Schöneberg, Bad Kreuznach
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Schöneberg is an ''
Ortsgemeinde Ortsgemeinde may refer to: * Ortsgemeinde (Austria), a type of municipality in Austria * Ortsgemeinde (Germany) A (; plural ) is a low-level administrative division, administrative unit in the Germany, German States of Germany, federal states ...
'' – a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
belonging to a ''
Verbandsgemeinde A (; plural ) is a low-level administrative division, administrative unit in the Germany, German States of Germany, federal states of Brandenburg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt. A is typically composed of a small group of Municipalitie ...
'', a kind of collective municipality – in the
Bad Kreuznach Bad Kreuznach () is a town in the Bad Kreuznach (district), Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a spa town, known for its medieval bridge dating from around 1300, the Alte Nahebrücke (Bad Kreuznach), Alte Nahebrücke, ...
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, municip ...
in
Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; ; ; ) 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 sixteen states. Mainz is the capital and largest city. Other cities are ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde''
Langenlonsheim-Stromberg Langenlonsheim-Stromberg is a ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collective municipality") in the Bad Kreuznach (district), district of Bad Kreuznach, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' is in Langenlonsheim. It was formed on 1 ...
, whose seat is in
Langenlonsheim Langenlonsheim is an '' Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Langenlon ...
. Schöneberg is a
winegrowing Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ...
village.


Geography


Location

Schöneberg lies in the
Hunsrück The Hunsrück () is a long, triangular, pronounced mountain range, upland in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the valleys of the Moselle (river), Moselle-Saar (north-to-west), the Nahe (south), and the Rhine (east). It is continued ...
on a mountain ridge in the Soonwald between the Guldenbach and Gräfenbach valleys, roughly 10 km southwest of the River
Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...
at
Bingerbrück Bingerbrück () is a ''Ortsteil, Stadtteil'' of Bingen am Rhein, on the opposite side of the river Nahe (Rhine), Nahe from the old town of Bingen. It was self-administering until 1969. Points of interest Binger Mäuseturm "The Mouse Tower of Bi ...
.


Neighbouring municipalities

Clockwise from the north, Schöneberg's neighbours are the municipality of
Dörrebach Dörrebach is an ''Ortsgemeinde (Germany), Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Kreuznach (district), Bad Kreuznach Districts of Germany, ...
, the town of Stromberg, and the municipalities of Schweppenhausen, Windesheim, Hergenfeld and
Spabrücken Spabrücken is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North S ...
, all of which likewise lie within the Bad Kreuznach district. Owing to a peculiarity in the way in which the municipal boundaries are laid out, the village site of
Eckenroth Eckenroth is an ''Ortsgemeinde (Germany), Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Kreuznach (district), Bad Kreuznach Districts of Germany, d ...
, whose municipal area does not border on Schöneberg's, actually lies nearer the village site of Schöneberg than the village site of Schweppenhausen does.


History

As far back as ancient times, the place where Schöneberg now lies was being used by
Romans 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 Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
as an important way station. Proof of this comes from, among other things, the foundations of a
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 ...
with a
hypocaust A hypocaust () is a system of central heating in a building that produces and circulates hot air below the floor of a room, and may also warm the walls with a series of pipes through which the hot air passes. This air can warm the upper floors a ...
, which were unearthed in the course of building work. The military road running by Schöneberg from
Kreuznach Bad Kreuznach () is a town in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a spa town, known for its medieval bridge dating from around 1300, the Alte Nahebrücke, which is one of the few remaining bridges in the world wi ...
to
Koblenz Koblenz ( , , ; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz'') is a German city on the banks of the Rhine (Middle Rhine) and the Moselle, a multinational tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman military p ...
later served postal coach traffic. Schöneberg thus had regular links to other places by way of the
Thurn und Taxis The Princely House of Thurn and Taxis (, ) is a family of German nobility that is part of the ''Briefadel''. It was a key player in the mail, postal services in Europe during the 16th century, until the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, and ...
postal riders as an ''Ordinari Postort'', a regular stop. In 983, the village passed from Imperial ownership to the Archfoundation of Mainz and was later granted to various knightly families. A man with a link to the village,
Johann von Schönenberg Johann von Schönenberg (1525–1599) was the Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1581 to 1599. Von Schönenberg was born in Burg Hartelstein in Schwirzheim in 1525. His father was also named Johann von Schönenberg. He became ''Domizellar'' of the ...
, even became the
Archbishop-Elector of Trier The Diocese of Trier (), in English historically also known as ''Treves'' () from French ''Trèves'', is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic church in Germany.Trier witch trials The Witch Trials of Trier took place in the independent Catholic diocese of Trier in the Holy Roman Empire in present day Germany between 1581 and 1593, and were perhaps the largest documented witch trial in history in view of the executions. ...
. The von Schonenburg lordly family built the first castle house in 1539, on whose foundations their descendants built a newer one that still stands today in 1686. The earlier house had also been Johann von Schönenberg's childhood home. Later, the village passed to
the Palatinate The Palatinate (; ; Palatine German: ''Palz''), or the Rhenish Palatinate (''Rheinpfalz''), is a historical region of Germany. The Palatinate occupies most of the southern quarter of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate (''Rheinla ...
, who enfeoffed the Counts of Ingelheim with it. This lordship ended when French Revolutionary troops came marching into the region.


The Schöneberg postal road

The postal road corresponded along much of its length with the former
Roman road Roman roads ( ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Republic and the Roman Em ...
. It was the so-called ''Niederländischer Postkurs'' (Dutch Postal Route), which led from Simmern over the heights of the
Hunsrück The Hunsrück () is a long, triangular, pronounced mountain range, upland in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the valleys of the Moselle (river), Moselle-Saar (north-to-west), the Nahe (south), and the Rhine (east). It is continued ...
to
Seibersbach Seibersbach is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Se ...
,
Dörrebach Dörrebach is an ''Ortsgemeinde (Germany), Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Kreuznach (district), Bad Kreuznach Districts of Germany, ...
, Schöneberg, Hergenfeld, the Breitenfelser-Hof and
Kreuznach Bad Kreuznach () is a town in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a spa town, known for its medieval bridge dating from around 1300, the Alte Nahebrücke, which is one of the few remaining bridges in the world wi ...
. Schöneberg has this situation to thank for its being an ''Ordinari Postort'' from the 14th century until about 1630. That is to say that Schöneberg was regularly served by postal riders and postal coaches, whereas nearby Stromberg, as an ''Extraordinäri Postort'', was only served from Schöneberg on request. Only sometime between 1620 and 1632 was the postal service transferred from Schöneberg to Stromberg, for it is known that by that time that there was a postmaster in Stromberg.


Schöneberg as a castle village

Schöneberg is what in
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
is called an ''unechter Burgort'' (“false castle village”), meaning that the village and the
castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
actually developed apart from each other; it was thus not a case of a castle giving rise to a village outside its walls. Nonetheless, it must be borne in mind that a village in the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
was not what is commonly imagined today as a village. Most villages were made up of some 30
straw Straw is an agricultural byproduct consisting of the dry wikt:stalk, stalks of cereal plants after the grain and chaff have been removed. It makes up about half of the crop yield, yield by weight of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, ry ...
-
thatched Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge ('' Cladium mariscus''), rushes, heather, or palm branches, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. Since the bulk of ...
houses. The streets were unpaved and had open
sewage Sewage (or domestic sewage, domestic wastewater, municipal wastewater) is a type of wastewater that is produced by a community of people. It is typically transported through a sewerage, sewer system. Sewage consists of wastewater discharged fro ...
drains. Most had a village well open to everyone and also a firepond. This description of a village held true into the 18th century and only slowly did it change in the 19th century. Schöneberg's beginnings may have arisen at what is now the village's northern outskirts, whereas the castle complex only arose later and about one kilometre to the west. The old Schöneberg churchyard was mentioned in 1577 and lay on what is today the ''
Kreisstraße A Kreisstraße (, or 'county road') is a class of road in Germany. It carries traffic between the towns and villages within a ''Districts of Germany, Kreis'' or district or between two neighbouring districts. In importance, the ''Kreisstraße'' ...
'' that leads to
Eckenroth Eckenroth is an ''Ortsgemeinde (Germany), Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Kreuznach (district), Bad Kreuznach Districts of Germany, d ...
, at the corner of Höller Weg. It was until the 17th century the graveyard for the whole parish area of Schöneberg and Hergenfeld. However, as the village slowly grew towards the castle and the castle
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...
became the parish church sometime about 1700, the people reverted to the old tradition of burying their dead around the church. In 1895, the old church (originally the castle church) was torn down and the site turned into a burying ground. After further expansions, today's graveyard eventually arose. The shift towards the castle was hardly groundless: people obviously felt safer from robbers and bandits if they were near a castle.


