Heidenburg is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Heidenburg | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Heidenburg within Bernkastel-Wittlich district  | |
  Heidenburg  Heidenburg | |
| Coordinates: 49°47′56″N 6°55′05″E / 49.79889°N 6.91806°E | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Rhineland-Palatinate |
| District | Bernkastel-Wittlich |
| Municipal assoc. | Thalfang |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2023–24) | Dieter Mattes[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 9.49 km2 (3.66 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 400 m (1,300 ft) |
| Population (2022-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 704 |
| • Density | 74/km2 (190/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 54426 |
| Dialling codes | 06509 |
| Vehicle registration | WIL |
| Website | www.heidenburg.de |
Geography
editLocation
editThe municipality lies in the Hunsrück south of the bow in the Moselle between Leiwen and Trittenheim. Between Heidenburg and the Moselle is the valley of the Kleine Dhron, a deep cut in the landscape. Not far downstream, the Kleine Dhron feeds the Dhron reservoir. An outstanding scenic view is to be had from the heights around Heidenburg: the Moselle valley from Klüsserath through Leiwen and Trittenheim to Neumagen-Dhron; the mountains of the Eifel and the Erbeskopf – the highest elevation in Rhineland-Palatinate – the Dhron reservoir and through the tree cover, Dhrönchen, the writer Stefan Andres’s birthplace. As well as the views into the distance, the municipality offers a wealth of plant life and wildlife in its meadows and forests.
Heidenburg belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Thalfang am Erbeskopf, whose seat is in the municipality of Thalfang.
History
editIn 1053, Heidenburg had its first documentary mention. As a result of the turmoil of the French Revolution, Heidenburg lay under French rule beginning about 1800. In 1814 it was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia at the Congress of Vienna. Since 1947, it has been part of the then newly founded state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Since administrative reform in Rhineland-Palatinate in 1969, the municipality has belonged to the Verbandsgemeinde of Thalfang am Erbeskopf. In 1997, Heidenburg was awarded the title “Child- and Family-Friendly Municipality, National Winner” (Bundessieger Kinder- und Familienfreundliche Gemeinde).
Politics
editMunicipal council
editThe council is made up of 12 council members, who were elected by proportional representation at the municipal election held on 26 May 2019, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
The municipal election held on 26 May 2019 yielded the following results:[3]
| SPD | CDU | FWG | group | Total | |
| 2019 | multi-member plurality voting | 12 seats | |||
| 2014 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 12 seats |
| 2009 | 7 | 3 | 2 | – | 12 seats |
| 2004 | 5 | 4 | 3 | – | 12 seats |
| 1999 | 6 | 4 | 2 | – | 12 seats |
Mayor
editThe mayor (Ortsbürgermeister) is Dieter Mattes.[1]
Coat of arms
editThe German blazon reads: Schild von eingebogener Spitze, darin ein goldener Pflug mit silberner Flugschar, gespalten, vorne in Silber ein rotes Balkenkreuz, hinten in Silber zwei grüne Heidekrautstengel mit roten Blüten.
The municipality’s arms might in English heraldic language be described thus: Tierced in mantle, dexter argent a cross gules, sinister argent two heath sprigs vert conjoined in base and with flowers gules, in base vert a plough Or with ploughshare of the first.
The German blazon does not mention the field tincture in the base division, although it is shown as vert (green) at the Verbandsgemeinde website[4]
The arms have been borne since 1988 when they were approved by the Regierungsbezirk administration.
Town partnerships
editHeidenburg fosters partnerships with the following places:
Economy and infrastructure
editHeidenburg is a rural residential community. There are small businesses serving local demands.
Further reading
editRolf Blasius: Heidenburg – Ortsgeschichte des Dorfes zwischen Mosel und Hunsrück. Chronik. Ortsgemeinde Heidenburg, 2003, ISBN 3-00-011386-X
References
edit- ^ a b Unterrichtung über die Ergebnisse der Sitzung des Ortsgemeinderates Heidenburg am Dienstag, den 18. April 2023, Thalfang aktuell – Amtsblatt VG Thalfang, Issue 25/2023, accessed 24 September 2023 (in German).
- ^ "Bevölkerungsstand 2022, Kreise, Gemeinden, Verbandsgemeinden" (PDF) (in German). Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz. 2023.
- ^ Der Landeswahlleiter Rheinland-Pfalz: Kommunalwahl 2019, Stadt- und Gemeinderatswahlen (in German).
- ^ Heidenburg’s arms at Verbandsgemeinde website – Click on Gemeinden, and then Heidenburg.
External links
edit- Municipality’s official webpage (in German)