Celtic settlement until Adalbero of Luxembourg
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 3000 BCE | Archaeologists discover the first evidence of human settlement in Kues, one of the largest Neolithic settlements in the Moselle region. |
| 600. bCE | Celtic finds in the vicinity of the districts of Kues and Wehlen. (1936: excavation of a Celtic settlement on the plateau "Ober dem Lieserpfad" |
| 50 B.C. to 400 | Roman settlement of the Moselle valley with Trier as "Augusta Treverorum", Roman imperial city, which becomes Christian under Constantine I. |
| 370 | Decimus Magnus Ausonius, Roman poet and teacher at the imperial court, writes his poem "Mosella". |
| 400 | A Roman fort (princastellum) in the area of today's Landshut castle ruins. This is indicated by fittings, pottery and iron finds found below the castle. |
| 475 | Bernkastel and the Moselle province in the hands of the Merovingians (Franks). |
| 700 | "Princastellum" is the name given by the "Geographer of Ravenna" to the place from which the place name Bernkastel is undoubtedly derived. |
| 1000 | Adalbero of Luxembourg, provost of St. Paulin's Abbey in Trier, is lord of Bernkastel. |
From Poop to Ludwig the Bavarian
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 1016 | Poop, Archbishop of Trier (1016 - 1047), conquers and destroys the castle of Adalbero in the great "Moselle Feud". |
| 1033/37 | First documentary mention of Bernkastel and Kues in a will of Adlabero of Luxembourg and in a deed of gift to the Abbey of St. Matthias. |
| 1177 | First evidence of a "pastor de Berncastell". Theoderich von Saarburg is attested as the first pastor. |
| 1201 | The surviving place name "Berncastell" underlines the reference to the castle, which Archbishop Johann I and the Count of Blieskastel mutually renounce the rebuilding of. |
| 1228 | Viticulture in Bernkastel-Kues is mentioned in a document; 1286 "Weinzehnter zu Berencastel". |
| 1280 | Archbishop Heinrich II von Finstingen acquires all the goods and rights in Bernkastel, having already built a new castle above the town in 1277 and fortified Bernkastel. |
| 1290 | His successor, Archbishop Boemund I, strengthens and enlarges the castle and town fortifications and equips the town with courtyards, buildings and towers. |
| 1291 | "OPIDI-BERNKASTEL" Bernkastel has a town seal, which is probably proof of the legal personality of the municipality. |
| 1331 | Bernkastel is designated as the place of collection of the escort fee levied by Kurtrier for escort protection between Mainz and Luxembourg. |
| 1332 | In Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian's collective privilege for Archbishop Balduin, renewed confirmation of the town charter for Bernkastel and other places in the archbishopric of Trier. |
Golden Bull until the minting of Electorate of Trier coins
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 1356 | The "Golden Bull" makes Archbishop Boemund II. Elector. His serious illness at the castle is happily ended by "Bernkasteler Doctorwein" - "Doctor-Wein-Sage". |
| 1386 | Construction of a larger parish church, based on the mighty watchtower of the town fortifications, which thus becomes the "church tower". From 1569, St. Michael is the patron saint of the church. |
| 1401 | Nicolaus Cusanus is born in the house of the Moselle boatman Henne Cryfftz (Krebs) in Kues (1448 Cardinal, 1450 Bishop of Brixen), which can still be visited today. |
| 1451/57 | Construction of a hospital for the poor, the "St. Nicholas Hospital" on the left bank of the Moselle - a charitable donation by Nicholas of Kues. |
| 1464 | Nicholas of Cusa dies in Todi/Umbria (August 11). Burial in San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome, the cardinal's heart is interred in the chapel of St. Nicholas Hospital. |
| 1466 | a flourishing ore mining industry is attested in Bernkastel; Bernkastel mining regulations of 30.01.1510 |
| 1467 | First documentary mention of a Holy Spirit hospice in Bernkastel. |
| 1505 | The name "Landshut" appears for the first time for the archiepiscopal castle in a sovereign decree by Jacob II. |
| 1512 | Emperor Maximilian (1459 - 1519) arrives in Bernkastel by ship on his way upstream to the Imperial Diet in Trier. |
| 1516 | Under Elector and Archbishop Richard von Greiffenklau, minting of Electorate of Trier coins in Bernkastel, attested in 1512 and 1516 "Moneta nova Bernkastel". |
Hospice of the Holy Spirit until the 30 Years' War
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 1467 | First documented mention of a Holy Spirit hospice in Bernkastel. |
| 1505 | The name "Landshut" appears for the first time for the archiepiscopal castle in a sovereign decree of Jacob II. |
| 1512 | Emperor Maximilian (1459 - 1519) arrives in Bernkastel by ship on his way upstream to the Imperial Diet in Trier. |
| 1516 | Under Elector and Archbishop Richard von Greiffenklau, minting of Electorate of Trier coins in Bernkastel, attested in 1512 and 1516 "Moneta nova Bernkastel". |
| 1582 | Archbishop and Elector Johann VII in Bernkastel. He issues a decree on "how to buy, sell, measure and weigh in the town and high court of Bernkastel". |
| 1586 | Issuance of an electoral town ordinance: ten-member council created (comprising 1 mayor, 6 aldermen, 1 censor, 2 master builders). Supervision of the council by the bailiff and the waiter. |
| 1606 | The ornamental Michaelsbrunnen fountain is erected on the market square and the town is placed under the protection of the archangel. |
| 1608 | Construction of a new town hall on the market square in the late Renaissance style, presumably by Hans Ruprecht Hoffmann, sculptor to the Elector and Archbishop Lothar von Metternich. |
| 1618/48 | Thirty Years' War: it inflicts deep wounds on the Moselle valley. in 1627, the "Black Death", the plague, rages in Bernkastel, in 1641 in Kues; many inhabitants fall victim to it. |
Monastery building and the French Revolution
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 1652/55 | Capuchin monastery built on the "Mandat". On June 6, 1655, the Auxiliary Bishop of Trier, Otto von Senheim, consecrates the monastery and church. |
| 1656/61 | Under Elector Karl Kaspar von der Leyen, construction of a new electoral official winery - the building is now the winegrowing school on the shore. |
| 1671 | A larger chapel - the "Heilig-Geist-Kapelle" - is built on the site of an old chapel next to the town exit to the Hunsrück. A cemetery is laid out here. |
| 1673 | Siege of Bernkastel by the French: "... about 400 men were camped in the town and another 100 men, imperial and Electorate of Trier troops, in the castle, which was well fortified". |
| 1689 | "To the pain of the town", the walls and towers of the town fortifications are razed by the French under General de Montalt on September 18/19. |
| 1692 | After several sieges, the castle "Landshut" falls victim to a fire on January 8th and has been in ruins ever since. |
| 1714 | An annual market order is issued: for the half-fast market, St. Margaret's market, St. Michael's market and St. Barbara's market. |
| 1784 | The newly built church in Kues is consecrated to St. Briktius. 1921 Extension of the parish church. 27./February 28 Highest known flooding of the Moselle - with ice breakage. |
| 1787 | Bernkastel, capital and seat of an electoral office, has 1,112 inhabitants and 25 different trades, including 27 grocers, 16 bakers and 13 butchers. Kues has 533 inhabitants. |
| 1789 | French Revolution, Bernkastel-Kues falls to France in 1794, becomes a cantonal town and remains under French rule until 1814. Anton Cetto, Maire and President of the Canton of Bernkastel. |
Graach redoubts above the rebellious city
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 1794 | The last Elector Clemens Wenzeslaus leaves Trier before the invading French revolutionary army. Construction of the "Mont National" fortifications on the heights of Graach and Bernkastel "Graacher Schanzen". |
| 1802 | Secularization; dissolution of the Capuchin monastery. 1803 Maire Anton Cetto raises the monastery, garden and Hofbering for the municipality. |
| 1804 | Anton Cetto acquires the entire Doctorweinberg vineyard from the French government in Paris. |
| 1815 | Congress of Vienna; the largest part of the Electorate of Trier, including Bernkastel and Kues, is annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia. Bernkastel becomes a district town in 1816. |
| 1834 | Bernkastel receives its first own post office in the inn "Zum goldenen Adler" - today the Volksbank am Gestade. |
| 1839 | On the occasion of a visit to Bernkastel, the municipality donates the ruins of Landshut Castle to Crown Prince and later King Frederick William IV of Prussia. |
| 1840 | 21. August: the first steamboat, the "Mosella", a 50 HP steamboat with room for 200 people, is joyfully welcomed in Bernkastel. |
| 1843 | The town has 2,202 inhabitants, of whom 2,088 are Catholic, 34 Protestant and 80 Jewish. |
| 1848 | Revolution in Bernkastel too: the black, red and gold flag is hoisted at the town hall. A citizens' militia is formed. Peter Josef Coblenz is the soul of the revolutionary movement. |
| 1850 | After 1839 and 1847, Prussian King Frederick William IV once again visits the "rebellious" town of Bernkastel. |
Of synagogues and schools
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 1852 | 27. august 28: Inauguration of the new synagogue and a Jewish community center on Burgstraße. The number of Jews in Bernkastel is 86, in Kues 16. |
| 1857 | Great town fire - seven fires rage through Bernkastel between July 22 and November 7. |
| 1858 | Foundation of the district savings bank in Bernkastel |
| 1867 | The Moselle valley road on the right bank of the river is built as a "premium road" because the town grants a premium of 10,000 thalers for the mile. |
| 1868/70 | A hospital and orphanage is built on the ruins of the old Capuchin monastery on the "Mandat"; the founder is Jodocus Prüm from Wehlen. |
| 1870/71 | Franco-Prussian War; at the beginning of the campaign, two ship bridges are built over the Moselle near Bernkastel. |
| 1872/74 | Construction of the first road bridge between Bernkastel and Kues. After almost three years of construction, inauguration day on November 18. A new road to the Hunsrück, from Bernkastel to Longkamp, is built. |
| 1876 | The Bernkastel volunteer fire department is founded. |
| 1880 | Construction of the Protestant church in Saarallee, Kues. Inauguration: 17.03.1881 |
| 1881 | Completion of the new Bernkastel elementary school building on the Gestade - today the Volksbank. |
First train and last stagecoach
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 1882/83 | The town's first rail link is built. Opening of the branch line "Cues/Bernkastel to Wengerohr" on 01.06.1883 |
| 1884/85 | The town receives a gasworks on the Kues side of the Moselle (gas light). |
| 1886 | Construction of a private waterworks, acquired by the town in 1904. Sewerage system in Kues in 1897, in Bernkastel since 1903. |
| 1891 | The town of Bernkastel-Kues celebrates its 600th anniversary of becoming a town on July 26 and 27. |
| 1892/93 | January: meter-high icebergs and broken ships in the harbour mark the winter; the biggest ice drift on the Moselle in living memory. |
| 1902/05 | Construction of the Moselle Valley Railway on the right bank of the Moselle between Trier and Bernkastel to Bullay. 18.08.1905: Completion of the narrow-gauge railroad along the entire route. |
| 1905 | 01. April: The village of Kues is incorporated into the town of Bernkastel. The new municipality now bears the name "Bernkastel-Cues". |
| 1910/12 | Construction of a new elementary school in today's Schulstraße in Kues. It opens on 0.1.1912. |
| 1913 | 02. August: The last stagecoach leaves the town. "Tempi passati", the times are over. |
World War II and new bridge
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 1914/18 | The First World War: Mobilization is on 2 August. The Bernkasteler Landsturm is called up "to protect the threatened borders". |
| 1918 | 02. December: the first American occupation troops in the town; French troops from May 1919. |
| 1920 | Opening of the first Bernkastel movie theater in Hebegasse. The ruins of Landshut Castle are once again owned by the municipality. |