The Lords of Schönenberg

From 1504 to 1581, the local ''
Amtmann __NOTOC__ The ''Amtmann'' or ''Ammann'' (in Switzerland) was an official in German-speaking countries of Europe and in some of the Nordic countries from the time of the Middle Ages whose office was akin to that of a bailiff A bailiff is a ...
'', the highest official in the ''
Amt Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only in Germany, but formerly also common in other countries of Northern Europe. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to ...
'' of Stromberg, was furnished by the Lords of Schönenberg: *1504-1509: Phillipp von Schönenberg *1509-1530: Johann von Schönenberg *1530-1542: Diether von Schönenberg *1542-1552: Reichard Greifenclau zu Vollrads, Diether von Schönenberg's son-in-law *1552-1581: Hans Valentin von Schönenberg Hans Valentin zu Schönenberg was first mentioned in 1552 as a Palatine ''Amtmann'' at Stromberg. No later than 1560, he was enfeoffed with the Lordship of Schöneberg. Whether Hans Valentin zu Schönenberg appointed the first
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
clergyman to Schöneberg of his own will or at
Electoral Palatinate The Electoral Palatinate was a constituent state of the Holy Roman Empire until it was annexed by the Electorate of Baden in 1803. From the end of the 13th century, its ruler was one of the Prince-electors who elected the Holy Roman Empero ...
’s behest is unclear. What is clear, however, from the fact that he sent two of his sons to study at the
University of Marburg The Philipps University of Marburg () is a public research university located in Marburg, Germany. It was founded in 1527 by Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse, which makes it one of Germany's oldest universities and the oldest still operating Prote ...
in 1568, is that at this time, he stood squarely on the Protestant side. Hans Valentin zu Schönenberg had a brother, Johann von Schönenberg. He was the cathedral
provost Provost may refer to: Officials Ecclesiastic * Provost (religion), a high-ranking church official * Prince-provost, a high-ranking church official Government * Provost (civil), an officer of local government, including the equivalent ...
at
Trier Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also Names of Trier in different languages, names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle (river), Moselle in Germany. It lies in a v ...
, ''
Stadthalter In the Low Countries, a stadtholder ( ) was a steward, first appointed as a medieval official and ultimately functioning as a national leader. The ''stadtholder'' was the replacement of the duke or count of a province during the Burgundian and ...
'' (“steward”) for the city of Trier, rector of the
University of Trier The Trier University (), 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 years. The new university camp ...
and, as Johann VII, the Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1581 to 1599 and a steadfast follower of the old belief (
Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
) who unforbearingly banned the Protestants from Trier. In 1602, Archbishop-Elector of Mainz enfeoffed Hans Reichard von Schönenberg with Schöneberg and Hergenfeld for himself, as the eldest, and his brother's underage sons. After the Schönenbergs died out in the male line in 1632, the Counts of Schönburg at
Oberwesel Oberwesel () is a town on the Middle Rhine in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (district) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Hunsrück-Mittelrhein, whose seat is in Emmelshausen. Geography Location Oberwesel l ...
became the fiefholders.


Jewish history

Schöneberg had a small
Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...
ish community in the 19th century. Jews were first mentioned as being in the village in the 16th century: sometime about 1548 or 1550, a protection money payment list named the village's Jews. It read in part:
''In amptem Stromberg beckellum und Crutzennach. Menche von Schonberg sol geben v. fl. halb bart und halb martini…''
“Menche” was a short form of the given name “Menachem” (“מנחם”); he was to pay five
Rhenish guilder The Rhenish ''gulden'' or Rhenish ''guilder'' (; ) was a gold, standard currency coin of the Rhineland in the 14th and 15th centuries. They weighed between 3.4 and 3.8 grams (). History The Rhenish gold ''gulden'' was created when the Prince- ...
s in two instalments through the year. Nevertheless, the number of Jews then in the village was quite small. In 1808, there were 15 Jewish inhabitants in Schöneberg, and 26 in 1858, out of a total of 587 inhabitants. Also belonging to the Schöneberg Jewish community were the Jews living in Hergenfeld and
Spabrücken Spabrücken is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North S ...
, which in 1858 amounted to 10 and 15 inhabitants respectively. By 1895, the number of Jewish inhabitants in Schöneberg had shrunk to 4. Living in Spabrücken, meanwhile, were 21. In 1925, only two were still living in Schöneberg, while there were 8 in Spabrücken and none in Hergenfeld. It is believed that by the late 19th century, Spabrücken's Jewish inhabitants belonged to the
Argenschwang Argenschwang is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Rüdesheim, ...
community. In the way of institutions, there were presumably a prayer room at one of the Jewish houses and a graveyard. After 1933, when
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
and the
Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
came to power, only one Jew still lived in Schöneberg, an invalid named Simon Michel (b. 1897 in Hettenleidelheim; named in the 1939 book of inhabitants) who was deported to
Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...
and died. According to the '' Gedenkbuch – Opfer der Verfolgung der Juden unter der nationalsozialistischen Gewaltherrschaft in Deutschland 1933-1945'' ("Memorial Book – Victims of the Persecution of the Jews under National Socialist Tyranny") and
Yad Vashem Yad Vashem (; ) is Israel's official memorial institution to the victims of Holocaust, the Holocaust known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (). It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; echoing the stories of the ...
, of all Jews who either were born in Spabrücken or lived there for a long time, five were the victims of Nazi persecution (birthdates in brackets): #Isaak Schwarz (1879) #Karoline Schwarz (1874) #Leo Schwarz (1872) #Theodor Schwarz (1883) #Leopold Wolf (1865)


Religion

As at 31 January 2014, there are 633 full-time residents in Schöneberg, and of those, 157 are
Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...
(24.803%), 345 are
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
(54.502%), 9 (1.422%) belong to other religious groups and 122 (19.273%) either have no religion or will not reveal their religious affiliation.


Politics


Municipal council

The council is made up of 12 council members, who were elected by
proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to any electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to political divisions (Political party, political parties) amon ...
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman. The twelve seats are shared by two voters’ groups.


Mayor

Schöneberg's mayor is H.-D. Wopen, and his deputies are L. C. Baumgärtner and M. Essner.


Coat of arms

The municipality's
arms 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 be described thus: Per fess enhanced sable three crosses pattée argent and per pale gules a wheel spoked of six of the second and sable a lion rampant Or armed, langued and crowned of the third. Schöneberg's history is shown in condensed form in its coat of arms. The three crosses seen in the upper field are an heraldic device once borne by the Knights of Schonenburg, while below this on the dexter (armsbearer's right, viewer's left) side is the
Wheel of Mainz The Wheel of Mainz or , in German language, German, was the coat of arms of the Archbishopric of Mainz and thus also of the Electorate of Mainz (Kurmainz), in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It consists of a silver wheel with six spokes on a red ...
, and on the sinister (armsbearer's left, viewer's right) side, the Palatine Lion.


