HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Mayen is a town in the Mayen-Koblenz District of the
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 ...
Federal State A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-governi ...
of Germany, in the eastern part of the Volcanic Eifel Region. As well as the main town, additional settlements include Alzheim, Kürrenberg, Hausen-Betzing, Hausen and Nitztal. Mayen is the administrative centre of the Vordereifel ‘Collective Municipality’, although it is not part of the municipality.


Geography

To the west, as well as to the north and south-west of Mayen, is the country landscape of the
Eifel The Eifel (; lb, Äifel, ) is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Community of ...
. To the east, the landscape flattens out, running towards the Koblenz-Neuwied Basin, which is divided into the northern section of the
Pellenz The Pellenz is a hill country in the northwestern part of the Middle Rhine Basin in Germany between Mayen in the southwest and Andernach in the northeast. In addition Pellenz is the name of a ''Verbandsgemeinde'' in the state of Rhineland-Pal ...
and the southern section of the
Maifeld The Maifeld is a landscape (a natural region sub-unit) of the Middle Rhine Basin on its western perimeter with the Eifel mountains, southwest of the city of Koblenz. It is known for its gently rolling hills. Location The plain, which lies a ...
. This area is geographically considered to be part of the Eifel. Mayen is often called ‘The Gateway to the Eifel’. The small river
Nette Nette can refer to: Rivers * Nette (Innerste), a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, tributary to the Innerste * Nette (Hase), a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, tributary to the Hase * Nette (Middle Rhine), a river in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, tr ...
runs through the town, flowing from the Eifel towards
Weißenthurm Weißenthurm is a town in the district of Mayen-Koblenz, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite Neuwied, approximately 12 km northwest of Koblenz. The town is spelled with an ß which may be ...
on the
Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...
.


History

Even in Roman times, Mayen (Lat. ''Megina'') was an important economic centre. From the end of the 3rd century up until the Middle Ages, potteries operated here, and their products were traded and sold across Central Europe. During prehistoric times, nearby quarries were the sources of basalt to make millstones and tuff used to make sarcophagi. These sarcophagi were found buried with significant glass artifacts as grave goods. (Both classes of items are displayed in the Genovevaburg Museum in Mayen). The name Mayen probably comes from the name Megina. Records from as far back as 847 show this as a designation of the town; it was adapted by the Romans from the Celtic word ''magos,'' meaning field. In the 8th century the legend of Genoveva of Brabant, names Mayen as the seat of government of Duke Siegfried of the Pfalz. Mayen received its first official recognition in 1041, and was granted Town Status in 1291 by Rudolf I von Habsburg, at the same time as Bernkastel, Welschbillig,
Montabaur Montabaur () is a town and the district seat of the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. At the same time, it is also the administrative centre of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Montabaur – a kind of collective municipality – to w ...
and
Saarburg Saarburg (, ) is a city of the Trier-Saarburg district, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the banks of the river Saar (river), Saar in the hilly country a few kilometers upstream from the Saar's junction with the Moselle. Now know ...
. Mayen is possibly linked to the town of Maifeld, which lies a short distant to the south-east, since Mayen was called the capital of the Meiengau in the Middle Ages. During the Second World War, in particular during the allied forces air attacks of 12 December 1944 and 2 January 1945, approximately 90% of the town was destroyed. After the war and following a special referendum which addressed costs of rebuilding, the people voted to rebuild the town. Up until 1973, Mayen was the District Centre of the Mayen District (with number-plate code MY). After 1973, the district administration was moved to
Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
and the District was renamed Mayen-Koblenz District with the new number-plate code of MYK; Koblenz kept its own code of KO.


Boroughs

Because of the Kommunalreform in 1970, four villages next to Mayen were incorporated. The four villages now belong officially to the town and became Boroughs of Mayen. The Boroughs are still village-like and hold most of the
Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
of Mayen. The Boroughs are * Alzheim (Population approx. 1300), to the south * Hausen (Population approx. 1500), to the east, towards
Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
* Kürrenberg (Population approx. 1200), to the west, towards
Nürburgring The is a 150,000 person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Formula One, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long "North loop" track, built in the 1920s, around t ...
* Nitztal (Population approx. 180), to the north, towards Schloss Bürresheim The population of Alzheim and Hausen is increasing in the last years, due to the development of new residential areas.


Infrastructure

*Favourable location between A 61 (
Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
,
Ludwigshafen Ludwigshafen, officially Ludwigshafen am Rhein (; meaning " Ludwig's Port upon Rhine"), is a city in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, on the river Rhine, opposite Mannheim. With Mannheim, Heidelberg, and the surrounding region, it form ...
) and A 48 (
Trier Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
,
Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
). *Train connection: the Trans Regio branch line goes from
Andernach Andernach () is a town in the district of Mayen-Koblenz, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, of about 30,000 inhabitants. It is situated towards the end of the '' Neuwied basin'' on the left bank of the Rhine between the former tiny fishing villa ...
, which is on the Koblenz to Cologne route, to Kaisersesch in the Eifel, through Mayen Ost and, less frequently, through Mayen West. *Regular (hourly) bus routes to/from
Andernach Andernach () is a town in the district of Mayen-Koblenz, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, of about 30,000 inhabitants. It is situated towards the end of the '' Neuwied basin'' on the left bank of the Rhine between the former tiny fishing villa ...
,
Neuwied Neuwied () is a town in the north of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, capital of the District of Neuwied. Neuwied lies on the east bank of the Rhine, 12 km northwest of Koblenz, on the railway from Frankfurt am Main to Cologne. Th ...
and
Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
, as well as westwards into the Eifel. The town is part of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Mosel (Rhine-Mosel Transport Network). *Various shopping and business areas; several supermarkets from national chains; many clothes, sports, stationary and other shops; a cinema; various petrol stations; a large furniture store; a DIY store as well as building-supply stores. Most of these are located in a shopping area on the outskirts of the town, towards Koblenz. *The town centre is very attractive and has a large pedestrian precinct. *The town has its own hospital, the St Elisabeth Krankenhaus, and emergency services.


Industry

Basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...
,
slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...
,
cardboard Cardboard is a generic term for heavy paper-based products. The construction can range from a thick paper known as paperboard to corrugated fiberboard which is made of multiple plies of material. Natural cardboards can range from grey to light ...
industry Industry may refer to: Economics * Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity * Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery * The wider industrial sector ...
,
machine A machine is a physical system using Power (physics), power to apply Force, forces and control Motion, movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to na ...
-
production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...
,
aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...
- and artificial material
processing Processing is a free graphical library and integrated development environment (IDE) built for the electronic arts, new media art, and visual design communities with the purpose of teaching non-programmers the fundamentals of computer programming ...
.


Sights

*
Genovevaburg Genovevaburg is a castle standing on the southwestern side of Mayen in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The castle is the symbol of Mayen and has been rebuilt several times since first being destroyed in 1689. Its name comes from a leg ...
from the 13th century, with the Eifel Museum and the Slate Mining Museum housed inside. *St Clemens Parish Church with its twisted spire (symbol of the town, rebuilt in 1945) *Herz-Jesu Church (built in 1911/12) *Volcanic Information Station in the Vulkanpark (Volcanic Park). *Nearby in the Nette Valley: Schloss Bürresheim, which was filmed as Castle Grunewald in the United States adventure film, ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade''. *Swimming and leisure pool, with one of the longest hanging water slides in the world.


Events

* Lukasmarkt: yearly fair in October with rides and amusements for a week, as well as a two-day livestock market (the founding event of the fair). *Burgfestspiele (Castle Festival Show): for several weeks in late spring, the courtyard of the castle is transformed into an open-air theatre and used for various productions. *Stein- und Burgfest (Stone and Castle Festival); local craftsmen and guilds showcase their trade. Usually for two days towards in September.


