Henschtal
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Henschtal is an ''
Ortsgemeinde A Verbandsgemeinde (; plural Verbandsgemeinden) is a low-level administrative division, administrative unit in the Germany, German States of Germany, federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt. A Verbandsgemeinde is typically compose ...
'' – 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. Rhineland- ...
'', a kind of collective municipality – in the
Kusel Kusel (; written ''Cusel'' until 1865) is a town in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the Kusel-Altenglan ''Verbandsgemeinde'' and is also the district seat. The well-kno ...
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 counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
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'' of
Oberes Glantal Oberes Glantal ("upper valley of the Glan") is a ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collective municipality") in the district of Kusel, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' is in Schönenberg-Kübelberg. It was formed on 1 Ja ...
.


Geography


Location

Henschtal lies on both sides of its namesake brook, the Henschbach, formed by two smaller streams called the Steinbach and the Hodenbach, which flows right through Henschtal and thence down to the Glan, meeting it upstream from
Rehweiler Rehweiler 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 ''
Ortsteil A village is a clustered human settlement or Residential community, community, larger than a hamlet (place), hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population t ...
'' of Haschbach lies on the right bank, while the ''Ortsteil'' of Trahweiler, whose centre is roughly 500 m upstream, lies on the left bank. The municipal area measures 345 ha, of which 61 ha is wooded.


Haschbach am Glan

Haschbach lies on the Henschbach's right bank, somewhat downstream from Trahweiler and on the other side. The elevation at the bottom of the valley is roughly 240 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 standardised g ...
. Towards the south, the slope of the Klopfberg climbs steeply to 380 m above sea level. Some of the land on the slope is wooded. Haschbach does not lie right on the Glan. The tag “am Glan” merely serves to distinguish the Henschtal ''Ortsteil'' from the self-administering ''Ortsgemeinde'' of
Haschbach am Remigiusberg Haschbach am Remigiusberg 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'' of Kusel- ...
, which lies in the same district.


Trahweiler

Trahweiler stretches along a road running parallel to the Henschbach and along a side valley of the Henschbach. The valley floor here lies at an elevation of slightly more than 240 m above sea level, and some of the houses on higher ground stand at about 250 m above sea level. Towards the north, the land climbs steeply, reaching an elevation of 478 m above sea level. The land towards the municipal limit with Wahnwegen is wooded. West of Trahweiler, into
Steinbach am Glan Steinbach am Glan ( pfl, Schdääbach) 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 ''Verbandsgemeind ...
’s municipal area, the Hodenbach empties into the Hengsbach. The Hodenbach valley, which along the brook’s northern reaches touches Trahweiler’s (former) municipal area, is held to be a popular recreational area.


Neighbouring municipalities

Henschtal borders in the north on the municipality of Quirnbach, in the east on the municipality of
Glan-Münchweiler Glan-Münchweiler 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'' of Oberes Glanta ...
, in the southeast on the municipality of
Börsborn Börsborn 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'' of Oberes Glantal. The mo ...
, in the southwest on the municipality of
Steinbach am Glan Steinbach am Glan ( pfl, Schdääbach) 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 ''Verbandsgemeind ...
and in the west on the municipality of Wahnwegen.


Constituent communities

Henschtal’s ''
Ortsteil A village is a clustered human settlement or Residential community, community, larger than a hamlet (place), hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population t ...
e'' are Trahweiler, Haschbach am Glan and the
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 ...
of Sangerhof. For the purposes of this article, Trahweiler and Haschbach am Glan will be discussed separately under most headings, while the Sangerhof outlying centre will be grouped with Trahweiler.


Municipality’s layout


Haschbach am Glan

Haschbach was originally a linear village (by some definitions, a “thorpe”). The built-up area mostly runs along ''
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'' ...
'' 423, locally known as Hauptstraße (“Main Street”). Today, other streets branch off Hauptstraße towards the south, into a side valley of the Henschbach. The shapes that the houses take make it quite clear that the village was once mostly characterized by
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 to ...
. The former schoolhouse stands not far from the bridge linking the ''Ortsteil'' of Haschbach with the ''Ortsteil'' of Trahweiler. West of the village lies the graveyard.


Trahweiler

Trahweiler was originally settled along the valley road, which can still be made out today in the simple farmhouses that were built mostly in the 19th century to the general design that characterizes such houses in the Westrich, an historic region that encompasses areas in both Germany and
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. Newer building can be found along this road's extensions and on two sidestreets that branch off towards the north. The graveyard lies west of the village.


History


Antiquity


Haschbach am Glan

Even as far back as
prehistoric times Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
, the broader area around the village was settled by man, bearing witness to which are
archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
finds. A row of barrows runs from within Steinbach am Glan's limits into Haschbach. It is unknown, though, from what time these date. The area was also 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, although there have been no finds to confirm this.


