Street names in Dietkirchen
Again and again the question arises, where does a certain street name in Dietkirchen actually come from or what is its meaning.
In the following it is tried to give an explanation for the individual street names, whereby often also obvious assumptions had to be called, since an exact derivation of the meaning could not be determined. Unfortunately, there are no written treatises on this subject so far, which could have been used as a basis.
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(To jump to a street description please click on a street name in the following table.)
Adolf-Reichwein-Straße
- Adolf Reichwein was a German educator and cultural politician (SPD). As a member of the Kreisau Circle, he was active in the resistance against the National Socialist dictatorship. There was no direct reference to Dietkirchen.
Am Bildstock
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The name of the street comes from the wayside shrine at the entrance to the village. Today’s wayside shrine was erected and consecrated in 1995. There was a predecessor wayside shrine, because according to the school chronicle of Dietkirchen the lime tree at the wayside shrine was put under monument protection on 19.12.1951. However, there is currently no further evidence of this predecessor building.
Am Eckert
- The explanation of the name is supposed to be derived from the location of the parcel with the same name in a corner location.
Another explanation could come from the derivation of the term Ecker. Ecker is the nut fruit of a tree, especially of beech and oak. Middle High German ackeran, Old High German ekarn, from Germanic *akrana-, “wild fruit”.
Am Sportplatz
- The former Dietkirchen sports field was located in this area. As part of the new construction of the current sports facility, which was completed with the construction of the artificial turf pitch in 2006, the old sports field was sold as building plots, thereby helping to finance the construction of the new sports field.
Am Steingraben
- This street is named after a parcel “Am Steingraben”, which was located west of the parcel “Am Kissel”.
Auf dem Aurain
- It is no longer comprehensible where this street got its name from and what the meaning of the name is. It is more possible that the name “Auf dem Aurain” comes from a field name, although this does not seem to be mentioned in documents.
Normally, it would be interpreted that the area would be the edge (rain) of a floodplain (au).
Auf der Heide
- The name may have derived from the Old High German word “heide” (also heyde) “uncultivated land”. It was also a landscape that was barren and could not be cultivated. Formerly a field name, it is now a street name.
Brühlweg
- The term Brühl comes from the Gallo-Roman broilus. In the Middle Ages, the term “Brühl” was typically used to refer to enclosed or fenced pastures, forests, gardens or generally land near villages. Of the former field of the same name, today only the Brühlweg remains as a street name.
Brunnenstraße
- Brunnenstrasse takes its name from the reference to the local well in the village center. It begins at the local well in the village center and ends at the junction Ludwigstrasse/Offheimer Weg.
Dehrner Weg
- The Dehrner Weg leads from the end of the village, approx. from the vicarage, to the entrance to Dehrn and has received its name from there.
Elzer Weg
- The Elzer Weg leads from the corner of Rötherstraße (beginning of the Röth II area) to the two Aussiedlerhöfe. This is the path that in the past could be used to reach the community of Elz on foot via Offheim.
Faberstraße
- Faberstrasse is named after the former postmaster Faber. The Faber family were the last post holders in Dietkirchen. The post office in Dietkirchen existed from 1628 to 1739.
Fahlerstraße
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Fahlerstrasse takes its name from the former field “Im Fahler”. Contrary to the assumption of Brötz (see also menu item “Flurnamen und alte Namen”) it is rather to be assumed that the name does not come from a Middle High German word Vahl, vallen, fallen, which is supposed to stand for mountain slope, lowering, slope, but that it rather comes from the Old High German word falo corresponding to pale, brown-yellow and the Middle High German val corresponding to discolored, withered, blond yellow. This especially with regard to the fact that the soil in this area was very tough loamy, with a rather yellowish coloring.
Falkenstraße
- The streets to the right of Rötherstrasse from the corner of Elzerweg northward all have bird names, in this case falcons.
Fasanenstraße
- The streets to the right of Rötherstrasse from the corner of Elzerweg northward all have bird names, in this case pheasants.
Feldbergstraße
- Feldbergstraße runs parallel to the upper part of Poststraße. It offers a good view to the Feldberg, which was certainly the reason for the name.
Franz-Leuninger-Straße
- Franz Leuninger (* December 1898 in Mengerskirchen, † March 1, 1945 in Berlin-Plötzensee) was a Christian trade unionist and resistance fighter against the Nazi regime.
