Ginsweiler is an ''
Ortsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde (; plural Verbandsgemeinden) is a low-level administrative unit in the German federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt. A Verbandsgemeinde is typically composed of a small group of villages or towns.
Rhineland ...
'' – a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
belonging to a ''
Verbandsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde (; plural Verbandsgemeinden) is a low-level administrative unit in the German federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt. A Verbandsgemeinde is typically composed of a small group of villages or towns.
Rhinelan ...
'', a kind of collective municipality – in the
Kusel
Kusel (; written ''Cusel'' until 1865) is a town in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the Kusel-Altenglan ''Verbandsgemeinde'' and is also the district seat.
The well-known operatic tenor Fritz Wunderlich was ...
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...
in
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. It belongs to the
''Verbandsgemeinde'' Lauterecken-Wolfstein.
Geography
Location
The municipality lies in the
North Palatine Uplands
The North Palatine Uplands (german: Nordpfälzer Bergland), sometimes shortened to Palatine Uplands (''Pfälzer Bergland''), is a low mountain range and landscape unit in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate and belongs mainly to the Palat ...
in the Odenbach valley, which runs between the
Lauter and
Alsenz valleys. The greater part of the village lies on the Odenbach's right bank at an elevation of some 180 m above
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...
. Here, the Becherbach, which rises east of the village near the neighbouring village of
Becherbach, meets the Odenbach. The elevations either side of the valley within Ginsweiler's limits reach up to 340 m above sea level on the right bank and 350 m above sea level on the left. Many people call the region the ''Alte Welt'' (“Old World”). The municipal area measures 399 ha, of which 38 ha is settled and 57 ha is wooded.
Neighbouring municipalities
Ginsweiler borders in the north on the municipality of
Adenbach, in the east on the municipality of
Becherbach, in the south on the municipality of
Reipoltskirchen, in the southwest on the municipality of
Hohenöllen and in the west on the municipality of
Cronenberg.
Constituent communities
Also belonging to Ginsweiler are the outlying homesteads of Naumburgerhof and Ölmühle.
Municipality’s layout
The old village core lies in the valley of the Becherbach just upstream from where it empties into the Odenbach. The original village was expanded along the through road in the Odenbach valley. There are still quite a few old farmhouses here. The mill in the village's north end, the oilmill in the southwest and the Naumburgerhof in the west are also part of the older building areas. A new building area, Nachtweide, arose in 1990 south of the Becherbach. The former schoolhouse, in which an
ecumenical church service room has now been set up, stands on Hauptstraße (“Main Street”). A sporting ground with a
football pitch lies in the village's northern area between the through road and the Odenbach. The graveyard is found in the east on the road to Becherbach.
History
Antiquity
Until 27 BC, the area was inhabited by the
Treveri
The Trēverī ( Gaulish: *''Trēueroi'') were a Celtic tribe of the Belgae group who inhabited the lower valley of the Moselle from around 150 BCE, if not earlier, until their displacement by the Franks. Their domain lay within the southern fri ...
, a people of mixed
Celtic and
Germanic stock, from whom the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
name for the city of
Trier
Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
, ''
Augusta Treverorum
Trier in Rhineland-Palatinate, whose history dates to the Roman Empire, is often claimed to be the oldest city in Germany. Traditionally it was known in English by its French name of Treves.
Prehistory
The first traces of human settlement in ...
'', is also derived. Thereafter, until AD 451, the area was part of the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...
’s province of
Germania Superior. Then, between 375 and 496, the
Alamanni thrust their way into the lands on the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
’s left bank. However, they were dislodged from their new lands by another Germanic people, the
Franks
The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...
, in 496, who took over the area.
Within Ginsweiler’s own municipal area, no
prehistoric archaeological finds are thus far known, but as witnessed by those unearthed in neighbouring places, human beings were already living in the area in prehistoric times. That the immediate area was settled in
Gallo-Roman
Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, language, morals and way of life in a uniquely Gaulish context ...
times might be proved by a piece of
spolia
''Spolia'' (Latin: 'spoils') is repurposed building stone for new construction or decorative sculpture reused in new monuments. It is the result of an ancient and widespread practice whereby stone that has been quarried, cut and used in a built ...
that is today part of a wall in a building at the Naumburgerhof. Moreover, unearthed in 1833, during building work on a house, were a
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
and two lions. These finds were described by the
Odenbach
Odenbach is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany ...
pastor Philipp Wilbrand Jakob Müller as follows: “A 3¾-foot-tall tableau chiselled out of fine
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
; showing three well worked, clad human figures, not hewn into the stone, but rather standing out in a statuelike way, the middle figure was missing its head, which was broken off at the torso. It must, given the clothing and the whole composition, be explained as a female person, a mother who carries and leads her children with devoted love. On her left arm sits a small child wrapped in a cloth folded over and over. The child’s head is likewise broken off at the torso. With the hand hanging down on the right side, the figure leads a lad briskly and ably walking behind. A male lion broken into two pieces, about half life size, lying, resting on his forelegs, holding a sheep’s head between them. A lioness, broken into two pieces of the same size and in the same position: the front side broken up and with the sheep’s head between the paws. Both animals seem to have stood facing each other at a gateway or portal.”
Middle Ages
About 600, the lordship of Medard was split from the royal holdings and donated to the
Bishopric of Verdun
The Bishopric of Verdun was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was located at the western edge of the Empire and was bordered by France, the Duchy of Luxembourg, and the Duchy of Bar. Some time in the late 990s, the suzerainty of the Coun ...
. In 843 came the
Treaty of Verdun
The Treaty of Verdun (), agreed in , divided the Frankish Empire into three kingdoms among the surviving sons of the emperor Louis I, the son and successor of Charlemagne. The treaty was concluded following almost three years of civil war and ...
, which divided the
Frankish Realm
Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks duri ...
into three states. Ginsweiler was grouped into the
Kingdom of the East Franks
The Kingdom of Germany or German Kingdom ( la, regnum Teutonicorum "kingdom of the Germans", "German kingdom", "kingdom of Germany") was the mostly Germanic-speaking East Frankish kingdom, which was formed by the Treaty of Verdun in 843, especi ...
. From roughly 750 to 1140, spanning both the eras, before and after Verdun, the local area belonged to the
Nahegau
The Nahegau was in the Middle Ages a county, which covered the environs of the Nahe and large parts of present-day Rhenish Hesse, after a successful expansion of the narrow territory, which did not reach the Rhine, to the disadvantage of the Worms ...
Counts. Splitting away from them about 1127 was the
County of Veldenz, under whose protection were mostly ecclesiastical lands, for instance lands held by the
Bishopric of Verdun
The Bishopric of Verdun was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was located at the western edge of the Empire and was bordered by France, the Duchy of Luxembourg, and the Duchy of Bar. Some time in the late 990s, the suzerainty of the Coun ...
around
Baumholder
Baumholder () is a town in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, in the Westrich, an historic region that encompasses areas in both Germany and France. The town of Baumholder is the administrative seat of the like-named ''Verba ...
and
Medard
Medard () is an '' Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Lauterecken-Wolfstein.
...
and the ''Remigiusland'', a domain held by the
Archbishopric of Reims
The Archdiocese of Reims (traditionally spelt "Rheims" in English) ( la, Archidiœcesis Remensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese ar ...
. In 1327, the Counts of Veldenz also bought the lordship of Medard. Ginsweiler, too, lay within the new County of Veldenz and later, comital vassals were time and again enfeoffed with the whole village or part of it. The first indication that history has of this is a document from 1379, wherein the knight Sir Mohr of Sötern (nowadays a constituent community of
Nohfelden
Nohfelden is a municipality in the district of Sankt Wendel, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated approximately north of Sankt Wendel, and southwest of Idar-Oberstein. It was formed during administrative reform in January 1974 from the merger o ...
) confirmed that he had been enfeoffed by the gracious
Junker
Junker ( da, Junker, german: Junker, nl, Jonkheer, en, Yunker, no, Junker, sv, Junker ka, იუნკერი (Iunkeri)) is a noble honorific, derived from Middle High German ''Juncherre'', meaning "young nobleman"Duden; Meaning of Junke ...
Friedrich, Count of Veldenz, with holdings in the villages of
Heinzenhausen,
Lohnweiler
Lohnweiler is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Lauterecken-Wolfstein.
...
,
Lauterecken
Lauterecken () is a town in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Lauterecken-Wolfstein, to which it also belongs. Lauterecken bears the nickname ''Veldenzstadt'', after the comital family ...
,
Medard
Medard () is an '' Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Lauterecken-Wolfstein.
...
,
Roth, Schwanden (vanished village near Medard),
Obersulzbach, Niedersulzbach, Ginsweiler, Mannweiler (vanished village),
Adenbach and
Odenbach
Odenbach is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany ...
, and in the outlying countryside around
Meisenheim
Meisenheim () is a town in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the like-named ''Verbandsgemeinde'', and is also its seat. Meisenheim is a state-recognized recreational resort (''Erholungsort'') and it is s ...
