Westerwald

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Westerwald near Arborn
Westerwald near Arborn

The Westerwald (IPA: [ˈvɛstɐvalt]) is a low mountain range on the right bank of the river Rhine in the German federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia. It is a part of the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge (Rhenish Slate Mountains). Its highest elevation, at 657 m above sea level, is the Fuchskaute in the High Westerwald.

Tourist attractions include the Dornburg (394 metres), site of some Celtic ruins from La Tène times (5th to 1st century BC), found in the community of the same name, and Limburg an der Lahn, a town with a mediaeval centre.

The geologically old, heavily eroded range of the Westerwald is in its northern parts overlaid by a volcanic upland made of Tertiary basalt layers. It covers an area of some 50 × 70 km, and thereby roughly 3 000 km², making the Westerwald one of Germany’s biggest mountain ranges by area. In areas of subsidence, it has in its flatter western part (Lower Westerwald) the characteristics of rolling hills. Typical for the economy of the Upper Westerwald, some 40% of which is actually wooded, are traditional slate mining, clay quarrying, diabase and basalt mining, pottery and the iron ore industry, and among other things mining in the Siegerländer Erzrevier (roughly “Siegerland Ore Grounds”). Despite its relatively slight elevation, the Westerwald has for a low mountain range a typical agreeable climate. Economically and culturally, it belongs among Germany’s best known mountain ranges.

The name “Westerwald” was first mentioned in 1048 in a document from the Electorate of Trier and described at that time the woodlands (Wald is German for “forest” or “woods”) around the three churches in Bad Marienberg, Rennerod and Emmerichenhain, west of the royal court at Herborn. Only since the mid 19th century has the name come into common usage for the whole range.

The High Westerwald has since the Middle Ages formed the heart of the Herrschaft zum (also vom or auf dem) Westerwald (“Lordship over the Westerwald”). This comprised the three court districts of Marienberg, Emmerichenhain and Neukirch. The Lordship later fell under the governance of the Lordship or County of Beilstein.

Contents

[edit] Geography

[edit] Location

View of the northern Westerwald from the Otto Turm at Herkersdorf/Kirchen
View of the northern Westerwald from the Otto Turm at Herkersdorf/Kirchen

The Westerwald lies mostly southwest of the three-state common point shared by Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia in the districts of Altenkirchen, Lahn-Dill, Limburg-Weilburg, Neuwied, Rhein-Lahn, Rhein-Sieg, Westerwaldkreis and partly in Siegen-Wittgenstein. It is found south of the Rothaargebirge, southwest of the Lahn-Dill-Bergland (another low mountain range), north of the Taunus and east of the Middle Rhine and stretches more or less southwards from Siegen and Burbach, southwestwards from Haiger, northwestwards from Weilburg, northwards from Limburg an der Lahn, northeastwards from Koblenz, eastwards from Linz am Rhein, southeastwards from Wissen and southwards from Betzdorf. In its centre lie Bad Marienberg and Hachenburg.

Clockwise, the Westerwald is bordered by the following rivers’ valleys: the Rhine between Koblenz and Linz, the Sieg as far as Betzdorf, the Heller, the Dill and from its mouth near Wetzlar, the Lahn up to Lahnstein.

Geomorphologically, the Westerwald belongs to the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge (Rhenish Slate Mountains), forming the greater part of that range’s eastern half on the Rhine’s right bank. Likewise, the Gladenbacher Bergland, lying east of the Dill, also belongs to the Westerwald, whereas the mountains reaching up to 680 m near the Haiger Saddle (Haiger Sattel) and east of Siegen are counted as part of the Rothaargebirge.

[edit] The Westerwald’s regions

The Westerwald is divided by elevation into these three regions:

  • Unterer or Vorderer Westerwald, or Vorderwesterwald:
Translated here as Lower Westerwald, this region borders on the Rhine and Lahn river valley landscapes and manifests itself as the western and southwestern part of the Westerwald, a heavily eroded mountain range with elevations ranging from 200 to 400 m. The subsidence areas found within (Dierdorfer Senke, Montabaurer Senke) are known for their clay deposits. Indeed, the name for this small region is the Kannenbäckerland, or “Jug Bakers’ Land”, a reference to the traditional ceramics industry here. In the southwest, in the richly wooded Montabaur Heights (Montabaurer Höhe) is found a monadnock made of quartzite, as well as the Malberg Conservation Area (Naturschutzgebiet Malberg). The Siebengebirge joining the range in the northwest near Bonn (reaching 464 m) is, however, regionally grouped with the Middle Rhine area.
  • Oberer Westerwald:
Translated here as Upper Westerwald, this is a partly wooded land of volcanic crests with major basalt layers, above all in the area of the Westerwald Lake Plateau (Westerwälder Seenplatte), with elevations ranging from some 350 to 500 m. To the south, as part of the Lahn valley, the hilly Limburg Basin (Limburger Becken) abuts the Upper Westerwald.
  • Hoher Westerwald:
The High Westerwald is an undulating and basalt-rich tableland decked with woodlands that has a distinctly agreeable climate, and elevations ranging from roughly 450 to 657 m. Here is found the Fuchskaute, the Westerwald’s highest peak.

[edit] Places

District seats in the Westerwald are: Altenkirchen (Altenkirchen district), Montabaur (Westerwaldkreis) and Neuwied (Neuwied district). Furthermore, the Lahn-Dill-Kreis, the Mayen-Koblenz district, the Rhein-Lahn-Kreis and the Limburg-Weilburg district each have shares of the Westerwald. If Sieg is taken as the Westerwald’s northernmost limit, then the Rhein-Sieg district likewise belongs here, at least in parts (for example the Siebengebirge and the communities of Eitorf and Windeck).

[edit] Transport connections

The Westerwald and its outer edges are crossed by stretches of Bundesstraßen 8, 42, 49, 54, 62, 255, 256, 277, 413 and 414, over which there are connections to the Autobahnen A 3 (Cologne–Frankfurt), A 45 (Dortmund–Aschaffenburg) and A 48.

Several railway lines also lead through the Westerwald, among them the Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed rail line with stops in Montabaur and Limburg an der Lahn. Moreover, the Westerwald can also be reached by air through the Siegerland Airport, which lies in the High Westerwald, south of Burbach.

Panorama of the Westerwald seen from Bad Marienberg
Panorama of the Westerwald seen from Bad Marienberg

[edit] Geology

Basalt columns at the Hummelsberg
Basalt columns at the Hummelsberg

Geologically, the Westerwald is part of the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge, and likewise represents a heavily eroded remnant of a great Variscan mountain system which in the Mesozoic characterized a great deal of Europe.

The Devonian bedrock is covered by volcanic masses from the Tertiary, particularly basalt and tuffs. Economically important, besides slate, limestone and clay quarrying, were, and still are, iron and its processing industry between Rheintal (Unkel, Linz) and the lower Wied, pumice gravel in the Neuwied Basin, various mineral springs and, once, brown coal mining.

The whole Westerwald region lay under a tropically warm arm of the sea in the Palaeozoic (600 to 270 million years ago). This sea deposited layers of sediments many kilometres thick into the Variscan geosyncline, which were heavily folded in the orogeny that followed. The towns of Siegen and Koblenz on the Westerwald’s north and southwest edges even gave two Lower Devonian layers, with their colourful slates, their names. The upper mountain layers are formed of volcanic strata made of basalt containing tuffs.

Typical everyday Westerwald pottery
Typical everyday Westerwald pottery

In a few areas, slate and clay have long been quarried, the latter notably in the so-called Kannenbäckerland, but also in a few other places where the clay is worked into the salt-glazed grey Westerwald Pottery with cobalt blue decoration. The pottery industry is centred around Höhr-Grenzhausen. Exports, particularly to Italy, are also important (more than one million metric tons each year). In the mid 16th century, potters from Raeren in Belgium migrated into the Westerwald, bringing with them some of their moulds. This type of pottery was taken to the New World and was found in the early Chesapeake settlements. Today one finds not only highly crafted moulded vases and mugs but also a range of handcrafted utility ware, with hand-painted swirling floral motifs.

In the eastern Westerwald (the part lying in Hesse) are found interesting limestone deposits from the most varied of geological times. Erdbach limestone from the Lower Carboniferous gave one small time period the name “Erdbachian”[1].

Near Breitscheid are found the remnants of an atoll from the subtropical Devonian sea that was here 380,000,000 years ago. Parts of this limestone formation are worked in open-pit mining; near Enspel, a “fossil conservation area” has been instituted, in which institutes from several colleges conduct research and excursions. A few karst caves are of interest to spelaeology and bring about the temporary disappearance and reappearance of the Erdbach.

