Dennweiler-Frohnbach
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Dennweiler-Frohnbach 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, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Kusel-Altenglan, whose seat is in
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 municipality arose from the merger of the two formerly self-administering municipalities of Dennweiler and Frohnbach.


Geography


Location

The scenic, rural double village is nestled in a low-mountain landscape on the upper river Kuralb, which here bears the name Stegbach, and farther up, the names Stegwiesbach and Feldwiesbach. Towards the east, the Kuralb flows by way of
Oberalben Oberalben 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 ...
to the Totenalb and the Steinalb. The village itself lies in the southern part of a relatively big municipal area at an elevation of some 330 m above sea level. The formerly self-administering village of Dennweiler lies in the northeast of the combined built-up area, while the former village of Frohnbach lies in the southwest. Particularly towards the north, the land climbs steeply up, and heights of more than 500 m above sea level are reached (Hundshübel 430 m, Hohe Buchen 514 m). To the south, towards the so-called Roman road, elevations of only 400 m above sea level are reached within municipal limits. The municipal area measures 613 ha, of which 177 ha is wooded.


Neighbouring municipalities

Dennweiler-Frohnbach borders in the north on the town 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 ''Verba ...
, in the east on the municipality of
Oberalben Oberalben 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 ...
and in the southwest on the municipality of
Körborn Körborn 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 ...
.


Municipality's layout

The greater part of the village of Dennweiler-Frohnbach stretches along Hauptstraße, its main thoroughfare, ''
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 ...
'' 22. In Dennweiler, Friedhofstraße sprouts off towards the graveyard ("Friedhofstraße" means "Graveyard Street") to the west outside the village. Brunnenweg also branches off to the north. Standing here at this crossroads is the outstandingly embellished village community centre, the ''Kulturhaus Wadenauer Hof'', which is a venue even for events of more than local significance. Friedhofstraße is distinguished by a row of unspoilt Westrich (an historic region that encompasses areas in both Germany and France) farmhouses (''Einfirsthäuser'', that is, houses with a single roof ridge), which gives a good impression of the former general kind of housebuilding that was undertaken in West Palatine villages. From the crossroads, Hauptstraße winds its way southwards and leads by the original Art Nouveau church from 1906. Nearby stands the
kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th ce ...
, housed in the former schoolhouse. The street leads across the Stegbach and turns in the core of Frohnbach once again towards the west, towards the neighbouring village of
Körborn Körborn 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 ...
. Going out from the bend in the street southwards is where most of Frohnbach's buildings stand. Most are houses, mostly built in their present shape in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Along the road that extends from this street lies the Frohnbacher Hof, which was laid out in feudal times as a lordly landhold. Since Dennweiler-Frohnbach and Oberalben have a common
sport club A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports. Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...
, the sporting ground in Oberalben is also used by athletes from Dennweiler-Frohnbach. Likewise, the two municipalities have a common
fire station __NOTOC__ A fire station (also called a fire house, fire hall, firemen's hall, or engine house) is a structure or other area for storing firefighting apparatuses such as fire engines and related vehicles, personal protective equipment, fire ...
.


History


Antiquity

East of Frohnbach, in the field known as Kappel, a small, Stone Age cutting tool, described as a thumbnail scraper, was found. This archaeological find, just under 2 cm long, is today kept at the museum 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 ...
. Standing on the flat knoll of the mountain Hohe Buchen are two still untouched, flat-topped barrows from an unknown time.
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 ...
finds have come to light in places right near the village and somewhat farther away, but thus far, no such thing has cropped up in Dennweiler-Frohnbach itself.


Middle Ages

Just when the two villages were founded is unknown today. Dennweiler seems to be older than Frohnbach, which itself might have arisen relatively shortly before the first documentary mention, but this is merely speculation. According to the 1355 ''Grenzscheidweistum'' (border ''Weistum'', a ''Weistum'' – cognate with English ''wisdom'' – being 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), Dennweiler and Frohnbach originally belonged to different lordly domains, as the Stegbach – farther downstream called the Kuralb – formed the border of the so-called ''Remigiusland''. The ''Weistum'' mentions that the border goes down the brook called the ''kuralbe''. Also worthy of note is that while Frohnbach (''Fronenbach'' in the ''Weistum''), which belonged to the ''Remigiusland'', is clearly mentioned, Dennweiler, which lay on the brook's left bank, is not. The lands there were held by the
Bishopric of Verdun The Bishopric of Verdun was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was located at the western edge of the Empire and was bordered by France, the Duchy of Luxembourg, and the Duchy of Bar. Some time in the late 990s, the suzerainty of the Coun ...
as part of their
Baumholder Baumholder () is a town in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, in the Westrich, an historic region that encompasses areas in both Germany and France. The town of Baumholder is the administrative seat of the like-named ''Verba ...
holding. This border lost much of its importance in the 12th century when both the ''Remigiusland'' and Verdun's Baumholder landhold were taken on by the
Counts of Veldenz The County Palatine of Veldenz was a principality in the contemporary Land Rhineland-Palatinate with full voting rights to the Reichstag. The county was located partially between Kaiserslautern, Sponheim and Zweibrücken, partially on the Mose ...
as a ''
Vogt During the Middle Ages, an (sometimes given as modern English: advocate; German: ; French: ) was an office-holder who was legally delegated to perform some of the secular responsibilities of a major feudal lord, or for an institution such as ...
ei''. Within the County of Veldenz, Frohnbach belonged to the '' Amt'' of Lichtenberg, whereas Dennweiler belonged to the ''Amt'' of Baumholder. These relations are believed to have held true at the time when Heinrich I of Veldenz issued a document in 1270 that mentioned Dennweiler and Ruppertsweiler (''not'' the place in the Südwestpfalz district, but rather a nearby, long vanished village) for the first time. This document dealt with a dispute among various ''
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. ...
en'', among them Bertram von Wadenau, over holdings and rights in several places that all lay in the ''Amt'' of Baumholder. From the document in which Frohnbach had its first documentary mention it can be seen that in 1302, the knight Bertram von Wadenau now wanted to give his estate, named ''Vronebach'', back to the Remigiusberg Monastery, after originally having received it from among the monastery's holdings. Both villages therefore belonged to the County of Veldenz, but lay in different ''Ämter''. In 1444, the County of Veldenz met its end when Count Friederick 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 ...
had wed
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 ...
, who now founded out of his own holdings and his wife's inheritance the County Palantine of Zweibrücken.


Modern times

Both villages now shared a history with the County Palantine of Zweibrücken until that state was swept away along with all the other feudal states in the events 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 ...
. In 1570 or 1571, the Zweibrücken official Johannes Schlemmer described the ''Amt'' and ''Gericht'' (court region) of Baumholder, also mentioning places that were right at the boundary, just outside the ''Gericht''. It says in his writing that Frohnbach (outside the bounds) was directly subject to the Prince (Duke Johannes I), and that Dennweiler (within the bounds) had been granted to the House of Blick von Lichtenberg 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 overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form ...
. Despite this difference, the two villages had common grazing rights. The villages were very small, with Dennweiler being made up of only eight houses and Frohnbach of only three, of which only two were occupied. Since Ruppertsweiler was not mentioned here, it might well already have vanished. Today's Frohnbacher Hof in the south of the ''
Ortsteil A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
'' of Frohnbach arose in the late 18th century as a lordly seat for Duke Johannes I. Quite understandably, given their low population figures, both Dennweiler's and Frohnbach's whole populations died 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 ...
. It can be assumed that other people moved into the two villages after the Thirty Years' War, that French King Louis XIV's wars of conquest brought more destruction and death and that the population only once again began to climb appreciably in the 18th century.


Recent times

During French Revolutionary and
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 times (1801–1814), the two villages lay within the Department of Sarre, and more locally in 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, the Canton of Kusel and the ''Mairie'' ("Mayoralty") of Ulmet. The two villages now effectively became one, for they now both had the same administrative structure. In Bavarian times, beginning in 1816, Dennweiler-Frohnbach's assignment to the new ''Bürgermeisterei'' ("Mayoralty") of Ulmet in the ''Landkommissariat'' of Kusel was at first retained, but in 1869, it was assigned to Kusel, both ecclesiastically and politically. During the 19th century, there was a great deal of emigration to the United States, with a few emigrants also leaving for
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
and Brazil. In 1898, three houses were lost in a great fire. 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 political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...
(NSDAP) became quite popular in Dennweiler-Frohnbach. In the 1930 Reichstag elections, 7.7% 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. By the time of the 1933 Reichstag elections, after Hitler had already seized power, local support for the Nazis had swollen to 82.4%. 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. Since 1972, the municipality has belonged to the then newly founded ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Kusel.


Population development

According to the 1609 church visitation protocol of the '' Oberamt'' of Lichtenberg, only a few families lived in the village, earning their livelihoods as farmers and woodsmen. Since the late 19th century, other occupations have come to the fore, and agriculture now only plays a minor role. Most workers, who work at various occupations, must nowadays seek a living outside the village,
commuting Commuting is periodically recurring travel between one's place of residence and place of work or study, where the traveler, referred to as a commuter, leaves the boundary of their home community. By extension, it can sometimes be any regul ...
to work. Not to be overlooked are those whose lives are dedicated to special cultural commitments, and those with strong commitments to
conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...
. With regard to religion, the great majority of Dennweiler-Frohnbach's inhabitants are
Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...
. Population figures rose quickly after the turn of the 18th century, and about the turn of the 19th century, the population peaked at somewhat more than 400 inhabitants. Currently, though, the figure is stalled at a level of about 330. The village's proximity to 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 ...
has clearly prevented a fall in population. The following table shows population development over the centuries for Dennweiler-Frohnbach, with some figures broken down by religious denomination:


Municipality's name

Dennweiler's name first appears as ''Dennewilre'' in the 1270 ''Heinrichurkunde'' (the document issued by Heinrich I of Veldenz mentioned above). Later forms showed hardly any changes from this first documentary mention. In 1570, the modern spelling, "Dennweiler", cropped up for the first time. The name goes back 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 ...
settlement and a man named "Danno", while the ending ''—weiler'' is German for "
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"). Thus, the name originally meant "Danno’s homestead". The folk interpretation that the name springs from a form such as ''Tannenweiler'' ("Fir Tree Hamlet"), however, may be put down to folk etymology. Nevertheless, a fir tree is the main
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 municipality's
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
. Frohnbach's name first came to light in 1302 as ''curia Vronebach'' in a document from the Remigiusberg Monastery. The name also appeared as ''Fronenbach'' (1457 and 1490). The word ''fron'' meant "belonging to the lord". This word element still appears in German in ''Frondienst'' (compulsory labour, originally for a lord) and ''Fronleichnam'' (literally "dead body belonging to the Lord", and thus meaning " Corpus Christi"); the word ''Fron'' by itself even still exists, although now it is a noun meaning "drudgery". What the ''Fron—'' element may mean here is that the village might have first arisen as a lordly estate (another such estate arose in the 18th century, the Frohnbacher Hof). The placename ending ''—bach'' is German for "brook".


Vanished villages

A village named Ruppertsweiler – not to be confused with Ruppertsweiler just east of
Pirmasens Pirmasens (; pfl, Bärmesens (also ''Bermesens'' or ''Bärmasens'')) is an independent town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, near the border with France. It was famous for the manufacture of shoes. The surrounding rural district was called ''Lan ...
, which has not vanished – first mentioned in 1270 as ''Ruprehtiswilre'' in a document issued by Count Heinrich of
Veldenz Veldenz is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the former main seat of the County of Veldenz, ...
and Geroldseck (the same as the one mentioned just above), lay northwest of Dennweiler on the road that went from Lichtenberg towards
Baumholder Baumholder () is a town in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, in the Westrich, an historic region that encompasses areas in both Germany and France. The town of Baumholder is the administrative seat of the like-named ''Verba ...
. According to the description of the ''Amt'' of Lichtenberg by Johannes Hofmann, this village no longer existed by 1588. Another village, named Auersbach (on the like-named brook) supposedly once lay near Dennweiler-Frohnbach's northern limit. Unknown is any information about the village's exact location or any documentary mentions. If it even ever existed, it might well have lain within Baumholder's current limits.


Religion

The village of Dennweiler belonged from the time of its founding onwards among lands held by the
Bishopric of Verdun The Bishopric of Verdun was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was located at the western edge of the Empire and was bordered by France, the Duchy of Luxembourg, and the Duchy of Bar. Some time in the late 990s, the suzerainty of the Coun ...
around the market town of Baumholder, whereas Frohnbach belonged to the ''Remigiusland'' held by the
Abbey of Saint-Remi An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The conc ...
in Reims. This territorial relationship, though, had no bearing on the ecclesiastical relationship, with both villages being grouped into the Archbishopric of Mainz. On a more local level, they may well have belonged 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 ...
, and even after the
Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
until the time of the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
to the Church of Baumholder. There are clues in rural cadastral toponyms and in passing references in written records to the existence during the Middle Ages of a chapel that stood somewhere between Dennweiler and
Oberalben Oberalben 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 ...
, but it seems to have fallen into disrepair in the time of the Reformation. The Reformation was introduced here, as it was throughout the ''Amt'' of Baumholder, beginning in 1523, at first according to
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, but as of 1588 according to John Calvin’s. From the beginning of Bavarian times, about 1816, the now united double village of Dennweiler-Frohnbach belonged to the parish of Flurskappeln ( Ulmet). As the worshippers had to undertake such a long, arduous trip to and from the church, calls for the village to have its own church became ever louder. This only came to be in the early 20th century. Decades before this, vicars lodging in the village, and changing often, had been holding church services at the schoolhouse. Dennweiler-Frohnbach got its own parish in 1914, to which, as of 1920, the neighbouring village of Oberalben also belonged. In 1973, the church administration, as part of an extensive reorganization, dissolved the parish owing to declining attendance and because transport links were now better. Ever since, Dennweiler-Frohnbach's
Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...
Christians have belonged to ''Pfarramt'' 3 of the church community of Kusel. The number of Catholics in the village has always been quite small, and they nowadays belong to the Catholic church community in
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 ...
. Moreover, there are more than 30 people living in the village who profess no religious belief, or who will not reveal their beliefs.


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

Dennweiler-Frohnbach's mayor is Lothar Helfenstein.


Coat of arms

The German blazon reads: ''In Silber über zwei grünen Balken, belegt mit fünf silbernen Kugeln 3:2, eine bewurzelte, grüne Tanne.'' The municipality's arms might in English
heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known bran ...
language be described thus: Argent in base two closets vert charged with five roundels of the field, three and two, above which a fir tree eradicated of the second. The local feudal lords in this area were the Knights of Wadenau. They bore arms with the two closets (narrow horizontal stripes) charged with five
roundel A roundel is a circular disc used as a symbol. The term is used in heraldry, but also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of diff ...
s, as seen in the base of the municipality's coat of arms. The knights’ castle stood near Frohnbach. Also added to the merged municipality's arms was Dennweiler's old municipal seal, which showed a fir tree standing for the municipality's wealth of woodland. The arms have been borne since 15 August 1983 when they were approved by the now defunct Rheinhessen-Pfalz ''
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.


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: *
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 ...
parish church, Hauptstraße 29 – houselike
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 on rusticated base, belltower, 1906, architect Building Office Assessor Dünnbier, Kaiserslautern * At Frohnbacher Hof 9 – stone oven pedestal, about 1805


Cultural life

Even with merely sporadic cultural events at the Wadenauer Hof (the community centre), measured against the very small population figure, Dennweiler-Frohnbach actually has a considerable cultural life. Also found here is active creative art, embodied for instance by singer-songwriter Ferdinand Ledwig, who goes by the professional name "Ferdinand der Sänger" ("Ferdinand the Singer"). Further cultural promoters here are the village's clubs (see below).


Regular events

Customs practised in the village are the usual ones for the Western Palatinate, for instance the ''Neujahrsschießen'' ("New Year’s Shooting") and the children's ''Spendenheischen'' ("Donation Begging"). Loved by the village's youth is Witches’ Night (''Hexennacht'', actually
Walpurgis Night Walpurgis Night (), an abbreviation of Saint Walpurgis Night (from the German ), also known as Saint Walpurga's Eve (alternatively spelled Saint Walburga's Eve), is the eve of the Christian feast day of Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century abbess ...
) with its raising of the Maypole and its springtime merrymaking on the eve of May Day. The children also enjoy a 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 ...
(''Pfingsten'' in German); 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-decked wagon. The rhyme generally begins with the line "Quack, Quack, Quack". There are also a
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, locally known as the ''Kerwe'') held on the second weekend in October, and a parade on
Martinmas Saint Martin's Day or Martinmas, sometimes historically called Old Halloween or Old Hallowmas Eve, is the feast day of Saint Martin of Tours and is celebrated in the liturgical year on 11 November. In the Middle Ages and early modern period, ...
(11 November).


Clubs

The following clubs exist (or once existed) in Dennweiler-Frohnbach (founding year in parentheses): Dennweiler-Frohnbach/Oberalben
sport club A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports. Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...
(1969); Social Democratic Party of Germany Dennweiler-Körborn-Oberalben local association (1984); volunteer
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 ...
(1890); 1.FCK "Harter Kern" fan club (1979); "Liederkranz" Dennweiler-Frohnbach singing club (1894); warriors’ (veterans’) club (1889–1944); countrywomen's club (1986);
Naturschutzbund Deutschland The Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V. ("Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union") or NABU is a German non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated to conservation at home and abroad, including the protection of rivers, forests and individ ...
Kusel and Altenglan local association (1981, with many active members in Dennweiler-Frohnbach).


Economy and infrastructure


Economic structure

The merged municipality of Dennweiler-Frohnbach was once characterized mainly by its agricultural activity, although there were also the attendant craft occupations. The land is still worked even today, but farming no longer has its former importance. Today Dennweiler-Frohnbach is mainly a
bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
for people in the most varied of occupations. Among the more unusual jobs done by villagers, according to writer Zenglein, writing in 1994, are
horse trainer A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' physical needs, as well as teaching them submissive behaviors and/or coaching them for e ...
, inland navigator, musician and actor. Zenglein furthermore asserts that although there is not a single employer in Dennweiler-Frohnbach itself, the number of jobless in the village may well be far below the national average. Tourism is foreseen to offer good opportunities in the years to come.


Public institutions

On hand in Dennweiler-Frohnbach are a
kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th ce ...
and a village community and cultural centre.


Education

It is known from records 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 Dennweiler and Frohnbach in the winter of 1743–1744, although the teacher, whose name was Johann Scherp, taught classes at his home. Winter school teachers, though, who were not well trained, changed often. Usually, the teacher lived in Frohnbach. In 1758, when a teacher from Frohnbach wanted to move to Dennweiler, it led to such a fierce dispute in the villages that it could only be allayed by the government's intervention. The common school service for both villages, and for a time it also included
Oberalben Oberalben 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 ...
, had to be enforced time and again by the government. Dennweiler-Frohnbach only got its own permanent schoolhouse in 1831. The schoolhouse and the teacher's dwelling were repeatedly remodelled. All 19th- and 20th-century teachers’ names are known. In 1969, the school was dissolved, and what followed was a merger with the school in the neighbouring village of Oberalben. After a conversion, the
kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th ce ...
moved into the old schoolhouse in 1976. Dennweiler-Frohnbach's primary school 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 nowadays attend the corresponding schools in
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 district seat is also the location of higher schools and special schools.


Transport

Dennweiler-Frohnbach lies on ''Kreisstraße'' (District Road) 23, which branches off ''
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 ...
'' 176 near
Thallichtenberg Thallichtenberg 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 ...
, running by way of
Körborn Körborn 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 ...
, Dennweiler-Frohnbach and Oberalben and linking near the Mayweilerhof to ''Kreisstraße'' 22. Over that road, it is roughly six kilometres to ''
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, and the direct route to Kusel by way of Körborn is only 5 km. The nearest
Autobahn The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track' ...
interchange, on the A 62 ( Kaiserslautern
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 ...
), near
Konken Konken 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 se ...
to the south, is roughly 10 km away. Serving nearby
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 ...
is
Kusel station Kusel station is the station of the town of Kusel in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It was opened on 22 September 1868 as the terminus of the Landstuhl–Kusel railway. It is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a category 6 station. The st ...
on the Landstuhl–Kusel railway. There are hourly trains at this station throughout the day, namely Regionalbahn service RB 67 between Kaiserslautern and
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 ...
, named '' Glantalbahn'' after a former railway line that shared a stretch of its tracks with the Landstuhl–Kusel railway.Transport
/ref>


References


External links


Dennweiler-Frohnbach in the collective municipality’s webpages
{{Authority control Municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate Kusel (district)