Fredrick-Reilly-Straße
- The street is named in memory of the first Irish prisoner of war, Fredrick Reilly, buried on the World War 1 war gravesite.
Gartenweg
- The name of the street comes from the gardens that used to lie to the right of the path, going towards the cemetery. The further course of the road led via the 2nd Brühlweg (connection end Poststrasse/corner Gartenweg to the Lahn bridge) to the gardens on the Lahn.
Geisberg
- It is strongly suspected that the name comes from an earlier grazing area for Geisen (goats) that will have been located at or on the slope of today’s Geisberg. Goats were once present in almost every house in Dietkirchen.
Geschwister-Scholl-Straße
- Geschwister-Scholl-Straße is located in the Röth area. It is the 3rd street on the left side from the corner of Elzer Weg. The street name commemorates the siblings Hans and Sophie Scholl, who from the post-war period to the present are regarded as important symbolic figures of a resistance within Germany against the totalitarian Nazi regime, oriented towards humanistic values.
Gondorfer Straße
- According to the Lubentius legend, it is said that Saint Lubentius was floated upstream the Lahn in a boat from Kobern-Gondorf and that the boat was driven ashore in Dietkirchen.
Herrenberg
- The Herrenberg takes its name from the canons of the former monastery, also called canons or choirmasters. In some literature sources the Dietkircher are also called by the derisive name “Dietkircher Herren”.
Hintergasse
- Hintergasse is probably one of the oldest streets in Dietkirchen. It possibly got its name from its location behind the monastery grounds or the church hill.
Hohlstraße
- The name comes from the Middle High German word “hol,” which means cave or hollow. The Middle High German word “hol” itself derives from the Old High German word “hol” and this in turn from the Germanic word “hula”. A hollow thus often refers to deepened places in the terrain: depressions in the ground and pits, small ravines and especially hollow paths.
Hubertusstraße
- Hubertus Street has its name from 2 former residents of the street: Hubert Hochfellner and Hubert Keuter.
In den Bergen
- The street takes its name from the parcel “In den Bergen”, the parcel in turn takes its name from the mountainous, hilly landscape that characterizes the parcel.
In den Fritzenstücker
- According to a school essay by Heribert Brötz, the entire field in the Fritzenstückern is said to have belonged to a very rich man named Friedrich. The street name is derived from this field name.
Kirchgasse
- The Kirchgasse, which leads from the main street on the right below the Backes to the church, was formerly called Finstergässchen. However, this meant both this passage way and the one below it.
Koberner Straße
- According to the Lubentius legend, it is said that Saint Lubentius was floated upstream the Lahn in a boat from Kobern-Gondorf and that the boat was driven ashore in Dietkirchen.
Kurtrierer Straße
- After the division of the county of Diez, to which Dietkirchen belonged, Dietkirchen Abbey fell to Electorate Trier in 1564.
Lahnstraße
- The Lahnstraße leads from the river Lahn to the Untergasse. The houses on Lahnstraße are among the oldest houses in Dietkirchen. The earlier name was probably Fährgasse, as a document entry from 1416 suggests.
Limburger Straße
- Limburger Straße leads from the Ludwigstraße/Offheimer Weg intersection as a continuation of Brunnenstraße to the end of the town in the direction of Limburg.
Lindenstraße
- Lindenstraße leads from the corner of Rheinstraße/Hohlstraße as a continuation of Hohlstraße to the end of the village in the direction of Limburg. At the end of the street there used to be a large old linden tree, which was replaced by a newly planted linden tree after it died.
Lubentiusstraße
- Lubentius Street is parallel to Linden Street. St. Lubentius is the patron saint of the church of Dietkirchen.
Ludwigstraße
- According to stories of older residents of Ludwigstraße, the street is said to have been named after the builder of the first house in Ludwigstraße. Unfortunately, no concrete family name could be named so far, nor could the house be named that was built here first.
Martha-Hammerschlag-Straße
- Martha Hammerschlag came from a merchant family in Limburg. A concrete reference to Dietkirchen could not be determined.
Offheimer Weg
- Offheimer Weg was in earlier times the pedestrian route from the direction of the town center to Offheim. It leads from the crossing Brunnenstraße / Limburger Straße opposite Ludwigstraße in the direction of Elzer Weg. The continuation of the Elzer Weg then leads via Offheim to Elz.
Oudenburger Ring
- The Oudenburger Ring begins at the end of Rötherstrasse and runs in a ring through the northernmost residential area of Dietkirchen, located near the grove. Oudenburg is the Belgian partner municipality of Dietkirchen.
