Eifel
Eifel | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Peak | Rhenish Slate Mountains |
Geology | |
Orogeny | Variscan |
Type of rock | slate, limestone, quartzite, sandstone and basalt |
The Eifel (German:
The Eifel is part of the Rhenish Massif; within its northern portions lies the Eifel National Park. The Eifelian stage in geological history is named after the region because rocks of that period reach the surface in the Eifel at the Wetteldorf Richtschnitt outcrop.
The inhabitants of the Eifel are known as Eiflers[1] or Eifelers.[2]
Geography
Location
The Eifel lies between the cities of
Topography
The Eifel belongs to that part of the Rhenish Massif whose rolling plateau is categorised as
The rivers draining into the Moselle, Rhine and Meuse, such as the Our, Kyll, Ahr, Brohlbach and Rur, have cut deep into the edge of the Eifel and formed larger valleys.
The Eifel covers an area of 5,300 km² and is geographically divided into the North and South Eifel. It is further divided into several natural regional landscapes, some with further subdivisions.
National and nature parks
Since 2004, part of the
Divisions
Overview
There are several distinct chains within the Eifel.
- The northernmost parts are called North Eifel ("Nordeifel") including Rur Eifel the origin of the river Rur, High Fens ("Hohes Venn") and the Limestone Eifel (Kalkeifel).
- The northeastern part is called Ahr Hills[3] (German: Ahrgebirge) and rise north of the Ahr river in the district of Ahrweiler.
- South of the Ahr is the High Eifel[3] (Hohe Eifel), with the Hohe Acht (747 m) being the highest mountain of the Eifel.
- In the west, on the Belgian border, the hills are known as Schneifel (part of the Schnee-Eifel or "Snowy Eifel"), rising up to 698 m. Also in the west, by the Belgian and Luxembourg border, the region is known as Islek (Aquilania).
- The southern half of the Eifel is lower. It is cut by several rivers running north-south towards the Moselle. The largest of these is the Kyllwald.
- In the south the Eifel is concluded by the Voreifel above the Moselle.
Since 2004, about 110 km² of the Eifel within the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia have been protected as the Eifel National Park nature reserve.
Natural regional divisions
Up to 1960, the German part of the Eifel, which belonged to the natural region of the Rhenish Massif, was, according to the Handbook of the Natural Region Divisions of Germany, divided into three major unit (i.e. two-digit) groups and these were subdivided into (three-digit) major natural units.[4][5] These divisions were subsequently refined in the individual map sheets Trier/Mettendorf, Cochem (both 1974) and Cologne/Aachen (1978) as follows;[6][7][8] for the most detailed natural region divisions in Rhineland-Palatinate, fact files were produced by the state information system of the conservation administration (LANDIS):[9][10][11]
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|
The
Mountains and hills
Apart from its valleys, the Eifel is a gently rolling plateau from which elongated mountain ridges and individual mountains rise. The majority of these summits do not attain a great height above the surrounding terrain. Several, however, like the Schwarzer Mann in the Schnee-Eifel, stand out from a long way off as long, forested ridges or clearly isolated mountaintops.
The highest mountain in the whole Eifel is the Hohe Acht at 746.9 m. It is the only Eifel summit above 700 m. However, many peaks, mountain ridges and large regions, such as the Zitterwald reach heights of over 600 m. These include two dozen peaks with good all-round views, of which many have an observation tower. From north to south they are: the Michelsberg, Häuschen and Teufelsley in the north; the Adert, Hohe Acht and Raßberg in the northeast; the Hochkel, Nerotherkopf, Dietzenley and ruins of the Kasselburg in the central area; the Prümer Kalvarienberg, Hartkopf and Prümer Kopf in the east, the Steineberg and Mäuseberg near Daun, the Hochsimmer and Scheidkopf near Mayen; the Eickelslay and Absberg in the southeast; and the Krautscheid and Hohe Kuppe in the southwest.
The mountains and hills of the Eifel include the following (in order of height in metres above sea level):
Mountain/hill | Height (m) |
Lowest level natural region |
No. (natural region) |
Natural region major unit |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hohe Acht | 746.9 | Hohe Acht Upland | 271.20 | Eastern High Eifel
|
Ernstberg (Erresberg) | 699.8 | Prümscheid | 277.20 | Kyllburger Waldeifel |
unnamed summit[16]
|
699.1 | Schneifelrücken | 281.0 | Western High Eifel
|
Schwarzer Mann | 697.8 | Schneifel Ridge | 281.0 | Western High Eifel |
Botrange
|
694.24 | Venn Plateau | 283.0 | High Fens (Belgium) |
Scharteberg | 691.4 | Prümscheid | 277.20 | Kyllburger Waldeifel |
Weißer Stein | 690 | Monschau-Hellenthal Forest Plateau | 282.4 | Rur Eifel |
Prümscheid
|
682 | Prümscheid | 277.20 | Kyllburger Waldeifel |
Castle hill of the Nürburg
|
676.5 | Hohe Acht Upland | 271.20 | Eastern High Eifel |
Hochkelberg | 674.9 | Trierbach-Lieser Spring Upland | 271.40 | Eastern High Eifel |
Raßberg | 663.8 | Hohe Acht Upland | 271.20 | Eastern High Eifel |
Steling | 658.3 | Venn Plateau | 283.0 | High Fens (Belgium) |
Döhmberg | 653.2 | Dockweil Volcanic Eifel | 276.81 | Limestone Eifel[17] |
Nerother Kopf | 651.7 | Daun-Manderscheid Volcanoes | 270.50 | Moselle Eifel |
unnamed summit[16] (near Gondelsheim) |
651.3[18] | Duppach Ridge | 281.4 | Western High Eifel |
Radersberg | 637 | Dockweil Volcanic Eifel | 276.81 | Limestone Eifel[19] |
Apert | 631.3 | Kyll Volcanic Eifel | 276.80 | Limestone Eifel |
Aremberg | 623.8 | Kempenich Tuff Plateau | 271.1 | Eastern High Eifel |
unnamed summit[16] (near Schöneseiffen) |
622.7 | Dreiborn Plateau | 282.5 | Rur Eifel |
Dietzenley | 617.6 | Prümscheid | 277.20 | Kyllburger Waldeifel[20] |
Asseberg | 601.5 | Prümscheid | 277.20 | Kyllburger Waldeifel |
Hardtkopf | 601.5 | Southern Schneifel Foreland | 280.4 | Islek and Ösling[21] |
Alterfaß/Alter Voß | 589.9 | Dockweil Volcanic Eifel | 276.81 | Limestone Eifel[22] |
Heidenköpfe
|
595 | Eichholz Ridge | 276.3 | Limestone Eifel |
Hochsimmer | 587.9 | Nitz-Nette Forest | 271.21 | Eastern High Eifel |
Michelsberg | 586.1 | Northern Ahr Hills | 272.1 | Ahr Eifel[23] |
Langschoß | 583.5 | Lammersdorf Venn Plateau | 283.0 | High Fens |
Gänsehals
|
575.3 | Kempenich Tuff Plateau | 271.1 | Eastern High Eifel |
Eigart | 565.5 | Dreiborn Plateau | 282.5 | Rur Eifel |
Hochstein | 563.0 | Ettringer Vulkankuppen | 292.01 | Lower Middle Rhine region
|
Mäuseberg | 561.2 | Daun Maar Region | 270.51 | Moselle Eifel[24] |
Stromberg | 558.2 | Eichholz Ridge | 276.3 | Limestone Eifel |
Rockeskyller Kopf | 554.6 | Dockweil Volcanic Eifel | 276.81 | Limestone Eifel |
Hoher List | 549.1 | Daun Maar Region | 270.51 | Moselle Eifel |
Roßbüsch | 538.6[25] | Kyll Volcanic Eifel | 276.80 | Limestone Eifel |
Knippberg | 537.3 | Münstereifel Forest | 274.1 | Münstereifel Forest and Northeastern Foot of the Eifel |
Kuhdorn | 532.1[26] | Kyll Volcanic Eifel | 276.80 | Limestone Eifel[27] |
Burberg | 528.5 | Salm Hill Country | 277.3 | Kyllburger Waldeifel |
unnamed summit[16] (near Wolfgarten) |
527.8 | Kermeter Forest | 282.8 | Rur Eifel |
Wildbretshügel | 525.3 | Kermeter Forest | 282.8 | Rur Eifel |
Kalvarienberg
|
522.8 | Dollendorfer Kalkmulde | 276.5 | Limestone Eifel |
Verbrannter Berg
|
516.2 | Kermeter Forest | 282.8 | Rur Eifel |
Kopnück near Kop Nück | 514.4 | Northern Ahr Hills | 272.1 | Ahr Eifel[28] |
Rother Hecke | 510.5[29] | Kyll Volcanic Eifel | 276.80 | Limestone Eifel |
Häuschen | 506.5 | Southern Ahr Hills | 272.3 | Ahr Eifel |
Hochthürmen | 499.9 | Northern Ahr Hills | 272.1 | Ahr Eifel |
Teufelsley | 495.9 | Southern Ahr Hills | 272.3 | Ahr Eifel |
Krufter Ofen | 463.1 | Laacher Kuppenland | 292.0 | Lower Middle Rhine region |
Kellerberg
|
448.8 | Naurather Horst | 270.60 | Moselle Eifel[30] |
Herkelstein | 434.5 | Mechernich Upland and Hill Country | 275.2 | Mechernich Voreifel[31] |
unnamed summit[16] (near Osann-Monzel) |
434.1 | Moselle Hills | 250.2 | Moselle Valley |
Stockert | 433.9 | Mechernich Upland and Hill Country | 275.2 | Mechernich Voreifel[32] |
Veitskopf | 428.1 | Laacher Kuppenland | 292.0 | Lower Middle Rhine region |
Monzeler Hüttenkopf | 423.4 | Moselle Hills | 250.2 | Moselle Valley |
Burgberg
|
400.8 | Hürtgen Plateau | 282.1 | Rur Eifel |
Thelenberg | 400.2 | Laacher Kuppenland | 292.0 | Lower Middle Rhine region |
Sonnenberg | 393.3 | Kermeter Forest | 282.8 | Rur Eifel[33] |
Calmont | 378.4 | Gevenich Plateau | 270.02 | Moselle Eifel |
Bausenberg | 339.8 | Königsfelder Eifelrand | 274.3 | Münstereifel Forest and Northeastern Foot of the Eifel |
Landskrone | 271.7 | Oberwinter Terraces and Hills | 292.23 | Lower Middle Rhine region |
For a list of these and other Eifel mountains and hills see the List of mountains and hills of the Eifel.
Many of these prominent points are linked by the Eifel-Ardennes Green Route, which crosses the east and south of the region, the German Volcano Route, the German Wildlife Route and the South Eifel Holiday Route.
Water bodies
Due to its moist and mild Atlantic climate, the Eifel is bisected by numerous streams and small rivers. Impoundment of these streams, especially in the North Eifel has led to the creation of very large
A feature of the Eifel are its natural lakes of volcanic origin. The largest, the
Rivers and streams
The many rivers and streams of the Eifel drain into the North Sea via the great rivers outside of the Eifel: the Rhine (and its tributary, the Moselle) and the Meuse (with its tributaries, the Rur and Ourthe). The rivers and streams within the mountain range, together with their larger tributaries, are as follows:
Rhine tributaries: |
Meuse tributaries:
|
Lakes and reservoirs
Reservoirs
- Bitburg Reservoir
- Weilerbach Reservoir (Freilinger See)
- Kronenburg Reservoir (Kronenburger See)
- Olef Reservoir
- Gileppe Reservoir
- Rur Reservoir
- Urft Reservoir
- Wehebach Reservoir
- Weser, near Eupen)
- Dreilägerbach Reservoir
- Perlenbach Reservoir
- Kall Reservoir
- Lake Bütgenbach
- Lake Robertville
- Madbach Reservoir
- Steinbach Reservoir
Volcanic lakes
Geology
Despite the interesting geology of the Eifel region, only three comprehensive geological accounts have been produced.[34] In 1822, Johann Steiniger published the first geological map of the area and, in 1853, the Geognostische Beschreibung der Eifel.[35] In 1915 Otto Follmann published a new account, adding to the extent of scientific understanding at that time, the Abriss der Geologie der Eifel ("Abstract of the geology of the Eifel region".[34][36] In 1986, Wilhelm Meyer finally published the volume, Geologie der Eifel ("Geology of the Eifel"), whose fourth, revised, edition is now regarded as the standard work on the geology of the Eifel.[34][37]
The Eifel and its western continuation into Belgium, the
Basement
The
do not occur in the Eifel itself, but lie along its northern boundary in the region of Aachen.
The Devonian rocks were deposited in an
The Eifel geological structures like main folds and overthrusts can be traced in a SW-NE direction far beyond the Rhine valley.
Platform
Since that folding, the Eifel has largely remained part of the mainland. During the Permian, after the end of the uplifting, the Variscan mountains were heavily eroded, leaving only a relatively flat, truncated upland. For a short time, and only partially, this was later flooded by the sea.
Depositions from the
In the Upper Cretaceous and during the Tertiary, the Eifel was inundated mainly from the north. Remains of Cretaceous rocks were discovered on the High Fens. Scattered patches of Oligocene deposits can be found there and in the Western Eifel.
From the Pliocene onwards, the Rhenish Massif, including the Eifel, experienced an uplift. This led to the streams and rivers cutting into the gently rolling landscape resulting in the present appearance of the low mountain range with its flat plateaus and deeply incised valleys.
Due to numerous recent research projects, climate changes since the
Volcanism
Volcanic activity in the Eifel began 50 millions of years ago and continues into the geological present. It created numerous volcanic structures, lava flows and extensive layers of volcanic ejecta made of tuff and pumice, which have formed the basis of a significant mining activity for the extraction of building materials since Roman times. Some of the hills are volcanic vents. The peculiar circle-shaped lakes (maars) of the volcanic regions formed in volcanic craters.
The first volcanic eruptions took place in the early Tertiary centred in the High Eifel and even before the volcanic activity of the Siebengebirge and Westerwald. Volcanism in the High Eifel came to an end about 15 to 20 million years ago, at the same time as that of the Siebengebirge.
Volcanism in the western and eastern Eifel is, in contrast to that of the High Eifel, much more recent than that of the Siebengebirge and Westerwald. It began in the West Eifel region of Daun, Hillesheim and Gerolstein about 700,000 years ago and created a chain of ash volcanoes, cinder cones, maars and craters running in a chain from northwest to southeast. The youngest maars are only slightly older than 11,000 years.
In the eastern Eifel, volcanism began about 500,000 years ago in the area of today's Laacher See; it extended to the Neuwied Basin to the south, and crossed the Rhine to the east. The quantity of
Volcanism is caused by magma, which either rises directly to the Earth's surface from the upper regions of the Earth's mantle or, in the majority of cases, gathers in a magma chamber, several tens of kilometres deep, at the base of the Earth's crust, from which magma rises at irregular intervals and causes volcanic eruptions.[41] Volcanism in the Eifel is thought to be partly caused by the Eifel hotspot, a place where hot material from deep in the mantle rises to the surface, and partly by melt-ascent at deep fractures in the Earth's crust.[42] Research has shown that the volcanism is still active; the Eifel region is rising by 1–2 mm per year and there are escaping gases, for example, carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Laacher See.
Climate
The Eifel is in the Atlantic climate zone with its relatively high precipitation; winters that are moderately cold and long with periods of snow; and summers that are often humid and cool. The prevailing wind is west/southwest. A relatively dry and milder climate prevails in the wind and rain shadow of the High Eifel. Cold air from Siberia in the higher elevations of the Eifel has less of an impact on weather conditions, as the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean to the Eifel brings milder sea air to the Eifel even in winter.
Looking at the long-term averages, even the
The mean temperature in the coldest month (January) is -1.5 °C at high elevations, +1.5 to 2 °C in the mountain foreland. There is an average of 110 days of frost, with temperatures below 0 °C in the highlands and an average of 30 to 40 'ice days' when temperatures do not rise above 0 °C. The warmest month (July) only has an average temperature of 14 °C in the higher areas. The level of precipitation decreases significantly from west to east as a result of the rain shadow of the highlands. So the Schneifel receives an average of 1,200 mm of precipitation (High Fens: 1,400 mm to 1,500 mm), while in Maifeld the average rainfall is only 600 mm.
The bioclimatic conditions in the Eifel are favourable. Heat stress and air humidity are rarely present in summer. The Eifel has a distinctly stimulating climate; the high elevations being considered as highly stimulating. The Eifel is a clean air area with very low air-chemical pollution. On hot sunny days, there is sometimes an increased concentration of ground-level ozone.
Here are a couple of weather station examples for settlements in the Eifel.
Climate data for Nürburg, 485 m asl (1981–2010 normals) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 13.5 (56.3) |
15.6 (60.1) |
20.7 (69.3) |
25.8 (78.4) |
30.4 (86.7) |
33.3 (91.9) |
34.9 (94.8) |
36.0 (96.8) |
30.2 (86.4) |
25.2 (77.4) |
18.8 (65.8) |
12.6 (54.7) |
36.0 (96.8) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 2.6 (36.7) |
4.3 (39.7) |
7.7 (45.9) |
12.3 (54.1) |
16.4 (61.5) |
19.7 (67.5) |
21.6 (70.9) |
21.4 (70.5) |
17.0 (62.6) |
12.5 (54.5) |
6.6 (43.9) |
2.8 (37.0) |
12.2 (54.0) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 0.3 (32.5) |
1.6 (34.9) |
4.2 (39.6) |
8.0 (46.4) |
11.9 (53.4) |
15.0 (59.0) |
16.9 (62.4) |
16.6 (61.9) |
13.0 (55.4) |
9.2 (48.6) |
4.3 (39.7) |
0.6 (33.1) |
8.6 (47.5) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.1 (28.2) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
0.7 (33.3) |
3.6 (38.5) |
7.4 (45.3) |
10.1 (50.2) |
12.2 (54.0) |
11.9 (53.4) |
9.0 (48.2) |
5.9 (42.6) |
2.0 (35.6) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
4.9 (40.8) |
Record low °C (°F) | −18.6 (−1.5) |
−17.4 (0.7) |
−12.4 (9.7) |
−6.4 (20.5) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
2.1 (35.8) |
5.0 (41.0) |
3.6 (38.5) |
1.1 (34.0) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
−10.8 (12.6) |
−18.1 (−0.6) |
−18.6 (−1.5) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 48.0 (1.89) |
51.2 (2.02) |
50.6 (1.99) |
47.4 (1.87) |
60.6 (2.39) |
53.8 (2.12) |
68.9 (2.71) |
77.7 (3.06) |
57.0 (2.24) |
54.1 (2.13) |
57.5 (2.26) |
51.5 (2.03) |
678.3 (26.71) |
Average precipitation days | 9.5 | 10.6 | 10.9 | 9.4 | 9.9 | 9.8 | 11.4 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 10.5 | 12.0 | 10.8 | 123.9 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 56.7 | 72.1 | 116.6 | 166.9 | 187.0 | 205.3 | 204.4 | 193.3 | 147.1 | 105.7 | 46.5 | 43.0 | 1,544.6 |
Source: Météo Climat [43][44] |
Climate data for Eupen (1981–2010 normals, sunshine 1984–2013) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 3.3 (37.9) |
4.4 (39.9) |
8.2 (46.8) |
12.2 (54.0) |
16.3 (61.3) |
19.1 (66.4) |
21.3 (70.3) |
21.0 (69.8) |
17.4 (63.3) |
12.9 (55.2) |
7.2 (45.0) |
4.0 (39.2) |
12.4 (54.3) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 0.8 (33.4) |
1.1 (34.0) |
4.3 (39.7) |
7.4 (45.3) |
11.6 (52.9) |
14.3 (57.7) |
16.5 (61.7) |
16.2 (61.2) |
12.9 (55.2) |
9.2 (48.6) |
4.6 (40.3) |
1.6 (34.9) |
8.4 (47.1) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1.8 (28.8) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
0.7 (33.3) |
2.8 (37.0) |
6.8 (44.2) |
9.5 (49.1) |
11.7 (53.1) |
11.2 (52.2) |
8.6 (47.5) |
5.8 (42.4) |
2.0 (35.6) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
4.6 (40.3) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 115.0 (4.53) |
101.9 (4.01) |
106.6 (4.20) |
81.5 (3.21) |
97.2 (3.83) |
101.6 (4.00) |
106.7 (4.20) |
106.0 (4.17) |
105.8 (4.17) |
99.3 (3.91) |
105.1 (4.14) |
120.7 (4.75) |
1,247.3 (49.11) |
Average precipitation days | 15.0 | 13.3 | 15.1 | 12.5 | 13.2 | 13.0 | 13.3 | 12.5 | 12.6 | 12.8 | 14.8 | 15.7 | 163.8 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 49 | 72 | 111 | 155 | 183 | 175 | 191 | 182 | 130 | 104 | 52 | 37 | 1,440 |
Source: Royal Meteorological Institute[45] |
History
Etymology
Usage in the course of history
At the time of the
Following the end of the Frankish Empire the name of the old gaue continued to be used in popular language. Over the centuries an ever-larger region was referred to as the Eifel. Today the whole German-speaking part of the range between the Rhine, Meuse and Moselle is called the Eifel (including several areas outside of Germany, see the → Belgian Eifel), while the French-speaking part in Belgium and France is called the Ardennes.
Earliest surviving records
762 Eifflensis pagus, 772 Eiffelnsis pagus, 804 in pago aquilinse, 838 Eifla, 845 Eiflensis pagus, 855 Eiflinsis pagus, 860–886 Agflinse, 975 Aiflensis pagus, 1051 Eiffila, 1105 Eifla, 1121 Eifla
Meaning
Müller/Schnetz (1937) believe that an -n- has dropped out between the diphthong and the syllable, -fel. The resulting root form Anfil or Anfali would then mean an "area that is not so level". An- would then be a prefix and -fali, which is related to the Slavic polje ("field"), means "plain" or "heath".
W. Kaspers (1938) deduces from the surviving form in pago aquilinse the root form aku-ella, akwella and points to its development into the name "Eifel" in the following sequence: aquila > agfla > aifla > eifla > Eifel. Akuella derives from the pre-German and means "land with summits" or "land with peaks".
Both propositions, like several others, are highly contentious. The most convincing proposal is that of Heinrich Dittmaier (1961).[48] Dittmaier initially derives it from the Germanic Ai-fil. The second component corresponds to Ville, which is the name of a ridge between the Erft, Swist and Rhine today. The variants Vele, Vile and Viele may often be found in place names such as Veler Weg or Veler Pfad. Unlike the modern word Ville the fricative consonant is hard in "Eifel". Responsible for that was probably a sound between ai- and -fil, which was assimilated by the f, possibly f, k, ch, d, t. Dittmaier believes the missing sound was a k or ch, whereby "Eifel" originally went back to Aik-fil. Aik/Aich is also a name for oak (Eiche) and qualifies the root word ville. On the basis that it was covered by oak trees, the Eifel (= Eich-Ville) could thus be distinguished from the other Ville, a name still used today, on the Erft. However, the original, historical and even current vegetation of the present day Ville is dominated by oak mixed forest.
The meaning of "Ville" is also disputed. Dittmaier gives three possible explanations: "marshy region", "plain, heath" and "heathland", which would all bring geology and vegetation into harmony.
Another proposal sees the name as even older and possibly of Celtic origin. Near Cologne, an altar was found, which was dedicated to Matronae Aufaniae Celtic goddesses which were honoured by flowing water. The thesis that the name "Eifel" was derived from this source is not conclusive, but it is persuasive; Eifel would then mean "land of water" or "watery mountains".[49]
Settlement history
By the
. The artifacts from the Magdalena Cave also show that the Eifel was visited by humans even during the height of the last ice age.Excavations show that iron was already being worked by the
In the late Middle Ages, the Eifel was a border area between the Archbishoprics of
The mining and smelting works, with their demand for
Prussian rule began in 1815, but little changed in terms of social conditions: The Eifel, as a poor peripheral region of the empire ("Prussian Siberia"), was only of interest for military reasons. For Prussian officials and officers, mainly Protestants, a posting to the purely Catholic Eifel region was like a punishment sentence. However, the landscape changed as Prussia carried out systematic reforestation, albeit with coniferous trees that were not typical of the region.
In the 19th century, the Eifel region suffered severe famines, especially in the years 1816/17, 1847 and 1879/80, and an 1853 memorandum records that "Many Eifel inhabitants know no food other than potatoes and bread that consists of a mixture of oatmeal and potato. It can be said without exaggeration that two thirds of the entire population only enjoy meat once a year." The consequences of the terrible food situation were only too obvious: "In 1852, only 10% of all those liable to enlistment were fit for military service.".“[50]
Due to its barren soils and the harsh climate, which led time and again to poor harvests, many farmers were in debt. According to reports of the winter of starvation in 1879/80, however, there was a wave of solidarity in the
For a long time, economic development was hampered by the poor condition of roads and tracks. However, due to its border location between the German Empire, Belgium and Luxembourg (as march routes to France), many
The border region of the Eifel was also not spared by the
The Eifel region was severely hit in the 2021 European floods.
Economy
Much of the Eifel has limited infrastructure and there are almost no large industrial areas. Only in the
Wine-growing is a major activity along the Rhine, Moselle and Ahr valleys and in the
Mining is still carried out in the Eifel region. In
In many places in the Eifel region, the mining of pumice, basalt and other rocks and minerals has a long tradition. For example, between Daun, Gerolstein and Hillesheim - i.e. in the heart of the Volcanic Eifel - there are 17 active pits over an area of 11 by12 kilometres. Residents and local authorities affected by the planned expansion (as of July 2012) have practically no influence over it because it is based on the old mining law.[51]
There is evidence that
The abundance of
Well known are the many
The economic importance of
Culture
Literature
As a traditionally isolated land, in which the population kept a quiet and simple way of life, the Eifel offered fertile soil for lively folk poetry. The sagas, legends and fairy tales, which were told on long winter evenings in the farmhouse parlours, often reflect a longing for a better world, which stood in contrast to the found reality of life. The Eifel also repeatedly offered material for numerous literary and regional studies works - from the Eifel and about the Eifel.[56]
Folk literature
Eifel
Folk poetry of the Eifel was collected early on. Inspired by
During the 1920s scientific interest in folk culture also gave impetus to the collection of folk poetry. The most prominent collector was Bonn professor of folklore, Matthias Zender, who was born in Zendscheid and who, as a student between 1929 and 1936, collected about 10,000 stories, folk tales and jokes from the Eifel/Ardennes region, of which 2,000 were published.
Scary stories from the Eifel region were collected and partly published by headmaster, Heinrich Hoffmann, from Düren in 1900 and also by Zender in the 1930s. Peter Kremer published a collection of such stories with a commentary in 2003 in a Düren publication.[57]
Authors and works
Well-known historical works of the Eifel are the Eiflia illustrata oder geographische und historische Beschreibung der Eifel by Johann Friedrich Schannat, published in the 17th century, translated, supplemented and re-edited in 1824 by Georg Bärsch; and the Eiflia sacra, also edited by Schannat and re-edited in 1888 by Carl Schorn.
The first recognised Eifel poet was Peter Zirbes, a wandering
One great narrator and native of
This literature challenges us to confront the region and its people, especially where there is no attempt to romanticize the Eifel, but where hopelessness and despair in the face of poverty and misery, intellectual narrowness or rigid systems of values become apparent. Although Norbert Scheuer was born in the Eifel, the narrators of his novels and stories take the perspective of the distanced or the outsider. Norbert Scheuer has succeeded in presenting life in the Eifel in a multifaceted way and making it interesting for readers in the entire German-speaking area, especially in his latest book Kall, Eifel (2005). In Ute Bales' novels, landscape and people are inseparably connected. The characteristic of the Eifel landscape and its inhabitants is the starting point of a narrative style that shows people as "lonely, lost, in a misunderstood place" in and with their suffering, as in the novel Kamillenblumen (2010) about the peddler, Traud, from Kolverath.
Eifel crime novels
One literary genre that has been flourishing in many regions and cities in Germany over the last few decades is the
Fine arts
The Eifel was a destination for German impressionists, among them Eugen Bracht, who painted there with colleagues, and August von Brandis, who often spent several days there with architecture students from Aachen in order to give them an understanding of landscape painting. Two of Bracht's paintings are preserved at the castles of Manderscheid.
Towns and cities
- Towns in the Eifel: Ulmen, Wittlich.
- Towns and cities near the Eifel: .
Castles
Well preserved
- Eltz Castle
- Lissingen Castle
- Satzvey Castle
- Dudeldorf Castle
- Schloss Eicks
19th- and 20th-century rebuilds
- Bollendorf Castle
- Genovevaburg
- Vlatten Castle
- Cochem Castle
Ruins
- Gerolstein Castle
- Gödersheim Castle
- Löwenburg and Philippsburg
- Manderscheid castles
- Monschau Castle
- Nideggen Castle
- Schönecken Castle
- Ulmen castles
- Nürburg Castle
Transport
Through the Eifel run the following transport routes:
- the Ahr Valley Railway from Remagen to Ahrbrück
- the Eifel Line from Cologne via Euskirchen, Kall and Gerolstein to Trier and several branch lines. Most of the branch lines have however since been closed and some have been lifted.
- the Erft Valley Railway from Euskirchen to Bad Münstereifel with its connexion to the Voreifel Railway from Euskirchen to Bonn
- the Trans-Eifel Railwayfrom Andernach via Mayen, Kaisersesch and Daun to Gerolstein. The section of line from Kaisersesch to Gerolstein is only operated in spring and summer. The branching lines from Mayen via Polch to Koblenz, Polch to Münstermaifeld and Daun to Wittlich were closed and partly converted for tourist purposes (cycleways).
- the Rur Valley Railway from Düren to Heimbach. It is additionally worked on summer weekends by the Euregio Railway on the section from Heerlen (Netherlands) via Aachen and Düren to Heimbach and is especially popular with day tourists, for whom the town of Heimbach and its associated villages are a charming destination.
- the Brohl Valley Railway from Brohl to Engeln; privately operated narrow gauge railway.
- the A 1 (also Eifel Motorway), A 48, A 60, A 61, A 64, A 565, A 571 and A 573 motorways.
- numerous federal roads, e. g. the B 49, B 50, B 51, B 52, B 53, B 56, B 257, B 258, B 265, B 399, B 409, B 410, B 418, B 421 and B 477
Points of interest
- The Eifel Grand Prix.
- The Roman empire, it provided water to the Roman settlement of Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (modern-day Cologne).
See also
References
This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2017) |
- ^ "Eifler". Duden. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
- ^ "Eifeler". Duden. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
- ^ a b Elkins, T.H. (1972). Germany (3rd ed.). London: Chatto & Windus, 1972. ASIN B0011Z9KJA.
- ^ E. Meynen, J. Schmithüsen et al.: Handbook of the Natural Region Divisions of Germany Bundesanstalt für Landeskunde, Remagen/Bad Godesberg, 1953–1962 (9 issued in 8 books, 1:1,000,000 scale map with major units, 1960).
- ^ online map of the major unit groups and list of major units
- ^ Ewald Glässer: Geographische Landesaufnahme: the natural regional units on map sheet 122/123 Cologne/Aachen. Bundesanstalt für Landeskunde, Bad Godesberg, 1978. → online map (pdf; 8.7 MB)
- ^ Heinz Fischer, Richard Graafen: Geographische Landesaufnahme: the natural regional units on map sheet 136/137 Cochem. Bundesanstalt für Landeskunde, Bad Godesberg, 1974. → online map (pdf; 5.6 MB)
- ^ Otmar Werle: Geographische Landesaufnahme: the natural regional units on map sheet 148/149 Trier/Mettendorf. Bundesanstalt für Landeskunde, Bad Godesberg, 1974. → online map (pdf; 4.5 MB)
- ^ Map service of the Landscape Information System of the Rhineland-Palatinate Nature Conservation Office (Naturschutzverwaltung Rheinland-Pfalz)
- ^ a b Landscape fact file (major landscape) of the Landscape Information System of the Rhineland-Palatinate Nature Conservation Office (Naturschutzverwaltung Rheinland-Pfalz) (East Eifel)
- ^ a b Landscape fact file (major landscape) of the Landscape Information System of the Rhineland-Palatinate Nature Conservation Office (Naturschutzverwaltung Rheinland-Pfalz) (West Eifel)
- ^ A boundary line between the two plateaux is not shown on either of the two map sheets, however the Hollerath Plateau lies largely on the Cochem map sheet Cochem and the Broich Plateau on the Cologne map sheet.
- ^ addendum from the Handbook
- ^ a b Between natural regions 272.0 and 272.2 on the Cologne/Aachen map sheet no boundary is shown. It probably runs from Eicks via Kommern to Firmenich.
- ^ In the Handbook on the Cologne map sheet the numbering of the Blankenheim and Zingsheim Forests has been reversed.
- ^ a b c d e
Unnamed summits (sorted by height):
699.1 m: highest point in theWestern High Eifel; just under 1.5 km northeast of the summit of the Schwarzer Mann
651.3 m: 1.2 km north-northeast of Gondelsheim
622.7 m: highest point of the Dreiborn Plateau; on the territory of Schöneseiffen, in the Hollerscheid; 120 m northwest of the B 258
527.8 m: in the Kermeter; near the southern edge of Wolfgarten
434.1 m: in the Moselle Hills; 2.6 km west-southwest of Osann-Monzel - ^ Link to the map view of Döhmberg
- ^ Link to the map view of namenlos 651.3
- ^ Link to the map view of Radersberg
- ^ On the Cochem map the Dietzenley is shown as a perimeter mountain of the adjacent bowl:
276.90 Gerolsteiner Kalkmulde → Limestone Eifel - ^ Southeastern edge of the:
276.91 Prümer Kalkmulde → Limestone Eifel - ^ Link to the map view of Alter Voß
- ^ The Michelsberg rises on northwestern perimeter of the:
274.1 Münstereifel Forest → Münstereifel Forest and Northeastern Foot of the Eifel - ^ Link to the map view of Mäuseberg
- ^ Link to the map view of Roßbüsch, siehe auch Naturdenkmäler
- ^ Link to the map view of Kuhdorn
- ^ In the border shown on the Cochem map, the Kuhdorn is shown as a perimeter hill of the bowl to the south:
276.90 Gerolsteiner Kalkmulde → Limestone Eifel - ^ On the Cologne and Cochem maps the Kopnick is part of the valley system to the northwest:
274.0 Münstereifel Valley → Münstereifel Forest and Northeastern Foot of the Eifel - ^ Link to the map view of Rother Hecke
- ^ To the southwest and not far from the Kellerberg it joins the:
270.7 MeulenForest → Moselle Eifel - ^ The Herkelstein lies orographically , because it is north of the Landesstraße 165, in the eastern part of the Mechernich Upland and Hill Country, but is shown on the Cologne map as a perimeter hill of the southeastern and neighbouring unit:
276.0 Sötenicher Kalkmulde → Limestone Eifel - ^ The Stockert is orographically analogous like its western neighbour, the Herkelstein; in that it is shown on the Cologne map as part of the next but one unit:
274.0 Münstereifel Valley → Münstereifel Forest and Northeastern Foot of the Eifel - ^ The Sonnenberg is orographically separated by the Heimbach valley from the rest of the Kermeter Forest to the south; but is shown on the Cologne map as belonging to the neighbouring valley system:
282.33 Rurseegebiet → Rur Eifel - ^ a b c Stephan Marks, Schriftenschau, "Geologie der Eifel" in Mitteilungen des Verbandes der deutschen Höhlen- und Karstforscher e. V. 2015/01 Archived 2017-07-28 at the Wayback Machine; page 24.
- ^ Johann Steiniger (1853) Geognostische Beschreibung der Eifel; Lintz, Trier.
- ^ Otto Follmann (1915) Abriss der Geologie der Eifel; Westermann.
- ^
Wilhelm Meyer (2013) Geologie der Eifel; 4th fully revised edition; Schweizerbart, Stuttgart; ISBN 978-3-510-65279-2.
- ISBN 3-510-65127-8
- ISBN 978-3-443-15094-5)
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ISBN 3-510-65149-9, p. 185.
- ^ Wilhelm Meyer 1986, p. 308.
- ^ Meyer 1986, p. 275
- ^ "German climate normals 1981-2010" (in French). Météo Climat. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
- ^ "Nürburg Weather Extremes" (in French). Météo Climat. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
- ^ "Klimaatstatistieken van de Belgische gemeenten" (PDF) (in Dutch). Royal Meteorological Institute. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
- De bello Gallico. 58–51 BC
- ^ Hermann Aubin: Geschichtlicher Atlas der Rheinlande. Cologne, 1926. No. 7.
