View source for Belg

{{Distinguish|Belgium}}
{{Infobox German location
| image_photo       = Belg Hunsrueck DSC 9020.jpg
| image_coa         = DEU Belg COA.svg
| coordinates       = {{coord|49|59|05|N|7|18|34|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| image_plan        = Belg in SIM.svg
| state             = Rheinland-Pfalz
| district          = Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis
| Verbandsgemeinde  = Kirchberg
| elevation         = 440
| area              = 4.79
| postal_code       = 56858
| area_code         = 06543
| licence           = SIM
| Gemeindeschlüssel = 07 1 40 007
| mayor             = Karl-Heinz Schneider<ref name=mayor>[https://www.wahlen.rlp.de/de/kw/wahlen/kd/gebiete/1400000000000.html Direktwahlen 2019, Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis], Landeswahlleiter Rheinland-Pfalz, accessed 4 August 2021.</ref>
| leader_term       = 2019&ndash;24
}}
'''Belg''' is an ''[[Ortsgemeinde (Germany)|Ortsgemeinde]]'' – a [[Municipalities of Germany|municipality]] belonging to a ''[[Verbandsgemeinde]]'', a kind of collective municipality – in the [[Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis]] ([[Districts of Germany|district]]) in [[Rhineland-Palatinate]], [[Germany]]. It belongs to the [[Kirchberg (Verbandsgemeinde)|''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Kirchberg]], whose seat is in the [[Kirchberg, Rhein-Hunsrück|like-named town]].

==Geography==
[[File:belg01.jpg|thumb|right|Parish hall in the village centre]]
The municipality lies in the central [[Hunsrück]], right on the ''Hunsrückhöhenstraße'' (“Hunsrück Heights Road”, a scenic road across the Hunsrück built originally as a military road on [[Hermann Göring]]’s orders; the stretch running through Belg is nowadays designated ''[[Bundesstraße]]'' 327).

==History==
In 1295, Belg had its first documentary mention in connection with the [[County of Sponheim|Counts of Sponheim]]. This noble house enfeoffed two others with estates. As early as the 11th century, [[slate]] was being mined in the Belger Bachtal (valley), and 15 mines were still being worked into the 20th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kirchberg-hunsrueck.de/wissenswertes02.html |title=Belg’s history |publisher=Kirchberg-hunsrueck.de |access-date=2012-08-20}}</ref>

Beginning in 1794, Belg lay under [[France|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 [[States of Germany|state]] of [[Rhineland-Palatinate]].

==Politics==

===Municipal council===
The council is made up of 6 council members, who were elected at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.

===Mayor===
Belg’s mayor is Karl-Heinz Schneider, and his deputy is Klaus Bast.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kirchberg-hunsrueck.de/organe02.html |title=Belg’s council |publisher=Kirchberg-hunsrueck.de |access-date=2012-08-20}}</ref>

===Coat of arms===
The German blazon reads: ''Schräglinks geteilt, vorn in Grün zwei schräggekreuzte silberne Hämmer, belegt mit einer silbernen Ähre, hinten geschacht von Gold und Blau.''

The municipality’s [[Coat of arms|arms]] might in English [[Heraldry|heraldic]] language be described thus: Per bend sinister vert a hammer and a sledge per saltire surmounted by an ear of wheat palewise couped argent, and chequy of forty-two Or and azure.

The ear of wheat on the dexter (armsbearer’s right, viewer’s left) side symbolizes [[agriculture]], which for centuries held great importance to the municipality. This [[charge (heraldry)|charge]] surmounts (that is, overlays) another, the hammer and the sledge, mining tools that recall the centuries of slate mining in the municipality. The [[tincture (heraldry)|tincture]] vert (green) refers to the municipality’s woodlands. The “chequy” pattern on the sinister (armsbearer's left, viewer's right) side refers to Belg's former allegiance to the “Further” County of Sponheim. It lay in the ''[[Amt (country subdivision)|Oberamt]]'' of Kirchberg.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kirchberg-hunsrueck.de/wappenbeschreibung02.html |title=Description and explanation of Belg’s arms |publisher=Kirchberg-hunsrueck.de |access-date=2012-08-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316122223/http://www.kirchberg-hunsrueck.de/wappenbeschreibung02.html |archive-date=2012-03-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Belg}}
* [http://www.swr.de/landesschau-rp/hierzuland/-/id=100766/nid=100766/did=5129430/g6fltb/ Belg in the television programme ''Hierzuland''] {{in lang|de}}

{{Cities and towns in Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (district)}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate]]
[[Category:Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis]]


{{RheinHunsrück-geo-stub}}