Forst (Hunsrück)

Forst (Hunsrück) is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Zell, whose seat is in the municipality of Zell an der Mosel. It is not to be confused with Forst (Eifel), which lies in the same district. The Forst that this article deals with has distinguished itself with the official tag “(Hunsrück)” since 1 June 1970.

Forst
Coat of arms
Location of Forst (Hunsrück) within Cochem-Zell district
Forst Forst
Coordinates: 50°04′54″N 07°19′01″E
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
District	Cochem-Zell
Municipal assoc.	Zell (Mosel)
Government
• Mayor	Reinhold Kölzer
Area
• Total	3.35 km^2 (1.29 sq mi)
Elevation	357 m (1,171 ft)
Population  (2019-12-31)[1]
• Total	65
• Density	19/km^2 (50/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	56858
Dialling codes	06545
Vehicle registration	COC

Chapel and main street

Geography

Location

Forst, together with the municipalities of Altstrimmig, Liesenich and Mittelstrimmig, belongs to the so-called Strimmiger Berg and lies in the Hunsrück on a hill above the Mörsdorfer Bach (brook) not far from Mastershausen.

History

The Strimmiger Berg was until 1781 part of the “Three-Lord Territory”. As in the Beltheim court, the landlordship was shared among the Electorate of Trier, the County of Sponheim and the House of Braunshorn (later Winneburg and Metternich). Beginning in 1794, Forst 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 6 council members, who were elected by majority vote at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.[2]

Culture and sightseeing

Buildings

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

• Saint John of Nepomuk’s and Saint Barbara’s Catholic Chapel (Kapelle St. Johannes Nepomuk und Barbara) – Baroque aisleless church, about 1747
• Oberdorf 10 – Quereinhaus (a combination residential and commercial house divided for these two purposes down the middle, perpendicularly to the street); timber-frame building, partly solid, from 1842[3]

Economy and infrastructure

The municipality is home to two agricultural businesses, one of which is a pig-fattening operation with 1,400 head. There is also a nationally known artists’ colony. Within Forst's limits is found one of Germany's tallest fir trees. The municipality's sewage is cleansed by a complex using a constructed wetland.

References

1. "Bevölkerungsstand 2019, Kreise, Gemeinden, Verbandsgemeinden". Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz (in German). 2020.
2. Kommunalwahl Rheinland-Pfalz 2009, Gemeinderat
3. Directory of Cultural Monuments in Cochem-Zell district

External links

• Brief portrait of Forst with film at SWR Fernsehen (in German)