| 1921 | 28. July: lowest known water level of the Moselle; water level NNW 0.47 meters. You can walk across the Moselle to the opposite bank. Outstanding vintage - "wine of the century" - The "Pulverturm" and the town hall burn down next to the house where Cusanus was born in Kues. |
| 1923 | November: peak of inflation. The Bernkastel district has been issuing emergency banknotes since 1920. 11. October 1924: Introduction of the Reichsmark. |
| 1926 | Major winegrowing riots on the Moselle. 25. February: Storming of the tax office in Bernkastel and the customs office in Kues. |
| 1930 | Liberation of the Rhineland after 12 years of French occupation. In the night from June 30 to July 1, a large liberation celebration is held on the market square. President von Hindenburg also visits Bernkastel-Kues on his "Westmark tour". |
| 1931 | 05. October: The town celebrates the Bernkastel "Weinkirmes" for the first time. From 1950 "Wine Festival of the Middle Moselle". |
| 1923/33 | Construction of the second Moselle bridge - "Hermann Göring Bridge". Inauguration: 13.12.1933 in the presence of Göring. The bridge was blown up at the end of the war in 1945. |
| 1933 | Bernkastel-Kues has 5,009 inhabitants; of which 4,661 are Catholic, 289 Protestant and 59 Jewish. |
Electric lighting and new city coat of arms
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 1934 | The street lighting, until then gas lamps, is converted to electric lighting by RWE. |
| 1938 | The NSDAP organizes riots against Jews. The synagogue, Jewish homes and business premises are also destroyed in Bernkastel-Kues. |
| 1939/45 | 01. September: Start of the Second World War. Heavy destruction and great casualties among the civilian population due to air raids and artillery fire. |
| 1945 | The front moves closer: March 14: American troops occupy Kues and Bernkastel on March 18. The Moselle region comes under French occupation. |
| 1946 | 15. September: the first democratic town council elections after the war. |
| 1946/47 | Severe winter in which the Moselle freezes over three times. |
| 1947/53 | Third Moselle bridge construction; initially one lane. 05.10: Michaelskirmes and inauguration of the new bridge. 1952/53: Widening of the bridge to two lanes. |
| 1948 | Currency reform: the German mark takes effect on June 21. Every resident receives 40 German marks for 40 Reichsmarks. |
| 1950 | Bernkastel-Kues has 5,670 inhabitants, number of pupils at the municipal schools: Catholic elementary school Bernkastel, 322; Catholic elementary school Kues, 345; Protestant elementary school, 54; municipal secondary school, 307 pupils. |
| 1951 | The old Bernkastel town coat of arms is changed. The black bear in the lower right field is replaced by the red crab (= Nicholas of Kues). |
Theodor Heuss and Hanns Scherl
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 1952 | 23. April: Federal President Prof. Theodor Heuss in Bernkastel-Kues. He visits the St. Nikolaus Hospital. |
| 1953 | The Canisiushaus on the Burgberg is acquired by the German Youth Hostel Association and set up as a youth hostel. |
| 1960 | Foundation of the "Cusanus Society", Association for the Promotion of Cusanus Research e.V. in Bernkastel-Kues. |
| 1960/64 | Development of the Moselle into an international shipping route, including expansion of the Kues harbor for large ships, construction of the barrage near Wehlen. |
| 1961 | Bernkastel-Kues has 5,755 inhabitants. Construction of the new Nikolaus-von-Kues-Gymnasium in the school center. |
| 1962 | 01. May: Consecration of the new "Marienkirche" church in Kues on the Bergweg. 31. December: Closure of the Moselle Valley Railway. The last train of the Moselle Railway departs from "Bernkastel-Nord". |
| 1964 | 500. Anniversary of the death of Cardinal Nikolaus von Kues. From August 8 - 12: big Cusanaus anniversary celebrations in Bernkastel-Kues. |
| 1965 | Last issue of the "Bernkasteler Zeitung", founded in 1834. |
| 1966 | Inauguration of the new district hospital. "Auf der Trift" in Kues and the new St. Antonius kindergarten on Karl-Binz-Weg. |
