmern (; officially Simmern/Hunsrück) is a town of roughly 7,600 inhabitants (2013) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, the district seat of the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis, and the seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Simmern-Rheinböllen. In the Rhinelan ...
.


Geography


Location

The municipality lies in a hollow north of the Soonwald, a heavily wooded section of the west-central
Hunsrück The Hunsrück () is a long, triangular, pronounced upland in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the valleys of the Moselle-Saar (north-to-west), the Nahe (south), and the Rhine (east). It is continued by the Taunus mountains, past ...
, and north of '' Bundesstraße'' 50, roughly 3 km east of the district seat of Simmern. Its elevation is 430 m above sea level.


History

Archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
finds make it clear that the municipal area was already settled in Roman times. South of the heights, north of
Mutterschied Mutterschied is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (district) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Simme ...
, the site of a Roman country estate was ascertained. Furthermore, Altweidelbach's municipal area was crossed by one of the linking roads built by the Romans, the so-called ''Steinstraße'' (“Stone Road”). Also, a Roman urn was unearthed in the “Hammesheck” cadastral area about 1860. The village's actual founding, though, only came about after Roman rule and even the
Migration Period The Migration Period was a period in European history marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent settlement of its former territories by various tribes, and the establishment of the post-Roman ...
(''Völkerwanderung'') ended. In the second phase of their settling activities in the 8th century, the Franks founded many places with names ending in ''—hausen'' and ''—bach''. It is likely that Altweidelbach was founded in this time, too. In 1006, Altweidelbach had its first documentary mention in a document with which Archbishop Williges from Mainz consecrated the newly built church at
Mörschbach Mörschbach is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (district) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Simm ...
and confirmed its status as a parish. The spelling ''Widimbach'' used in this document, out of which first ''Widelbach'' and then ''Weidelbach'' developed, yields a clue as to the name's origin. Linguists believe that it derives from the Old High German word ''wida'' (“willow tree”; ''Weide'' in Modern High German), and explain the name's meaning as “Brook With Willow Trees”. Only since the 16th century has the municipality used the prefix ''Alt—'' (“Old”) to distinguish itself from another, nearby place called Weidelbach, itself now called Kleinweidelbach (an outlying centre of
Rheinböllen Rheinböllen is a town in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (district) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Simmern-Rheinböllen, whose seat is in Simmern. It was the seat of the former ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Rheinböl ...
). In 1006, the village was under the lordship of the founder of the Mörschbach church, Thidrich von Mörschbach, who also held the office of '' Vogt''. Later in the 11th century, the village passed to the Bertholde regional comital family (''Gaugrafen''), and in 1074 it was annexed to the Ravengiersburg Monastery, which had been raised to a canonical foundation, although for the time being, it kept its own court of ''Schöffen'' (roughly “lay jurists”) with its own judicial district. High jurisdiction, owing to the more serious crimes being subject to bodily punishment, was wielded by the Ravengiersburg ''Vogtei'' court at the High Court Square (''Hochgerichtsplatz'') at the ''Nunkirche'' (church). Whenever assizes took place, the villagers of Altweidelbach were obliged to furnish the crossbeam for the gallows, as well as a ladder. The village court, on the other hand, on whose bench sat three or four ''Schöffen'', was held twice a year, in May and again on Saint Martin's Day (11 November), under the village limetree, chaired by the monastery director or the ''
Schultheiß In medieval Germany, the ''Schultheiß'' () was the head of a municipality (akin to today's office of mayor), a ''Vogt'' or an executive official of the ruler. As official (''villicus'') it was his duty to order his assigned village or county (' ...
''. Between 1410 and 1598 and again between 1610 and 1673, Altweidelbach belonged to the autonomous Palatine Duchy of Simmern, and between 1598 and 1610, as well as after 1673 until the
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
occupation that began in 1794, it belonged along with the rest of the Simmern territory to Electoral Palatinate. To tighten the administration, each village was made into its own ''
Schultheiß In medieval Germany, the ''Schultheiß'' () was the head of a municipality (akin to today's office of mayor), a ''Vogt'' or an executive official of the ruler. As official (''villicus'') it was his duty to order his assigned village or county (' ...
erei''. In the 17th century, Altweidelbach was united with Mörschbach,
Schnorbach Schnorbach is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (district) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Simme ...
and Wahlbach into a single ''Schultheißerei''. The court under this arrangement was made up of, besides the ''Schultheiß'' and the court clerk, nine ''Schöffen'', of whom three were drawn from Mörschbach, along with two from each of the other centres. In the time of the French occupation in 1794, Altweidelbach was thoroughly plundered. Altweidelbach lay under French rule until 1815, when it was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia at the Congress of Vienna. Great fires struck the village in 1866, 1897 and 1975, when three barns and one house burnt down. In the First World War, ten men from Altweidelbach fell and two were listed as
missing Missing or The Missing may refer to: Film * ''Missing'' (1918 film), an American silent drama directed by James Young * ''Missing'' (1982 film), an American historical drama directed by Costa-Gavras * ''Missing'' (2007 film) (''Vermist''), a Bel ...
. Following the war, the French were stationed in the village until 1919. The first car was seen in Altweidelbach in 1937. Shortly thereafter came the Second World War, in which four men from Altweidelbach fell and three were listed as missing. In March 1945, the Americans occupied the village. They were relieved by the French in August as the
Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
agreed on
zones of occupation Germany was already de facto occupied by the Allies from the real fall of Nazi Germany in World War II on 8 May 1945 to the establishment of the East Germany on 7 October 1949. The Allies (United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and France ...
. In 1946, Altweidelbach became part of the then newly founded state of Rhineland-Palatinate. In 1963, ''
Flurbereinigung is the German language, German word best translated as ''land consolidation''. Unlike the land reforms carried out in the socialist countries of the Eastern Bloc, including East Germany, the idea of was not so much to distribute large quasi-feu ...
'' was completed. It was as late as 1978 before the village's streets had names. In 2000 and 2001, the Altweidelbach Wind Farm was built, with seven wind turbines. In 2006, the municipality of Altweidelbach marked its one-thousand-year jubilee.