[edit] Mountains

The Westerwald’s highest mountain is the Fuchskaute in the High Westerwald, whose somewhat surprising name means, “Fox Hollow”. This apparently refers to a spot on the mountain that the fox used for his lair (the "hollow"). Many peaks and crests exceed the 600-m level. Sorted by elevation above sea level, these are some of the Westerwald’s highest elevations:

  • Fuchskaute (657 m), near Willingen, Westerwaldkreis, Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Stegskopf (654 m), near Emmerzhausen, Altenkirchen district, Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Salzburger Kopf (653 m), near Salzburg, Westerwaldkreis, Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Höllberg (643 m), near Driedorf, Lahn-Dill-Kreis, Hesse
  • Auf der Baar (618 m), near Driedorf/Breitscheid, Lahn-Dill-Kreis, Hesse
  • Barstein (614 m), near Breitscheid, Lahn-Dill-Kreis, Hesse
  • Knoten (605 m), near Driedorf, Lahn-Dill-Kreis, Hesse
  • Die Höh (598 m), near Burbach, Siegen-Wittgenstein, North Rhine-Westphalia
  • Köppel (540 m), near Montabaur, Westerwaldkreis, Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Hohenseelbachskopf (530 m), near Daaden, Siegen-Wittgenstein and Altenkirchen district, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Mahlscheid (509 m), near Herdorf, Siegen-Wittgenstein and Altenkirchen district, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Malberg (422 m), near Ötzingen, Westerwaldkreis, Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Hummelsberg (389 m), near Linz am Rhein, Neuwied district, Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Beulskopf (388 m), near Altenkirchen, Altenkirchen district, Rhineland-Palatinate

Höllberg

View from the Knoten

Hummelsberg

Malberg

[edit] Waterways

[edit] Flowing waters

The following are the Westerwald’s rivers and streams:

  • Rivers whose valley systems border the range (clockwise):
    • Rhine – southwest edge
    • Sieg – north edge
    • Dill – east edge, tributary to the Lahn
    • Lahn – southeast edge
  • Smaller rivers within the range:
    • Sayn – in the southern (Lower) Westerwald, flows west to the Rhine
    • Wied (between Sieg und Sayn) – flows west to the Rhine
    • Nister (in the northeast, boundary of Upper Westerwald) – flows northwest to the Sieg
    • Elbbach (Sieg) – near Wissen to the Sieg
    • Heller – rises in northern Westerwald and flows through the Siegerland to Betzdorf and into the Sieg.
    • Elbbach (Lahn) – near Ailertchen to the Lahn
    • Daade – empties between Alsdorf and Grünebach into the Heller.
  • Greater streams and brooks:
    • Aubach, Brexbach, Dietzhölze, Erdbach, Fockenbach, Gelbach, Hellerbach, Holzbach, Kerkerbach, Masselbach, Saynbach, Ulmbach.

[edit] Standing waters

  • Breitenbachtalsperre (Rennerod) (reservoir)
  • Stausee Driedorf (reservoir)
  • Großer Weiher
  • Fischweiher
  • Heisterberger Weiher
  • Krombachtalsperre (reservoir)
  • Seeweiher near Mengerskirchen
  • Waagweiher
  • Waldsee Maroth
  • Westerwälder Seenplatte (Westerwald Lake Plateau)
    • Brinkenweiher
    • Dreifelder Weiher (or Seeweiher)
    • Haidenweiher
    • Hausweiher
    • Hofmannsweiher
    • Postweiher
    • Wölferlinger Weiher
  • Wiesensee (reservoir)

Weiher is a German word meaning “pond”.

[edit] Famous people

Sabine Bätzing
Sabine Bätzing
  • Sabine Bätzing (German politician, SPD)
  • Hans-Arthur Bauckhage (German politician, FDP)
  • Johann Wilhelm Bausch (Bishop of Limburg 1834–1840)
  • Joseph Blank (German politician, CDU)
  • Theodor Blank (former Federal minister, CDU)
  • Wilhelm Boden (German politician, CDU; Premier of Rhineland-Palatinate 1946–1947)
  • Katja Burkard (German television moderator)
  • Ralph Dommermuth (entrepreneur)
  • Paul Deussen (German philosophic historian and Indologist)
  • Paul Dickopf (co-founder of the BKA)
  • Thomas Enders (manager)
  • Dieter Fritsch (German surveyor)
  • Erhard Geyer (former Federal Chairman of the German Officials’ Federation)
  • Frank Göbler (German Slavist)
  • Paul Grimm (German artist)
  • Dieter Hackler (Federal Commissioner for the Civil Service 1991–2006)
  • Annegret Held (German writer)
  • Hendrik Hering (German politician, SPD)
  • Joseph Höffner (Bishop of Münster 1962–1969 and Archbishop of Cologne 1969–1987)
  • Joachim Hörster (German politician CDU, Member of the Bundestag)
Bodo Illgner
Bodo Illgner
Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom Stein
Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom Stein

[edit] Westerwaldlied

The Westerwald is also internationally known in songs, above all in folksongs, and particularly the Westerwaldlied (“Westerwald Song”), as well as Westerwald-Marsch (“Westerwald March”), Westerwald, du bist so schön (“Westerwald, you are so lovely”), the neues Westerwaldlied (“New Westerwald Song”) by songwriter Ulrik Remy, Ich bin aus 'm Westerwald (“I am from the Westerwald”) and Das schönste Mädchen vom Westerwald (“The Loveliest Girl from the Westerwald”) by Karl-Eberhard Hain and Jürgen Hardeck, made well known by "De Höhner", "Die Schröders" and other groups.

