Rehweiler
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Rehweiler is an ''
Ortsgemeinde A Verbandsgemeinde (; plural Verbandsgemeinden) is a low-level administrative division, administrative unit in the Germany, German States of Germany, federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt. A Verbandsgemeinde is typically compose ...
'' – a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
belonging to a ''
Verbandsgemeinde A Verbandsgemeinde (; plural Verbandsgemeinden) is a low-level administrative unit in the German federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt. A Verbandsgemeinde is typically composed of a small group of villages or towns. Rhineland- ...
'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel
district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
in
Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Oberes Glantal.


Geography


Location

The municipality lies in the Western Palatinate at a broadening of the Glan valley near the mouths of two brooks that empty into the Glan, the Rödelbach from the left and the Dorfbach from the right, roughly 210 m above
sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...
, while the settled parts of the flanking slopes reach some 300 m above sea level. The municipality's highest point, in the municipal area's far west, is 357 m above sea level. Near this peak runs the
Autobahn The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. ...
A 62 (
Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...
Trier Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
) for about one kilometre through the municipal area. Two continuous woodlands lie to the village's east (''Bannbusch'') and west (''Brandenbusch''). The municipal area measures 673 ha, of which 167 ha is wooded.


Neighbouring municipalities

Rehweiler borders in the north on the municipality of Theisbergstegen, in the northeast on the municipality of Matzenbach, in the east on the municipality of Niedermohr, in the south on the municipality of Glan-Münchweiler, in the southwest on the municipality of Quirnbach, in the west on the municipality of
Hüffler Hüffler is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Oberes Glantal. Geograp ...
and in the northwest on the municipality of
Etschberg Etschberg is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, German ...
.


Constituent communities

Rehweiler's ''
Ortsteil A village is a clustered human settlement or Residential community, community, larger than a hamlet (place), hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population t ...
e'' are Rehweiler (on the Glan's left bank) and Reichartsweiler (on the Glan's right bank). Although the merger took place 400 years ago, the two centres are even today clearly distinguished from each other.


Municipality’s layout

Rehweiler's two formerly separate parts, the former municipality of Reichartsweiler and the original Rehweiler, can still be made out separately even today. Reichartsweiler lies at the crossroads formed by the thoroughfare known as Hauptstraße (“Main Street”; '' Bundesstraße'' 423), and, to each side of this, Glanstraße and Steinrissstraße (“Stone Cleft Street”), both of which run parallel to the Dorfbach down to its mouth. A further street, named Hahnböschel, branches off Hauptstraße north of this crossing at the mountainside. The houses in the original Rehweiler, too, cluster around a crossroads, this one formed by Kuselbergstraße and Quirnbacher Straße running north-south, and Rödelbachstraße and Glanstraße on the river's left bank. While Kuselbergstraße towards its north end climbs up the mountain slope, branching off it in a straight line down in the valley is Eisenbacher-Straße. Not only the Glan, but the
railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
line, too, splits the two centres. The
railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
stands in the village's south end, separated from the former ''Rehweiler Mühle'' ( mill) by the railway embankment. The former
school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...
stands on the Glan's right bank near the bridge. From the older buildings in both the old villages, it can be seen that both are former farming villages. Among the many original farmhouses, one has even been preserved that has a crow-stepped gable. New building zones stretch mainly at the ends of the village in the east and the northwest on Kuselbergweg (street).


