Steffeln

Steffeln
Coat of arms
Steffeln
Location of Steffeln within Vulkaneifel district
Coordinates: 50°17′16.75″N 6°34′2.11″E / 50.2879861°N 6.5672528°E / 50.2879861; 6.5672528Coordinates: 50°17′16.75″N 6°34′2.11″E / 50.2879861°N 6.5672528°E / 50.2879861; 6.5672528
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
District	Vulkaneifel
Municipal assoc.	Obere Kyll
Government
• Mayor	Werner Schweisthal
Area
• Total	20.92 km2 (8.08 sq mi)
Elevation	490 m (1,610 ft)
Population (2015-12-31)
• Total	647
• Density	31/km2 (80/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	54597
Dialling codes	06593
Vehicle registration	DAU
Website	www.steffeln.de

Steffeln 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 Obere Kyll, whose seat is in the municipality of Jünkerath.

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.

Steffeln’s Ortsteile are, besides the main centre, also called Steffeln, Auel and Lehnerath.

Yearly precipitation in Steffeln amounts to 946 mm, which is very high, falling into the highest fourth of the precipitation chart for all Germany. At 81% of the German Weather Service’s weather stations, lower figures are recorded. The driest month is April. The most rainfall comes in December. In that month, precipitation is 1.6 times what it is in April. Precipitation varies moderately. At 65% of the weather stations, lower seasonal swings are recorded.

Traces of Roman settlement (a villa rustica) can be found in the rural cadastral area “Ringmauer” not far from the village beside today’s “Römerhof” (“Roman Estate”). The tuff quarry below the church was already in use in ancient times. In 943, Steffeln had its first documentary mention as villa stephelin. In 1222, steffele was listed in Prüm Abbey’s directory of holdings, the Prümer Urbar: The Count of Hochstaden held Steffeln as a fief. From the Hochstadens, Steffeln passed to the Lords of Jünkerath, and from them by marriage to the Schleidens. In 1282, Konrad von Schleiden sold Steffeln to Gerhard von Blankenheim. In 1489, 1501 and 1562, the Counts of Nassau and Vianden were the feudal lords. From the 16th century until 1794, the lesser lordship of Steffeln belonged to the lordship of Kronenburg under Luxembourgish Imperial territorial superiority. Between 1488 and 1593, the Counts of Manderscheid-Schleiden were enfeoffed with Steffeln. Through sale it found its way into Manderscheid-Gerolstein hands in 1617. After this line died out, Steffeln was held from 1693 to 1719 by the Manderscheid-Blankenheim line.