Population development

There are currently roughly 250 inhabitants in Altweidelbach, but in bygone centuries, the population was quite a bit smaller, and fluctuated considerably. In 1498, 67 adults lived in Altweidelbach, suggesting a total population of roughly 100. The 14 families who lived here in 1599 would have amounted to a similar figure, but in the 17th century, the population dropped sharply with the double blow of the Thirty Years' War and the
Plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...
to only 7 families. In 1672, the count was back up to 48 inhabitants in 12 families. In 1698, there were 58 inhabitants.


Politics


Municipal council

The council is made up of 6 council members, who were elected at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.


Mayor

Altweidelbach's mayor is Volker Berg.


Coat of arms

The municipality's
arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...
might be described thus: Per bend Or a church with ridge turret to dexter above a bend sinister wavy azure and sable a lion rampant of the first armed and langued gules.


Culture and sightseeing


Buildings

The following are listed buildings or sites in Rhineland-Palatinate’s Directory of Cultural Monuments: * Evangelical church, Hauptstraße/corner of Lindenweg –
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
aisleless church An aisleless church (german: Saalkirche) 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 on either side of the nave and separated fro ...
, marked 1761 * Hauptstraße 1 – building with half-hipped roof, partly slated timber framing, about 1800 * Hauptstraße/corner of Heider Weg – cast-iron fountain basin, Stromberger Hütte (foundry), marked 1885 * On ''Kreisstraße'' (District Road) 53, southeast of the village – water cistern; round building with cupola roof, marked 1913 * North of the village – Hammesmühle (or Eselsmühle – a mill); timber-frame house, half-hipped roof, marked 1824, timber-frame barn; whole complex of buildings * West of the village – Weirichsmühle (or Katzenlochermühle – another mill); two plastered timber-frame houses, one a building with half-hipped roof, early 19th century, barn; whole complex of buildingsDirectory of Cultural Monuments in Rhein-Hunsrück district
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References


External links



at
SWR Fernsehen SWR Fernsehen is a German regional television channel targeting the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. It is produced by Südwestrundfunk (SWR) and is one of eight regional "third channels" broadcast by the ARD members. Hist ...

Altweidelbach in the Wo-Simmern.de travel guide
{{Authority control Municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis