Bennhausen is a municipality in the Donnersbergkreis district, 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 Kirchheimbolanden.

Geography

Bennhausen has an area of 1.49 km². It is situated 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 ...

, at the foot of the

Donnersberg The Donnersberg ("thunder mountain") is the highest peak of the Palatinate (german: Pfalz) region of Germany. The mountain lies between the towns of Rockenhausen and Kirchheimbolanden, in the Donnersbergkreis district, which is named after the m ...

, which lies about 3 km west of the village. The land to the west and north of the hilly landscape is mainly planted with orchards, and the forest almost reaches the outskirts of the village. The land to the south and east consists mainly of agricultural farmland. The neighboring municipalities are

Weitersweiler Weitersweiler is a municipality in the Donnersbergkreis district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe ...

(south-east), Jakobsweiler (west),

Dannenfels Dannenfels is a municipality in the Donnersbergkreis district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe a ...

(north-west) and Bolanden (east).

History

Bennhausen was documented for the first time, in 1252, as ''Benninhusen''. In 1376, the city belonged to the Palatinate. During 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 ...

, Bennhausen was completely destroyed. In 1706, it was given to the Earls of Nassau-Weilburg. Since 1816, Bennhausen has belonged to the municipality of Dannenfels.

Administration

Politics

The local council in Bennhausen consists of six members, elected in a

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-Websterhonorary

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

as chairman. The last

local elections In many parts of the world, local elections take place to select office-holders in local government, such as mayors and councillors. Elections to positions within a city or town are often known as "municipal elections". Their form and conduct vary ...

took place on 7 June 2009.

Coat of arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

is a "red and silver diagonally divided, top right six-spoked silver wheel, bottom left a red deer pierced by a red arrow". It was approved in 1976 by the government of the Neustadt district. The Wheel of Mainz recalls that Bennhausen belongs to the diocese of Mainz. The doe is the attribute of

Saint Giles Saint Giles (, la, Aegidius, french: Gilles), also known as Giles the Hermit, was a hermit or monk active in the lower Rhône most likely in the 6th century. Revered as a saint, his cult became widely diffused but his hagiography is mostly lege ...

, one of the

Fourteen Holy Helpers The Fourteen Holy Helpers (german: Vierzehn Nothelfer, la, Quattuordecim auxiliatores) are a group of saints venerated together by Roman Catholic Christians because their intercession is believed to be particularly effective, especially against ...

, to which an earlier chapel was dedicated.

Economy and infrastructures

As is typical of similar villages, the place was characterized, till the 1960s, by agriculture. Today, commuters dominate, in economic terms. Two new settlements were established around 1980 and 2005, respectively. In the original center, some houses have been renovated by both locals and newcomers. There are also former agricultural properties. The former

elementary 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 ed ...

, operated until 1960, has been fully renovated and greatly expanded; it now serves as a community center for various purposes. Bennhausen has a

volunteer fire department A volunteer fire department (VFD) is a fire department of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction. Volunteer and retained (on-call) firefighters are expected to be on call to respond t ...

, including a Youth Fire Brigade. Community patrons organize cultural events, festivals and the fairs, which take place on the 3rd weekend of August. The L 397 passes through the village. Approximately 3 km southeast, at the

Göllheim Göllheim () is a municipality in the Donnersbergkreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated north of the Palatinate forest, approx. 25 km west of Worms. It was the site of the 1298 Battle of Göllheim. Göllheim is the seat of ...

exit, it connects with the A 63 (

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 ...

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 ...

). In the southwestern direction, Kaiserslautern is approximately 30 km. To the north, Mainz is about 50 km away. In

Dreisen Dreisen is a municipality in the Donnersbergkreis district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe afte ...

, 4 km away from Bennhausen, the railway line has been closed down and operates only on weekends during the summer months, through the Zellertal railway. The nearest regular railway station is in

Kirchheimbolanden Kirchheimbolanden (), the capital of Donnersbergkreis, is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, south-western Germany. It is situated approximately 25 km west of Worms, and 30 km north-east of Kaiserslautern. The first part of the name, ''Kir ...

, with connection to

Alzey Alzey () is a ''Verband''-free town – one belonging to no ''Verbandsgemeinde'' – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the fifth-largest town in Rhenish Hesse, after Mainz, Worms, Germany, Worms, Ingelheim am Rhein ...

and

, as well as to

Winnweiler Winnweiler is a municipality in the Donnersbergkreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the upper course of the river Alsenz, approx. north-east of Kaiserslautern. Winnweiler is the seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collectiv ...

, connecting there with

and

Bad Kreuznach Bad Kreuznach () is a town in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a spa town, most well known for its medieval bridge dating from around 1300, the Alte Nahebrücke, which is one of the few remaining bridges in th ...

Demographics

Bennhausen has a population of 156 (as of December 31, 2011).

Notes

References

* Reinhold Huy, ''Vom Hofgut zum Dorf: Bennhausen. Ein Ort schreibt Geschichte'', Gemeinde Bennhausen, 2009, .

External links

Official webpage

Literature on Bennhausen
at th
Bibliographie of Rhineland-Palatinate
{{Authority control Municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate Donnersbergkreis