# Ebernhahn > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ebernhahn > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ebernhahn.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebernhahn > Source revision: 1321386450 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Ebernhahn** is an *Ortsgemeinde* – a municipality belonging to a *[Verbandsgemeinde](/source/Verbandsgemeinde)* – in the [Westerwaldkreis](/source/Westerwaldkreis) in [Rhineland-Palatinate](/source/Rhineland-Palatinate), [Germany](/source/Germany). ## History First unequivocally mentioned in 1324 as *Evernhan*, Ebernhahn is counted among the newer Westerwald villages, and through the [Middle Ages](/source/Middle_Ages), its name hardly cropped up at all. After the devastating effects of the [Thirty Years' War](/source/Thirty_Years'_War) (1618–48), it counted, together with nearby [Siershahn](/source/Siershahn), only 42 inhabitants. Ebernhahn's name comes from the [Old High German](/source/Old_High_German) word *hag* (“enclosure”), making the name's meaning, roughly, “belonging to the boar’s enclosure”; *Eber* is [German](/source/German_language) for “[boar](/source/Boar)”. Ebernhahn was at first under the governance of the [Electorate of Trier](/source/Electorate_of_Trier), later passing to the [Duchy of Nassau](/source/Duchy_of_Nassau) and later still, in 1866, to [Prussia](/source/Prussia). Since 1971 it has belonged to what was then the newly founded [*Verbandsgemeinde* of Wirges](/source/Wirges_(Verbandsgemeinde)), a kind of collective municipality, and since 1974 it has been part of the [Westerwaldkreis](/source/Westerwaldkreis) whose district seat is in [Montabaur](/source/Montabaur). In the mid 19th century, [industry](/source/Industrial_sector) began to make inroads into the municipality, above all [clay](/source/Clay) [quarrying](/source/Quarry) businesses. With [industrialization](/source/Industrialization), the municipality underwent, as did all communities in the [Kannenbäckerland](/source/Kannenb%C3%A4ckerland), a swift upswing in growth. While Ebernhahn counted only 241 inhabitants in 1818, by century's end, this had grown to some 500. Since the quarrying businesses drew so many people from beyond Ebernhahn into the municipality, there was a necessary reaction to this in the municipality itself in the form of a developing transport trade. This gave rise to local passenger- and goods-moving businesses whose descendants can still be found today, long after clay quarrying ended. On 11 March 1945, the municipality was bombed by the [United States Army Air Forces](/source/United_States_Army_Air_Forces); 52 people were killed and 32 buildings were thoroughly destroyed. ## Parish of *Maria Empfängnis*, Ebernhahn ### Parish’s history In 1902, Ebernhahn was made an autonomous chapel-parish. In 1921, Ebernhahn became a parish vicariate, and in 1964 it was raised to [parish](/source/Parish). Until April 1984, the parish had its own clergyman. Since then, it has shared one with the neighbouring parish of [Dernbach](/source/Dernbach_(Westerwald)). Given the increasing dearth of clergymen, Ebernhahn, and indeed Dernbach too, had to be grouped into the parish cluster (*Pfarreienverband*) of Wirges in 1996 while otherwise retaining its status as a parish. ### Church’s history In 1871, the first [chapel](/source/Chapel) was built in Ebernhahn. This was forsaken in 1911 for the new [church](/source/Church_(building)), *Maria Empfängnis*. The church was expanded in 1958 and finished in 1968 with the [belfry](/source/Bell_tower) that it has today, which replaced the earlier [onion-domed](/source/Onion_dome) tower. In 1978, the interior was renovated. In 1997 extensive work was done on the church's exterior. Moreover, the rectory and sacristy were remodelled. In 2006 came a radical renovation and remodelling of the church's interior. A decisive architectural feature resulting from this is the shifting of the [altar](/source/Altar) from the sanctuary forwards to the centre of a half-circle consisting of four segments, made out of old pews. On 4 November 2006, the new altar, whose capstone was made from the