History


Antiquity

Bearing witness to early human habitation in what is now Rehweiler is an
archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
find made in 1938: While destroying a
barrow Barrow may refer to: Places England * Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria ** Borough of Barrow-in-Furness, local authority encompassing the wider area ** Barrow and Furness (UK Parliament constituency) * Barrow, Cheshire * Barrow, Gloucestershire * Barro ...
from La Tène times (about 400 BC) inside the ''
Reichsarbeitsdienst The Reich Labour Service (''Reichsarbeitsdienst''; RAD) was a major organisation established in Nazi Germany as an agency to help mitigate the effects of unemployment on the German economy, militarise the workforce and indoctrinate it with Nazi ...
'' camp (now SpVgg Rehweiler-Matzenbach's sporting ground), a
human skeleton The human skeleton is the internal framework of the human body. It is composed of around 270 bones at birth – this total decreases to around 206 bones by adulthood after some bones get fused together. The bone mass in the skeleton makes up a ...
, a narrow-necked bottle and four heavily
oxidized Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a d ...
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
armrings were found by the resident
Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...
. These are now kept at the ''Historisches Museum der Pfalz'' (“Historical Museum of the Palatinate”) 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 ...
. Rehweiler was also settled 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 letter ...
times. This is known from the stone found in 1790 up from the village in the Brandenbösch, which bore a Roman inscription that ran as follows: ''DEOMER. C. SEX. COTTIUSTASG. IL. LVSVS.L.M.'' (“To the god
Mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...
, C. Sextus Cottius…”). Furthermore, more than 20 Roman copper coins were found along with this stone. These Gallo-Roman finds were stored by Charles II August, Duke of Zweibrücken in his cabinet of rarities at Karlsberg Castle, his palatial country seat near Homburg, now in the
Saarland The Saarland (, ; french: Sarre ) is a state of Germany in the south west of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and ...
. Unfortunately, this palace was burnt down in 1793 by French Revolutionary troops, and the Rehweiler finds seem to have been lost as a result. It is likely that there is still a Gallo-Roman estate – a so-called ''
villa rustica Villa rustica () was the term used by the ancient Romans to denote a farmhouse or villa set in the countryside and with an agricultural section, which applies to the vast majority of Roman villas. In some cases they were at the centre of a large ...
'' – lying somewhere within Rehweiler's limits, waiting to be discovered.


Middle Ages

The villages of Leidenstall, Reichartsweiler and Rehweiler may have arisen in the expansion phase of the later
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 ...
colonization during the 10th century, but it is impossible to pinpoint exact founding dates. Whenever it happened, it can be assumed that Reichartsweiler and Rehweiler arose at the same time, and also that they originally formed a single village. The former may well have been the older of the two, and it seems to have got its name from an early settler named Richard. The vanished village of Kengerhausen may have been somewhat less old than the others. With the exception of Reichartsweiler, the villages lay in the so-called ''Remigiusland'', the territory held by the
Bishopric of Reims The Archdiocese of Reims (traditionally spelt "Rheims" in English) ( la, Archidiœcesis Remensis; French language, French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erecte ...
around Kusel and
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 ...
, which in 952 was transferred into the ownership of the Abbey of Saint-Remi in
Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...
. Only Reichartsweiler lay outside this ''Remigiusland'' in the free
Imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texa ...
domain of Kaiserslautern. In 1112, Count Emich's son, named Gerlach, from the
Nahegau The Nahegau was in the Middle Ages a county, which covered the environs of the Nahe and large parts of present-day Rhenish Hesse, after a successful expansion of the narrow territory, which did not reach the Rhine, to the disadvantage of the Worms ...
took over several ''
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 ...
eien'' (security functions) over various lands held by ecclesiastical lordships (
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 ...
,
Worms Worms may refer to: *Worm, an invertebrate animal with a tube-like body and no limbs Places *Worms, Germany, a city **Worms (electoral district) *Worms, Nebraska, U.S. *Worms im Veltlintal, the German name for Bormio, Italy Arts and entertainme ...
,
Verdun Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...
, Reims), and out of these, together with some lands already under his own ownership in the Nahegau, he founded the so-called
County of Veldenz The County of Veldenz was a principality in the contemporary Land Rhineland-Palatinate. The county was located partially between Kaiserslautern, Sponheim and Zweibrücken, partially on the Mosel in the Archbishopric of Trier. A municipality of ...
, named after the Episcopal-Verdun holding around
Schloss Veldenz Schloss Veldenz in the Hunsrück upland, on a steep vale draining into the Mosel is a castle ruin about southeast of the village of Veldenz in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Location The site is in the district of Bernkastel-W ...
on the river
Moselle The Moselle ( , ; german: Mosel ; lb, Musel ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it jo ...
. Gerlach, who through this deed had become Count Gerlach I of Veldenz, had four successors who also bore the name Gerlach (the last of these, Gerlach V of the Older Line of the Counts of Veldenz, died in 1259). Some 200 years before this County of Veldenz was founded, Rehweiler and its neighbouring villages had already arisen. However, only under the Counts of the Newer County of Veldenz (1270-1444) did these villages’ names begin appearing in documents. Leidenstall was first in 1270. From this document the reader learns that Count Heinrich I of Veldenz, the founder of the newer comital line, sold the villages of ''Ysenbach'' (Eisenbach) and Leidenstall to the Count of Zweibrücken, and also that he ordered the ''
Schultheiß In medieval Germany, the ''Schultheiß'' () was the head of a municipality (akin to today's office of mayor), a ''Vogt'' or an executive official of the ruler. As official (''villicus'') it was his duty to order his assigned village or county (' ...
'' in Kusel to pay
interest In finance and economics, interest is payment from a borrower or deposit-taking financial institution to a lender or depositor of an amount above repayment of the principal sum (that is, the amount borrowed), at a particular rate. It is distinct ...
on this in the amount of seven ''solidi'' in
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 ...
funds to the provost at the Remigiusberg. According to a document dated 62 years later (1332) referring to ''Rewilir'' (Rehweiler), Kunigunde, who was the Kusel ''Schultheiß'' Ruso's widow, was allowed the
tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more r ...
s from the villages of Eisenbach and Rehweiler that the provost at the Remigiusberg had awarded to the mayor, even after her husband's death. Only a few years after this first documentary mention of Rehweiler, Reichhartsweiler, the village across the Glan likewise passed to the County of Veldenz, and through a pledge of the free Imperial ''Ämter'' of Deinsberg (Theisbergstegen) and Reichenbach, to Count Georg I of Veldenz, who had succeeded Heinrich of Geroldseck. The exact year when this pledge was made is unknown, although it is, of course, known that it happened before 1347, when Georg I, perhaps, as the ''Landvogt'' of Speyer, the mightiest of all the Counts of Veldenz, died. While Rehweiler and the two other villages were now, as before, part of the ''Schultheißerei'' of Kusel, Reichartsweiler stayed with the pledged ''Ämter'', which were later united into one ''Amt'', the ''Reichenbacher Amt''. The oldest surviving document that names Reichartsweiler dates from 1393, when Count Friedrich of Veldenz, the last count of the newer Veldenz line, set forth for his wife Margaretha a '' Wittum'' with income from the villages of Gimsbach, Bettenhausen and Reichartsweiler. In 1444, the County of Veldenz met its end when Count Friedrich III of Veldenz died without a male heir. His daughter
Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...
wed King Ruprecht's son Count Palatine Stephan. By uniting his own Palatine holdings with the now otherwise heirless County of Veldenz – his wife had inherited the county, but not her father's title – and by redeeming the hitherto pledged County of Zweibrücken, Stephan founded a new County Palatine, as whose comital residence he chose the town of
Zweibrücken Zweibrücken (; french: Deux-Ponts, ; Palatinate German: ''Zweebrigge'', ; literally translated as "Two Bridges") is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Schwarzbach river. Name The name ''Zweibrücken'' means 'two bridges'; olde ...
: the County Palatine – later Duchy – of Palatinate-Zweibrücken. All the villages that now lie within Rehweiler's limits then lay within this duchy, possibly including Kengerhausen and Leidenstall, but it is unknown when these two villages vanished. Thus, Rehweiler and the two now vanished villages still lay within the ''Remigiusland'', in the '' Oberamt'' of Lichtenberg and the ''
Schultheiß In medieval Germany, the ''Schultheiß'' () was the head of a municipality (akin to today's office of mayor), a ''Vogt'' or an executive official of the ruler. As official (''villicus'') it was his duty to order his assigned village or county (' ...
erei'' of Pfeffelbach, but Reichartsweiler found itself in the ''Amt'' of Reichenbach.


Modern times

In 1543, Duke Wolfgang of Zweibrücken transferred lands to his uncle Ruprecht to found his own county palatine. These were the ''Ämter'' of Veldenz, Lauterecken, Jettenbach and Reichenbach, and later also Lützelstein 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 ...
. This new county palatine bore the name Palatinate-Veldenz, and later also Palatinate-Veldenz-Lützelstein. It thus arose that Reichartsweiler found itself within this new county palatine with the residence town of Lauterecken. However, Wolfgang's successor Johannes I concluded a treaty on 14 August 1600 with Ruprecht's successor Georg Hans (Jerrihans) whereby, among other things, the villages of Haschbach and Stegen passed from Palatinate-Zweibrücken to Palatinate-Veldenz, against which Palatinate-Veldenz
ceded The act of cession is the assignment of property to another entity. In international law it commonly refers to land transferred by treaty. Ballentine's Law Dictionary defines cession as "a surrender; a giving up; a relinquishment of jurisdictio ...
the village of Reichartsweiler to Palatinate-Zweibrücken. At the same time, Rehweiler and its neighbouring village across the Glan, Reichartsweiler, were merged into a common village structure under the name Rehweiler. The name Reichartsweiler slowly disappeared from official documents, although church books kept mentioning it right up until 1700. According to the 1609 Church Visitation protocols of the ''Amt'' of Baumholder, 136 persons – 91 in Reichartsweiler and 45 in Rehweiler – were living in the united village at that time. Soon thereafter, though, came 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 ...
, which struck Rehweiler very badly, as it did every other village in the area. While Rehweiler could still claim nine families, many other nearby villages were quite empty of people. Migration to the area helped raise the population levels, but
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
King Louis XIV's wars of conquest brought new hardship.


Recent times

Beginning in 1797, the Palatinate belonged to
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, and Rehweiler belonged to the ''Mairie'' (“Mayoralty”) of Quirnbach, the
Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ent ...
of Kusel, the
Arrondissement An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands. Europe France The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissements' ...
of Birkenfeld and the
Department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
of Sarre (whose capital was
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 ...
). The ''mairie'', at least, persisted even after
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 French rule ended with the
Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armie ...
and 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 ...
, but it was now called the ''Bürgermeisterei'' of Quirnbach, although this literally means in
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
the same thing as the older,
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
term. In 1817, the ''Bürgermeisterei'' of Quirnbach passed to the
Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German E ...
. 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 politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...
(NSDAP) became quite popular in Rehweiler. In the 1928 Reichstag elections, 1.7% 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, but by the 1930 Reichstag elections, this had grown to 12.3%. By the time of the 1933 Reichstag elections, after Hitler had already seized power, local support for the Nazis had swollen to 77.0%. Hitler's success in these elections paved the way for his
Enabling Act of 1933 The Enabling Act (German: ') of 1933, officially titled ' (), was a law that gave the German Cabinet – most importantly, the Chancellor – the powers to make and enforce laws without the involvement of the Reichstag or Weimar Presi ...
(''Ermächtigungsgesetz''), thus starting the Third Reich in earnest. The Mayoralty of Quirnbach lasted until administrative restructuring in
Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...
in 1972, when it was finally dissolved, and Rehweiler was grouped into the newly founded ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Glan-Münchweiler.


Population development

Until the early 20th century, Rehweiler's inhabitants earned their living almost exclusively at
agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
, which then began to lose importance, finally usually only being pursued as a secondary occupation. Even before the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, many villagers had to earn their livelihoods as workers at stone quarries,
Saarland The Saarland (, ; french: Sarre ) is a state of Germany in the south west of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and ...
mines and factories. Many members of the workforce today
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 work, making Rehweiler mainly a residential community for people in the most varied of occupations. The greater part of the population belongs to the
Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
faith. Before the rise of the Third Reich, a few Jews also lived in the village. While in 1609 there were still 136 inhabitants in Rehweiler, by 1675 – only 27 years after 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 ...
ended – there were only nine families left, and thus about 50 inhabitants. It was mainly newcomers who settled in the village who strongly boosted the population in the years leading up to 1688, but it shrank again in the wake of
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
King Louis XIV's wars of conquest. Then came steady growth, even though during the 18th century, nine families
emigrated Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...
to
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
. Between 1815 and 1835, there was yet more strong growth, followed by a fall in numbers due once again to emigration. There was another period of growth between 1900 and 1939, and then 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 opposin ...
came ethnic Germans driven out of Germany's former eastern territories, looking for new homes. This also raised the population figures. Today, the trend is once again downward. The following table shows population figures for Rehweiler over the centuries, and in some instances breaks the population down by religious affiliation. Figures marked with an F denote the number of families:


