Leiningen is an ''
Ortsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde (; plural Verbandsgemeinden) is a low-level administrative unit in the German federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt. A Verbandsgemeinde is typically composed of a small group of villages or towns.
Rhineland ...
'' – a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
belonging to a ''
Verbandsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde (; plural Verbandsgemeinden) is a low-level administrative unit in the German federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt. A Verbandsgemeinde is typically composed of a small group of villages or towns.
Rhinelan ...
'', 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, Co ...
(
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...
) in
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde''
Hunsrück-Mittelrhein Hunsrück-Mittelrhein is a ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collective municipality") in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' is in Emmelshausen. It was formed on 1 January 2020 by the merger of the f ...
, whose seat is in
Emmelshausen.
Geography
Location
The municipality lies in the heights of the Vorder
hunsrück (“Fore-Hunsrück”) roughly 15 km from the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
and the
Moselle, and 30 km from
Koblenz. The direct
interchange onto the
Autobahn
The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track' ...
A 61 affords a quick link to places to the north and south.
From here run a great many
hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
trails and a direct link to the ''
Schinderhannes
Johannes Bückler (c.1778 – 21 November 1803) was a German outlaw who orchestrated one of the most famous crime sprees in German history. He has been nicknamed Schinderhannes and Schinnerhannes in German and John the Scorcher, John the Flaye ...
-Radweg'' (cycle path); the outlying centre of Lamscheid lies right on this cycle path.
Constituent communities
Leiningen’s ''
Ortsteil
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
e'' besides the main centre, also called Leiningen, are Lamscheid, Sauerbrunnen and Schloß Reifenthal, which despite its name is actually a
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
, not a castle or a palace.
History
The Counts of
Leyen
The House von der Leyen und zu Hohengeroldseck is an ancient German noble family of princely and historically sovereign rank.
As a former ruling and mediatized family, it belongs to the Hochadel (high nobility).
History
The origin can be ...
at
Gondorf
Gondorf is a municipality in the district of Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and ha ...
were Leiningen’s lords in the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
. Beginning in 1794, Leiningen lay under
French rule. In 1815 it was assigned to the Kingdom of
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...
at the
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...
. Since 1946, it has been part of the then newly founded
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...
.
The current municipality came into being on 7 June 1969 under the name ''Leiningen-Lamscheid'' and was a merger of two hitherto self-administering municipalities that had been dissolved, called Leiningen and Lamscheid. On 1 January 1981, however, the name was shortened to Leiningen.
Sauerbrunnen
This village’s history is closely bound with its namesake mineral
spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season)
Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of ...
– the name means “Sour Spring” or “Sour Well” – which had its first documentary mention in 1565. In 1780, this spring was set in stone as a token of thanks by Imperial Countess
Marianne von der Leyen
Marianne von der Leyen und zu Hohengeroldseck (1746–1804), was a German countess from the House of Leyen, who served as regent of the County of Hohengeroldseck.
Early life
Maria Anna Helene Josepha ''Marianne'' was born as the second child an ...
. About 1786, Sauerbrunnen was a spa centre and the water was sold abroad. By 1789, the well was falling into disrepair. In 1898, a housing was built to contain it, which was renovated in 1910, and on 11 June of that year, the spring was officially recognized as the ''Lamscheider Stahlbrunnen''.
Politics
Municipal council
The council is made up of 12 council members, who were elected by
majority vote at the municipal election held on 26 May 2019, and the honorary mayor as chairman. Previous elections were held on 25 May 2014 and 7 June 2009.
Mayor
Leiningen’s mayor is Frank Morschhäuser.
Coat of arms
The German blazon reads:
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 in English
heraldic
Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known bran ...
language be described thus: Per fess abased argent a fountain basin on a short pedestal sable issuant from which four streams of the same, two each falling into each of two two-handled jugs gules standing on each side of the basin, and azure a pale of the first aligned precisely with the pedestal.
The lower part of the
escutcheon recalls the Counts of
Leyen
The House von der Leyen und zu Hohengeroldseck is an ancient German noble family of princely and historically sovereign rank.
As a former ruling and mediatized family, it belongs to the Hochadel (high nobility).
History
The origin can be ...
at
Gondorf
Gondorf is a municipality in the district of Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and ha ...
, to whom Leiningen once belonged. The
charge
Charge or charged may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* '' Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary
Music
* ''Charge'' (David Ford album)
* ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album)
* ''Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...
s above the line of partition refer to the sour spring – Sauerbrunnen – which was well known even as far back as the 16th century for its good
mineral water
Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. Mineral water may usually be still or sparkling (carbonated/effervescent) according to the presence or absence of added gases.
T ...
. The jugs symbolize the former exportation of the springwater.
Culture and sightseeing
Buildings
The following are listed buildings or sites in
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...
’s Directory of Cultural Monuments:
Directory of Cultural Monuments in Rhein-Hunsrück district
/ref>
Leiningen (main centre)
* Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Church of the Raising Aloft of Christ’s Cross (branch church; ''Filialkirche Kreuzerhöhung Christi''), Kirchstraße – quire tower, late 13th or early 14th century, 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 fr ...
, possibly from before 1400; whole complex of buildings with graveyard
* Hauptstraße 11 – estate complex along the street, timber framing
Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...
, partly slated, stable and barn, 19th century, old yard paving stones; whole complex of buildings
* Marktplatz – Gothic Revival hand-pumped cast-iron
Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...
well, 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 ...
Ironworks, latter half of the 19th century
Sauerbrunnen
* Koblenzer Straße 8 – well housing; Baroque Revival
The Baroque Revival, also known as Neo-Baroque (or Second Empire architecture in France and Wilhelminism in Germany), was an architectural style of the late 19th century. The term is used to describe architecture and architectural sculptu ...
plastered building, 1911, one-floor storage hall; whole complex of buildings
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis