Mogendorf

Mogendorf
Municipality
Coat of arms
Location of Mogendorf within Westerwaldkreis district
Mogendorf Mogendorf
Coordinates: 50°29′40″N 7°45′35″E
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
District	Westerwaldkreis
Municipal assoc.	Wirges
Government
• Mayor (2019–24)	Nicole Hampel
Area
• Total	4.24 km2 (1.64 sq mi)
Elevation	290 m (950 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)
• Total	1,350
• Density	320/km2 (820/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	56424
Dialling codes	02623
Vehicle registration	WW
Website	www.mogendorf.de

Mogendorf is a municipality in Westerwaldkreis district, Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany.

Geography

Mogendorf is located in a valley in the southwestern part of the Westerwald mountains and within the boundaries of the Kannenbäckerland, which is well-known for its clay mining and porcelain industry. It is located northeast of the Montabaur Heights, a 15km-long mountain ridge, which serves as a rainshadow for the area. With the entire region being prone to westerly winds, the ridge spares the settlement from heavy convective storms during summertime, which usually divert to the north and south. Mogendorf and its surrounding settlements experience a warmer climate than the rest of the region due to its relatively low altitude and proximity to the Middle Rhine. Its unique location allows warmer air from the deep valley to croach up the westernmost slopes of the Lower Westerwald and reach the lowlands of the Kannenbäckerland. Since 1971, Mogendorf is administered as part of the Wirges municipality.

History

The settlement was first mentioned in 1384 under the name of 'Oberdorf' (translated: Upper Village) within the Nassau-Dillenburg province of the Holy Roman Empire. Due to its location on the Rhinish salt road, the area was considered to be an ideal location for permanent settlement. The settlement saw a rapid decline in population during Thirty Years' War, which started to sustainably recover during the 17th century. In 1696, the first settlement of Ashkenazi Jews in the village was recorded.

Due to the Year Without a Summer and its subsequent, long-lasting effects, which included crop failure, Mogendorf became the scene of heavy emigration to the United States, which lasted until the early 20th century.

During the rule of the Nazi regime, Mogendorf became the scene of brutal pogroms, during which SA officers unsuccessfully attempted to burn down the local synagogue. In total 22 Jews were killed after being deported into concentration camps in Eastern Europe. Only two Jewish families from Mogendorf managed to go abroad. At the end of World War II, the local Jewish community completely ceased to exist.

Politics

Results of the 2021 German federal election in Mogendorf:

2021 German federal election percent SPD   29.0% CDU   21.8% AfD   17.9% FDP   13.7% Greens   5.5% others   12.0%

Results of the 2024 European Parliament election in Mogendorf:

2024 European Parliament election percent CDU   24.8% AfD   23.6% SPD   16.1% FDP   7.8% Greens   5.4% BSW   4.8% others   17.6%

During the 2024 Local elections, three parties and election groups ran for the village council, with all archieving to receive mandates. The village council composition is as follows:

2024 village council election percent Freie Wähler Gruppe (Free Voters Group)   43.04% Bürger für Mogendorf (Citizens for Mogendorf)   40.04% SPD   16.92%

Manuel Hemmerling won the mayor election in a runoff, defeating Bernd Altwasser in the second round, and is set to overtake mayor duties in August 2024.