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Pinache and Serres. Two Waldenses retreats.

Die beiden Wappen von Pinache und Serres

We shall firstly provide a description of the history of both wards, followed by a description of the relative customs and conventions and a final comment on the respective coats of arms.

The inhabitants of Pinache are described as being "Barugele" or "Schnecke", i.e. “Snails”. Whilst "Schnecke" is rather a widespread nickname and is, to a certain extent, also a "second name", "Barugele", which is not explainable, does have a Waldenses ring to it. The inhabitants of Serres are instead referred to as "Heaner", i.e. “Hens”, which may well be an innuendo to the neighbouring "Göggler", i.e. “Cocks” hailing from Großglattbach.

Aerial view of Pinache

Aerial view of Pinache

Aerial view of Serres

Aerial view of Serres

History of Pinache and Serres

In May of year 1699, Waldenses refugees of French descent reached the Mühlacker-Dürrmenz area. The refugees were divided into a number of different location groups such as e.g. Großvillars with Kleinvillars, Dürrmenz, Wurmberg-Lucerne, Perouse and Pinache with Serres. A part of the refugees were assigned to lodgings provided for the purpose by the reigning body of the time. They busied themselves with landscape conservation and cultivated the as yet desolate farmlands.

The families that made a new home for themselves in the Württemberg district took to naming the locations they lived in after the names of the hometowns they had formerly lived in.

Pinache boasts the oldest Waldenses Church in Germany, built in year 1721.

The ward retained the constructive specifications typical of all the Waldenses settlements. The Waldenses houses are all lined up on a long, dead straight street, with the house-gables facing the street front. The living quarters are arranged to face the street, the stables are added onto the living quarters, whilst the barn is added on at right angles to the main house so that it closes off the farmyard. The overall floor plan of the building is in the form of an “L”. The width of the land plot is 13.70 m and the length is respectively 75 m. A vegetable garden is located to the rear of each house.

Pinache is one of the Wiernsheim wards as of the 1.1.1970 and together with Serres and Iptingen, they constitute the overall Wiernsheim municipal territory as of the 1.1.1974. Pinache counts a total of 1227 inhabitants whilst Serres counts a total of 756 inhabitants.

Coats of arms

Pinache: The earlier Pinache municipality coat of arms displayed "a natural red deal pine in green, with a green base on a gold (yellow) background". The ward colours are green-yellow (green-gold). In its present form, the coat of arms has been proven to be in use as of 1952.

Serres: The earlier Serres municipality did not have what can be validly termed as a coat of arms. Prior to the second world war, a lettered seal was in use, whilst after the second world war an official seal was adopted, displaying a shield decorated with a candlestick holding a burning candle, surrounded by the seven stars of the Waldenses "Tavola” or “Table”. Because the figures of these symbols were already is use by the Waldenses religious refugees that had settled in the Waldenses district of Kleinvillars and, in consideration of the fact that this type of coat of arms should not be interchangeable, it was not possible to acknowledge the Serres seal as the official coat of arms of the ward.

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