Rockenfeld Blick in Richtung Wiedtal und Berge des Westerwaldes

Rockenfeld is an abandoned village in the Feldkirchen district of

Neuwied Neuwied (, ) is a town in the north of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, capital of the Neuwied (district), District of Neuwied. Neuwied lies on the east bank of the Rhine, 12 km northwest of Koblenz, on the railway from Frankfurt ...

, Germany. The names Rockenfeller and Rockefeller are derived from Rockenfeld. It is said that the ancestors of the Rockefeller family (including

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

and

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

) came from Rockenfeld.

Geography

The abandoned village Rockenfeld lies at 330 m above sea level on a mountain range rising from north to south between the valleys of the creek ''Rockenfelder Bach'' in the west and a tributary of the ''Nonnenbach'' in the east. The forest district ''Forst Wied'' borders to the east. The only road connection is K1 (''Kreisstraße 1''), which leads down to

Rheinbrohl Rheinbrohl (Latin origin of the name: ''Broele trans Rhenum'') is a municipality in the territorial collectivity () of Bad Hönningen (Verbandsgemeinde), Bad Hönningen, in the district of Neuwied (electoral district), Neuwied, in Rhineland-Palat ...

over a length of eight kilometres into the

Rhine Valley Rhine Valley (German: ''Rheintal'' ) is the valley, or any section of it, of the river Rhine in Europe. Particular valleys of the Rhine or any of its sections: * Alpine Rhine Valley ** Chur Rhine Valley (or Grisonian Rhine Valley; , or sometimes ...

''.''

History

The proximity of the place to the course of the

Limes Germanicus The (Latin for ''Germanic frontier''), or 'Germanic Limes', is the name given in modern times to a line of frontier () fortifications that bounded the ancient Roman provinces of Germania Inferior, Germania Superior and Raetia, dividing the Roman ...

, which delimited the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

, and the remains of a Roman fortlet " Am Forsthofweg" less than 1 km from Rockenfeld, would indicate an early settlement of the area. It is reported that in later times, not only the burgraves of Hammerstein and the electoral principality of Trier, but also the house of counts of Wied later counts of Wied-Neuwied and the had a court in Rockenfeld. The village was first documented in 1280 as Rukenvelt, whereas Ruken would mean ''ridge'' and velt designate ''field''. The name thus relates to the village's location on the first mountain ridge between the Rhine valley and the

Westerwald The Westerwald (; literally 'Western forest') is a low mountain range on the right bank of the river Rhine in the States of Germany, German federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia. It is a part of the Rhenish Ma ...

. Until 1693, it belonged to Gönnersdorf (today part of Feldkirchen/Neuwied). In 1846, 11 families lived in the village; starting from 1885, an official school was established, which was closed in 1935. At the end of World War II, 50 people still lived in Rockenfeld. Due to constant emigration, the local council decided to dissolve the community in 1965. In 1969, the abandoned houses and courtyards were burned down by the fire brigade. In 1995 the last house was demolished.

Rockenfeld today

Today (2023), Rockenfeld is a deserted area with a memorial from 1962/63 and a commemorative stone as the only remains, situated within the Rhine-Westerwald Nature Park. For about 30 years, the tradition of the Rockenfeld fair () has been established, a party organized on this site every year on May 1, by the association of

. In addition to various drinks, it offers the traditional pea soup as well as sausages and other dishes. The event is particularly appreciated by hikers and cyclists.

References

External links

Rockenfeld at the website of Neuwied Municipality
(in German)

(in German) {{Authority control Neuwied (district)

Rockenfeld Rockenfeld is an abandoned village in the Feldkirchen district of Neuwied, Germany. The names Rockenfeller and Rockefeller are derived from Rockenfeld. It is said that the ancestors of the Rockefeller family (including John D. Rockefeller ...

Former populated places in Germany Rockefeller family