Trahweiler

The area around Trahweiler was settled in both prehistoric times and
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 letter ...
times, bearing witness to which are many barrows in the municipal areas of neighbouring villages and Gallo-Roman finds in the area.


Middle Ages


Haschbach am Glan

From the contiguous Free
Imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texa ...
Domain (''Freies Reichsland'') around
Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
Lautern (
Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...
), kings split certain areas off to give as donations to both ecclesiastical and secular lordships. Great parts of it came into the
Salian dynasty The Salian dynasty or Salic dynasty (german: Salier) was a dynasty in the High Middle Ages. The dynasty provided four kings of Germany (1024–1125), all of whom went on to be crowned Holy Roman emperors (1027–1125). After the death of the la ...
’s ownership. Count Werner I from the Salian noble family endowed
Hornbach Abbey Hornbach Abbey (german: link=yes, Kloster Hornbach) is a former monastery founded around 741 in the historic town of Gamundias (today Hornbach) by Saint Pirmin, which soon became a Benedictine abbey. The most important neighbouring abbeys were B ...
in 737, whose first abbot was
Saint Pirmin Saint Pirmin (latinized ''Pirminius'', born before 700 ( according to many sources), died November 3, 753 in Hornbach), was a Merovingian-era monk and missionary. He founded or restored numerous monasteries in Alemannia (Swabia), especially in ...
. Werner furnished this monastery richly with estates and lands, among which was the Münchweiler Tal (dale), which itself included the Henschbach valley, to which Haschbach belonged. As a
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 Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...
from Hornbach Abbey with
Glan-Münchweiler Glan-Münchweiler 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'' of Oberes Glanta ...
as its hub, all villages in this valley first passed to the Raugraves in 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 ...
, and thereafter to the
Archbishop of Trier The Diocese of Trier, in English historically also known as ''Treves'' (IPA "tɾivz") from French ''Trèves'', is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic church in Germany.cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words in different languages that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymology, etymological ancestor in a proto-language, common parent language. Because language c ...
with
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
''wisdom'' – was a legal pronouncement issued by men learned in law in 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 a ...
and early modern times), which was handed down about 1330 and written in both
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 ...
and
Middle High German Middle High German (MHG; german: Mittelhochdeutsch (Mhd.)) is the term for the form of German spoken in the High Middle Ages. It is conventionally dated between 1050 and 1350, developing from Old High German and into Early New High German. High ...
, that the Raugraves’ representative (a bailiff or a beadle) was entitled to, among other things, a piece of land in ''Hagenspach''. In Latin, the text reads: "" The Middle High German text reads: "" Then, in the 1456 Glan-Münchweiler ''Weistum'', it says: "" Also appearing in this ''Weistum'' as a witness is someone named “Clais von Frynswillr”, who is also named in another Glan-Münchweiler ''Weistum'' from 1461 as “Claz von Frinßwiller”. Whoever he was, he was apparently from Frenzweiler, as indicated by his name, a village that has long since vanished, but which likely lay within what are now Henschtal's limits. Furthermore, a man named Konrad von Vrodenswilre – another reference to the same village – had appeared in 1313 in the Mauchenheim
cartulary A cartulary or chartulary (; Latin: ''cartularium'' or ''chartularium''), also called ''pancarta'' or ''codex diplomaticus'', is a medieval manuscript volume or roll (''rotulus'') containing transcriptions of original documents relating to the fo ...
. It is likely that the Lords of Frenzweiler were distinguished members of the lower nobility. With Georg I's marriage to Eva von Mauchenheim in 1456, the
House of Leyen The House von der Leyen und zu Hohengeroldseck is an ancient German noble family of princely and historically sovereign rank. As a former ruling and mediatized family, it belongs to the Hochadel (high nobility). History The origin can be t ...
came into ownership of the Bliesgau, and by inheritance in 1486 that family also came to own a share in the
castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
at
Blieskastel Blieskastel () is a city in the Saarpfalz (Saar-Palatinate) district, in Saarland, Germany which is divided into villages. It is situated on the river Blies, approximately southwest of Homburg (Saar), west of Zweibrücken, and east of Saarbrüc ...
. At the same time, Abbot Ulrich of Hornbach Abbey granted Jörge von der Leyen, a ''
Burgmann From the 12th century in central Europe, a ''Burgmann'' (plural: ''Burgmannen'' or modern term ''Burgmänner'', Latin: ''oppidanus'', ''castrensus'') was a knight ministeriales or member of the nobility who was obliged to guard and defend castles. ...
'' from Castle Lautern, the Münchweiler Tal. The Lords of Leyen had their roots in the
lower Moselle The Lower Moselle (german: Untermosel or ''Terrassenmosel'') is the name given to the lower reaches of the Moselle river - just under 100 kilometres long - in Germany between Pünderich and the Moselle's confluence with the Rhine at Koblenz. ...
area and kept their seat as early as the
High Middle Ages The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended ...
at their castle near
Gondorf Gondorf is a municipality in the district of Bitburg-Prüm, 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 ha ...
on the Moselle. They stood mostly in the service of the Archbishops of Trier, and indeed in 1556, Johann von der Leyen-Saffig was chosen to be the Archbishop of Trier. Besides the House of Leyen, until 1533, the Leyens’ kin, the Mauchenheims were also enfeoffed in turn with parts of the Abbey's holdings in the Münchweiler Tal.


Trahweiler

Trahweiler might have arisen in the 12th century, but an earlier founding cannot be ruled out. It is certain that the village lay within the so-called Remigiusland, which defined its later history. The oldest document that had been preserved from 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 a ...
, from 1446, was lost to the ravages of war. Another document from 1458, a book of accounts of payments by subjects owed the lords, says that Trahweiler was liable to the Remigiusberg Monastery in such matters, and listed the payments in money and in kind owed by not only ''Tragewillr'' but also Quirnbach and Frutzweiler. Trahweiler was included in the founding of the
County of Veldenz The County of Veldenz was a principality in the contemporary Land Rhineland-Palatinate. The county was located partially between Kaiserslautern, Sponheim and Zweibrücken, partially on the Mosel in the Archbishopric of Trier. A municipality of ...
under Count Gerlach I in 1112. 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. Even before Trahweiler's first documentary mention, the now vanished village of Frensweiler was being mentioned in documents. The documentary mentions of Conrad von Vrodenswilre and Clais von Frynswilr, both named after the former village, are discussed above.


Modern times


Haschbach am Glan

Until 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 November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
, the lordly structure did not change again. Like all villages in the area, Haschbach, too, was stricken with the hardships and horrors of the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
and the
Plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...
. By the 1648 end of that war, only a few people survived in the area. Newcomers settled, though, as in the neighbouring village of Trahweiler, there may have been no more than five families living in Haschbach, even into the 18th century. A few years after the Thirty Years' War, the Family von der Leyen began to expand their holdings on the rivers
Blies The Blies () is a right tributary of the Saar in southwestern Germany (Saarland) and northeastern France (Moselle). The Blies flows from three springs in the Hunsrück near Selbach, Germany. It is roughly 100 km long, ending in the French c ...
,
Saar Saar or SAAR has several meanings: People Given name *Saar Boubacar (born 1951), Senegalese professional football player * Saar Ganor, Israeli archaeologist *Saar Klein (born 1967), American film editor Surname * Ain Saar (born 1968), Est ...
and Glan. The villages of the Münchweiler Tal within these scattered holdings were gathered together administratively into an '' Unteramt'' of the lordship as a whole. Only in 1773 did the comital couple Franz Karl von der Leyen and
Marianne Marianne () has been the national personification of the French Republic since the French Revolution, as a personification of liberty, equality, fraternity and reason, as well as a portrayal of the Goddess of Liberty. Marianne is displayed i ...
, née Dalberg, move the comital residence from
Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
to
Blieskastel Blieskastel () is a city in the Saarpfalz (Saar-Palatinate) district, in Saarland, Germany which is divided into villages. It is situated on the river Blies, approximately southwest of Homburg (Saar), west of Zweibrücken, and east of Saarbrüc ...
. After Count Franz Karl's death in 1775, his beloved, and now
widow A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has Death, died. Terminology The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed ''widowhood''. An archaic term for a widow is "relict," literally "someone left over". This word ...
ed, wife Marianne took on the regency for their underage son,
Philip Francis, Prince of Leyen Philipp Franz Wilhelm Ignaz Peter, Fürst von der Leyen und zu Hohengeroldseck (1 August 1766 – 23 November 1829) was a German nobleman who briefly ruled the Principality of Leyen. Early life He was born at Koblenz, the son of Franz Georg Karl ...
.


Trahweiler

Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken Count Palatine Wolfgang of Zweibrücken (german: Pfalzgraf Wolfgang von Zweibrücken; 26 September 1526 – 11 June 1569) was member of the Wittelsbach family of the Counts Palatine and Duke of Zweibrücken from 1532. With the support of his re ...
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 ...
according to
Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...
into his county in 1537, and in 1588,
John I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken John I of Zweibrücken (known as the Lame; german: Pfalzgraf Johann I von Zweibrücken; 8 May 1550 – 12 August 1604) was Count Palatine and Duke of Zweibrücken during 1569–1604. He was born in Meisenheim as the second son of Wolfgang, Co ...
forced his subjects to
convert Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series * "The Conversion" ...
to the
Reformed Reform is beneficial change Reform may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine *''Reforme'' ("Reforms"), initial name of the ...
faith according to
John Calvin John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...
(
Calvinism 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 Cal ...
). In 1609, according to the ecclesiastical visitation protocol of
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 ''Verb ...
, 50 persons in 10 families lived in Trahweiler. During the 17th century, the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
and
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
King Louis XIV's wars of conquest claimed many victims, and for a time, the village was almost empty of people. Newcomers raised the population figures back up, and beginning in the 18th century, there were once more people migrating out of the village.


Recent times


=Haschbach am Glan

= Countess Marianne von der Leyen managed to flee during 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 ...
of Blieskastel by French Revolutionary troops, escaping with subjects’ help first to Koblenz and then later to
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
. Under Emperor
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 ...
’s rule, the Family von der Leyen were allowed to have their personal holdings back. Haschbach belonged during the time of
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
rule to the
Department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
of Sarre, the ''Mairie'' (“Mayoralty”) of Quirnbach, the
Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ent ...
of Kusel and 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 Birkenfeld. Thus, the village belonged for the first time to the same administrative unit as the neighbouring village of Trahbach. In 1814, the French were driven out, and after a transitional period, the ''Baierischer Rheinkreis'' (Bavarian Rhine District) was founded, which was later called the ''Rheinpfalz'' (Rhenish Palatinate). By any name, though, it was the territory on the
Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...
that 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 ...
awarded 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 E ...
. The union of Haschbach and Trahweiler that had arisen in French times was once again put asunder. While Trahweiler remained in the ''Bürgermeisterei'' (“Mayoralty”) of Quirnbach and in the ''Landkommissariat'' (District) of Kusel, Haschbach now belonged to the ''Bürgermeisterei'' of Glan-Münchweiler in the Canton of Waldmohr and the ''Landkommissariat'' of Homburg. When Homburg was assigned to the autonomous
Saar Saar or SAAR has several meanings: People Given name *Saar Boubacar (born 1951), Senegalese professional football player * Saar Ganor, Israeli archaeologist *Saar Klein (born 1967), American film editor Surname * Ain Saar (born 1968), Est ...
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 ...
, the Canton of Waldmohr remained with Bavaria (albeit the Free State of Bavaria and not the Kingdom, for
the last king ''The Last King'' ( no, Birkebeinerne) is a 2016 Norwegian historical drama, directed by Nils Gaup. The story, inspired by true events, centers on the efforts of the Birkebeiner loyalists to protect the infant, Haakon Haakonsson, the heir to t ...
had
abdicated Abdication is the act of formally relinquishing monarchical authority. Abdications have played various roles in the succession procedures of monarchies. While some cultures have viewed abdication as an extreme abandonment of duty, in other societ ...
along with the Kaiser) and was grouped into the ''Bezirksamt'' (District) of Kusel. In the process,
Waldmohr Waldmohr is a town in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Oberes Glantal. Geography Location The municipality lies at the western end of the Landstuhl Marsh (a depression), right at the st ...
got an outlying branch of the administration for the places that had been newly grouped into the ''Bezirksamt''; it lasted until 1940. Haschbach thereby belonged permanently to the
Kusel Kusel (; written ''Cusel'' until 1865) is a town in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the Kusel-Altenglan ''Verbandsgemeinde'' and is also the district seat. The well-kno ...
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 counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
, and still to the ''Bürgermeisterei'' of Glan-Münchweiler. In the course of administrative restructuring 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 ...
in 1968,
Glan-Münchweiler Glan-Münchweiler 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'' of Oberes Glanta ...
became the seat of 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. Rhineland- ...
'', to which the villages of Haschbach and Trahweiler both belonged. These two villages were united in 1970 into the ''
Ortsgemeinde A Verbandsgemeinde (; plural Verbandsgemeinden) is a low-level administrative division, administrative unit in the Germany, German States of Germany, federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt. A Verbandsgemeinde is typically compose ...
'' of Henschtal. Since 1972, it has belonged to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Glan-Münchweiler.


=Trahweiler

= When 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 temporarily belonged to
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, Trahweiler belonged to the ''Mairie'' (“Mayoralty”) of Quirnbach, the
Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ent ...
of Kusel, 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 Birkenfeld and the
Department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
of Sarre, whose seat was at
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 ...
. In the Bavarian time that followed Napoleon's defeat, beginning in 1817, the village belonged to the ''Bürgermeisterei'' of Quirnbach in the Canton of Kusel, with
Kusel Kusel (; written ''Cusel'' until 1865) is a town in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the Kusel-Altenglan ''Verbandsgemeinde'' and is also the district seat. The well-kno ...
also being the ''Landkommissariat'' seat. In the 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 politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...
(NSDAP) was quite popular in Trahweiler. In the 1933 Reichstag elections, 51.3% 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. Hitler’s success in these elections paved the way for his
Enabling Act of 1933 The Enabling Act (German: ') of 1933, officially titled ' (), was a law that gave the German Cabinet – most importantly, the Chancellor – the powers to make and enforce laws without the involvement of the Reichstag or Weimar Presi ...
(''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.


=Henschtal

= The current municipality came into being on 7 June 1969 with the merger of the municipalities of Haschbach am Glan and Trahweiler. It was named after the Henschbach, the brook that flows through the middle of the municipality (the ''—tal'' ending is
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 **Ger ...
for “dale” or “valley”, while the ''—bach'' ending means “brook”). This marked the boundary between the two former municipalities, Haschbach and Trahweiler, that now form Henschtal.


Population development


Haschbach am Glan

As can still be seen today in the building style of the village's houses, the greater part of the population in the 19th century earned their living at
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 to ...
. This changed in the 20th century as ever more farmers sought work outside the village, either working the land as a secondary occupation or giving farming up altogether. Thus, agriculture today plays a subordinate role, and the village is first and foremost a residential community for people in the most varied of occupations. The following table shows population development over the centuries for Haschbach am Glan, with some figures broken down by religious denomination:


Trahweiler

The following table shows population development over the centuries for Trahweiler, with some figures broken down by religious denomination:


Municipality’s names


Haschbach am Glan

Haschbach is among the many villages with names ending in ''—bach'' (“brook”) that arose at streams at the time when 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, ...
were taking over the land. The derivation of the name Haschbach is otherwise uncertain. The first syllable, ''Hasch—'', or, to use its older form, ''Has—'', according to placename researchers Ernst Christmann and Kaufmann, refers to the
hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The ge ...
(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 **Ger ...
, ''Hase''; or in
Proto-Germanic Proto-Germanic (abbreviated PGmc; also called Common Germanic) is the reconstructed proto-language of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. Proto-Germanic eventually developed from pre-Proto-Germanic into three Germanic branc ...
, ''Haso''). Researchers Dolch and Greule concur, but do not rule out that the syllable might refer to ''Hasa'', a name for a body of water. Over the ages, Haschbach has borne the following names: ''Haschbach'' (1330), ''Haspach'' (1456 and 1460), ''Haßbach'' (1587), ''Aschbach'' (1797) and ''Hasbach'' (1824). According to a village chronicle, the name was written ''Haspach'' in 1589 and ''Aspach'' in 1712, even though other places spelt their names ''—bach'', with a B.


Trahweiler

The village's name, Trahweiler, has the common
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 **Ger ...
placename ending ''—weiler'', which as a standalone word means “
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 ...
” (originally “homestead”), to which is prefixed a syllable that goes back to a man's name, either “Trago” or “Drago”. According to this derivation, Trahweiler arose from “Trago’s (or Drago’s) Homestead”. The name first appeared in documents still preserved today in the form ''Tragewylre'' in 1446. Over the ages, Trahweiler has borne the following names, among others: ''Tragewillr'' (1458 and 1460), ''Trawiler'' (1480) and Trahweiler, (1824).


Henschtal

The modern name for the merged municipality was coined in 1969. The name is drawn from the one borne by the brook that flows through the municipality, the Henschbach. The ending ''—bach'' (“brook”) was simply dropped and replaced with ''—tal'' (“dale” or “valley”). The first syllable, ''Hensch—'', derives from the German ''Hengst'' (“stallion”; compare the development of the
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
word ''henchman''), and indeed for a while, the brook was called the ''Hengstbach''. Henschtal, therefore, is, according to its name, the place in the valley of the Hengstbach/Henschbach.


Vanished villages

A village named Frenzweiler lay outside the Remigiusland in the Münchweiler Tal, possibly within Haschbach's former limits (before the amalgamation), but then again, perhaps within
Steinbach am Glan Steinbach am Glan ( pfl, Schdääbach) 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 ''Verbandsgemeind ...
’s limits. In 1313, this village had its first documentary mention as ''Vrodenswilre'' and was later also named in other documents: ''Flinßwilr'' (1419), ''Frinswiller'' (1461), ''Frentzwiler'' (1477). The last named mention was a register of the incoming accounts of Schloss Lichtenberg, in which Frenzweiler’s name appears. Hence, the village was still populated at that time. This, however, was not so by 1541. In the 1541 ''Kuseler Grenzscheidweistum'' (a ''Weistum'' describing boundaries), the reader notes “At the inflow of the Hodenbach … lies in
House of Leyen The House von der Leyen und zu Hohengeroldseck is an ancient German noble family of princely and historically sovereign rank. As a former ruling and mediatized family, it belongs to the Hochadel (high nobility). History The origin can be t ...
lands the ghost village of Freisweiler, from which the ''Scheideflössgen'' (border stream) took the name ''Freisweiler Flössgen''”. Hence, the village must have been forsaken sometime between 1477 and 1541. Along with the ending ''—weiler'' (see ''Trahweiler'' above), the name Frenzweiler has a prefix that refers to a
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 ...
personal name, ''Fruodin'' or ''Frudin''. Frensweiler was therefore originally “Fruodin’s Homestead”.


Religion


Haschbach am Glan

Haschbach belonged 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 ...
to the Glan-Münchweiler church, which was consecrated by
Saint Pirmin Saint Pirmin (latinized ''Pirminius'', born before 700 ( according to many sources), died November 3, 753 in Hornbach), was a Merovingian-era monk and missionary. He founded or restored numerous monasteries in Alemannia (Swabia), especially in ...
and ministered to all churches in the Münchweiler valley. As early as 1537,
Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken Count Palatine Wolfgang of Zweibrücken (german: Pfalzgraf Wolfgang von Zweibrücken; 26 September 1526 – 11 June 1569) was member of the Wittelsbach family of the Counts Palatine and Duke of Zweibrücken from 1532. With the support of his re ...
adopted 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 ...
and all his subjects (including Haschbach and the dwellers of the Münchweiler valley), had to adopt
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
beliefs. In 1588, when
John I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken John I of Zweibrücken (known as the Lame; german: Pfalzgraf Johann I von Zweibrücken; 8 May 1550 – 12 August 1604) was Count Palatine and Duke of Zweibrücken during 1569–1604. He was born in Meisenheim as the second son of Wolfgang, Co ...
, commanded all his subjects to convert to
Calvinism 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 Cal ...
, the Counts of Leyen resisted this order within their lordly domain. The valley's
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'' (Χρι ...
kept their Lutheran faith, but were subject to an ecclesiastical administration that was directed from Zweibrücken. After the 1648 conclusion of the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
, the law conferred
religious freedom Freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. It also includes the freedom ...
, and indeed, among the newcomers to Haschbach were a few
Catholics 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 ...
. In the 19th century, a few inhabitants of the
Jewish faith Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the M ...
were noted in the village. On the whole, though, the population even today remains overwhelmingly
Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
.
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'' (Χρι ...
of both denominations attend church in
Glan-Münchweiler Glan-Münchweiler 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'' of Oberes Glanta ...
.


Politics


Municipal council

The council is made up of 8 council members, who were elected by
majority vote A majority, also called a simple majority or absolute majority to distinguish it from related terms, is more than half of the total.Dictionary definitions of ''majority'' aMerriam-Websterarms 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 branc ...
language be described thus: A fess wavy abased argent between sable a roadbridge with a railing and six piers couped in fess embowed reversed Or, and azure. The arms for the newly amalgamated municipality were created in 1970. 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 azure and argent (blue and silver) are a reference to Haschbach's former allegiance to the
House of Leyen The House von der Leyen und zu Hohengeroldseck is an ancient German noble family of princely and historically sovereign rank. As a former ruling and mediatized family, it belongs to the Hochadel (high nobility). History The origin can be t ...
, and the wavy fess is also a reference to the brook that runs through the municipality, the Henschbach. The tinctures sable and Or (black and gold) are a reference to the Duchy of Palatinate-Zweibrücken. 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 Aqua ...
above the wavy fess is the big
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'. ...
bridge that crosses the Henschbach valley between Quirnbach and Henschtal. The arms go back to a design by Willi Nierhaus, and have been borne since 1972 when they were approved by the now defunct
Rheinhessen-Pfalz Rheinhessen-Pfalz (rarely anglicized as "Rhine-Hesse-Palatinate") was one of the three ''Regierungsbezirke'' of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, located in the south of the state. It was created in 1968 out of ''Regierungsbezirke'' Rheinhessen and ...
''
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 ...
'' administration in
Neustadt an der Weinstraße Neustadt an der Weinstraße (, formerly known as ; lb, Neustadt op der Wäistrooss ; pfl, Naischdadt) is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With 53,300 inhabitants , it is the largest town called ''Neustadt''. Geography Location T ...
.


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:


Haschbach am Glan

* Hauptstraße 26 – former
school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...
;
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) ...
-framed plastered building and barn, 1876, architect Johann Schmeisser,
Kusel Kusel (; written ''Cusel'' until 1865) is a town in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the Kusel-Altenglan ''Verbandsgemeinde'' and is also the district seat. The well-kno ...
* Hauptstraße 27 – one-floor ''Quereinhaus'' (a combination residential and commercial house divided for these two purposes down the middle, perpendicularly to the street), 1855/1856


Trahweiler

* Sangerhof 4 – sandstone-framed ''Quereinhaus'', 1876


Regular events

Both ''Ortsteile'' together hold their
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 foundat ...
(church consecration festival) on the second weekend in October. It was done in this way even before the amalgamation. On 1 May, the Maypole is decorated. Henschtal is among those places that still observe the peculiar Western Palatine custom known as the ''Pfingstquack'', observed at
Whitsun Whitsun (also Whitsunday or Whit Sunday) is the name used in Britain, and other countries among Anglicans and Methodists, for the Christian High Holy Day of Pentecost. It is the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the Ho ...
(''Pfingsten'' 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 **Ger ...
); the ''—quack'' part of the custom’s name refers to a rhyme that the children recite as they go door to door begging for money with their
gorse ''Ulex'' (commonly known as gorse, furze, or whin) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The genus comprises about 20 species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are n ...
-decked wagon. The rhyme generally begins with the line “Quack, Quack, Quack”.


Clubs

The following clubs are active in Henschtal: *''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 *''Gesangverein'' — singing club *''Imkerverein'' —
beekeeper A beekeeper is a person who keeps honey bees. Beekeepers are also called honey farmers, apiarists, or less commonly, apiculturists (both from the Latin '' apis'', bee; cf. apiary). The term beekeeper refers to a person who keeps honey bees i ...
s’ club *''Jugendfeuerwehr'' — youth fire brigade *''Landfrauenverein'' — countrywomen’s club *''Motorsportverein'' —
motorsport Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...
club *''Pensionärsverein'' — pensioners’ club *''Schützenverein'' —
shooting Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missiles can ...
club *''Seniorenverein'' — seniors’ club *''SPD-Ortsverein'' —
Social Democratic Party of Germany 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 the ...
local chapter *''Spielmannszug'' — marching band *''VdK-Ortsverein'' — local chapter of an advocacy group representing people with handicaps, the elderly, veterans, etc.


Economy and infrastructure


Economic structure


Haschbach am Glan

Even in an economic sense, Haschbach and Trahweiler today form a unit. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, ever more workers were having to seek livelihoods outside the village. Projections for
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
are expected to expand in the future. Haschbach is otherwise, first and foremost, a residential community.


Trahweiler

Besides farmers, craftsmen lived in the village, and beginning in the early 20th century, also miners, factory workers, company employees and officials. Fields of endeavour outside
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 to ...
kept on earning greater importance. Today, the village itself offers little in the way of earning opportunities. Even business life in the two formerly separate villages is now unified. It is hoped that opportunities in tourism can be broadened in the coming years.


Education


Haschbach am Glan

About schooling in the Münchweiler Tal at the time of the Counts of
Leyen The House von der Leyen und zu Hohengeroldseck is an ancient German noble family of princely and historically sovereign rank. As a former ruling and mediatized family, it belongs to the Hochadel (high nobility). History The origin can be t ...
hardly anything is known. What is certain is that at that time, there was no collaboration in education with the neighbouring village of Trahweiler. Only after the
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 ...
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 E ...
after 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 ...
did the government put forth efforts, right from the beginning, to build a school for both the villages on each side of the Henschbach. In 1822, the district government in
Speyer Speyer (, older spelling ''Speier'', French: ''Spire,'' historical English: ''Spires''; pfl, Schbaija) is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the river Rhine, Speyer li ...
wrote: “Even though the two places are separated by the brook, in two ''Landkommissariate'' and two cantons, this hinders the common school cooperative in no way, and Trahweiler gets the same advantage from the separation from Quirnbach as Haschbach does from the separation from Münchweiler.” The inhabitants of Trahweiler did not share this opinion, because they had already paid in advance to have a school built in Quirnbach, and moreover, they refused to join a school cooperative. The upshot was that Haschbach ended up building its own schoolhouse in 1828 in the village itself. When the government in Speyer nonetheless tried to force the formation of such a body in 1829, Trahweiler once more raised an objection, saying that it wished to build its own schoolhouse. Once again, the government would not allow it and wrote: “The municipality of Trahweiler is much too small to build its own schoolhouse and remunerate its own schoolteacher.” The ''Landkommissariat'' of Kusel took the same view and in 1832 announced: “The municipality of Trahweiler has at last stepped back from its intention to build its own schoolhouse.” Although a school cooperative was now established, there were once more differences of opinion, this time about who would pay how much in fees for the school. Haschbach council wanted to use the general taxation as a basis for the calculations, whereas Trahweiler council thought it would be fairer to use the number of schoolchildren from each village as the basis (see the table under Trahweiler, below). Haschbach's 1828 schoolhouse soon could not meet the village's demands, and so both municipalities built a new schoolhouse in 1874 with a teacher's dwelling downstairs and a classroom upstairs. The cost of this new school was 20,336 marks and 92 pfennigs, of which Trahweiler bore 12,140 marks and 30 pfennigs and Haschbach 8,196 marks and 62 pfennigs. By 1939, the one classroom was no longer enough to serve the two villages’ needs, and the teacher's dwelling was converted into another classroom. The local school had to be closed in the course of school restructuring in 1970. Since then,
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
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 have been attending school in
Glan-Münchweiler Glan-Münchweiler 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'' of Oberes Glanta ...
. The nearest Gymnasien are in
Kusel Kusel (; written ''Cusel'' until 1865) is a town in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the Kusel-Altenglan ''Verbandsgemeinde'' and is also the district seat. The well-kno ...
and
Landstuhl Landstuhl () is a town in the Kaiserslautern district of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It is the seat of ''Verbandsgemeinde Landstuhl'', a kind of "collective municipality." Landstuhl is situated on the north-west edge of the Palatinate F ...
.
University A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
towns in the greater region are
Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...
,
Saarbrücken Saarbrücken (; french: link=no, Sarrebruck ; Rhine Franconian: ''Saarbrigge'' ; lb, Saarbrécken ; lat, Saravipons, lit=The Bridge(s) across the Saar river) is the capital and largest city of the state of Saarland, Germany. Saarbrücken is S ...
,
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 ...
and
Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...
.


Trahweiler

Preparations to build a school in the early 17th century could not be brought to fruition mainly because of the frightful events of the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
, and newer records about schooling in Trahweiler only show up in historical records from the 18th century (the Thirty Years' War ended in 1648). These records say that at that time, many children did not go to school because they were expected to work in the fields. Obviously there was no school in the village itself, and those that did go to school went to Quirnbach. In Bavarian times, beginning in 1816, the Royal Government called for the establishment of a common school for Trahweiler and Haschbach. The Haschbach am Glan section above deals with the disagreements arising from this. Haschbach council tried to accommodate its neighbouring village by offering to let it pay only a third of the cost even though it had a greater population, and the fee for each schoolchild would only be one
guilder Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch and German ''gulden'', originally shortened from Middle High German ''guldin pfenninc'' "gold penny". This was the term that became current in the southern and western parts of the Holy Roman Empir ...
each year, whereas the school in Quirnbach, where Trahweiler's schoolchildren had been attending classes, demanded 32 ''Batzen'' – almost two guilders – each year. In 1828, a schoolhouse was built across the brook in Haschbach, but owing to the ongoing failure to come to an agreement with its neighbouring village over cost sharing, and to the failure to establish a school cooperative, Trahweiler's schoolchildren were not afforded the opportunity to attend school just across the brook, and still had to go to school in Quirnbach. As outlined in the above section, an initiative that would have seen Trahweiler build its own school fell through. Then there was the argument over who should pay more or less towards a common school. Trahweiler held that payment should be based on the number of schoolchildren attending school from each village. Often, though, numbers were roughly equal: From the time that the new, common school for both villages was built in 1874, Trahweiler's school history is the same as Haschbach am Glan's.


Transport

Running through the municipality is ''
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'' ...
'' 423, which runs through the ''
Ortsteil A village is a clustered human settlement or Residential community, community, larger than a hamlet (place), hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population t ...
'' of Haschbach parallel to the Henschbach on its right bank, leading from
Altenglan Altenglan 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'' of Kusel-Altenglan. Alten ...
by way of
Glan-Münchweiler Glan-Münchweiler 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'' of Oberes Glanta ...
and Homburg and onwards to the
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
border. A ''
Kreisstraße A Kreisstraße (literally: "district road" or "county road") is a class of road in Germany. It carries traffic between the towns and villages within a '' Kreis'' or district or between two neighbouring districts. In importance, the ''Kreisstraße ...
'' links Haschbach by way of Trahweiler and the Sangerhof with Wahnwegen. To the northeast lies an interchange on the
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'. ...
A 62 (
Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...
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 ...
), some 5 km away near Glan-Münchweiler. The nearest station is Glan-Münchweiler station, some 3 km away, which is on the Landstuhl–Kusel railway and is served hourly by Regionalbahn service RB 67 between
Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...
and
Kusel Kusel (; written ''Cusel'' until 1865) is a town in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the Kusel-Altenglan ''Verbandsgemeinde'' and is also the district seat. The well-kno ...
, called the ''Glantalbahn'' (the name of which refers to the
Glan Valley Railway The Glan Valley Railway (german: Glantalbahn) is a non-electrified line along the Glan river, in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It consists of the Glan-Münchweiler–Altenglan section, which was built as part of the Landstuhl–Kuse ...
, which shared some of the route of the Landstuhl–Kusel line, including the former junction at Glan-Münchweiler). Trains serve the station hourly throughout the day.Transport in Trahweiler
/ref>


References


External links


Municipality’s official webpage
{{Authority control Municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate Kusel (district)