Municipality’s name

Both Reichartsweiler and Rehweiler have the placename ending ''—weiler''. As a standalone word, this means “
hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
” in Modern High German (but originally “homestead”). It can be traced to the
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
word ''villa'' (“estate”) and the German
loanword A loanword (also loan word or loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language. This is in contrast to cognates, which are words in two or more languages that are similar because th ...
''villare''. In both cases, the foregoing syllables come from personal names. According to researchers Dolch and Greule, Reichartsweiler may originally have been a homestead kept by somebody named Richard, and Rehweiler may likewise have been such a thing held by somebody named Raho, and nothing at all to do with
roe deer The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...
(''Reh'' in German); the charge in 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 merely a canting element. The name Reichartsweiler has appeared in several forms over the ages: ''Richartsvilr'' (1393), ''Rycharts wilre'' (1477), ''Richartzviller'' (1593). Likewise, Rehweiler has taken, among other forms: ''Rewilir'' (1332), ''Ruhwilr'' (1393), ''Rehwilre'' (1416), ''Rewiller'' (1436), ''Rehweiler'' (1586). Also according to Dolch and Greule, a man named “Baldemar von Rehweiler” mentioned sometime before 1296 has nothing to do with today's Rehweiler, but rather his name refers to a now vanished village in the Ohmbach valley.


Vanished villages

In the area north of the village of Rehweiler, in the valley of the Eisenbach, once lay the village of Kengerhausen, the likelihood being quite high that it was somewhere within Rehweiler's current limits. The village is only known from one mention in an historical document from 1588. It was likely actually a bigger than usual farmstead. Researchers Dolch and Greule construe the name as meaning a place ''Zu den Königsleuten'' (“At the King’s People”), which therefore would mean that it must have arisen before the founding of the ''Remigiusland'' in the ''Königsland''. If Dolch's and Greule's interpretation is correct, Kengerhausen might well have been older than either Rehweiler or Reichartsweiler. The former village of Leidenstall, whose name can still be recognized in the cadastral name Leidstaler Hube (a field in the municipality), lay right at the municipal limit with Etschberg, but nonetheless within what is now Rehweiler. It was mentioned as early as 1270 as ''Leudenstall'', which can be taken to mean “Luido’s Farm”. The ending ''—stall'' here means “place”, rather than “stable” as it usually does in modern-day
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
. This ending changed to ''—t(h)al'' (“dale” or “valley”) only much later. Forms of the name were, over the ages, as follows: ''Laidensthal'' (1446), ''Laidsthal'' (1484) and ''Leidsthal'' (1588). The 1588 form comes from Johannes Hoffmann's ''Beschreibung des Oberamtes Lichtenberg'' (“Description of the '' Oberamt'' of Lichtenberg”). By his time, the village had already vanished. It had supposedly burnt down one Sunday while all the villagers were attending church services in Kusel. Even then, a building was still standing near the village's location (but within Etschberg's limits), the so-called ''Huberhaus'' from which watch was kept over the surrounding forest. Later, a marksmen's clubhouse stood on the spot.


Religion

During the
Late Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the Periodization, period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Eur ...
, Rehweiler belonged to the church of Kusel, and Reichartsweiler to the church of Reichenbach; these both belonged to the Diocese of Mainz. When Duke Ludwig II of Zweibrücken
converted 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
Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...
’s new teaching, the inhabitants of these villages, under the principle of ''
cuius regio, eius religio () is a Latin phrase which literally means "whose realm, their religion" – meaning that the religion of the ruler was to dictate the religion of those ruled. This legal principle marked a major development in the collective (if not individual ...
'', had to do likewise and adopt the
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
faith. In 1588, the subjects had to convert again, this time to
John Calvin John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...
’s teaching, once Duke Johannes I had chosen
Calvinism Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...
as his new belief. This, however, only applied to Rehweiler, and not to Reichartsweiler, for the latter belonged at this time to Palatinate-Veldenz. Only two years later, though, the two villages were merged, and then Reichartsweiler’s inhabitants likewise had to convert to Calvinism. After the Thirty Years' War,
freedom of religion Freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. It also includes the freedom ...
prevailed, and that led, during the
occupation Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...
by King Louis XIV's troops, to the
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
faith being once again more strongly supported. A further conversion to Lutheranism held little meaning for the villagers. Most kept to their Calvinist beliefs, and Catholic migrants, too, were settling in the village. The
Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
in the village today belong to the church of Quirnbach in the
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
deaconry of Kusel, while the Catholics belong to the church of Glan-Münchweiler in the Catholic deaconry of Kusel.