- ^ Heinrich Dittmaier (1961), "Der Name "Eifel"", Rhein.-westf. Für Volkskunde 8 (in German), pp. 168–175
- ISBN 3-921805-17-1)
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ a b Hans-Dieter Arntz: Naturkatastrophen und Notstände in der Eifel.
- ^ For more information, see Homepage of the Interessengemeinschaft Eifelvulkane
- ^ Die Montangeschichte Kalls
- ^ Archäologietour Nordeifel 2016 - Kall-Golbach: Pingen als Relikte des Eisenerzbergbaus
- ^ Eifelsteig steht hoch im Kurs. In: Trierischer Volksfreund, 24 October 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
- ^ Rundwanderwege in der Eifel. In: RP Digital, 3 September 2014. retrieved 30 September 2014.
- ^ Literature from the Eifel and about the Eifel at the DNB[permanent dead link]
- ISBN 3-929928-01-9.
Further reading
- Ekkehard Mai (ed.): Die Eifel im Bild. Düsseldorfer Malerschule. ISBN 978-3-7319-0356-7.
- Hans-Ulrich Schmincke: Vulkane der Eifel: Aufbau, Entstehung und heutige Bedeutung. Springer Spektrum, 2nd expanded and revised edition, 2014. ISBN 978-3-8274-2985-8(eBook).
- Joachim Schröder: Zu Besuch im frühen Eifeldorf. Regionalia Verlag, Rheinbach, 2014, ISBN 978-3-95540-114-6.
- Michael Losse: Burgen und Schlösser in der Eifel. Rheinbach, 2013, ISBN 978-3-939722-44-1.
- Angela Pfotenhauer, Elmar Lixenfeld: Eifel. Monumente edition, Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz, Bonn, 2013, ISBN 978-3-86795-068-8.
- Alois Döhring (Hrsg.): Die Eifel in frühen Fotografien. Euskirchen, 2011, ISBN 978-3-939722-37-3.
- Heinz Renn: Die Eifel. Die Wanderung durch 2000 Jahre Geschichte, Wirtschaft und Kultur, 4th unamended edition, published by the Eifelverein, Düren, 2006, ISBN 3-921805-23-6.
- Werner D’hein: Natur- und Kulturführer Vulkanland Eifel. Mit 26 Stationen der "Deutschen Vulkanstraße". Gaasterland Verlag, Düsseldorf, 2006, ISBN 3-935873-15-8.
- Walter Pippke, Ida Leinberger: Die Eifel. Geschichte und Kultur des alten Vulkanlandes zwischen Aachen und Trier. 5th updated edition. DuMont Reise Verlag, Ostfildern, 2006, ISBN 3-7701-3926-7.
- Eifelverein, ed. (2006), Eifelführer (in German), Düren, )
- Andreas Stieglitz, Ingrid Retterath: Polyglott on tour: Eifel. Munich, 2006, ISBN 3-493-56629-8.
- Hans Joachim Bodenbach: Eine hessische Wassermühle in der Eifel? Bemerkungen zu einem Eifelbuch. Eine Glosse in: Denkmalpflege&Kulturgeschichte, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege Hessen 1/2000, Wiesbaden, 2000, pp. 62–64, 5 pictures., (2 in colour)
- Conrad-Peter Joist (ed.): Landschaftsmaler der Eifel im 20. Jahrhundert Düren, 1997, ISBN 3-921805-12-0.
- Wilhelm Meyer: Geologie der Eifel. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart, 1986, ISBN 3-510-65127-8.
- Hans Joachim Bodenbach: Mühlen der Eifel-Bemerkungen zu einem Eifelbuch. In: Neues Trierisches Jahrbuch 1990, 38th vol (49th vol, older series). Published by the Verein Trierisch im Selbstverlag, Trier, 1998, here: pp. 251–261, with 5 pictures. [This is a critical examination of the mill image on the cover page of the book.: Erich Mertes, Vol. I: Mühlen der Eifel. Geschichte-Technik-Untergang. Helios-Verlag, Aachen, 2nd expanded edition, Aachen, 1995. In Wirklichkeit keine Eifelmühle, sondern die ehemals im weit entfernt gelegenen nordosthessischen Altkreis Eschwege [heute Werra-Meißner-Kreis] gelegene Ölmühle bei Motzenrode.]
- Sabine Doering-Manteuffel: Die Eifel. Geschichte einer Landschaft. Campus Verlag, Frankfurt am Main, 1995, ISBN 3-593-35356-3.
- Wilhelm Meyer: Geologie der Eifel. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart, 1986, ISBN 3-510-65127-8.
- Bolko Cruse, ed. (1980), Zur Mineralogie und Geologie des Koblenzer Raumes, des Hunsrücks und der Osteifel, Der Aufschluß Sonderband 30 (in German), Heidelberg: VFMG, , 800854667, Format: PDF, KBytes: 13990
- Rolf Dettmann, Matthias Weber: Eifeler Bräuche. J.P. Bachem, Cologne, 1983, ISBN 3-7616-0570-6.
- Matthias Zender: Sagen und Geschichten aus der Westeifel. Bonn, 1934 (3rd edn. 1980).
- Alfred Herrmann (ed.): Eifel-Festschrift zur 25-jährigen Jubelfeier des Eifelvereins. Eifelverein, Bonn, 1913.
External links
- Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 9 (11th ed.). 1911. .
- Historical Background: The Eifel District