Paul-Eufinger-Platz
- Paul Eufinger Platz was named after the last mayor of the formerly independent municipality of Dietkirchen.
Pfauenstraße
- The streets to the right of Rötherstrasse from the corner of Elzerweg northward all have bird names, in this case peacocks.
Poststraße
- The post road was named in such a way, because one assumed that the former post road of the Thurn and Taxis’sche post ran here. However, if one takes indications seriously that the “Arche”, once the oldest house in Dietkirchen, located between Lahnstraße and today’s Gartenweg, was the former post office, then a postal route via today’s Poststraße would not make much sense. Much rather would be to be assumed that the course led through the hollow street.
Rathausstraße
- The street was named due to the fact that at the end of the street, towards the junction with Rötherstraße, the town hall of the formerly independent municipality of Dietkirchen was located. Before the new building of this town hall, the “Bürgermeisteramt” was located as an annex to the “Neue Schule”, today’s parish hall, on the Herrenberg. Before being named Rathaustraße, the street was called “Hinter den Hecken”.
Reckenforst
- The Reckenforst leads from the intersection Hintergasse/Kirchgasse to the end of the village in the direction of Dehrn. However, the historical court at the Reckenforst was not locally located here, but is rather to be defined in the area to the left of the Offheimer Spange into the area between today’s new town hall and the first street traffic circle in the direction of Offheim.
Rheinstraße
- The street got its name from the old field name “An der Rheinstraße”. The trade route or the postal route Cologne-Frankfurt led through this area.
Römer
- Even if the name would suggest it, the street “Römer” is certainly not named after an old Roman road, because there is no historical evidence for such a road built by the Romans through Dietkirchen. This all the more as only approx. 100-120 meters of street are so named. Rather, it can be assumed that the street was named after the last collegiate dean Johann Hubert Römer (Roemer), who was dean of the monastery from 1788-1803, the time of secularization.
Rötherstraße
- Rötherstrasse starts from the fountain in the center of the village and leads to the Oudenburger Ring. The name is derived from the field name “Auf der Röth”. This name in turn comes from the reddish earth, i.e. clay soil, called booles in dialect from the Latin word bolus.
Schlesierstraße
- There is no known causal name derivation for Schlesierstraße that was specifically related to Dietkirchen.
Schornstraße
- The street is named after the canon Caspar Schorn (1653-1702). Schorn renovated the Holy Trinity Chapel in the Baroque style and erected a new altar. He also donated a large sum of money for the new organ. His grave is in the St. Trinitas Chapel (Trinity Chapel).
Senefelderstraße
- Senefelder Street takes its name from Alois Senefelder, the inventor of lithogaphy, also known as stone printing. The reference to him can be seen through the company LIO Limburger Offsetdruck, which after its insolvency was sold to the Limburger Vereinsdruckerei, which continued the operation in the business premises with 59 employees and took over 31 employees from the company LIO.
Taubenstraße
- The streets to the right of Rötherstrasse from the corner of Elzerweg northward all have bird names, in this case doves.
Taunusstraße
- Taunustraße runs parallel to Westerwaldstraße from the corner of Westerwaldstraße to Koberner Straße.
Ueber der Lahn
- This street name is one of the newest and was determined in 2019 as part of a naming competition. As a result of the competition, the complex of the former Mundipharmage buildings and current seat of the city’ administrative building was named “Campus Limburg”, while the new street was given the name “Über der Lahn”.
Untergasse
- Untergasse is also likely to be one of the oldest streets in Dietkirchen. From the name, the location of the alley explains that it is located in the former “lower” village area.
Weiherwiesenweg
- The 1st plot of land “Im Weiherstück” was called “Weiherwies” and is the name giver of the street.
Westerwaldstraße
- Westerwaldstraße runs from its junction in the upper third of Hohlstraße until it reaches Koberner Straße.
Wilhelm-Breithecker-Straße
- Wilhelm-Breithecker-Straße commemorates the former dean and long-time Dietkirchen priest Wilhelm Breithecker (* January 31, 1897 in Ellar, † July 4, 1982). After being named pastor of Dietkirchen in 1939, he was arrested by the Nazis in the same year and remained in “protective custody” for a year and was imprisoned in the Oranienburg and Dachau concentration camps from 1940. He regained his freedom in March 1945.