Nerzweiler 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
Nerzweiler is nestled in the ''Eßweiler Tal'' (dale) 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 ...
between
Hinzweiler and
Offenbach-Hundheim
Offenbach-Hundheim 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-Wol ...
at an elevation of roughly 190 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 ...
. The elevations on either side of the dale reach heights of some 300 m above sea level (Auf der Platte 310 m, Stiehlberg 280 m). The municipal area measures 213 ha, of which roughly 10 ha is settled.
Neighbouring municipalities
Nerzweiler borders in the north on the municipality of
Offenbach-Hundheim
Offenbach-Hundheim 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-Wol ...
, in the east on the municipality of
Aschbach, in the south on the municipality of
Hinzweiler and in the west on the municipality of
Glanbrücken.
Municipality’s layout
Nerzweiler is a loosely settled clump village on the road running through the ''Eßweiler Tal'' (''
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 ...
'' 372). In the village core, the village's sidestreets cross the main street, and also here, settlement is a bit heavier. The graveyard lies to the northwest, outside the village.
History
Antiquity
Given the many
prehistoric archaeological finds in the broader Nerzweiler area, it can be assumed that the area right around what is now Nerzweiler was likewise inhabited by people during the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...
and the
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...
, and perhaps even as early as the
New Stone Age
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
. There were people here during
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 ...
times, too. In state scrivener and geometer Johannes Hofmann's 1595 description of the ''Eßweiler Tal'', he wrote: “Likewise one also finds a walled sign near
''Hintzweiler'' and Nerzweiler in the fields down below at the ''Gutleuthaus'' (literally “good people’s house”, but actually a house for
lepers
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve dama ...
) on the road. There, too, such stones, coins and quite solid pieces of
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
, like one fashioned into a table, have been found in the earth.” Obviously, he was writing about finds from Roman times, such as many that were found throughout the dale. The
Hachenbach chronicler, Ludwig Mahler, also speaks of Roman finds from the area between Nerzweiler and
Aschbach. According to him, the foundations of a Roman bath with six rooms were unearthed in 1827.
Middle Ages
To a great extent, Nerzweiler shares the same history as all the villages in the ''Eßweiler Tal'', which in many respects, form a unit. Besides Nerzweiler itself, these villages were originally
Hundheim (Neuenglan),
Hachenbach,
Hinzweiler,
Aschbach,
Horschbach,
Oberweiler im Tal,
Elzweiler,
Eßweiler and the now vanished villages of Letzweiler, Niederaschbach, Nörweiler, Mittelhofen, Zeizelbach, Füllhof, Neideck and Lanzweiler. According to historians’ assumptions, these villages lay in the Free
Imperial Domain (''Reichsland'') around the king's
castle in Lautern (
Kaiserslautern), and sometime before the 9th century, they were given over into
Prüm Abbey
Prüm Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey in Prüm, now in the diocese of Trier (Germany), founded by the Frankish widow Bertrada the elder and her son Charibert, Count of Laon, in 721. The first abbot was Angloardus.
The Abbey ruled over a va ...
’s ownership. This area’s ecclesiastical hub was at first the ancient church at Hirsau, the ''Hirsauer Kirche'' near Hundheim. The village of Hundheim then still bore the name ''Glena'' or ''Glan'', perhaps even ''Neuenglan'' (''Niuwen Glena''), contrasting with
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 ...
(''Gleni'') – ''neu'' and ''alt'' are
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 ...
for “new” and “old” respectively. This ''Glena'' became seat of a ''Hund''. Despite this word's modern German meaning (“dog”), this was a secular administrator for 14
feudal lords who held the right to share the
tithe
A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more ...
s from the whole dale among themselves. The lords in question were the ''Junker'' Mühlenstein von Grumbach as the Rhinegraves’
vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...
, the
County Palatine of Zweibrücken, Offenbach Abbey, Remigiusberg Abbey,
Tholey Abbey
Tholey Abbey (german: Abtei Tholey) in Tholey, in the district of Sankt Wendel in Saarland, is a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Maurice. It is part of the Beuronese Congregation within the Benedictine Confederation.
History
As early a ...
, Enkenbach Abbey, the
Knights Hospitaller
The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...
commandry
In the Middle Ages, a commandery (rarely commandry) was the smallest administrative division of the European landed properties of a military order. It was also the name of the house where the knights of the commandery lived.Anthony Luttrell and G ...
at Sulzbach, the Church of
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 ...
, the Church 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 ...
, the Church of Hinzweiler (formerly Hirsau), the ''Stangenjunker'' of Lauterecken, the House of Blick von Lichtenberg, the Lords of Mauchenheim and the Lords of Mickelheim. Obviously, each fiefholder held a different administrative seat. The
Waldgrave
The noble family of the Waldgraves or Wildgraves (Latin: ''comites silvestres'') descended of a division of the House of the Counts of Nahegau in the year 1113.
When the (a countship named after the river Nahe) split into two parts in 1113 ...
s and Rhinegraves, as holders of
high jurisdiction, resided above the Lords of Mühlenstein (later Cratz von Scharfenstein) near the ''Hirsauer Kirche'' and at the Springeburg (or Sprengelburg; the ruin still stands today between Eßweiler and
Oberweiler im Tal). The
Counts of Veldenz, as feudal lords over the dale's “poor people” (as of 1444, this was instead the Counts Palatine of Zweibrücken) chose as their seat the village of Nerzweiler, which between 1350 and 1451 was always named in documents as the seat of the Nerzweiler ''
Amt''. Michael Frey claims in his description of the
Bavarian Rhine District (bayerischer Rheinkreis) that the Counts of Veldenz had already been enfeoffed with the ''Amt'' of Nerzweiler by 1130, and thus right after the county had been founded. Frey, however, does not name a source, and his claim is thus unproven. According to a 1350 document, in which Nerzweiler had its first documentary mention, a lesser nobleman Endris genannt (“called”) Müller von Grumbach made it clear that Count Heinrich II of Veldenz had hired him as ''
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. ...
'' for his Castle Lauterecken. Endris, however, could not actually live at the castle owing to a lack of room. Hence, he could only even show up at the castle whenever he was issued a special invitation. He was accorded remuneration of six pounds in
Heller each year, which he had to claim yearly at the ''
Amtmann
__NOTOC__
The ''Amtmann'' or ''Ammann'' (in Switzerland) was an official in German-speaking countries of Europe and in some of the Nordic countries from the time of the Middle Ages whose office was akin to that of a bailiff. He was the most seni ...
’s'' office at ''Nertzwilre''. In a 1377 document, a man called Henne Weber is named – or Hans – who worked at the weaver’s craft (indeed, his surname is German for “weaver”). This Henne Weber from ''Nertzwilre'' was one of 40 bondsmen for Gerhard von Lauterecken, his wife Gertrud and Henne Heinzmann’s sons. Gerhard von Lauterecken had pledged allegiance to Count Heinrich II of Veldenz and declared himself ready to pay one thousand Mainz ''Gulden'' should he fail to keep his word. In five further documents from Count of Veldenz Friedrich III’s time, the issuers make reference to the state of affairs between the
County of Veldenz and
Electoral Palatinate
The Electoral Palatinate (german: Kurpfalz) or the Palatinate (), officially the Electorate of the Palatinate (), was a state that was part of the Holy Roman Empire. The electorate had its origins under the rulership of the Counts Palatine of ...
. Specifically, a significant part of the County of Veldenz was made up of Electoral Palatinate
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; that is to say, these areas originally belonged to the Electors Palatine, but they enfeoffed the Counts of Veldenz with these holdings, to be kept as hereditary holdings. The fiefs in question were the town of
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 ...
, the Michelsburg (
castle) on the Remigiusberg, Castle Pettersheim, the whole ''Remigiusland'' and also the ''
Ämter'' of Bosenbach and Nerzweiler. In the 1387, 1398, 1437 and 1443 documents, Count Friedrich III acknowledged receipt of these holdings from Electoral Palatinate. In a 1393 document, though,
Ruprecht of Electoral Palatinate (as of 1398 Elector Palatine, and as of 1400
German King) granted Count Friedrich leave to grant his wife Margarethe of
Nassau-Saarbrücken the ''Amt'' of Nerzweiler (and also the ''Amt'' of ''Bassenbach'' or Bosenbach) as a
widow’s estate, meaning that, should the Countess outlive her husband, she could draw an income as a widow from these two ''Ämter''. In 1444, the County of Veldenz met its end when Count Friedrich III of Veldenz died without a male heir. His daughter
Anna
Anna may refer to:
People Surname and given name
* Anna (name)
Mononym
* Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke
* Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773)
* Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century)
* Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 12 ...
wed King Ruprecht’s son
Count Palatine Stephan. By uniting his own Palatine holdings with the now otherwise heirless County of Veldenz – his wife had inherited the county, but not her father’s title – and by redeeming the hitherto pledged County of Zweibrücken, Stephan founded a new County Palatine, as whose comital residence he chose the town of
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 ...
: the County Palatine – later Duchy – of
Palatinate-Zweibrücken. Even before 1444 had ended, Stephan shared the new County Palatine out between his sons Friedrich and Ludwig. In 1446, the former Veldenz territory was confirmed for the two brothers by the new Elector Palatine,
Ludwig. Cropping up in this confirmation document, issued on 27 July 1446 in
Alzey, for the very last time is a reference to the ''Amt'' of Nerzweiler. It is not known when, but sometime thereafter, the ''Amt'' seat was moved to
Hundheim, and then the entity was always called in documents the ''Hundheimer Pflege'' (''Pflege'' literally means “care”, but it was actually a local geopolitical unit). Dependence on a great number of lords in the dale afforded greater freedom than in other areas where united power and governing relationships prevailed. Legal matters within the ''Eßweiler Tal'' were governed by a whole range of ''Weistümer'' (singular: ''Weistum'' –
cognate 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'' – this 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 ...
and early modern times), which were already in force in the Middle Ages, although they were not actually set down in writing until the early 16th century. These documents are still preserved, and are said today to be prime examples of mediaeval jurisprudence. One deals with the court and borders, one is a ''Kanzelweistum'' (promulgated at church; ''Kanzel'' is German for “
pulpit”), one is a ''Huberweistum'' (''Huber'' were farmers who worked a whole ''Hube'', which roughly corresponds to an “
oxgang
An oxgang or bovate ( ang, oxangang; da, oxgang; gd, damh-imir; lat-med, bovāta) is an old land measurement formerly used in Scotland and England as early as the 16th century sometimes referred to as an oxgait. It averaged around 20 English a ...
”), and one was a municipal ''Weistum'' (''Gemeindeweistum'').
Modern times
In 1537, 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 ''Eßweiler Tal''. In the course of the 16th century, 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 pe ...
raged, and the villages were emptied of people. In Nerzweiler itself by 1575 were only ten people. With regard to the ruling class, this brought about a shift in power in 1595 as the high jurisdiction, hitherto held for some 250 years by the Waldgraves and Rhinegraves, was transferred to the
Dukes of Zweibrücken. In return,
Count Palatine Johannes I of Zweibrücken transferred the village of Kirchenbollenbach near
Idar-Oberstein
Idar-Oberstein () is a town in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. As a ''Große kreisangehörige Stadt'' (large city belonging to a district), it assumes some of the responsibilities that for smaller municipalities in ...
(nowadays a ''
Stadtteil
A quarter is a section of an urban settlement.
A quarter can be administratively defined and its borders officially designated, and it may have its own administrative structure (subordinate to that of the city, town or other urban area). Such a ...
'' of that town) to the Rhinegraves. Lordship over the blood court thereby ended up in new hands, while the other lords named still otherwise held their tithing rights in the various villages. In 1614,
Duke Johannes II of Zweibrücken traded his
serfs in
Teschenmoschel for some in the ''Eßweiler Tal'' belonging to Baron Johann Gottfried von Sickingen in
Schallodenbach. Nerzweiler also suffered in 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 ...
. Details are, however, unavailable. Another fundamental shift in the power structure came in 1755, when
Duke Christian IV transferred Offenbach Abbey with the villages of
Hundheim, Nerzweiler,
Hinzweiler,
Oberweiler,
Oberaschbach and Niederaschbach (now vanished) and also the ''Hirsauer Kirche'' to the Rhinegraves of Grumbach, who until 1595 had exercised high jurisdiction in these villages. Nerzweiler thereafter remained in the Rhinegraviate until the collapse of the old
feudal order in the course 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 ...
.
Recent times
During the time of the French Revolution 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 ...
. The French thereby swept away all borders that had hitherto existed and established their own administrative entities. Roughly, the
Glan formed the boundary between the
Departments of
Sarre and
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 ...
). Nerzweiler passed together with the villages of
Aschbach,
Hinzweiler,
Hachenbach and
Gumbsweiler to the newly founded ''Mairie'' (“Mayoralty”) of Hundheim, which itself belonged to the
Canton of Lauterecken 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 Kaiserslautern. After the victory over Napoleon, 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 a territory on the Rhine 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 ...
, the ''Baierischer Rheinkreis'' (“Bavarian Rhine District”), later known as the ''Bayerische Rheinpfalz'' (“Bavarian Rhenish Palatinate”). Nerzweiler now belonged within this territory to the ''Bürgermeisterei'' (“Mayoralty”) of Hundheim in the Canton of Lauterecken and the ''Landkommissariat'' (later ''Bezirksamt'', and later still ''Landkreis'' or District) of Kusel. Only in the time between 1880 and 1892 was Nerzweiler the ''Bürgermeisterei'' seat. 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 Nerzweiler. In the
1928 Reichstag elections, 3.0% 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, but by the
1930 Reichstag elections, this had grown to 65.2%. By the time of the
1933 Reichstag elections, after Hitler had already
seized power, local support for the Nazis had swollen to 98.1%. 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. Further changes in administrative structures came about not only through the Third Reich but also 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 Palatinate was grouped into the then newly founded
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 ...
, which itself undertook administrative restructuring in 1968. Thus, since 1 January 1972, Nerzweiler has belonged within the Kusel district to the
''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Lauterecken.
Population development
Nerzweiler was throughout 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 small village, whose very existence was often threatened by such things as
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 pe ...
and war. People earned their livelihoods mainly at farming. The naming of a wealthy weaver named Hans in the 1377 document can be taken as a clue that as early as the Middle Ages, weaving was a distinct craft. In 1477, two persons liable to pay the ''Maibede'' were named. In 1559, the following names are known from Nerzweiler: Daniel Jung, Hans Poth, Daniel Beller, Hans Lay, Bastian Krill and Jakob Anthes. Even before 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 ...
, the village was heavily depopulated by 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 pe ...
. From the 17th century onwards, some villagers sought a living in the ore mines at the Königsberg. In the area near Hinzweiler was a
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
pit, which employed a few people. Near Nerzweiler itself were collieries on both sides of the dale, where men from the village sometimes also found work. In a 1743 statistical publication, all 14 fathers heading households were said to be free subjects. Five villagers worked at craft occupations besides working the land. There were one
linen weaver, one
miller
A miller is a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalent ...
, one
tailor
A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century.
History
Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...
, one
tanner and one
shoemaker
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear.
Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or cobblers (also known as '' cordwainers''). In the 18th century, dozens or even hundreds of masters, journeymen ...
. Essentially, this occupational structure remained in place well into the 20th century. From the late 19th century until
Weimar times, some ''Wandermusikanten'' (travelling musicians; see the
Hinzweiler article for more about them) may have travelled the world. Since that time, the traditional craft businesses have disappeared utterly. Most villagers must now seek livelihoods elsewhere. The village's population peaked about 1870. Today, there are fewer people living in Nerzweiler than there were 200 years ago.
The following table shows population development over the centuries for Nerzweiler:
*This figure is the number of families.
Municipality’s name
Citing Johannes Hofmann once again, Nerzweiler supposedly has its name from a man named Narriseus, whom Hofmann held to be the village's founder, and thus the original name was ''Narriseusweiler''. The village's name, Nerzweiler, indeed 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
**Ge ...
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 ''Nerz—'', but modern placename researchers do not all share Hofmann's interpretation of this prefix (although the ending's origin is indisputable). Researchers Dolch and Greule, for instance, believe it to have arisen from the personal name ''Nerizo'', suggesting that an early settler named Nerizo founded the village. It cannot be said, however, just when the villages in the ''Eßweiler Tal'' with names ending in ''—weiler'' were founded. The time period in question is quite a long one, from the 8th century to the 12th. Nerzweiler had its first documentary mention in 1350, whereas the dale's other villages were all mentioned nearly a century earlier. These villages’ foundings might arguably be held to have taken place some 300 years before their first documentary mentions. In the document that first mentions Nerzweiler, its name is rendered ''Nertzwilre''. Later forms of the village's name are: ''Nerzewilre'' (14th century), ''Nerzwilr'' (1443) and Nerzweiler (1575).
Vanished villages
Johannes Hofmann's 1595 description of the ''Eßweiler Tal'' also yields the following: “In the Nerzweiler domain, up at the end of the Rendbach dell, in former times the Mühlstein Junkers had a livestock farm, called Heinzenmauren”. Also mentioned was a house for
lepers
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve dama ...
that stood on the road between Nerzweiler and Hinzweiler. Information about any actual former villages within Nerzweiler's current limits, however, is unavailable.
Religion
The old ''Hirsauer Kirche'' was originally the spiritual hub for all villages in the ''Eßweiler Tal''. When it was that a church was first built in Hirsau (not to be confused with
Hirsau in
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
) cannot be determined today. It can be assumed nonetheless that there had been an earlier church standing at the same spot centuries before the one that still stands now was built (about 1100); it may have been wooden. Churchgoers came from throughout the dale to attend services, all
wedding
A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...
s were held there, and so were all
funerals and burials. It was also the
thingstead, and on certain days,
market
Market is a term used to describe concepts such as:
*Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand
*Market economy
*Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market
Geography
*Märket, an ...
was held there, too. Hirsau lost this central role when in 1451 the church in Hinzweiler was built, although originally this only functioned as a
chapel of ease to Hirsau's parish church. This actually brought about competition between the two churches in the time that followed for the function of parish church. As early as 1526, the Duchy of
Palatinate-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 ...
into the church of the ''
Oberamt'' of Meisenheim, replacing
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 ...
belief with
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 so that bit by bit, church services in the ''Eßweiler Tal'', too, began to be conducted in accordance with the Reformation. The Offenbach Monastery, to which the Hinzweiler church was subject, at first opposed Reformist efforts. In 1555, though, the Rhinegraves of Grumbach, too, introduced the Reformation, and in 1588, the Offenbach Monastery was dissolved. In 1562,
Eßweiler got its own graveyard. After the Counts Palatine of Zweibrücken had become absolute fiefholders over the ''Eßweiler Tal'' in 1795, worshippers then
had 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
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 Ca ...
in line with developments in the County Palatine. Beginning in 1601, Hinzweiler became the temporary parish seat, but already by 1610, it once again had to yield this function to Hirsau, only to get it back 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 ...
. This structure remains in place to this day. In earlier days, Nerzweiler's inhabitants were mainly
Reformed, according to
John Calvin’s teachings. As minorities, there were
Lutherans
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 ...
, who in 1818 merged with the Calvinists.
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 ...
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 ...
were not found in Nerzweiler until the early 19th century, and even thereafter, only sporadically. In 1743, out of 14 households, only two belonged to the Lutheran faith, while none belonged to either the Catholic or the
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
faith. In 1825, only
Protestants lived in the village, that is, former Calvinists and Lutherans after the 1818 Protestant Union. In 1961, among the 180 inhabitants was one Catholic.
Politics
Municipal council
The council is made up of 6 council members, who were elected by
majority vote at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
Mayor
Nerzweiler’s mayor is Michael Hildebrand.
[
]
Coat of arms
The municipality’s arms might be described thus: Per fess Or a demilion gules armed and langued azure and vert a cuckoo argent.
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 ...
in the upper field is the lion once borne as an heraldic device by the Rhinegraves of Grumbach, who held the area until 1793. The charge in the lower field is a cuckoo
Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes . The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separ ...
, which here symbolizes a nickname used for the villagers, “''Kuckuck''” (“Cuckoo” 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 arms have been borne since 5 September 1985.
Culture and sightseeing
Regular events
Nerzweiler holds its 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) on the third weekend in August. In 2000, the ''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 ...
'' staged a village festival in connection with the 650-year jubilee of its first documentary mention, with an exhibition of old pictures from local history, which found great favour among the public. Other old customs are hardly kept at all.
Clubs
Clubs are not very strongly represented in this small village, but Nerzweiler does have a singing club, a country youth group and a promotional association for the 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 ...
and the municipality.
Economy and infrastructure
Economic structure
Nerzweiler was formerly purely a farming village. A livestock headcount in 1928 yielded figures of 27 horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...
s, 208 head of cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...
, 79 pig
The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...
s, 22 goat
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...
s, 547 chicken
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adu ...
s and 10 bee colonies. In earlier times, both a mill
Mill may refer to:
Science and technology
*
* Mill (grinding)
* Milling (machining)
* Millwork
* Textile mill
* Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel
* List of types of mill
* Mill, the arithmetic unit of the Analytical Engine early ...
and a small tannery
Tanning may refer to:
*Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather
*Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin
**Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun
**Sunless tanning, application of a stain or dye t ...
stood on the brook. According to a 1744 report, the mill had two waterwheels and two sets of millstones. Peter Hornbacher was at that time the ''Erbbeständer'' (holder of the ''Erbbestand'', a uniquely German landhold arrangement in which ownership rights and usage rights were separated; this is forbidden by law in modern Germany). There were also collieries during the 18th century with some 5 or 6 galleries in the “Wernesacker”, “in der Hölle” and “im Bächel” districts. Newer pits were worked between 1821 and 1869. The workforce of 12 men in the beginning, though, shrank over time to six. In the long run, 12 964 t of coal were mined each year.
Education
Schooling experienced a general upswing beginning in the time of 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 ...
. However, an end would have been put to it no later than 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). About the Nerzweiler school's beginnings, little is known. It is likely that there was a winter school (a school geared towards an agricultural community's practical needs, held in the winter, when farm families had a bit more time to spare) in the 18th century. School documents in the 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 ...
State Archive tell the reader that in 1845, a prospective schoolteacher named Wilhelm Hahn was teaching school lessons at a private dwelling. Hahn was soon asked to find a new job, since he was to be replaced by a schoolteacher who held a diploma. This successor at 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 ...
school was Heinrich Engel, born in 1824 in Einöllen, and he was named the regular teacher in 1856. Because the municipality's finances were never very strong, there were time and again disputes between the municipality and Engel, and later his successors, over wages and municipal benefits. In 1862, Engel demanded 650 Rhenish guilder
The Rhenish ''gulden'' or Rhenish ''guilder'' (german: Rheinischer Gulden; la, florenus Rheni) was a gold, standard currency coin of the Rhineland in the 14th and 15th centuries. They weighed between 3.4 and 3.8 grams ().
History
The Rhenish ...
s that the municipality had not paid him during his time in service. The number of pupils throughout that time was more than fifty in seven grade levels, from a population of somewhat more than 200 (1850/1851: 53; 1851/1852: 56). The municipality had a new schoolhouse built in 1870, and at the same time, it laid out its own graveyard. Because of the financial hardship brought about by this, it also sold the municipal woodland to the municipality of Aschbach. It is said that this is why Nerzweiler villagers were given the nickname “''Kuckuck''” (“Cuckoo”, although 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 ...
, it seems that this word does not bear the same connotation of madness as in 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 ...
). Heinrich Engel was in the beginning quite assiduous about his duties, but over time, carelessness and neglect began to show up in his work, perhaps brought about by his meagre wages. In 1877, he had to be pensioned off early after becoming sick. His successor was Jacob Förster from Hinterweidenthal
Hinterweidenthal is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.
References
Municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate
Palatinate Forest
South Palatinate
Südwestpfalz
{{Südwestpfalz-geo-stub ...
. About him, too, there were soon complaints, and in 1879 he was transferred to Blaubach
Blaubach 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, whose ...
. Several administrators over the following two years led classes, until Peter Lang was hired in 1881. Lang, who was born in 1848, was actually from Nerzweiler itself. In 1896, he also took on the office of computer at the Hundheim-Nerzweiler credit union
A credit union, a type of financial institution similar to a commercial bank, is a member-owned nonprofit financial cooperative. Credit unions generally provide services to members similar to retail banks, including deposit accounts, provisi ...
, but he, likewise, had to seek early retirement owing to illness in 1897. Then, the teaching post was filled many times over by teachers who only stayed a short time, until from 1912 to 1923 Rudolf Brügel taught. He was transferred to Hütschenhausen
Hütschenhausen is a municipality in the district of Kaiserslautern, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Western Germany.
Sons and daughters of the community
* Julius Koh (1884 – after 1936), chemist and manager of the chemical industry
* Julius Rüb ...
in 1923. The village's last schoolteacher was Armin Hübner. In 1967, the school in Nerzweiler was dissolved. Schoolchildren at first had to go to the central school in 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 ...
, but then later to the 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 ...
-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 ...
in Offenbach-Hundheim
Offenbach-Hundheim 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-Wol ...
.
Transport
Nerzweiler 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 ...
'' 273, which links Rothselberg with Offenbach-Hundheim
Offenbach-Hundheim 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-Wol ...
. South of the village, ''Landesstraße'' 368 branches off ''Landesstraße'' 273, leading eastwards to the Lauter valley. ''Landesstraße'' 368 leads from neighbouring Hinzweiler by way of Horschbach and Welchweiler to 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 ...
. 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 ...
and Kaiserslautern 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 lie respectively 20 and 30 km away. To the north 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 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 ...
s are the ones 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 ...
6 km away, and Wolfstein 8 km away, both 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 ...
''.Transport
/ref>
References
External links
Municipality’s official webpage
{{authority control
Municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate
Kusel (district)