[edit] Westerwaldlied lyrics

German English translation
First verse

Heute wollen wir marschier'n
Einen neuen Marsch probier'n
In dem schönen Westerwald
Ja da pfeift der Wind so kalt

Today we want to march
To try out a new march
In the lovely Westerwald
Yes, there the wind whistles so cold
Chorus

Oh, Du schöner Westerwald
Über Deine Höhen pfeift der Wind so kalt
Jedoch der kleinste Sonnenschein
Dringt tief ins Herz hinein

Oh, you lovely Westerwald
Over your heights the wind whistles so cold
However, the smallest sunshine
Thrusts deep into the heart
Second verse

Und die Gretel und der Hans
Gehn des Sonntags gern zum Tanz
Weil das Tanzen Freude macht
Und das Herz im Leibe lacht

Wiederhole Refrain

And Gretel and Hans
Gladly go dancing on Sunday
Because dancing makes joy
And the heart in the body laughs

Repeat chorus
Third verse

Ist das Tanzen dann vorbei
Gibt es meistens Keilerei
Und dem Bursch, den das nicht freut,
sagt man nach, er hat kein' Schneid

Wiederhole Refrain

When the dancing is over
There is mostly fighting
And the lad whom that does not please
Is accused of having no grit

Repeat chorus

[edit] Other

The standard German term for a Westerwald dweller is Westerwälder (IPA: [ˈvɛstɐvɛldɐ]; plural: same), but they are also popularly known as Basaltköpp (“Basalt Heads”), as they are said to be thickheaded, and they live in a basalt-rich region.

[edit] Bibliography

Hermann Josef Roth: Naturkundliche Bibliographie des rechtsrheinischen Schiefergebirges zwischen Lahn und Sieg (= Planaria, 3). Overath 1989, ISSN 0931-3737

[edit] Further reading

  • Hellmuth Gensicke: Landesgeschichte des Westerwaldes. 2., ergänzter Nachdruck der Ausgabe von 1958. Veröffentlichungen der Historischen Kommission für Nassau, Nr. 13. Gemeinsam mit der Landesarchivverwaltung Rheinland-Pfalz herausgegeben von der Historischen Kommission für Nassau. Historische Kommission für Nassau, Wiesbaden 1987, XVIII/659 S., ISBN 3-922244-80-7
  • Hermann Josef Roth: Der Westerwald. Vom Siebengebirge zum Hessischen hinterland. Kultur und Landschaft zwischen Rhein, Lahn und Sieg. 4. Aufl. Köln 1989, ISBN 3-7701-1198-2
  • Hermann Josef Roth: Siegerland, Westerwald, Lahn und Taunus. Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläonztologie. 2. Aufl. Bindlach 1993, ISBN 3-8112-1055-6
  • Hermann J. Roth, Herbert A. Ebert & Bruno P. Kremer: Kulturlandschaft Westerwald. Perspektiven einer ökologischen Regionalentwicklung (= Pollichia-Buch 35). Bad Dürkheim 1997, ISBN 3-925754-34-2
  • Markus Müller: Gemeinden und Staat in der Reichsgrafschaft Sayn-Hachenburg 1652-1799. Wiesbaden 2005, Verlag der Historischen Kommission für Nassau. Beiträge zur Geschichte Nassaus und des Landes Hessen, Bd. 3/561 S., ISBN 3-930221-14-4
  • Heiner Feldhoff: Westerwald. In: Literarischer Reiseführer Rheinland-Pfalz. Herausgegeben von Josef Zierden. Frankfurt 2001, ISBN 3-86099-483-2
  • Oliver Greifendorf: Kriegsschauplatz Westerwald - Einmarsch der Amerikaner im Frühjahr 1945. Helios-Verlag, Aachen 2003, ISBN 3-938208-05-8
  • Ulrich Fliess: Volkskundliche Abteilung. Ausstellungskatalog des Historischen Museum am Hohen Ufer Hannover II. Hannover 1972. Seite 99-102: "Westerwälder Steinzeug" und "Wandvitrine 142" nebst Tafel 15.
  • Hermann-Josef Hucke (Redaktion) (Hrsg.): Großer Westerwaldführer. 3. Auflage. Verlag Westerwald-Verein e.V., Montabaur 1991, ISBN 3-921548-04-7.

[edit] Weblinks

Look up Westerwald in
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[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.bernstein.naturkundemuseum-bw.de/odonata/paleodat.htm

This article is based on a translation of an article from the German Wikipedia.

Coordinates: 50°40′N 7°55′E / 50.667, 7.917