Herxheim am Berg
| Herxheim am Berg | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The former Saint Jacob’s Church (St. Jakobskirche) | ||
| ||
  Herxheim am Berg | ||
Location of Herxheim am Berg within Bad Dürkheim district 
 | ||
| Coordinates: 49°30′36″N 8°10′47″E / 49.51000°N 8.17972°ECoordinates: 49°30′36″N 8°10′47″E / 49.51000°N 8.17972°E | ||
| Country | Germany | |
| State | Rhineland-Palatinate | |
| District | Bad Dürkheim | |
| Municipal assoc. | Freinsheim | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Heinrich Hartung (SPD) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 4.35 km2 (1.68 sq mi) | |
| Population (2015-12-31)[1] | ||
| • Total | 733 | |
| • Density | 170/km2 (440/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) | |
| Postal codes | 67273 | |
| Dialling codes | 06353 | |
| Vehicle registration | DÜW | |
Herxheim am Berg is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Geography
Location
The municipality lies in the Palatinate on the German Wine Route. Herxheim am Berg belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Freinsheim, whose seat is in the like-named town.
History
In 774, the municipality had its first documentary mention as Heriesheim.
The municipality’s landmark is the roughly one-thousand-year-old Evangelical church. Formerly Saint Jacob’s Church (St. Jakobskirche), the building contains the lower section of a quire tower with a groin-vaulted chancel onto which is built a semicircular apse. The church was built about 1014, making it one of the Palatinate’s oldest ecclesiastical buildings. The nave came into being in 1729. In the chancel, wall paintings have been brought to light showing the Four Evangelists, both in human shape with wings and with the heads of their symbols. In the apse’s vaulting there was a representation of the Last Judgement, and on the south wall, one can see the Apostle Paul. The paintings were done in the latter half of the 14th century.
By the end of March 2016, Herxheim was expected to house 300 refugees, reported the Wall Street Journal on 11 March 2016.[2]
Politics
Municipal council
The council is made up of 12 council members, who were elected 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:[3]
| SPD | CDU | FDP | FWG | Total | |
| 2009 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 12 seats |
| 2004 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 12 seats |
Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: In Rot auf grünem Dreiberg eine aufgerichtete silberne Hacke mit goldenem Stiel.
The municipality’s arms might in English heraldic language be described thus: Gules issuant from a mount of three vert a hoe palewise argent with handle Or, the blade to dexter.
Herxheim’s oldest village seal comes from about 1500 and already shows the hoe, whose meaning is unknown. The green mount of three – a charge called a Dreiberg in German heraldry – may refer to the municipality’s geographical location (the epithet “am Berg” means “at the mountain”). Some later seals had a different composition with the letter H between two roses, but when actual arms were adopted, the old composition was chosen.
The arms have been borne since 5 August 1960.[4]
Famous people
Sons and daughters of the town
- Eduard Eppelsheimer (1808–1866), politician
Famous people associated with the municipality
- Werner Holz, painter
References
- ↑ "Gemeinden in Deutschland mit Bevölkerung am 31. Dezember 2015" (PDF). Statistisches Bundesamt (in German). 2016.
- ↑ http://www.wsj.com/articles/german-welcome-for-migrants-cools-eroding-angela-merkels-standing-1457714259?mod=WSJ_article_EditorsPicks_2
- ↑ Kommunalwahl Rheinland-Pfalz 2009, Gemeinderat
- ↑ Description and explanation of Herxheim am Berg’s arms
External links
Media related to Herxheim am Berg at Wikimedia Commons