old altar, was consecrated by Abbot emeritus Dr. Thomas Denter. ### Patron’s festival and church consecration The parish patron's festival is on 8 December, the “high festival of the Mother of God conceived without original sin”. The church consecration festival is celebrated each year on the first Sunday in May. ### municipality council The council is made up of 17 council members, including the extraofficial mayor (*Bürgermeister*), who were elected in a municipal election on 7 June 2009. CDU FWG Ebernhahn WG - Schmidt Total 2004 5 7 4 16 Seats ### Village hymn Since June 2006, Ebernhahn has had its own anthem, called *Dou bess dott Dorf* (Ebernhahn dialect for *Du bist das Dorf* – “You are the village”). ## Partnerships Since 1973, there has existed a partnership between Ebernhahn and the [French](/source/France) municipality of [Marolles-les-Braults](/source/Marolles-les-Braults) in the [department](/source/Departments_of_France) of [Sarthe](/source/Sarthe). The official partnership meetings take place each year on [Whitsun](/source/Whitsun) weekend, in Ebernhahn in even-numbered years and in Marolles-les-Braults in odd-numbered years. On 22 April 2007, the square outside the multi-purpose hall in Ebernhahn, after a thorough remodelling, was given the name Place Marolles as an expression of the partnership. ## Village life Ebernhahn is well known far beyond the [Westerwald](/source/Westerwald) for its roughly 30 established firms and its many clubs, among them the nationally and internationally distinguished men's singing club *Thalia*, founded in 1880, the music club, founded in 1913, the *Maria Empfängnis* church choir, established in 1949 and the *Wanderfreunde Ebernhahn* (“Ebernhahn Hiking Friends”), which came into being in 1980. The MGV "Thalia" gives its own concert every year on the Saturday before [Palm Sunday](/source/Palm_Sunday) at which other renowned choirs and ensembles are guests. Moreover, the MGV "Thalia" takes part in at least one important choir contest each year. The music club vies every autumn with three other orchestras in a collective concert held at a different place each time. Each year, on the last weekend before the summer holidays, the music club gives an open-air serenade at the old village [linden](/source/Tilia) in the middle of the municipality. The church [choir](/source/Choir) takes on the creation of the church year's high points, particularly at [Easter](/source/Easter), [Corpus Christi](/source/Corpus_Christi_(feast)) and [Christmas](/source/Christmas). Every summer there is an evening song event, likewise at the old village linden. All three musical clubs also hold combined church concerts in a perennial, loose cycle. The *Wanderfreunde* are represented weekly, nationally, and sometimes internationally, at many [hiking](/source/Hiking) events. Each year in August, the *Wanderfreunde* hold their own *Internationale Volkswanderung*. Furthermore, the *Wanderfreunde* invite everyone to an [Advent](/source/Advent) Hike in December, linked every other year with the *Krippenwanderung* (“Manger Hike”), when under festive lighting, there are many Christmas mangers to be seen. ## Transport There was a stop of the [Engers-Au railway](/source/Engers-Au_railway) in Ebernhahn which is currently not in service, the nearest train stop nowadays is [Wirges](/source/Wirges) at the [Lower Westerwald Railway](/source/Lower_Westerwald_Railway). ## References 1. [Direktwahlen 2019, Westerwaldkreis](https://www.wahlen.rlp.de/de/kw/wahlen/kd/gebiete/1430000000000.html), Landeswahlleiter Rheinland-Pfalz, accessed 9 August 2021. ## External links - [Ebernhahn in the collective municipality’s Web pages](http://www.wirges.de/vg_wirges/Ortsgemeinden/Ebernhahn/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20111229122756/http://www.wirges.de/vg_wirges/Ortsgemeinden/Ebernhahn/) 2011-12-29 at the Wayback Machine (in German) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ebernhahn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebernhahn) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebernhahn?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.