Politics


Municipal council

The council is made up of 8 council members, who were elected by
majority vote A majority, also called a simple majority or absolute majority to distinguish it from related terms, is more than half of the total.Dictionary definitions of ''majority'' aMerriam-Websterarms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...
might in English
heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...
language be described thus: Per pale sable and Or a roebuck at gaze counterchanged upon a bridge arched of three gules masoned sable spanning water argent. The roebuck (''Rehbock'' in
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
) is a canting charge for the municipality's name. The bridge is the one spanning the river Glan (the water in base), and symbolizes the link between the two formerly separate villages of Reichartsweiler and Rehweiler. The
tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...
s, sable and Or (black and gold), are those borne by the
House of 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 ...
, which held sway in both
the Palatinate The Palatinate (german: Pfalz; Palatine German: ''Palz'') is a region of Germany. In the Middle Ages it was known as the Rhenish Palatinate (''Rheinpfalz'') and Lower Palatinate (''Unterpfalz''), which strictly speaking designated only the wes ...
and the Duchy of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, the two states that also once divided the two centres between themselves. Otto Hupp’s book ''Die Ortswappen und Gemeindesiegel der Rheinpfalz'' (“Municipal Arms and Seals of the Rhenish Palatinate”) published in 1928 displays an unapproved coat of arms for Rehweiler that might be described as “Argent a roebuck springing gules unguled Or” (that is, a red roebuck with gold hooves rearing on its hindlegs on a silver background). An old seal from the 18th century shows a roebuck as a play on the name Rehweiler, which is actually not derived from the German word at all, but rather from an old
Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages * Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany * East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...
personal name. Modelled on this seal was the coat of arms in Hupp's book, and modelled on this in turn was the current coat of arms, which has been borne by the municipality since 1987.


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: * Am Kuselberg 1 – ''Quereinhaus'' (a combination residential and commercial house divided for these two purposes down the middle, perpendicularly to the street) with crow-stepped gable, marked 1821, expansion 1910 * Am Kuselberg 3 – hook-shaped estate, latter half of the 19th century; ''Quereinhaus'', about 1875, two-floor stables, essentially from 1787 (?) * Eisenbacher Weg 1 – stone oven pedestal, marked 1814 * Glanstraße 8 – former
school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...
;
Baroque Revival The Baroque Revival, also known as Neo-Baroque (or Second Empire architecture in France and Wilhelminism in Germany), was an architectural style of the late 19th century. The term is used to describe architecture and architectural sculptur ...
building with hipped roof, 1907, architect Regional Master Builder Kleinhans, Kusel * Glanstraße 14 – former mill; oilmill ruin, possibly from the latter half of the 18th century; protective house for the
waterwheel A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with a number of blades or buckets ...
s, marked 1880; two-and-a-half-floor, wedge-shaped former gristmill, marked 1797 and 1890, commercial part from the earlier half of the 19th century; characterizes village’s appearance * Quirnbacher Straße 2 – ''Quereinhaus'', Late Classicist motifs, roof partly overhanging, marked 1899 (conversion), shed, about 1920 * Quirnbacher Straße 3 – ''Quereinhaus'', latter half of the 18th century * Rödelbach 5 – ''Quereinhaus'', marked 1772 (stone oven pedestal), behind, former bakehouse


Regular events

The shift in population structure and the promotion of
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
have both breathed new life into Rehweiler’s cultural life. Nevertheless, the local clubs are still seen as the village’s main cultural support. Rehweiler holds its kermis (church consecration festival, locally known as the ''Kerb'') on the first weekend in May, with ''Straußmädchen'' and ''Straußbuben'' (“bouquet girls” and “bouquet lads”), and also the ''Kerwerede'' (“kermis speech”). See the Regular events section in either the
Niederalben Niederalben 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, wh ...
or Quirnbach article for more about this. The old children's custom of the ''Pfingstquack'' at Whitsun has also been preserved. See Regular events in the Henschtal article for more about this.


Clubs

The following clubs are active in Rehweiler: *''Spielvereinigung Rehweiler-Matzenbach'' —
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 ...
union with Matzenbach *''Schützenverein Edelweiß'' —
shooting Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missiles can ...
club *''Angelsportverein'' — angling club *''Gemischter Chor'' — mixed
choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...
*''Landfrauenverein'' — countrywomen's club *''Arbeiterwohlfahrt'' — workers’ welfare *''Feuerwehr-Förderverein'' — fire brigade promotional association *''Verein der Motorradfreunde'' —
motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
club *''SPD-Ortsverein'' —
Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the ...
local chapter Found in the municipality are a sporting ground and a shooting range.


Economy and infrastructure


Economic structure

An important economic institution for Rehweiler in days of yore was the mill. In 1585, it was given over into ''Erbbestand'' (a uniquely German landhold arrangement in which ownership rights and usage rights were separated; this is forbidden by law in modern Germany), 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 ...
it was destroyed and in 1675 it was repaired. According to the ''Sundahl’sches Mühlenprotokoll'', this mill had two waterwheels that drove two grist runs with cage gear, and a husking run. A so-called ''Pletschmühle'' (one with an overshot waterwheel that could only run when the water flow was strong enough) also stood for a time, on a channel that tapped into one of the Glan's tributaries, which was used only as an overflow mill, and was bound to the main mill. Soon 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 opposin ...
, the mill in Rehweiler was shut down for good. The economic mainstay was
agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
, though the village had the customary craftsmen and innkeepers, and alongside them beginning in the mid 19th century also ''Musikanten'' (travelling musicians; see ''Musikanten'' and Otto Schwarz in the
Hinzweiler Hinzweiler () is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Lauterecken-Wolfstei ...
article for more about them) and miners. These occupations earned ever more importance on into the 1920s. Today, the village itself offers very few opportunities for a livelihood, and the old craft businesses have long since disappeared. There are an agricultural dealership, a roofing company, an auto body speciality shop and a building services company.
Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
may become more important as time goes by.


