Hohenleimbach is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the district of Ahrweiler, in

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History

The village was first mentioned in 1425 as a

fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

of a Peter von Thys named ''Leimbach''. This original placename was in use until the begin of the 20th century. Since the 18th century the nickname ''Wüstleimbach'' showed up. The prefix "''Wüst''" means "'' deserted''" in the sense of ''lost'' or ''abandoned''. Due to the barren fields and the severe poverty of the inhabitants they decided to emigrate mainly to America leaving their farms behind which were abandoned afterwards. The population of the largely abandoned village decreased below 100 in the 17th and 18th centuries. According to a resolution of the local

borough council A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

in 1914, the village was allowed, by an imperial decree of 31 January 1916, to rename itself ''Hohenleimbach'', because of the negative image of the nickname ''Wüstleimbach'' ("''deserted Leimbach''"). The small village ''Lederbach'' one mile in the north is part of the municipality. Centuries ago there was another little village named ''Rembach'' and situated in the south of Hohenleimbach at the mouth of the ''Lederbach'' ("Leatherbrook") running into the Nette rivulet, consisting of only four farms. First mentioned in 1337 it had to be already abandoned in the 17th century due to poverty.

Inhabitants

References

Populated places in Ahrweiler (district) {{Ahrweiler-geo-stub