| 1968 | a new fountain with the "Bernkastel Bear" is erected on the "Bärenpütz". A work by the sculptor Hanns Scherl, Wittlich. |
New districts and Doctorbrunnen
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 1970 | Andel and Wehlen are incorporated into the town of Bernkastel-Kues. As a result of the Rhineland-Palatinate administrative reform, the Bernkastel-Kues association municipality is formed through the merger of the Bernkastel-Land, Lieser, Mülheim, Zeltingen offices and the town of Bernkastel-Kues. |
| 1971 | February: Inauguration of the secondary school in the school center by Minister of Education Dr. Bernard Vogel. |
| 1974 | Construction and handover of a new post office building in Kues (Mozartstraße). |
| 1975 | Opening of the first two spa clinics "Bernkastel" and "Kues" on the plateau. |
| 1976 | The town of Bernkastel-Kues has 6,897 inhabitants. A "wine of the century" grows and matures on the Moselle. |
| 1977 | Construction of the third "Moselhöhe" spa clinic on the Kues plateau. |
| 1980 | Birthplace of Nikolaus von Kues rebuilt. December 5: Ceremony and inauguration with MP Dr. Bernard Vogel. |
| 1981 | Inauguration of the newly created "Moselle Wine Museum" in the Bering of the Cusanus Abbey. Bernkastel-Kues is awarded state recognition as a "health resort". Publication of the "Chronicle of Kues". |
| 1982 | After renovation and restoration of the Heilig-Geist-Stiftskirche, consecration and altar consecration by the Auxiliary Bishop of Trier, Carl Schmidt. Opening of the fourth clinic "Burg Landshut" on the plateau. |
| 1983 | Opening and inauguration of the newly built municipal "Mosellandhalle" and the large "Hotelpark" on the plateau. Festive handover of the "Doctorwein fountain" on the shore. |
New chronicle and Burgberg tunnel
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 1985 | The chronicle "Bernkastel through the ages" is published; performance of the first "Moselle Festival Weeks"; opening of the newly created museum of local history in the "Graacher Tor". |
| 1986 | 18. September: Visit of the Federal President Richard von Weizäcker to Bernkastel-Kues. After extensive renovation and expansion, inauguration of the "Kloster zur heiligen Familie" retirement home. |
| 1987 | According to the results of the 1987 census, Bernkastel-Kues has a total of 6,823 inhabitants with their main residence in the town. in 1970 there were still 7,298 inhabitants. |
| 1988 | Completion of the first pedestrian section of Graacher Straße. Unveiling of a memorial plaque for the bombing victims of World War II at the Bärenbrunnen fountain. |
| 1989 | 27.05: Final closure of all railroad operations on the Wittlich Hbf - Bernkastel-Kues branch line. |
| 1990 | As part of the town's redevelopment; completion of the extension work in the town center of the castle; Römerstrasse and Mandatstrasse. Renovation of the town hall. 11. October: Inauguration of the new Kurgasthaus. |
| 1991 | 700th anniversary of the town is celebrated. |
| 1993 | Work begins on the Burgberg tunnel, which is to make the town center car-free. |
| 1995 | Completion of the 4th Moselle bridge, inauguration on August 18 |
| 1997 | 27.06: Opening of the Burgberg tunnel. |
Karlovy Vary and Bressanone
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 26. May: Signing of the town twinning agreement between Karlovy Vary and Bernkastel-Kues. |
| 2001 | Celebrations for the 600th birthday of Nikolaus Cusanus; festival week May 23 to 27, visit by Federal President Johannes Rau. |
| 2005 | Bernkastel-Kues celebrates the 100th anniversary of the merger of Bernkastel and Cues. 23. July: Inauguration of the "Karlsbader Platz". 12. September: Bernkastel-Kues/Kueser Plateau is awarded the title of "climatic health resort". |
| 2008 | 30. May: 400th anniversary of the Bernkastel town hall |
| 2014 | 09./August 10: Cusanus ceremony on the 550th anniversary of the death of Nikolaus von Kues Friendship agreement with Bressanone |
| 2016 | 725 years of Bernkastel's town charter |
| 2016 | 600 years of the Spitzhäuschen |
| 2018 | 70 years wine festival of the Middle Moselle |
| 2024 | The redesigned spa gardens are opened |
