Föckelberg
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Föckelberg 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'' 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 ...
.


Geography


Location

The municipality lies in the Western Palatinate between roughly 400 and 450 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 ...
. Indeed, within Föckelberg's limits is found a peak of 562.5 m on the road leading from Mühlbach (an ''
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
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 ...
) to Neunkirchen and onwards round the peak to Gimsbach. This is the Potzberg, upon which stands the 35 m-tall Potzberg Tower. The distance to the Potzberg from the village is roughly 1 km
as the crow flies __NOTOC__ The expression ''as the crow flies'' is an idiom for the most direct path between two points, rather similar to "in a beeline". This meaning is attested from the early 19th century, and appeared in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel ''Oliver ...
and 2 km by road. From the village itself, there is an outstanding view of the mountainous countryside east of the Potzberg. Föckelberg shares the ''Wildpark Potzberg'' (game park) with
Neunkirchen am Potzberg Neunkirchen am Potzberg 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- ...
. The municipal area measures 209 ha, of which 95 ha is wooded and roughly 3 ha is settled.


Neighbouring municipalities

Föckelberg borders in the north on the municipality of
Bosenbach Bosenbach 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 ...
, in the east on the municipality of Niederstaufenbach, in the southeast on the municipality of
Oberstaufenbach Oberstaufenbach 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-Altengla ...
, in the south on the municipality of
Neunkirchen am Potzberg Neunkirchen am Potzberg 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- ...
, in the west on the municipality of
Rutsweiler am Glan Rutsweiler am Glan 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-Altengl ...
and in the northwest on the municipality of
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 ...
.


Constituent communities

Also belonging to Föckelberg is the outlying homestead of Potzberghotel.


Municipality’s layout

Föckelberg is a linear village – by some definitions, a “thorpe” – with a loose built-up area; from the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
onwards, it was a village characterized purely by
agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...
. The homesteads stood either side of the road. When many quicksilver mines opened around the Potzberg's peak in the latter half of the 18th century, workers also settled in Föckelberg, and the population figure rose noticeably. Nevertheless, the built-up area did not expand appreciably, for the miners built their houses between the homesteads that were already standing. There has never been a
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...
in Föckelberg. Of all the public buildings, only the former schoolhouse, which has been converted into a village community centre, is worthy of note. The graveyard lies in the village's south end at the side of the road that leads to
Neunkirchen am Potzberg Neunkirchen am Potzberg 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- ...
. The village sporting ground lies almost at the end of the road that runs up to the Potzberg's peak.


History


Antiquity

Without a doubt, the area around Föckelberg was already settled in
prehistoric times Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
. Today, however, archaeologists can no longer tell, short of conducting digs, which of the many mounds on the Potzberg are Celtic barrows and which are tailing heaps from the former mining industry. Experts do not even agree on whether there are indeed barrows among these mounds. In
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, the area around Föckelberg was settled, bearing witness to which are some archaeological finds from that time made in the neighbouring village of Neunkirchen.


Middle Ages

Just when Föckelberg first arose as a village cannot be determined today. Places with names ending in ''—berg'' only arose, going by what is commonly known, quite late, often only in the 10th century. According to old border descriptions of the ''Remigiusland'', the village lay outside the Reims holdings in the Westrich, an historic region that encompasses areas in both Germany and
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, and thus in the Free Imperial Domain (''Reichsland'') in the broad area surrounding the Royal Castle Lautern. This ''Reichsland'' was pledged from Imperial power to territorial princes during the reigns of Emperors Ludwig IV (“the Bavarian”; 1314–1347) and Karl IV (1346-1378). Thus, all villages in the '' Amt'' of Reichenbach passed in 1345 as an Imperial pledge to Count Georg I 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, ...
. Even though Föckelberg's first documentary mention would not come until 1397, this certainly included Föckelberg, for it had existed for a few centuries already before its first mention. The Imperial pledge was never redeemed by the Holy Roman Empire, and so all these villages, along with Föckelberg, remained under the Counts of Veldenz. In 1444,
Frederick III, Count of Veldenz Frederick III, Count of Veldenz (died 1444) was the last from the Hohengeroldseck family to rule the county - that male line died out with him, and the county passed to his son-in-law Stephen, Count Palatine of Simmern-Zweibrücken, widower of Fre ...
, the last from the
Hohengeroldseck Hohengeroldseck was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was founded by the House of Geroldseck, a German noble family which arrived in the Ortenau region of Swabia reputedly in 948, though the first mention of the family is documented in the 1080 ...
family to rule the county, died without a male heir; the county passed to his son-in-law
Stephen, Count Palatine of Simmern-Zweibrücken Stephen of Simmern-Zweibrücken (german: link=no, Stefan Pfalzgraf von Simmern-Zweibrücken) (23 June 1385 – 14 February 1459, Simmern) was Count Palatine of Simmern and Zweibrücken from 1410 until his death in 1459.Ludwig Molitor: Vollständi ...
(son of
Rupert, King of Germany Rupert of the Palatinate (german: Ruprecht von der Pfalz; 5 May 1352 – 18 May 1410), sometimes known as Robert of the Palatinate, a member of the House of Wittelsbach, was Elector Palatine from 1398 (as Rupert III) and King of Germany from ...
), widower of Frederick's daughter, Anna of Veldenz. Stephen, combining his lands, created the new County Palatine of Zweibrücken, which in the fullness of time came to be known as the Duchy of Palatinate-Zweibrücken.


Modern times

Like all villages in the area, Föckelberg, too, saw a great deal of suffering in the 17th century's wars, namely the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...
and French King Louis XIV's wars of conquest. Details of the misfortunes wrought upon Föckelberg itself in these wars are unknown, but something does survive from that time: a ''Huberweistum'' (a ''Huber'' was a farmer who owned a whole hide of land, while a ''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'' – 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) from the municipality of Föckelberg. The Föckelberg ''Weistum'' was set down in writing in 1671. The first part deals with the redefinition of the hides (fields) within municipal limits, and then the document goes on to lay down the rules of conduct for the farmers. It was presented to the farmers each year on Saint Thomas's Day (then 21 December) on the occasion of the walking of the fields. In 1543,
Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken Count Palatine Wolfgang of Zweibrücken (german: Pfalzgraf Wolfgang von Zweibrücken; 26 September 1526 – 11 June 1569) was member of the Wittelsbach family of the Counts Palatine and Duke of Zweibrücken from 1532. With the support of his r ...
, transferred to his uncle and former
regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
Rupert holdings so that he could found his own county palatine. Belonging to this were
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, ...
on the Moselle, the ''Ämter'' of Lauterecken and Reichenbach, the Remigiusberg and later also Lützelstein (now called
La Petite-Pierre La Petite-Pierre (; german: Lützelstein; Rhine Franconian: ''Lítzelstain'') is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It lies in the historical and cultural region of Alsace (Elsass in German). Petit-Pierr ...
) in
Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...
. The residence town was at first
Lauterecken Lauterecken () is a town in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Lauterecken-Wolfstein, to which it also belongs. Lauterecken bears the nickname ''Veldenzstadt'', after the comital family ...
. The line of the Counts Palatine of Veldenz-Lauterecken-Lützelstein died out in 1694, and the County Palatine of Veldenz passed in 1717, after disagreements between
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 ...
and Palatinate-Zweibrücken, to Electoral Palatinate, although this was only made permanent in 1733 by the Mannheim Treaty of Succession. In line with this development, Föckelberg belonged from 1344 to 1444 to the old County of Veldenz, from 1444 to 1543 to the Duchy of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, from 1543 to 1694 to the new County Palatine of Veldenz, and beginning in 1733 to Electoral Palatinate. In 1788, Föckelberg was mentioned in Goswin Widder's ''Geographische Beschreybung der Kurpfalz'' (“Geographical Description of Electoral Palatinate”). This says, among other things: “Föckelberg is a midsize village at the Potzberg. … The population of this village is made up of 39 families, 176 souls, the buildings of 30 private and 3 common houses, the municipal area of 501 ''Morgen'' in cropfields, 110 ''Morgen'' in meadows and 406 ''Morgen'' in woodland. Found on the Potzberg is a quicksilver mine, called Elisabethengrube, from which in the year 1477, 2,520 pounds of quicksilver was mined.” The “common houses” to which Widder referred (''gemeine Häuser'' in the original
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 ...
text) may have been buildings available for use to all villagers, for instance, the herdsman's house or the bakehouse. Electoral Palatinate rule came to an end when French Revolutionary troops marched into Germany in the late 18th century.


Recent times

The Revolutionary troops
occupied ' (Norwegian: ') is a Norwegian political thriller TV series that premiered on TV2 on 5 October 2015. Based on an original idea by Jo Nesbø, the series is co-created with Karianne Lund and Erik Skjoldbjærg. Season 2 premiered on 10 October ...
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 and annexed them to
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 ...
. After a thorough territorial reorganization in 1801, Föckelberg belonged to the ''Mairie'' (“Mayoralty”) of Neunkirchen, the Canton of Wolfstein, the
Arrondissement An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands. Europe France The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissements ...
of Kaiserslautern and the Department of Mont-Tonnerre (or Donnersberg in
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
), whose seat was at
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 joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...
. In the Bavarian time that followed, beginning in 1816, the village belonged within the ''Bayerischer Rheinkreis'' (the bulk of the Palatinate that the
Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...
had awarded to the Kingdom of Bavaria) to the ''Landkommissariat'' of Kusel, the canton of Wolfstein and the ''Bürgermeisterei'' (“Mayoralty”) of Neunkirchen. 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) had variable fortunes in Föckelberg. In the 1928 Reichstag elections, 37.1% of the local votes went to
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
’s party (as against the national average of 2.6%) while only 1.8% went to the
Communists Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
(as against the national average of 10.6%). By the time of the 1933 Reichstag elections, after Hitler had already seized power, local support for the Nazis had shrunk to 23.0% while the Communists’ share of the vote had risen greatly to 22.1%. The Nazis nevertheless prevailed in the end, and 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. Among other things, Hitler banned the Communist Party of Germany. Only 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 ...
was there another territorial reorganization. The Palatinate was now 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 ...
. The ''Bürgermeisterei'' of Neunkirchen, though, remained in force until the 1968 administrative restructuring in Rhineland-Palatinate. After its dissolution, Föckelberg became 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 ...
'' within the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Altenglan.


Population development

Originally it was first and foremost farmers and forestry workers who lived in Föckelberg, and for a while also miners who worked the Potzberg's quicksilver mines. Only for the time since the late 18th century are population figures available. These show that in a span of less than 50 years (1788 to 1825), the population grew more than twofold. This growth arose not only from natural growth, but also from a change in economic conditions, namely the expansion of mercury mining on the Potzberg. This mining expansion might partly explain the peak in Föckelberg's population of 444 in 1905, although by that time, most of the mines on the mountain had been shut down. This, of course, led to shrinking population figures right up until the years following 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 newer rise in population since 1960 can be ascribed to the village's relatively favourable location near the centres 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 ...
and Kaiserslautern. Nevertheless, a stagnation in population growth may now be noted. Over time, the original commercial relationships have changed utterly. There are nowadays only a few agricultural operations still in business in Föckelberg, and all are worked as secondary occupations, and this has even brought about a turnover in population, with long established families’ younger members moving away and new families moving into Föckelberg. Most members of the workforce must seek work elsewhere, such as in towns like Kaiserslautern and Kusel. The following table shows population development over the centuries for Föckelberg:


Municipality’s name

In 1397, Föckelberg had its first documentary mention as ''Fockelnberg''. Other names that the village has borne over time are ''Feckelnberg'' (1460), ''Fuckelnberg'' (1483) and ''Feckelburg'' (1571). The name used today first showed up in 1788 in Goswin Widder's writings and became current in the 19th century. According to researchers Dolch and Greule, the name means “Fockilo’s settlement” or “Fockilo’s field”, making no apparent reference to the placename ending ''—berg'', which means “mountain” 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 ...
.


Vanished villages

No vanished villages are known to have lain within Föckelberg's current limits, but Goswin Widder, writing in 1788, mentioned a ''Wüsthube'' (roughly, a hide of land where a village once stood), but he did not elaborate.


Religion

From the village's founding, the villagers of Föckelberg belonged to a parish whose seat was
Neunkirchen am Potzberg Neunkirchen am Potzberg 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- ...
. Sometime before the 14th century, this parish of the “new church” (''neue Kirche'' in modern German, the same roots having given rise to the name “Neunkirchen”) was made partly subject to the parish of Deinsberg (
Theisbergstegen Theisbergstegen 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-Altengla ...
). With the permanent introduction 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 ...
into the County Palatine of Zweibrücken about 1537, all subjects had to adopt
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 as their
faith Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". Religious people ofte ...
, and this included everybody in Föckelberg. Unlike what later happened in Palatinate-Zweibrücken, there was no further
conversion 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 the County Palatine of Veldenz-Lützelstein, to which Föckelberg belonged as of 1543. Thus, for the time being, all the villagers clung to Lutheranism. From this time comes a story that tells of how the pastor always rode in a calèche from Theisbergstegen to a certain oaktree in the Föckelberger Wald (forest), when he wanted to hold church services in
Bosenbach Bosenbach 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 ...
. The people of Bosenbach would likewise come to this tree, the ''Kalescheiche'' (“Calèche Oak”), to pick the pastor up there. This oaktree was felled during 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 ...
because it had become dangerous owing to the ravages of age. Mostly by migration, Calvinists began to become bit by bit more numerous in the Potzberg area, and therefore, their Reformed faith based on John Calvin’s teachings became more widespread. Calvin’s followers stood in stark contrast to the Lutherans. Like them, the Calvinists were tied to a mother church in Neunkirchen. With the 1819
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
Union, these two denominations were merged. With the outbreak of King Louis XIV’s wars of conquest,
Catholicism 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 ...
, too, was once again being promoted. Today, the population is mostly
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 ...
, but as early as 1825, one third of the population was once again Catholic. This ratio is little changed today. Föckelberg’s Protestants, like the ones in Niederstaufenbach, belong to the parish of Neunkirchen and the deaconry of Kusel, while the Catholics belong to the parish of Reichenbach.


Politics


Municipal council

The council is made up of 8 council members, who were elected by majority vote at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.


Mayor

Föckelberg’s mayor is Frank Winter, and his deputies are Gunter Liesenfeld and Klaus Klein.


Coat of arms

The municipality’s arms might be described thus: Per pale Or in base a mount of three issuant from which the Potzbergturm vert and sable a lion rampant of the first armed, langued and crowned gules. The
charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * '' Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * ''Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...
on the dexter (armsbearer’s right, viewer’s left) side is the Potzbergturm, a lookout tower that stands on top of the Potzberg and serves as a prominent local landmark. The “mount of three” (called a '' Dreiberg'' in
German heraldry German heraldry is the tradition and style of heraldic achievements in Germany and the Holy Roman Empire, including national and civic arms, noble and burgher arms, ecclesiastical heraldry, heraldic displays and heraldic descriptions. German her ...
), the three-knolled hill from which the tower emerges, represents this mountain, and is also
canting ' (IPA: , VOS Spelling: ''tjanting'', jv, ꦕꦤ꧀ꦛꦶꦁ, Tjanting) is a pen-like tool used to apply liquid hot wax ( jv, ) in the batik-making process in Indonesia, more precisely ''batik tulis'' (lit. "written batik"). Traditional '' ...
for the last syllable in the village's name, ''—berg'', which means “mountain” 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 ...
(curiously, one source describes this charge as a “treetop”). The lion on the sinister (armsbearer's left, viewer's right) side stands for
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 ...
, which exercised authority in Föckelberg under the Old Empire. On the other hand, it is the
Wittelsbach The House of Wittelsbach () is a German dynasty, with branches that have ruled over territories including Bavaria, the Palatinate, Holland and Zeeland, Sweden (with Finland), Denmark, Norway, Hungary (with Romania), Bohemia, the Electorate ...
lion, and not only Electoral Palatinate but also Palatinate-Zweibrücken and Palatinate-Veldenz, to both of which Föckelberg belonged after 1444, were Wittelsbach domains. The arms have been borne since 1975 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: * At Brunnenstraße 3 – stone oven pedestal, marked 1771, oven slab, marked 1720 * At Eckstraße 9 – oven slab, marked 1720, stone oven pedestal * At Hofgartenstraße 1 – stone oven pedestal, marked 1802


Regular events

Föckelberg 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 fourth weekend in July. There are no longer any particularly old customs observed in the village.


Clubs

For a relatively small village, Föckelberg has several clubs worth mentioning: *
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 ...
* Singing club * Countrywomen’s club * Fruitgrowing and gardening club


Economy and infrastructure


Economic structure

Originally, Föckelberg was a purely agricultural village. With the opening of the quicksilver mines in the Potzberg area, workers’ families also settled here. In 1930, some 37% of the population worked at agriculture for their primary source of income. From statistics published in 1970 by the ''
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 ...
'' it can be noted that even then, 60% of the population were still somehow tied to agriculture. By then, though, the number of agricultural operations being worked as primary income sources had shrunk greatly, and working the land as a secondary occupation had become the norm. The decline of farming in Föckelberg has since progressed, and so most people seeking a livelihood nowadays must
commute Commute, commutation or commutative may refer to: * Commuting, the process of travelling between a place of residence and a place of work Mathematics * Commutative property, a property of a mathematical operation whose result is insensitive to th ...
to jobs outside the village, mainly to the region around
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 to Kaiserslautern. Also of undoubted importance is
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...
, mainly in connection with the Potzberg's summit with its mountain
hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
, its lookout tower and its animal park.


Education

About schooling in Föckelberg little is known. It is likely, though, 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 village as early as the 18th century. Regular year-round schooling was introduced only in the 19th century. In 1897, the village got a schoolhouse that for the local circumstances at that time was big. It was also built to a striking architectural design. In this building, all schoolchildren were taught in one room. After the
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 began attending classes in
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 ...
in 1968, two
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 ...
classes at first remained in Föckelberg, forming together with two other classes in
Neunkirchen am Potzberg Neunkirchen am Potzberg 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- ...
a single-stream primary school system. Since then, these two classes have been dissolved, and the schoolhouse has been converted into a village community centre. Primary school pupils nowadays attend classes in nearby Neunkirchen, while Hauptschule students attend the
Regionale Schule {{Unreferenced, date=April 2019 In Germany, a Regionale Schule or Regionalschule ( en, "regional school") is a secondary school that allows attaining the graduation of Berufsreife (after nine years) or Mittlere Reife (after ten years). It doesn' ...
in Altenglan. Higher schools (
Realschule ''Realschule'' () is a type of secondary school in Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia (''realna gimnazija''), the Austrian Empire, the German Empire, Denmark and Norway (''realskole''), Sweden (''realskola''), ...
, Gymnasium and
vocational school A vocational school is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary or post-secondary education designed to provide vocational education or technical skills required to complete the task ...
s) can be found in Kusel.


Transport

Föckelberg lies on ''Kreisstraße'' (District Road) 34 (locally known as Hauptstraße), which leads from
Altenglan Altenglan is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Kusel-Altenglan. Alten ...
to
Neunkirchen am Potzberg Neunkirchen am Potzberg 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- ...
and ''
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 ...
'' 364. Another ''Kreisstraße'', number 35, branches off from ''Kreisstraße'' 34 in Föckelberg's north end and leads up to the Potzberg's summit. It is some 10 km to both the nearest
Autobahn The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track' ...
interchanges, the one at Kusel and the one at
Glan-Münchweiler Glan-Münchweiler is an '' Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Oberes Glanta ...
, 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 ...
), which runs to the southwest. The one at Kaiserslautern West (Vogelweh) lies 32 km away. Serving nearby
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 ...
is Altenglan station, about 6 km away, 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.


Famous people


Sons and daughters of the town

Alois Kraemer (b. 1899 in Föckelberg; d. 1983 in
Landau Landau ( pfl, Landach), officially Landau in der Pfalz, is an autonomous (''kreisfrei'') town surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße ("Southern Wine Route") district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town (since 1990) ...
) – jurist, “state scientist” and politician; editor at
newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as p ...
s that were suppressed during the time of the
Third Reich Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
for political reasons, printing shop (which was likewise shut down) owner; 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 ...
, as member of the CDU, deputy mayor (''Bürgermeister'') and later chief mayor (''Oberbürgermeister'') of Landau, honorary citizen of the town and bearer of the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...
(Grand Cross).Famous people
/ref>


References


External links


Föckelberg in the collective municipality’s webpages

Brief portrait of Föckelberg with film
at SWR Fernsehen {{DEFAULTSORT:Fockelberg Municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate Kusel (district)