Education

The first rudiments of schooling in Rehweiler in the 17th century could not be brought to fruition because of the ravages of the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
, and only in the course of the 18th century was their any advancement towards the goal of setting up a school system in the village. In the beginning, some children voluntarily attended lessons in Quirnbach. The municipality thus put forth a proposal to establish a school in the village itself at its own expense, since it was all too burdensome, sending the children, some of whom were sickly or not well clothed, to school in Quirnbach in wicked wintertime weather. The chief consistorial councillor and school inspector Euler from
Pfeffelbach Pfeffelbach 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, who ...
agreed to send a schoolteacher to Rehweiler, but nonetheless, taxes for the school and bell office would, as before, have to be transferred to Quirnbach. Just when schooling began in Rehweiler is unknown, but in 1730, Johannes Gensinger from
Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major histor ...
was sent to Rehweiler, right after his examination. Gensinger taught in the village until 1734, when he was called to
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 ...
. Gensinger's successor was Franz Philipp Collini, who taught from Saint Martin's Day to
Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
– in other words, only in winter – 30 to 34 schoolchildren in three classes, the whole day but for a one-hour lunch break. Collini received from secular taxes six Rhenish guilders and two ''Malter'' of corn (
wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
or
rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe (Triticeae) and is closely related to both wheat (''Triticum'') and barley (genus ''Hordeum''). Rye grain is u ...
), from the municipality three ''Malter'' of corn, and further, each child paid him 15 Kreuzer in school fees. In 1754, the municipality was relieved of its duty to deliver “school wood” (for heating) to Quirnbach. Collini's successor was Johann Jacob Theiß, who according to an official report kept the school in a good state. In 1764, 23 boys and 18 girls were being taught. In 1766, Johann Jacob Müller was the schoolteacher in Rehweiler, 28 years old, father of two children. The dwelling made available to him was merely a parlour. The living arrangements were, not surprisingly, described by the '' Oberamt'' officials as “bad”. In 1775, a teachers’ college student Johann Christian Theyss from Rehweiler was named, and in 1783 a schoolteacher Jakob Strauß, whose father Abraham Strauß was the reeve in Rehweiler. In 1790, the teacher Johann Nickel Schmidt was teaching in Rehweiler, a job that he kept through
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
ary 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. In the
Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German E ...
(where Rehweiler found itself after the
Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...
), the government undertook from the beginning to bring to life a new school structure. It is known that before 1836 in Rehweiler, a man named Jacob Horstmann led the school. Horstmann was then transferred to
Erpolzheim Erpolzheim is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Geography Location The municipality lies in the P ...
and followed in Rehweiler by Jacob Philipp Schwarm, who for seven years had taught in
Haschbach am Remigiusberg Haschbach am Remigiusberg is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Kusel- ...
. About 1870, Rehweiler parents were no longer satisfied with Schwarm, who after teaching for 35 years showed obvious signs of bodily and mental weakness. With a yearly salary of 200 guilders, he was pensioned off, and after interviewing several applicants, municipal council chose Ludwig Neumüller as his successor. Already towards the end of the century, Neumüller was suffering from a severe eye malady. After several lengthy leaves of absence, he was pensioned off at the age of 64 in 1904. He was succeeded by several supply teachers, first among them Friedrich Hebel senior. When he became seriously ill at the age of 46, his son, Friedrich Hebel junior, then 21 years old, took over. In 1907, a new schoolhouse was built right near the Glan bridge in the
Baroque Revival The Baroque Revival, also known as Neo-Baroque (or Second Empire architecture in France and Wilhelminism in Germany), was an architectural style of the late 19th century. The term is used to describe architecture and architectural sculptur ...
style. The local school had to be closed in the course of scholastic restructuring in 1970. The schoolhouse was remodelled into a house.
Primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
pupils and
Hauptschule A ''Hauptschule'' (, "general school") is a secondary school in Germany, starting after four years of elementary schooling (''Grundschule''), which offers Lower Secondary Education (Level 2) according to the International Standard Classification ...
students are now taught in Glan-Münchweiler. Nearby Gymnasien are to be found in Kusel and
Landstuhl Landstuhl () is a town in the Kaiserslautern district of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It is the seat of ''Verbandsgemeinde Landstuhl'', a kind of "collective municipality." Landstuhl is situated on the north-west edge of the Palatinate F ...
. The nearest
university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
towns in the broader area are
Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...
(
Kaiserslautern University of Technology Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...
),
Saarbrücken Saarbrücken (; french: link=no, Sarrebruck ; Rhine Franconian: ''Saarbrigge'' ; lb, Saarbrécken ; lat, Saravipons, lit=The Bridge(s) across the Saar river) is the capital and largest city of the state of Saarland, Germany. Saarbrücken is S ...
(
Saarland University Saarland University (german: Universität des Saarlandes, ) is a public research university located in Saarbrücken, the capital of the German state of Saarland. It was founded in 1948 in Homburg in co-operation with France and is organized in si ...
),
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 ...
(
University of Trier The University of Trier (german: Universität Trier), in the German city of Trier, was founded in 1473. Closed in 1798 by order of the then French administration in Trier, the university was re-established in 1970 after a hiatus of some 172 y ...
) and
Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...
( University of Mainz).


Transport

Running through the village is '' Bundesstraße'' 423 on the Glan's right bank and parallel thereto, 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 ...
by way of Glan-Münchweiler and Homburg to the
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
border. Branching from it is '' Landesstraße'' 359, which links Rehweiler with the neighbouring village of Quirnbach. All neighbouring villages (Quirnbach, Glan-Münchweiler, Matzenbach) lie only a few kilometres away. To the south lies the
Autobahn The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. ...
A 62 (
Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...
Trier Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
), whose Glan-Münchweiler interchange lies roughly 3 km away. Rehweiler has a
railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
on the
Landstuhl–Kusel railway The Landstuhl–Kusel railway is a branch line in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, connecting the town of Kusel to the railway network. It was the first line built by the Palatine Northern Railway Company (''Gesellschaft der Pfälzischen ...
, served by hourly Regionalbahn 67 (''Glantalbahn'', Kusel
Landstuhl Landstuhl () is a town in the Kaiserslautern district of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It is the seat of ''Verbandsgemeinde Landstuhl'', a kind of "collective municipality." Landstuhl is situated on the north-west edge of the Palatinate F ...
–Kaiserslautern) services.Transport
/ref>


Famous people


Sons and daughters of the town

* Johann Wilhelm Baumer (1719–1788),
physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...
, medic and mineralogist ( German Wikipedia article)


References


External links


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