Village dyke

The Dorfgraben, also called the Effenring, was a heart-shaped ditch that surrounded the mediaeval village, serving along with its banked walls as both a flood ditch and a village fortification. Its beginnings seem to have brought woes, though. History records only one dispute, in the late 14th century, between the von Dalberg family and the municipality. One family member claimed part of the dyke as his own. The ensuing negotiations ended with a compromise: one part each was allotted to the von Dalberg family and the municipality.

The four roads leading out of the village in the cardinal compass directions were particularly well secured with portcullises at the four gates (Pforten), (the Hangen-Weisheimer Pforte, the Flomborner Pforte, the Dintesheimer Pforte and the Alzeyer Pforte).

At the dawn of the 20th century, the dyke had become overgrown mainly with elms and since 11 March 1927 it has been a protected natural monument called the Effenkranz (“Elm Wreath”), or sometimes the Allee. Dutch elm disease, however, did not spare the Effenkranz, and between 1976 and 1981, all elms had to be felled, and they were replaced with 550 other trees.

Dalberg Tower

The Dalberger Turm was built about 1500 by the Chamberlains Dalberg from Worms, who nonetheless never lived in Eppelsheim, as a defensive tower and a dwelling for the Cathedral Foundation at Worms. It is nowadays under private ownership.^[6]

In old documents, the Dalberger Turm is described as the "Wasserhaus" (“Waterhouse”), because there was a moat around the tower, fed by the nearby village dyke. The building has walls wholly built out of quarrystones (limestone) and covers a ground area of some 10 m × 10 m. Besides the ground floor, there are also five upper floors. The ground floor’s walls are some 1.5 m thick.

Once, the only way in was through the first of the upper floors by way of a ladder or movable stairway. The tower was surrounded by a further wall with a parapet walk, and was part of the village’s fortifications. The roof, converted in 1602, was originally steeper; the less steep tent roof comes from a later time. Windows and arrowslits are framed with red sandstone. Heating facilities could not be ascertained, and therefore the tower’s use as a dwelling, at least in times of danger, must be assumed (it was later used as a warehouse and a fruit store).

The Dalberger Turm and the townscape with the village walls have since 30 September 1988 been under the protection of the Hague Conventions.