Kerschenbach 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 town of Gerolstein.
Geography
The municipality lies in the Vulkaneifel, a part of the Eifel known for its volcanic history. Kerschenbach sits at an elevation of approximately 540–550 m above sea level and has an area of 6.92 km². In the north, it borders the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The municipality is located about 2 km west of Stadtkyll.
Demographics
As of 31 December 2022, Kerschenbach had a population of 206, giving a population density of about 30 inhabitants per km². The population has grown from 72 in 1815 to its current level.
History
The placename ending -bach suggests the village originated during the Eifel clearing period in the 12th century. The name "Kerschenbach" is closely tied to the like-named brook. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the village was called Kirschembach. The determinative Kerschen- is thought to derive from the Old High German word kar, meaning "dale" or "hollow," thus "Dalebrook."
Kerschenbach had its first documentary mention in 1327, when the knight Friedrich I von Kronenburg was enfeoffed with the dynastic castle along with surrounding villages, including Kerschenbach. A further document from 1345 records that Counts Arnold I and Gerhard V of Blankenheim transferred Kerschenbach to King John of Bohemia, who was also Count of Luxembourg.
After the Thirty Years' War, only three families remained in Kerschenbach. The witch hunts of the era affected the village: in 1581, Katharina (Threin) Schligers was executed as a witch, and in 1633, Margarethe Heinen suffered the same fate.
Following French rule, Kerschenbach passed to the Bürgermeisterei of Stadtkyll and in 1816 to the newly formed Prüm district. Since administrative reform in 1970, Kerschenbach has belonged to the Verbandsgemeinde of Obere Kyll in the Daun district (renamed the Vulkaneifel district in 2007). As of 1 January 2019, it became part of the newly formed Verbandsgemeinde Gerolstein.
Politics
The municipal council consists of six council members elected by majority vote, with the honorary mayor as chairman. As of 2019, the mayor (Ortsbürgermeister) is Walter Schneider, who has held the office since 1989.
Coat of Arms
The arms display: under a golden chief with a red zigzag bar (fess dancetty), on a red field divided by a silver wavy pale, a golden sword on the dexter side and a golden ear of wheat on the sinister side. The zigzag bar refers to the mediaeval Lordship of Manderscheid-Blankenheim. The wavy pale represents the namesake brook. The sword symbolizes Saint Lucy (the patron saint of the local chapel) and also recalls the mediaeval high court. The ear of wheat represents agriculture.
Culture and Sightseeing
- St. Lucy's Catholic Church (Filialkirche St. Lucia) – a Late Gothic aisleless church, remodelled several times, including in 1681, with a churchyard and historic grave crosses.
- Dorfplatz – village square with recreational facilities, built in 2004.
- Wanderwege – three hiking trails (K1, K2, K3) around Kerschenbach, including a family-friendly 2.3 km route and a longer 8.1 km route.
- Wasserspielplatz – a water play area built in 2020 at the confluence of the Kalkerbach and Dürenbach streams.
- Traditional customs include Hüttenbrennen (bonfire on the first Sunday of Lent), Klappern (rattling during Holy Week), and the annual Kirmes (church fair) in August.
Infrastructure
Kerschenbach is connected via Kreisstraße K64 between Ormont and Stadtkyll. The entire village has been equipped with fibre-optic internet connections (completed in 2020). An electric vehicle charging station was installed at the community hall in 2023. Two wind turbines were commissioned in 2017.
