| Image Coa: | DEU Rockeskyll COA.svg |
| Coordinates: | 50.2553°N 6.6983°W |
| Image Plan: | Rockeskyll in DAU.svg |
| State: | Rheinland-Pfalz |
| District: | Vulkaneifel |
| Verbandsgemeinde: | Gerolstein |
| Elevation: | 380-577 |
| Area: | 5.88 |
| Postal Code: | 54570 |
| Area Code: | 06591 |
| Licence: | DAU |
| Gemeindeschlüssel: | 07 2 33 058 |
| Website: | www.rockeskyll.de |
| Mayor: | Marcel Ballmann[1] |
| Leader Term: | 2019 - 24 |
Rockeskyll is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Gerolstein, whose seat is in the like-named town.
The municipality lies in the Vulkaneifel, a part of the Eifel known for its volcanic history, geographical and geological features, and even ongoing activity today, including gases that sometimes well up from the earth.
The municipality’s landmark is the Rockeskyller Kopf, a stratovolcano in the heart of the Vulkaneifel, which stretches from the Belgian border to the Moselle. Southwest of Rockeskyll flows the river Kyll, a tributary to the Moselle and the longest river in the Eifel.
In 1098, Kila had its first documentary mention in a donation document. In 1511, a Gothic church with columnar supports was built. This church is a highly ranked cultural monument and stands as a protected cultural property according to the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. Until the end of feudal times, Rockeskyll belonged to the Electorate of Trier. In 1795, the tithing domain of Rockeskyll became a mairie (“mayoralty”) during the time of French rule. Besides Rockeskyll itself, this mairie included Berlingen, Betteldorf, Bewingen, Essingen, Gees, Hinterweiler, Hohenfels, Pelm and Roth. In 1815, Rockeskyll became the seat of a Prussian Bürgermeisterei (“mayoralty”). In 1858, the Bürgermeistereien of Gerolstein and Rockeskyll were merged into the Amt of Gerolstein. Since 1970, Rockeskyll has been part of the Verbandsgemeinde of Gerolstein in the Vulkaneifel district.[2]
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.[3]
Rockeskyll’s mayor is Marcel Ballmann.[1]
The German blazon reads: Von Blau über Silber geteilt, oben eine goldene Waage, unten ein aus je drei roten Fäden gebildetes Gitterkreuz.
The municipality’s arms might in English heraldic language be described thus: Per fess azure balances Or and argent a cross triple parted gules.
Rockeskyll’s location between Hillesheim and Gerolstein ensured its importance through the ages as a market centre. This is symbolized in the arms by the charge above the line of partition, balances such as those traditionally used at markets. The other charge is a cross meant to resemble those on the capitals of some of the columns in Rockeskyll’s old church. The tinctures below the line of partition are those once borne by the Electorate of Trier, and are thus yet another historical reference.[4]
Buildings:
Rockeskyll lies right on Bundesstraße 410. Landesstraße (State Road) 27 runs through the village. In Rockeskyll, a distillery, the Rockeskyller Brennerei, has been in operation since 1842 making liqueurs and spirits such as Eifel-Vulkan 50%, Eifel-Zwerg 42%, Eifel-Hexe 30%, Eifel-Schlehwittchen 25% and others.