“At their home in Brauneberg, when Gloria and Josef Mertes begin to talk about the history of the manor and the medieval Bürresheimer winery, one can sense their passion for the history of the “MOSEL WeinKulturLand” and its wine culture.”
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The Soul of Walls and Vaults
An article from the Trier-based newspaper Volksfreund by MARITA BLAHAK
BRAUNEBERG. A refuge for holiday guests and the owners alike: Gloria and Josef Mertes have renovated a historic estate in Brauneberg. The cross-vault cellar upon which it was built originates from the 15th century.
When
Mexican Gloria Mertes and ‘Moseler’ Josef Mertes start talking
about their old ‘new’ home in Brauneberg, about the history of the
indeed historic building where they have now lived for a decade,
it is easy to feel their passion for history and for the Mosel.
The couple has travelled far and wide, and has called many places
“home”. Discovering foreign cultures and lands was an exciting
hobby for these two. But Josef Mertes’ roots are entrenched along
the Moselle valley – and that’s where he wanted to return with his
wife. Gloria, originally from Mexico, feels right at home in her
new homeland, where she and her husband live in a magnificent
house. The Baroque building was constructed in 1869 and can be
reached via the narrow lane from the walnut grove.
Josef Mertes’ parents’ home is located directly opposite the onion dome of Brauneberg’s ‘Simultankirche’. Today, the building houses six holiday apartments, while the former wine press house is the setting for an exhibition featuring Mexico. The Mertes themselves live in a part of the former barn behind the Baroque house. To the left of the entrance, a steep stairway leads down into the spacious cross-vault cellar with two rock springs, where clean water flows from the Hunsrück mountain range. Within these cool walls, whose massive pillar bears the weight of the entire house above, visitors can ‘breathe’ ancient wine history stretching back to the 15th century.
Acres of French Garden
“Here
is where the long, stirring story of the estate began”, says Josef
Mertes. The cross-vault cellar was already built in 1490 as a wine
cellar for the Bürresheimer Hof, “zu Dusemond”, the same name
Brauneberg bore until 1925. The Bürresheims were a highly
respected family of noble blood whose members once included the
Archbishop and Electors of Mainz, along with other secular and
spiritual dignitaries. According to local records, the lords of
Breidbach-Bürresheim ran their winery with its coat of arms
bearing a lion under the name Veldenzer Lehen. The weather-beaten
coat of arms can still be seen today above the door lintel of the
barn. Above the wine cellar there was also once a small wine
pressing house, and the courtyard still houses a working barn
today. The rest of the site, consisting earlier of almost 5,000
square meters, was laid out as a French garden.
In 1766, with the permission of the lords of Veldenz County, new construction of the Bürresheimer Hof was undertaken next to the small wine pressing house. In the state archives in Koblenz, Mertes pored through letters and documents which provided him with an insight into the stirring history of the estate. He studied its construction plans, construction accounts and the story of its wine trade. “But we still have a great deal of research to do”, says Mertes.
The layout of the new apartments in the main building, which is a protected monument, is a perfect example of what can be done with great attention to detail, technical know-how and a healthy portion of love on top. Gloria Mertes has stylishly furnished six holiday apartments in the house for holiday guests. The living area that the couple occupies, consisting of almost 2,000 square feet, is an ideal example of private rural renewal. For each building, they invested two years of work, with the whole gang pitching in: The entire family including the children, friends and craft artisans came out on the weekends. Two-thirds of the barn still remains to be renovated. Gloria and Josef Mertes are pleased to have filled the family property with life again. “The emotional bond is very strong, and the more we learn about our ancestors, the more it grows”, says Gloria Mertes. scho/noj