. For Ginsweiler, Mannweiler, Adenbach and the two Sulzbachs (nowadays Sulzbachtal), this was a first documentary mention. Nevertheless, Pöhlmann rather assumed that the ''Gundeswilre'' mentioned in the document referred to Gumbsweiler (nowadays a constituent community of
Sankt Julian
Sankt Julian (often rendered St. Julian) is an '' Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgeme ...
), not Ginsweiler. Before these holdings were once more granted as
fief
A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form ...
s, according to Alfred Wendel, the Knights of Odenbach had supposedly been the fiefholders. “Junker Friedrich” was Count Friedrich II of the cadet line of the
Counts of Veldenz
The County Palatine of Veldenz was a principality in the contemporary Land Rhineland-Palatinate with full voting rights to the Reichstag. The county was located partially between Kaiserslautern, Sponheim and Zweibrücken, partially on the Mose ...
. In a 1380 itemization, a knight named Gerhard von Alsenz likewise acknowledged an enfeoffment from Count Friedrich II, confirming that he held a share in
Castle Odenbach, and also received interest from various villages, namely Ginsweiler, Mannweiler and Adenbach. The fiefs named herein later passed at some unknown point in time to the Lords of Allenbach (Ellenbach). The village of Ginsweiler belonged then to the ''
Unteramt'' of Odenbach. In 1444,
Frederick III, Count of Veldenz
Frederick III, Count of Veldenz (died 1444) was the last from the Hohengeroldseck family to rule the county - that male line died out with him, and the county passed to his son-in-law Stephen, Count Palatine of Simmern-Zweibrücken, widower of Fre ...
, the last from the
Hohengeroldseck
Hohengeroldseck was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was founded by the House of Geroldseck, a German noble family which arrived in the Ortenau region of Swabia reputedly in 948, though the first mention of the family is documented in the 1080 ...
family to rule the county, died without a male heir; the county passed to his son-in-law
Stephen, Count Palatine of Simmern-Zweibrücken
Stephen of Simmern-Zweibrücken (german: link=no, Stefan Pfalzgraf von Simmern-Zweibrücken) (23 June 1385 – 14 February 1459, Simmern) was Count Palatine of Simmern and Zweibrücken from 1410 until his death in 1459.Ludwig Molitor: Vollständi ...
, widower of Frederick's daughter,
Anna of Veldenz. Stephen, combining his lands, created the new
County Palatine of Zweibrücken, which in the fullness of time came to be known as the Duchy of Palatinate-Zweibrücken. For the time being, the town of
Meisenheim
Meisenheim () is a town in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the like-named ''Verbandsgemeinde'', and is also its seat. Meisenheim is a state-recognized recreational resort (''Erholungsort'') and it is s ...
remained the residence town, but it was moved to
Zweibrücken
Zweibrücken (; french: Deux-Ponts, ; Palatinate German: ''Zweebrigge'', ; literally translated as "Two Bridges") is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Schwarzbach river.
Name
The name ''Zweibrücken'' means 'two bridges'; olde ...
in 1477.
Northeast of the Naumburger Hof (farm) near Ginsweiler once stood the
mediaeval Naumburg, a
castle that has now all but vanished.
Modern times
The
Counts Palatine (Dukes) of Zweibrücken introduced the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
as early as 1537. In documents dealing with subsequent ecclesiastical visitations, citizens of Ginsweiler were mentioned. Before the end of the 16th century, the rights to Ginsweiler granted by the Counts Palatine passed from the Lords of Allenbach to the Lords of Kellenbach and to the Mauchenheims of Zweibrücken. All these rights passed in the late 17th century to the Lords of Fürstenwerther, the offspring from
Frederick Louis, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
Frederick Louis (german: Friedrich Ludwig; 27 October 1619 – 11 April 1681) was the Duke of Landsberg from 1645 until 1681, and the Count Palatine of Zweibrücken from 1661 until 1681.
Life
Frederick Louis was born in Heidelberg in 1619 ...
's
morganatic marriage
Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spous ...
to a
Meisenheim
Meisenheim () is a town in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the like-named ''Verbandsgemeinde'', and is also its seat. Meisenheim is a state-recognized recreational resort (''Erholungsort'') and it is s ...
townswoman, to whom the Elector had transferred the village and
castle of
Odenbach
Odenbach is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany ...
. The 17th century was otherwise marked by war, namely the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...
(1618-1648) and
French King Louis XIV's wars of conquest towards the end of the century. There was more hardship than simply war that the somewhat secluded villages faced; there were hunger and pervasive sickness as well. The worst emergencies for the
Glan valley were to be noted beginning in 1635. People's morals broke down and became unimaginably brutal. The villages were largely depopulated and after the war virtually had to be repopulated. Indeed, even before the Thirty Years' War, Ginsweiler was a very small village with only six families, according to a count done at a 1609 ecclesiastical visitation. By 1656, only three families were living in the village, and there may already have been newcomers among them. Even municipal boundaries had largely been forgotten, leading to boundary disputes between villages. As Alfred Wendel wrote: “The farmers of
Adenbach and Ginsweiler in 1701 drove (their livestock) before the established time, instead of at
Michaelmas
Michaelmas ( ; also known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Feast of the Archangels, or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels) is a Christian festival observed in some Western liturgical calendars on 29 September, ...
(29 September), as early as the
Nativity of Mary
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of Mary, the Marymas or the Birth of the Virgin Mary, refers to a Christian feast day celebrating the birth of Mary, mother of Jesus.
The modern canon of scripture does not record Mary's bi ...
(8 September), to the jointly used 'Nachtweide' (a pasture). Those from
Odenbach
Odenbach is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany ...
and
Roth complained to the
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
administration.” The administration answered them by saying that everything should remain as it had been before. The reference to a “Swedish” administration here stems from the dynasty that then held Zweibrücken: from 1681 to 1718, the Kings of Sweden were concurrently the Counts Palatine (or Dukes) of Zweibrücken. Other than contribution lists, nothing is recorded about events in the village during Louis XIV's wars. Population figures rose very quickly, supported by new settlers. In the course of the 18th century, it was found that not everyone could be fed by the local harvest yields, and there began extensive
emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanent ...
.
Over the ages until this time, the local rulers were as follows:
Recent times
During the time of the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
and the
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
ic era that followed, the German lands on the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
’s left bank were
annexed by
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, and all the old
feudal boundaries were swept away. The
Treaty of Campo Formio
The Treaty of Campo Formio (today Campoformido) was signed on 17 October 1797 (26 Vendémiaire VI) by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Philipp von Cobenzl as representatives of the French Republic and the Austrian monarchy, respectively. The trea ...
had mandated this
cession
The act of cession is the assignment of property to another entity. In international law it commonly refers to land transferred by treaty. Ballentine's Law Dictionary defines cession as "a surrender; a giving up; a relinquishment of jurisdictio ...
. Until 1814, Ginsweiler was ruled by the French. After territorial reorganization, Ginsweiler lay in the ''Mairie'' (“Mayoralty”) of Odenbach, the
Canton of Lauterecken, the
Arrondissement
An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands.
Europe
France
The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissements ...
of Kaiserslautern and the
Department of
Mont-Tonnerre (or Donnersberg in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
). After the united
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...
n,
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
and
Austrian
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...
troops’ victories over Napoleon,
Blücher was able to cross the Rhine on New Year's Night 1814, and the French withdrew from the lands on the Rhine's left bank. For the next two years after that, the area lay under military administration by these allies. The authority was the Imperial and Royal Austrian and Royal Bavarian State Administration Commission (''Kaiserliche und königliche österreichische und königliche bairische Landesadministrationskommission''), whose seat was in
Kreuznach
Bad Kreuznach () is a town in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a spa town, most well known for its medieval bridge dating from around 1300, the Alte Nahebrücke, which is one of the few remaining bridges in th ...
, and then later
Worms Worms may refer to:
*Worm, an invertebrate animal with a tube-like body and no limbs
Places
*Worms, Germany
Worms () is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, situated on the Upper Rhine about south-southwest of Frankfurt am Main. It had ...
. Ginsweiler passed on 1 May 1816 to the ''bayerischer Rheinkreis'', or “Bavarian Rhine District”, the name given the
Palatinate once the
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...
had awarded it to the
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German ...
as an
exclave. Ginsweiler then belonged to the ''Bürgermeisterei'' (“Mayoralty”) of Odenbach in the Canton of Lauterecken and the ''Landkommissariat'' of Kusel.
In 1871, the
German Empire was founded, but the Kingdom of Bavaria still existed within this. It was not until after the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, after the
German Revolution in 1918 that the territorial status changed. After the
Kaiser had been overthrown and driven into
exile, Bavaria became the Free State of Bavaria. This lasted throughout
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is ...
times until early in the time of the
Third Reich
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the
Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...
(NSDAP) became quite popular in Ginsweiler. In the
1928 Reichstag elections, 10.1% of the local votes went to
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
’s party. In the
1930 Reichstag elections, it was 32.6%. By the time of the
1933 Reichstag elections, after Hitler had already
seized power, local support for the Nazis had swollen to 48.1%. Hitler’s success in these elections paved the way for his
Enabling Act of 1933 (''Ermächtigungsgesetz''), thus starting the
Third Reich
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
in earnest. On 8 April 1934, Ginsweiler was grouped into the
Gau of Saarpfalz, and later, on 11 March 1941, it was transferred to the Gau of Westmark, whose seat was in
Saarbrücken.
