Maisborn


Maisborn is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde Hunsrück-Mittelrhein, whose seat is in Emmelshausen.

Geography

Location

The municipality lies in the Hunsrück roughly 10 km east of Kastellaun and 10 km west of the Rhine at Oberwesel. The municipal area measures 1.47 km². Maisborn has the highest elevation of any municipality in the Verbandsgemeinde of Emmelshausen – 508 m above sea level.

History

In 1275, Maisborn had its first documentary mention. Evidence shows that it was later held by the Lords of Milwalt, who in 1330 enfeoffed Archbishop of Trier Baldwin with half of the Maisborn Court. In the 15th century, the village somehow ended up with the Duchy of Palatinate-Simmern, although it is not known how this happened. Beginning in 1673, Maisborn belonged to the Electorate of the Palatinate. Beginning in 1794, Maisborn lay under French rule. In 1815 it was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia at the Congress of Vienna. Since 1946, it has been part of the then newly founded state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Politics

Municipal council

The council is made up of 8 council members, who were elected by majority vote at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.

Mayor

Maisborn's mayor is Reinhold Lauderbach.

Coat of arms

The German blazon reads: Gespalten vorne in Schwarz ein rotbewehrter, -gezungter und -gekrönter goldener Löwe, hinten unter blau-gold geschachtem Feld in Silber ein blauer Schalenbrunnen mit geteiltem Wasserstrahl.
The municipality's arms might in English heraldic language be described thus: Per pale sable a lion rampant Or armed, langued and crowned gules, and argent a basin fountain with divided stream of water issuant therefrom azure under a chief in sinister only countercompony of the last and the second.
The charge on the dexter side, the Palatine Lion, recalls Maisborn's former allegiance to the Electorate of the Palatinate. The countercompony “half-chief” – something never seen in English heraldry – on the sinister side recalls the village's former allegiance to the “Further” County of Sponheim, which bore arms “chequy” in these two tinctures. The fountain is a canting charge for the village’s name ending, —born, which means “fountain”. However, the fountain also refers to the wealth of springwater found within municipal limits.

Culture and sightseeing

Buildings

The following are listed buildings or sites in Rhineland-Palatinate’s Directory of Cultural Monuments: