HERSCHEID

'Herscheid' is a municipality in the southern Märkischer Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Contents

Geography

Neighbouring places

History

Coat of arms

External links

Geography

Herscheid is located in the ''Ebbegebirge'' (''"Ebbe Mountains"''), a part of the Sauerland mountains. Altitudes in the municipality extend from 250m above sea level in the valley of the ''Schwarze Ahe'' up to the highest elevation, the 663.3m high ''Nordhelle''. The municipality covers an area of 58.924 km², of which 58% is forest and 33% is used agriculturally. Most of the area is protected as a nature reserve, the ''Naturpark Ebbegebirge''.

Neighbouring places

★ Werdohl

★ Plettenberg

★ Meinerzhagen

★ Lüdenscheid

History

The first written document mentioning ''Hertsceido'' dates from 1072 in a charter of bishop Anno of Cologne. However, the settlements in what is now the municipal area probably date back to the 4th century. From the 12th century till 1753 the parish of Herscheid formed a court district. During the French occupation (1806 till 1814), the ''Mairie Ebbe'' covered Herscheid and neighbouring Valbert.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Herscheid is above a fess abased chequy of three rows gules and argent, a demi-stag salient proper. The stag, or deer, (German ''Hirsch'') has a double significance: it refers both to the etymological origin of the name ''Herscheid'' as ''area where deer live'' and also to the old hunting privileges formerly enjoyed here (said to have been given by one of the Counts of the Mark as reward for help in fighting in the Ebbe mountains against the episcopal state of Cologne). The red-and-white chequered fess of the Counts also appears, Herscheid having been formerly part of their territory. The coat of arms was designed by Otto Hupp, and was granted on October 17 1935. The coat of arms is also featured on the town flag.

External links

★ Official site