On 19 March 1945,
American tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engi ...
s rolled into
Odenbach
Odenbach is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany ...
. Then came the
occupation
Occupation commonly refers to:
*Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment
*Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces
*Military occupation, th ...
, first by the Americans, and then by the French. On 10 May 1945, a provincial government was set up in Saarpfalz and
Rhenish Hesse
Rhenish Hesse or Rhine HesseDickinson, Robert E (1964). ''Germany: A regional and economic geography'' (2nd ed.). London: Methuen, p. 542. . (german: Rheinhessen) is a region and a former government district () in the German state of Rhineland- ...
under French occupation, and on 31 July 1945, the Chief Government Presidium of Palatinate-Rhenish Hesse was established. Finally, on 18 May 1947, the
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...
was founded. After the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, when the Palatinate was split away from
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
, other territorial arrangements did not change at first. Only in the course of the 1968 administrative restructuring did Ginsweiler pass in 1970 to the then newly founded
''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Lauterecken. The ''Bürgermeisterei'' (“Mayoralty”) of Odenbach was also dissolved.
Population development
Ginsweiler has remained to this day rurally structured. The greater part of the population was working in
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...
even after the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. Along with this, there were also craftsmen in the village. Farming nowadays employs very few people. Most members of the workforce must seek a livelihood elsewhere, and so the village must be regarded as a rural residential community. In the
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Renai ...
, Ginsweiler was very small, indeed at best a gathering of several farms right up until the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...
broke out in the early 17th century. Furthermore, the number of farms was at least halved in that long-fought war. Great growth in population marked the 18th century, though, which can only be explained by newcomers settling in the village, which in the beginning was likely the result of
French repopulation measures. The population also kept rising in the 19th and early 20th centuries, reaching a peak of 404 inhabitants in 1905. Between the two world wars, growth stagnated at a rather low level, but rose again after the Second World War with the coming of
ethnic Germans driven out of Germany's former eastern territories, reaching an all-time peak of 441 inhabitants in 1950. After a rather hefty decrease about 1970, there were light waves of movement in and out of the village. Population aging does not show up as strongly in Ginsweiler as it does in other places of similar size in the Kusel district.
The following table shows population development over the centuries for Ginsweiler:
Municipality’s name
In 1379, Ginsweiler had its first documentary mention as ''Gundeßwilr''. Later forms of the name are ''Gimswiler'' (1483), ''Gintzweiller'' (1557), ''Guntzwiller'' (1580), ''Ginssweiler'' (1724), ''Ginzweiler'' (1797) and Ginsweiler (1824). The village's name combines the common placename ending ''—weiler'', meaning “
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
” or, originally, “homestead”, with the personal name “Gundlîn”, and thus the name Ginsweiler originally meant “Gundlîn’s Homestead”. The ''—weiler'' ending also suggests a founding in early
Frankish
Frankish may refer to:
* Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture
** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages
* Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany
* East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...
times.
Vanished villages
Actual abandoned villages in the area of Ginsweiler's limits are unknown. However, as early as 1380, in connection with Ginsweiler and other nearby villages, a place called Nunburg was being mentioned. This might be exactly the same place as what is now called the Naumburgerhof near Ginsweiler. It is assumed that this village or the later farming homestead (as it is now) arose at a
castle, or perhaps a castle's former site (the ending ''—burg'' means “castle” in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
). As early as 1268, a ''Niwenburg'' (“new castle”) was mentioned, perhaps the root of both names. Could the Naumburgerhof even once have been a
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
villa rustica
Villa rustica () was the term used by the ancient Romans to denote a farmhouse or villa set in the countryside and with an agricultural section, which applies to the vast majority of Roman villas. In some cases they were at the centre of a large ...
? Even today, Roman
spolia
''Spolia'' (Latin: 'spoils') is repurposed building stone for new construction or decorative sculpture reused in new monuments. It is the result of an ancient and widespread practice whereby stone that has been quarried, cut and used in a built ...
are to be found on the farm, leading to speculation that such an ancient estate may have lain just here. Names that the Naumburgerhof has borne over the centuries are: ''Hofguth Naumburg'', (1585), ''Nauenberg'' (1609), ''Naumberg'' (1661), ''Hofguth Naumburg'' (1673), ''Naumburger Hof'' (1773).
Religion
From the
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...
, Ginsweiler belonged to the Glan ecclesiastical
chapter and was a branch congregation of the Church of
Medard
Medard () is an '' Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Lauterecken-Wolfstein.
...
. After the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
was introduced into the
County Palatine of Zweibrücken about 1537, all the village's inhabitants
had to embrace
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...
’s teachings. Likewise in 1588, a decree from the Count Palatine meant that everyone then had to adopt
John Calvin’s
Reformed beliefs. Only after the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...
ended in 1648 were the people once again allowed to adopt the
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
or
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
faith. With the arrival of new settlers who had come to repopulate villages emptied of people by the Thirty Years' War, and with the promotion of Catholicism by the French during
King Louis XIV’s wars of conquest, the Catholic share of local villages’ populations began to rise. It can thus be assumed that during the French wars of conquest, Roman Catholics settled in Ginsweiler. Another thing that could explain the strong growth in the Catholic population at this time is
missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
work being done by the
Franciscan
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
convent that had then set itself up in the town of
Meisenheim
Meisenheim () is a town in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the like-named ''Verbandsgemeinde'', and is also its seat. Meisenheim is a state-recognized recreational resort (''Erholungsort'') and it is s ...
. Few seized the opportunity to convert to Lutheranism, and anyway, the Lutheran and
Calvinist
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
churches eventually united in the 1818 Palatine
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
Union. In 1719, there were 21 Roman Catholic
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
living in the village, 38 Reformed (Calvinists) and 5 Lutherans. Of the 225 inhabitants in the village in 1825, 122 were Catholic and 81
Evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...
. Among the Evangelical inhabitants during the 19th century, there were always
Mennonite
Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Radi ...
s who were counted along with them (8 in 1802; 17 in 1867). In 1961, Protestants were once again the greater group (161 Roman Catholics; 215 Evangelicals). Ginsweiler has never had its own church. The Evangelical Christians now belong to the parish of Odenbach while the Roman Catholics originally belonged to the parish of Reipoltskirchen, but since 1975 have belonged to the parish of Lauterecken.
Politics
Municipal council
The council is made up of 8 council members, who were elected by
majority vote at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
Mayor
Ginsweiler's mayor is Roland Bender.
[
]
Coat of arms
The German blazon reads: ''In gespaltenem Schild rechts zwölffach von Silber und Blau unterteilt, links in Schwarz ein goldener Ginsterzweig.''
The municipality's arms
Arms or ARMS may refer to:
*Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body
Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to:
People
* Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader
Coat of arms or weapons
*Armaments or weapons
**Fi ...
might in English heraldic
Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known bran ...
language be described thus: Per pale barry of twelve argent and azure and sable a broom twig slipped palewise Or.
The barry pattern on the dexter (armsbearer's right, viewer's left) side is drawn from the arms once borne by the Lords of Boxberg, who had holdings in Ginsweiler during the Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, and the tincture
A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...
s come from those once borne by the Counts of Veldenz
The County Palatine of Veldenz was a principality in the contemporary Land Rhineland-Palatinate with full voting rights to the Reichstag. The county was located partially between Kaiserslautern, Sponheim and Zweibrücken, partially on the Mose ...
. The charge
Charge or charged may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* '' Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary
Music
* ''Charge'' (David Ford album)
* ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album)
* ''Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...
on the sinister (armsbearer's left, viewer's right) side, the broom
A broom (also known in some forms as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. I ...
twig, is canting
' (IPA: , VOS Spelling: ''tjanting'', jv, ꦕꦤ꧀ꦛꦶꦁ, Tjanting) is a pen-like tool used to apply liquid hot wax ( jv, ) in the batik-making process in Indonesia, more precisely ''batik tulis'' (lit. "written batik"). Traditional '' ...
for the village's name. “Broom” is ''Ginster'' in German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
. The twig and the field in this half of the arms are also rendered in Rhineland-Palatinate's tinctures.
The arms were designed by Mr. Becker from Malberg, were conferred by the old ''Regierungsbezirk
A ' () means "governmental district" and is a type of administrative division in Germany. Four of sixteen ' ( states of Germany) are split into '. Beneath these are rural and urban districts.
Saxony has ' (directorate districts) with more res ...
'' of Rheinhessen-Pfalz (whose seat was in Neustadt an der Weinstraße) and have been borne since 13 December 1978.
Culture and sightseeing
Buildings
The following are listed buildings or sites in Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...
’s Directory of Cultural Monuments:
* Hauptstraße 35 – one-floor ''Quereinhaus'' (a combination residential and commercial house divided for these two purposes down the middle, perpendicularly to the street) with knee wall
A knee wall is a short wall, typically under three feet (one metre) in height, used to support the rafters in timber roof construction. In his book ''A Visual Dictionary of Architecture'', Francis D. K. Ching defines a knee wall as "a short wall ...
, marked 1830
* At Naumburger Hof 3a – spolia
''Spolia'' (Latin: 'spoils') is repurposed building stone for new construction or decorative sculpture reused in new monuments. It is the result of an ancient and widespread practice whereby stone that has been quarried, cut and used in a built ...
, block from a Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
tomb
Regular events
The kermis
Kermesse, or kermis, or kirmess, is a Dutch language term derived from 'kerk' (church) and 'mis' (mass) that became borrowed in English, French, Spanish and many other languages, originally denoting the mass said on the anniversary of the foundati ...
(church consecration festival) is held on the last weekend in June, while a ''Nachkerb'' (“Afterkermis”) was held until a few years ago on the last weekend in September. Now, though, a Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
market has been introduced instead, held on the second Sunday in Advent. Other old customs have hardly been preserved.
Clubs
The following clubs are active in Ginsweiler:
*''Sportverein-Cronenberg'' — sport club
A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports.
Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...
*''Ortsgruppe des VDK'' — VDK local chapter; advocates for the handicapped, chronically ill, seniors and war victims
*''Landfrauenverein'' — countrywomen's club
*''Feuerwehrförderverein'' — fire brigade
A fire department (American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression se ...
promotional association
*''SPD-Ortsverein'' — SPD
The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany.
Saskia Esken has been t ...
local chapter
*''Theatergruppe'' — theatre troop
*''Vogelschutzgruppe'' — bird conservation group
*''Mutter- und Kindergruppe'' — mother-and-child group
*''Seniorenkreis'' — “seniors’ circle”
*''DRK-Ortsgruppe'' — German Red Cross
The German Red Cross (german: Deutsches Rotes Kreuz ; DRK) is the national Red Cross Society in Germany.
With 4 million members, it is the third largest Red Cross society in the world. The German Red Cross offers a wide range of services withi ...
local chapter
*''Bauern- und Winzerschaft'' — farmers’ and winegrowers’ association
Economy and infrastructure
Economic structure
Originally, the villagers lived almost wholly on agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...
. Besides the customary craft businesses, there were in earlier days three mills. Two were named for their locations on the brook as ''Untermühle'' and ''Obermühle'' (“Lower Mill” and “Upper Mill”). The Lower Mill was mentioned as early as 1570, and it was running until 1979. The Upper Mill was foremost an oilmill. It was built in the mid 18th century and was shut down for good in 1954. For a shorter time, there was a ''Pulvermühle'' (“Powder Mill”), at which saltpetre
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . This alkali metal nitrate salt is also known as Indian saltpetre (large deposits of which were historically mined in India). It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitra ...
was finely ground. This mill was built in the mid 17th century, but was shut down in the early 18th century. Further sources of income in the Ginsweiler area were the sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
quarries, which were shut down after the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
owing to unprofitability. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, travelling musicians (''Wandermusikanten'') from Ginsweiler travelled the world, as they did from many other villages in the region. In the late 19th century, a small circus
A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclis ...
business even had its head office in the village.
Education
Although the number of children was rising, the only school in Ginsweiler was the tiny 18th-century one used by the Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
schoolchildren. The Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
schoolchildren still had to attend the school in Reipoltskirchen, which had separate classrooms for each denomination. Only in 1864 was a school built at which both denominations could be taught. Nevertheless, the problem of denominational schools was not thereby solved, for the Catholic schoolchildren later once again had to go to the school in Reipoltskirchen, and it was demanded that a “parish school” be built in Ginsweiler for all Catholic schoolchildren from the villages of Ginsweiler, Adenbach, Becherbach and Cronenberg. This school, however, was never built. The Ginsweiler schoolhouse was converted in such a way in 1929 that the teachers’ dwellings became a new classroom. What had hitherto been the small Catholic classroom was made into a teaching material room. In a new semi-detached
A semi-detached house (often abbreviated to semi) is a single family duplex dwelling house that shares one common wall with the next house. The name distinguishes this style of house from detached houses, with no shared walls, and terraced hou ...
house, the two teachers’ dwellings were now housed. The dispute over whether there should be two denominational schools or simply one Christian-community school now and then led the Ginsweiler schoolchildren's parents into great controversy, and in the 1920s, even to school strike
Strike may refer to:
People
* Strike (surname)
Physical confrontation or removal
*Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm
*Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...
s. After the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, the denominational school was reintroduced, and it existed until 1967. At the community school that then came into being were at first one classroom for primary school
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
pupils and one for Hauptschule
A ''Hauptschule'' (, "general school") is a secondary school in Germany, starting after four years of elementary schooling (''Grundschule''), which offers Lower Secondary Education (Level 2) according to the International Standard Classification ...
students. Today, the primary school pupils attend the school in Odenbach
Odenbach is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany ...
and the Hauptschule students attend the corresponding school in Lauterecken
Lauterecken () is a town in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Lauterecken-Wolfstein, to which it also belongs. Lauterecken bears the nickname ''Veldenzstadt'', after the comital family ...
. The Ginsweiler schoolhouse was converted into a civic centre in 1982. The nearest Gymnasien are the ones in Lauterecken and Meisenheim
Meisenheim () is a town in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the like-named ''Verbandsgemeinde'', and is also its seat. Meisenheim is a state-recognized recreational resort (''Erholungsort'') and it is s ...
.
Transport
Ginsweiler lies on ''Landesstraße
''Landesstraßen'' (singular: ''Landesstraße'') are roads in Germany and Austria that are, as a rule, the responsibility of the respective German or Austrian federal state. The term may therefore be translated as "state road". They are roads t ...
'' 382 (Odenbach
Odenbach is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany ...
– Kaiserslautern). To the northwest runs ''Bundesstraße
''Bundesstraße'' (German for "federal highway"), abbreviated ''B'', is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.
Germany
Germany's ''Bundesstraßen'' network has a total length of about 40,000 km.
German ''Bundesstraßen'' ...
'' 420. The nearest Autobahn
The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track' ...
interchanges are rather far away (Kaiserslautern 30 km, Kusel
Kusel (; written ''Cusel'' until 1865) is a town in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the Kusel-Altenglan ''Verbandsgemeinde'' and is also the district seat.
The well-known operatic tenor Fritz Wunderlich was ...
35 km, Wörrstadt
Wörrstadt is a town in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Geography
Location
The town lies in Rhenish Hesse on the northwest edge of the Upper Rhine Plain. It is the seat of the like-named ''Verbandsgemeinde''.
Wör ...
45 km).
Ginsweiler lies within the area covered by the VRN. The nearest railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...
is ''Lauterecken
Lauterecken () is a town in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Lauterecken-Wolfstein, to which it also belongs. Lauterecken bears the nickname ''Veldenzstadt'', after the comital family ...
-Grumbach
Grumbach is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany ...
'' on the ''Lautertalbahn
The Lauter Valley Railway (german: Lautertalbahn) is a branch line in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It runs from Kaiserslautern along the Lauter river to Lauterecken. The railway, which was opened in 1883, has only regional importan ...
'', 8 km away, with trains going to Kaiserslautern. Formerly there was also a station in Odenbach only 5 km away. The station is served weekdays by a few buses on route 268. There is also bus route 131, which on working days runs as a direct link from Ginsweiler to Kaiserslautern Central Station
Kaiserslautern Hauptbahnhof is a through- station in the German city of Kaiserslautern and one of seven stations in the city. It is a stop on the Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn and Deutsche Bahn’s Intercity-Express network and a hub for all the regional t ...
.Transport
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Famous people
Sons and daughters of the town
Lotte Mühlborn ''née'' Maurer (b. 1877 in Ginsweiler; d. 1965 in Kaiserslautern) — She came from the “Upper Mill” near Ginsweiler and became known as a folk poet. Married to a schoolteacher, she lived in Altrip
Altrip is a municipality in the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approx. 7 km southeast of Ludwigshafen.
Sister city
Altrip has one sister city:
* Kutztown, Pennsylvania
...
and Hirschhorn, and then in her later years in Kaiserslautern. Her works – poems
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in ...
and narrative
A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether nonfictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travelogue, etc.) or fictional ( fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller, novel, etc. ...
s – appeared in many regional magazines.
Famous people associated with the municipality
Wilhelm Weitzel (b. 1883 in Kleinkarlbach
Kleinkarlbach is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Geography
Location
The municipality is a winegr ...
; d. 1945 in Bad Dürkheim
Bad Dürkheim () is a spa town in the Rhine-Neckar urban agglomeration, and is the seat of the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Geography
Location
Bad Dürkheim lies at the edge of Palatinate Forest on the German Win ...
) — He was from 1908 to 1922 a schoolteacher in Ginsweiler, and was said to be a well-liked schoolmaster. He busied himself outside teaching with microörganisms. He published various scientific works about the results of his research. Together with his wife, a writer, he died in an air raid on Bad Dürkheim late in the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
.
References
External links
Municipality’s official webpage
Ginsweiler in the collective municipality’s webpages
{{Authority control
Municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate
Kusel (district)