Ochtendung

Ochtendung
Ochtendung
Location of Ochtendung within Mayen-Koblenz district
Coordinates	50°20′53″N 7°23′23″E / 50.34806°N 7.38972°E / 50.34806; 7.38972Coordinates: 50°20′53″N 7°23′23″E / 50.34806°N 7.38972°E / 50.34806; 7.38972
Administration
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
District	Mayen-Koblenz
Municipal assoc.	Maifeld
Mayor	Rita Hirsch (SPD)
Basic statistics
Area	24.08 km2 (9.30 sq mi)
Elevation	200 m  (656 ft)
Population	5,192 (31 December 2010)[1]
- Density	216 /km2 (558 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	MYK
Postal code	56299
Area code	02625
Website	www.ochtendung.de

Microphotograph of pseudobrookite (Mindat) mineral specimen, Wannenköpfe, Ochtendung. Image width 2.5 mm.

Ochtendung is a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.

Geography

Ochtendung lies between the A 48 and A 61 motorways and has designated junctions from both. The village lies on the Nette and is neighboured by the municipalities of Lonnig, Bassenheim, Plaidt, Kruft and Saffig. Up until a few years ago, the B 258 road started in Koblenz before running through Ochtendung and Mayen towards Belgium, passing the Nürburgring. The stretch between Koblenz and Mayen was regraded due to the proximity to the A 48 and has since been the L 98.

Municipal Division

The districts Alsingerhof, Emmingerhof, Fressenhöfe Waldorferhof and Sackenheimerhöfe (previously a Bassenheim district) make up the municipality of Ochtendung.

Etymology

The name of the village is derived from the word Thing or Ding (Ochtendung). A 'Thing' was a governing assembly in Germanic societies.

Archeology

The south east area of the Eifel region is a veritable treasure trove for archeologists. In 1997, Axel von Berg found the cranium of a Neanderthal along with three stone artefacts by the 'Wannerköpfe' volcano in 1997. The cranium belonged to an adult man (some 35 – 40 years old) and had been broken into three pieces due to the pressure of the Earth, but these were seamlessly put back together.

Dated at some 160,000 to 170,000 years old, the man belonged to the early Neanderthals. Especially interesting is the closeness of the bones to those of homo erectus and because, around the edge there appear to be traces of human handling. It can be guessed that they were adapted and used as tools or bowls. The cranium was quickly covered by sediment and has therefore been well preserved.

Politics

The Gemeinderat (comparable to the town council in English) of Ochtendung consists of 22 council members , voted in after the local elections of 7 July 2009 and headed by the Ortsbürgermeister in a voluntary position, as per the custom in the state of Rhineland Palatinate for village municipalities. This position is similar to the position of a town mayor.

The allocation of seats after the election is as follows:

SPD 11 seats
CDU 7 seats
FWG1 2 seats
WG Ich tu's (I do it) 2 seats

Sights and Tourism

Burg Wernerseck
Karmelenberg volcano
Kulturhalle Ochtendung used for holding special events
Remains of the town wall
Cycle and Sculpture Trail between Ochtendung and Polch

Famous residents

Jakob Vogt (1902–1985) Weightlifter
Jürgen Weigt (* 1957) Brigadier in the German Army
Peter Peters (* 1962) Journalist and football Functionary
Kristin Silbereisen (* 1985) Table Tennis Player

Sources

Human Evolution, 19,1 S. 1 - 8 (2004)
Terra Nostra, Schriften der GeoUnion Alfred-Wegener-Stiftung, 2006/2 (Kongresszeitschrift)
Dr. Axel von Berg's discovery (German Only)
http://www.statistik.rlp.de/fileadmin/dokumente/berichte/A1033_200822_hj_G.pdf
Local Election Results 2009 (German Only)

References

1. ^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden am 31.12.2010" (in German). Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz. 31 December 2010. http://www.statistik.rlp.de/fileadmin/dokumente/berichte/A1033_201022_hj_G.pdf.