Lirstal

Lirstal 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 Kelberg, whose seat is in the like-named municipality.

Lirstal
Coat of arms
Location of Lirstal within Vulkaneifel district
Lirstal
Lirstal
Coordinates: 50°15′25″N 7°02′18″E
CountryGermany
StateRhineland-Palatinate
DistrictVulkaneifel
Municipal assoc.Kelberg
Government
 • MayorDirk Grombein
Area
 • Total5.26 km2 (2.03 sq mi)
Elevation
400 m (1,300 ft)
Population
 (2018-12-31)[1]
 • Total215
 • Density41/km2 (110/sq mi)
Time zoneCET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes
56767
Dialling codes02657
Vehicle registrationDAU
Websitewww.lirstal-eifel.de

Geography

Location

The municipality lies 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.

History

In 1336, Lirstal had its first documentary mention. At that time, the village was called Leppelzal. The name has been written many different ways over the centuries since then, as shown in this table:[2]

Year Spelling Year Spelling
1336 Leppelzal 1724 Lyrstall
1348 Lerstal 1724 Lyhrstall
1553 Lirstall 1776 Lueschtal
1555 Lerstall 1780 Lehrstahl
1559 Lersthaill before
1789		 Lirstahl
1595 Lierstail 1790 Lurschthal
1631 Lierßdall 1809 Liersthal
1632 Lierstal 1810 Liersdahl
1680 Lirefelt 1840 Liersthal
1689 Lierefeldt about
1890		 Lierstall
1705 Liehstall since
1966		 Lirstal

The name underwent its last change in spelling, from “Lierstall” to “Lirstal”, on 23 November 1966, mainly to thwart vandals who kept altering the signposts and other public notices that bore the old spelling – in a most uncomplimentary way.

Lirstal belonged from the beginning until 1794 to the County of Virneburg.

Politics

Municipal council

The council is made up of 6 council members, who were elected by proportional representation at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman. The six seats are shared among three voters’ groups. The last election in 2004 had been done by majority vote.

Mayor

Lirstal’s mayor is Dirk Grombein, and his deputies are Dorothea Pomerlan and Manfred Kutscheid.

Coat of arms

The German blazon reads: Von Gold über Rot geteilt, oben 7 (4:3) zu zwei Balken aneinandergereihte rote Rauten, unten ein schrägrechtes gewendetes, silbernes Schwert mit goldenem Griff.

The municipality’s arms might in English heraldic language be described thus: Per fess Or seven lozenges gules, four and three, and gules a sword bendwise argent hilted of the first.

The pattern above the line of partition is the Virneburg lozenges, once borne as an armorial charge by the Counts of Virneburg. The old chapel, which burnt down in 1825, had as its patron saint Martin, whose attribute is a sword. This is borne as a charge below the line of partition.

There is a legend telling of the reason for the inclusion of the Virneburg lozenges in Lirstal’s arms. According to this story, one of the Counts of Virneburg was an inveterate card player, and during one game – with the Bishop, no less – he won the parish of Retterath. The winning card that he laid was the seven of diamonds, explaining why the charge was chosen for inclusion in the Count’s arms, as a mark of good luck.

As a former part of the County of Virneburg, Lirstal now bears this same charge in its arms.[3]

Culture and sightseeing

Buildings
  • Catholic church, Hauptstraße, triaxial aisleless church from about 1952.
  • Wayside cross, south of the village on the road to Laubach, basalt beam cross from 1776 (copy?).[4]
gollark: I acknowledge that it might in smallish groups, but we don't and can't live in those.
gollark: Does that actually work at scale?
gollark: My parents are very irritating wrt. hair. They keep trying to convince me to cut it.
gollark: Diogenes *was* rather based.
gollark: * say, even, not do

References
  1. "Bevölkerungsstand 2018 - Gemeindeebene". Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz (in German). 2019.
  2. Lirstal’s spelling – Click on Geschichte, and then on Schreibweise von Lirstal im Laufe der Jahrhunderte.
  3. Description and explanation of Lirstal’s arms – Click on Wappen
  4. Directory of Cultural Monuments in Vulkaneifel district
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