Education

Mayen is the location of *Fachhochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung (Training College for Public Administration), *two Gymnasien (top-level secondary schools): the Megina Gymnasium and the Wirtschaftsgymnasium (Economics Grammar School); *a Realschule (middle-level secondary school): the Albert-Schweizer-Realschule; *two Hauptschulen (lower-level secondary school): Hinter Burg, St Veit; a Berufschule (vocational school); *various Grundschulen (primary schools); *two Förderschulen (schools for children with disabilities); and *vocational schools: one for beekeeping school, and one for stonemasonry. The Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) has a forces school at the Mayen Barracks, where troops are trained for psychological aspects of leadership of operations, as well as dealing with the media. This school is unique in Germany.
Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...
, based in Michigan (USA), has a summer program in Mayen.


Notable people

* Henry Alken (1753–1827), sculptor and painter * Balthasar Krems (1760–1813), inventor of the sewing machine *
Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen (30 March 1818 – 11 March 1888) was a German mayor and cooperative pioneer. Several credit union systems and cooperative banks have been named after Raiffeisen, who pioneered rural credit unions. Life Friedrich Wilhe ...
(1818–1888), social reformer and founder of the cooperative movement, was District Secretary in Mayen and church hosts the Evangelical Church of Mayen *
Jacques Loeb Jacques Loeb (; ; April 7, 1859 – February 11, 1924) was a German-born American physiologist and biologist. Biography Jacques Loeb, firstborn son of a Jewish family from the German Eifel region, was educated at the universities of Berlin, Munic ...
(1859–1924), physiologist and biologist *Fritz Seitz (1905–1949), Catholic
Priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
in
Diocese of Speyer The Diocese of Speyer (lat. Dioecesis Spirensis) is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Germany. The diocese is located in the South of the Rhineland-Palatinate and comprises also the Saarpfalz district in the east of the Saarland. The bishop's ...
, longtime prisoner in
Dachau concentration camp , , commandant = List of commandants , known for = , location = Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany , built by = Germany , operated by = ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) , original use = Political prison , construction ...
* Werner Lamberz (1929–1978), politician *
Mario Adorf Mario Adorf (; born 8 September 1930) is a German actor, considered to be one of the great veteran character actors of European cinema. Since 1954, he has played both leading and supporting roles in over 200 film and television productions, am ...
(born 1930), actor and author *
Winfried Schäfer Winfried "Winnie" Schäfer (born 10 January 1950) is a German football manager and former player who last managed of Qatari club Al-Khor. Playing career Winfried Schäfer played 403 Bundesliga matches and scored 46 goals in the (West) German to ...
(born 1950), football player and coach * Reinhard Saftig (born 1952), football player and trainer *
Stephan Ackermann Stephan Ackermann (born March 20, 1963) is a German bishop. He was elected by the Cathedral Chapter as Bishop of Trier in the Moselle area of Germany in 2009. Early life The son of Helmy and Hermann and the eldest of two children, Ackermann gr ...
(born 1963), bishop *
Dominik Meffert Dominik Meffert (born 9 April 1981) is a German professional tennis player. He qualified for the 2007 US Open, his only Grand Slam singles competition, but lost in the first round. He recorded a first round victory over 2003 French Open Champio ...
(born 1981), tennis player *
Marc Hennerici Marc Hennerici (born 10 May 1982 in Mayen) is a German auto racing driver. He is best known for being the first winner of the World Touring Car Championship's Independents Trophy, in 2005. Racing career Hennerici competed in Formula BMW from 1999 ...
(born 1982), racing driver * Jan Siewert (born 1982), football coach * Tim Kruse (born 1983), football player


Twin towns – sister cities

Mayen is twinned with: *
Godalming Godalming is a market town and civil parish in southwest Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, at the confluence of the Rivers Wey and Ock. The civil parish covers and includes the settleme ...
, England, United Kingdom *
Joigny Joigny () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France. It is located on the banks of the river Yonne. History The current city, originally known as Joviniacum in Latin, was founded during Roman times ...
, France *
Uherské Hradiště Uherské Hradiště (; german: Ungarisch Hradisch, hu, Magyarhradis) is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 24,000 inhabitants. The agglomeration with the two neighbouring towns of Staré Město and Kunovice has over ...
, Czech Republic


References


External links

*http://www.mayen.de *http://www.deutsches-schieferbergwerk.de {{Authority control Mayen-Koblenz Districts of the Rhine Province