Birresborn

Birresborn

Coat of arms
Birresborn

Coordinates: 50°10′35″N 6°37′33″E / 50.17639°N 6.62583°E / 50.17639; 6.62583Coordinates: 50°10′35″N 6°37′33″E / 50.17639°N 6.62583°E / 50.17639; 6.62583
Country Germany
State Rhineland-Palatinate
District Vulkaneifel
Municipal assoc. Gerolstein
Government
 • Mayor [Gordon Schnieder]
Area
 • Total 20.88 km2 (8.06 sq mi)
Elevation 340 m (1,120 ft)
Population (2015-12-31)[1]
 • Total 1,149
 • Density 55/km2 (140/sq mi)
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes 54574
Dialling codes 06594
Vehicle registration DAU
Website www.birresborn.de

Birresborn is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Gerolstein, whose seat is in the like-named town.

Geography

Location

The municipality lies roughly 6 km south of Gerolstein at an elevation of 350 m above sea level in the Kyll valley in the Vulkaneifel, a part of the Eifel known for its volcanic history, geographical and geological features, and even ongoing activity today, including gases that sometimes well up from the earth.

Constituent communities

Birresborn’s Ortsteile are Sauerwasser, the hunting lodge Waldfries and the outlying centre of Rom.

Neighbouring municipalities

Clockwise from the north, these are Gerolstein (7 km away), Michelbach (outlying centre of Gerolstein; 4 km away), Salm (8 km away), Mürlenbach (4 km away), Kopp (4 km away) and Büdesheim (9 km away).

Mountains

Loftier peaks in the municipality include the Rödelkaul (592 m), the Daxberg (548 m), the Goldberg (523 m) and the Vulkan Kalem (509.4 m).

Streams

Mineral springs

Lindenquelle

Adonis Quelle

The Adonis Quelle – Quelle is German for “spring” – lies in the middle of the village, but has been closed since November 2003 owing to contamination. The Quelltempel (“Spring Temple”) also found here near the bridge on the Kyll, in which one could once drink water from the Adonis Quelle and draw it for one’s own use, has likewise been closed ever since.[2]

Lindenquelle

The Lindenquelle lies roughly 4 km north of Birresborn on the way to Gerolstein. The Quelltempel still standing here is under monumental protection, and since 3 July 2009,[3] has been being restored. Moreover, the mineral water is once more gushing forth. The contamination that ended the Adonis Quelle’s usefulness has not affected the Lindenquelle. Here, one can drink water free of charge and also fill up on it the year round.

Conservation areas

Nature conservation areas exist at the Vulkan Kalem, at the ice caves and in the Fischbach valley, in the Felst and in the Hundsbach valley.

History

In 721, Birresborn had its first documentary mention under the name Birgisburias. The prefix Bir— is a word of Semitic origin. It means “well” or “watering place”. Commonly, however, Birgis-burias is translated as “Good Well”.

On 15 June 1871, Birresborn was linked to the German railway network with the opening of the Eifelbahn between Gerolstein and Trier. On 14 May 1908, the Lindenquelle was acknowledged as a public utility. On 20 February 1914, the municipality’s springs were recognized by the state as health springs. On Christmas Day 1944, not long before the Second World War ended, a great part of Birresborn was destroyed in an Allied air raid. Since 1971, Birresborn has been part of the Verbandsgemeinde of Gerolstein, in the Daun district, which is now known as the Vulkaneifel district. On 11 November 2003, the mineral spring Birresborner Phönix Sprudel was closed owing to contamination.[2] On 24 May 2009, the municipality celebrated an “Historic Village Festival” with more than 3,500 visitors from Germany and abroad.

Politics

Municipal council

The council is made up of 16 council members, who were elected by proportional representation at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.

The municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results:[4]

CDU WG Schmitz WG Zander Total
2009 6 4 6 16 seats

Mayors

Coat of arms

The municipality’s arms might be described thus: Azure in base a mount of three argent charged with and oakleaf in bend sinister vert, above which a spring with four streams of the second.

Culture and sightseeing

Natural monuments

Buildings

Economy and infrastructure

Transport

Rail

The halt at Birresborn lies on the Eifelbahn (Cologne–Euskirchen–Gerolstein–Trier), which here is served by local public rail service between Gerolstein and Trier.

All local public transport is integrated into the Verkehrsverbund Region Trier (VRT), whose fares therefore apply.

Road

Birresborn lies right on Landesstraße 24.

The nearest Autobahnen are as follows:

Education

Birresborn’s only school is the Grundschule Birresborn, a primary school for year grades 1 to 4.

Church

Nikolauskirche

Birresborn is a community whose inhabitants are mainly Catholic. Belonging to the parish of St. Nikolaus Birresborn are also the communities of St. Matthias Kopp, St.Lucia Mürlenbach and Maria Magdalena Densborn. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Trier.

Parish priests

Famous people

Honorary citizens

References

  1. ↑ "Gemeinden in Deutschland mit Bevölkerung am 31. Dezember 2015" (PDF). Statistisches Bundesamt (in German). 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-09-27. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
  3. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-10. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
  4. ↑ Kommunalwahl Rheinland-Pfalz 2009, Gemeinderat
  5. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
  6. ↑ http://www.wahlen.rlp.de/kw/wahlen/2009/direktwahlen/ergebnisse/2330200000000.html
  7. ↑ Directory of Cultural Monuments in Vulkaneifel district
  8. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
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