Ormesheim in Germany
Ormesheim is a village (Ortsteil) in the municipality of Mandelbachtal, in the Saarpfalz district, Saarland, Germany.
According to official local sources, the name “Ormesheim” is said to derive from “das Heim des Ormar” — in German: the home/settlement of Ormar.
“Heim” here is a common Germanic place-name element meaning “home” or “settlement.”
“Ormar” (or Ormar) is presumably a personal name. So the idea is that at some early point, a person called Ormar (or similar) founded or gave his name to the settlement.
Early history / settlement
According to its official local history, Ormesheim has been continuously settled since the Frankish expansion in the 6th century.
On its territory once lay two other historical villages: Hüglingen (first mentioned in 1521) and Ponsheim (first named in 1291).
In medieval times, Ormesheim was likely under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Tholey Abbey, as indicated by references like the “Tholeyer Zehnt” and a part of the church choir called the “Tholeyer Chor.”
War and reconstruction
The village survived the Thirty Years’ War relatively intact: by 1651 there were still nine families.
During the Second World War, Ormesheim suffered significant destruction. The village was heavily damaged, many buildings were destroyed, and many civilians died.
After the war, it was first occupied by American troops (March 1945) and then by French forces.
Rebuilding was slow at first, with major reconstruction efforts only getting momentum after the Saarland’s post-war economic reintegration (after ~1950).
Several new housing areas were developed (from the 1950s onward), and many old houses were replaced or refurbished.
Landmarks / culture
Important landmarks include the Strudelpeterkapelle (Marienkapelle, built 1730) and the neoromanic Catholic church of St. Mauritius, built in 1932 on the foundations of an older (14th century) church.
The “Sulgershof” (Neumühle) dates back to 1563; in one of its buildings there is a very old kitchen (said to be one of the oldest in Saarland).
There is also a nature viewpoint / tower on the Heidenkopf hill in the area, giving wide scenic views.