Townhouse
Security and order
Security and order – the two main administrative tasks even in the Middle Ages, including in the municipal sector – were systematically expanded in the 19th century. These “services” were concentrated in the “Old Town Hall”. Not only was the town council based here, but also the “justice of the peace” until the establishment of the district court [Standort 24]. The fire department’s fire engine shed was also located on the first floor. Until 1910, there was therefore a gate on the narrow side of the “old town house”. Its walls were then inserted into the surrounding wall of the Liebfrauenkirche in Liebfrauenstraße [Standort 14].
In addition, the “Old Town Hall” also marks the site of administrative predecessor buildings: the medieval and also the lost baroque town hall. This line of continuity came to an end in the 1970s with the establishment of the Verbandsgemeinde and the need to build a new town hall in Neue Allee.
The town lords of 1551
Kirchheimbolanden’s Nassau period began in 1393. The Sponheim inheritance passed to the Counts of Nassau-Saarbrücken, who now also became the town lords of Kirchheimbolanden.
In 1551, the two counts Adolf (reigned 1544-59) and Philipp (reigned 1523-59) gave expression to this with an elaborately designed coat of arms plaque in the style of the time. Each of the two city rulers presented themselves on it with their own coat of arms. The common heraldic elements are the Nassau lions. This was intended to demonstrate and impress power, but also to create identification with the ruling house and “patriotism”.
The ruling house was therefore above all else. The much smaller Kirchheimboland town coat of arms in the lower center between the two counts’ coats of arms expresses the superiority and subordination.
The fact that Weilburg then became the new point of reference in 1627 was the result of a new hereditary decision that created three new Nassau count lines: Nassau-Weilburg with Kirchheimbolanden, Nassau-Saarbrücken with Ottweiler and Usingen, Nassau-Idstein, Wiesbaden and Lahr.
This gave Kirchheimbolanden the opportunity to become a Nassau-Weilburg residence in the 18th century [Sites 30-34, 41].