Culture and sightseeing


Buildings

The following are listed buildings or sites in
Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; ; ; ) 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 sixteen states. Mainz is the capital and largest city. Other cities are ...
’s Directory of Cultural Monuments: *
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...
of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (''Kirche zur Kreuzauffindung''), Schlossstraße 1 – Late
Romanesque Revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended t ...
hall church A hall church is a Church (building), church with a nave and aisles of approximately equal height. In England, Flanders and the Netherlands, it is covered by parallel roofs, typically, one for each vessel, whereas in Germany there is often one s ...
, quarrystone, 1895, architects Carl Rüdell and Richard Odenthal * Hauptstraße 23 – estate complex; lordly Late Classicist building with half-hip roof, partly
timber-frame Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs. If the struc ...
, marked 1843; stable and barn addition in the manner of an estate complex along the street; further long side building, 19th century * At Hauptstraße 37 –
spolia ''Spolia'' (Latin for 'spoils'; : ''spolium'') are stones taken from an old structure and repurposed for new construction or decorative purposes. It is the result of an ancient and widespread practice (spoliation) whereby stone that has been quar ...
,
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
portal lintel, marked 1568 * Near Hauptstraße 52 – wayside cross, Late Baroque, from the latter half of the 18th century * Near Schlossstraße 3 – village fountain, 18th or 19th century, restoration possibly in the 1920s * Schlossstraße 4 – house, gate complex, Baroque timber-frame house, partly solid, half-hip roof, marked 1688 * Schlossstraße 5 – former castle house; building with half-hip roof, possibly from 1539, conversion possibly in 1686, ringwall remnants * Schlossstraße 5–11, 8–12 (monumental zone) – area of the former palatial residence of the Lords of Schöneberg (no. 5, 16th century); village's early seed centre separated from the rest of the built-up area by the graveyard with today six estate complexes grouped around a yard from the 16th century to the first fourth of the 20th century * ''Forsthaus Neupfalz'' (forester's house), on ''
Landesstraße ''Landesstraßen'' (singular: ''Landesstraße'' ) are roads in Germany and Austria that are, as a rule, the responsibility of the respective German or Austrian federal state. The term may therefore be translated as "state road". They are road ...
'' 240, northwest of the village – group of buildings in Heimatstil, about 1905 *
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
graveyard, south of the village (monumental zone) – area with five gravestones from the 19th century and the early 20th century (see also below)


The former school building, now community centre

The former
school A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the Educational architecture, building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most co ...
in Schöneberg was built on a meadow in 1826 by Master Mason Jakob Schweigert from Schöneberg to plans by Master Builder Bär from
Kreuznach Bad Kreuznach () is a town in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a spa town, known for its medieval bridge dating from around 1300, the Alte Nahebrücke, which is one of the few remaining bridges in the world wi ...
. The schoolroom was upstairs with two small, north-facing rooms, and downstairs was the teacher's dwelling. In 1893, an addition was built onto the schoolhouse's west side, containing the two schoolrooms, a cellar, a storehouse, the stairwell and for each teacher's dwelling a small room. In 1989, today's community centre came into being through the expansion and conversion of what had until now been the school building.


Jewish graveyard

The time when the
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
graveyard in Schöneberg arose is unknown. Only four gravestones are still preserved, dating from between 1885 and 1924. The graveyard covers an area of 1 362 m². From the graveyard's size it seems clear that the dead from surrounding Jewish communities ( Hergenfeld and
Spabrücken Spabrücken is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North S ...
) were also buried here. In the time of the
Third Reich Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...
, it is believed that the graveyard was largely removed. Some of the gravestones might have disappeared under weed overgrowth. After 1945, the graveyard was reinstated as far as was then possible. It lies roughly one kilometre south of the village centre in the area called “Auf dem Gerstenberg” near the Windesheimer Wald (forest) and can be reached by a farm lane that branches off the road to Hergenfeld (not far from the crossing near the sporting ground) eastwards towards the edge of the forest.


Regular events

Each year on 3 May, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Schöneberg holds its
kermis Kermesse, or kermis, or kirmess, is an outdoor fair or festival usually organized for charitable purposes. The term was derived from 'kerk' (church) and 'mis' (mass) in the original Dutch language term, and was borrowed in English, French, Spa ...
(church consecration festival). If the feast day falls on a weekday, the kermis is held on the following Sunday and Monday.


Sport and leisure

Found on the Neupfalz, between Schöneberg and Stromberg is the ''Wald-Erlebniszentrum Soonwald'' (“Soonwald Forest Adventure Centre”). Lying in the middle of the forest, it offers visitors the opportunity for an intensive nature experience. Both for school and youth groups and for adults and families, the offerings include one-day or several-day programmes in environmental education as applied to woodlands and forest adventures. The forestry office's 9,000 or so hectares of woods allow visitors a hands-on experience. Furthermore, there are facilities available for use, such as the forest laboratory, the forest workshop and the
Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...
room with its adjoining library. Only a stone's throw from the Centre, just short of
Dörrebach Dörrebach is an ''Ortsgemeinde (Germany), Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Kreuznach (district), Bad Kreuznach Districts of Germany, ...
, is a locality called the Lehnmühle (historically a mill). Apart from a few houses, what predominates here is
agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
. Worth experiencing above all else is the homemade
cheese Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...
, which is known far beyond the municipality's limits and is prized by gourmets. Schöneberg also has a
grilling Grilling is a form of cooking that involves heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat and v ...
pavilion, a
bowls Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which players try to roll their ball (called a bowl) closest to a smaller ball (known as a "jack" or sometimes a "kitty"). The bowls are shaped (biased), so that they follow a curve ...
pitch and a community centre.


Clubs

The following clubs are active in Schöneberg: *''MGV Liederkranz e.V. Schöneberg'' — men's singing club *''Freunde der Feuerwehr Schöneberg e.V.'' —
fire brigade A fire department (North American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire company, fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and ...
promotional association *''Schöneberger Schloßtheater e.V.'' — theatrical group


Economy and infrastructure


Economic structure

Besides the customary
agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
, whose yields were rather scant, Schöneberg villagers of the past also busied themselves as
broomsquire A broomsquire is someone who makes besom brooms for a living. It is a trade that was historically associated with heathland areas of England. The broomsquire tended to use heather or birch twigs gathered from the heathland to make the brooms. The ...
s. Many inhabitants, not only of Schöneberg but of the whole
Hunsrück The Hunsrück () is a long, triangular, pronounced mountain range, upland in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the valleys of the Moselle (river), Moselle-Saar (north-to-west), the Nahe (south), and the Rhine (east). It is continued ...
region,
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
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
and the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. More recently, the villagers have concentrated on other crafts such as automotive, electric, hairdressing, roofing and carpentry. There are likewise shopping opportunities for daily needs at the little village shop. Vehicle-based businesses also visit the village from nearby bakeries and butcher's shops. Financial services are covered, albeit only partly, by the local insurance agencies.


Transport

Running through Schöneberg is ''
Kreisstraße A Kreisstraße (, or 'county road') is a class of road in Germany. It carries traffic between the towns and villages within a ''Districts of Germany, Kreis'' or district or between two neighbouring districts. In importance, the ''Kreisstraße'' ...
'' 29, known locally as Hauptstraße (“Main Street”), which is met by ''Kreisstraße'' 45, known locally as Neupfälzer Straße (“New Palatine Street”), in the village's west end. ''Kreisstraße'' 29 leads eastwards to the
interchange Interchange may refer to: Transport * Interchange (road), a collection of ramps, exits, and entrances between two or more highways * Interchange (freight rail), the transfer of freight cars between railroad companies * Interchange station, a rai ...
onto the
Autobahn The (; German , ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. Much of t ...
A 61 (
Koblenz Koblenz ( , , ; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz'') is a German city on the banks of the Rhine (Middle Rhine) and the Moselle, a multinational tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman military p ...
Ludwigshafen Ludwigshafen, officially Ludwigshafen am Rhein (; meaning "Ludwig I of Bavaria, Ludwig's Port upon the Rhine"; Palatine German dialects, Palatine German: ''Ludwichshafe''), is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in the German state of Rh ...
) at Waldlaubersheim. There are bus links from Schöneberg by route 244 to
Bad Kreuznach Bad Kreuznach () is a town in the Bad Kreuznach (district), Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a spa town, known for its medieval bridge dating from around 1300, the Alte Nahebrücke (Bad Kreuznach), Alte Nahebrücke, ...
in one direction and
Spabrücken Spabrücken is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North S ...
,
Argenschwang Argenschwang is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Rüdesheim, ...
and
Münchwald Münchwald is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Rüdesheim, w ...
in the other. Schöneberg is not conveniently placed for any railway. Nevertheless, serving Bad Kreuznach, which can be reached by bus, is a
railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
on the
Nahe Valley Railway The Nahe Valley Railway () is a two-track, partially electrified main line railway in the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, which runs for almost 100 kilometres along the Nahe (Rhine), Nahe. It was built by the Rhine-Nahe Railway ...
( Bingen
Saarbrücken Saarbrücken (; Rhenish Franconian: ''Sabrigge'' ; ; ; ; ) is the capital and largest List of cities and towns in Germany, city of the state of Saarland, Germany. Saarbrücken has 181,959 inhabitants and is Saarland's administrative, commerci ...
). Branching off here is also the railway line to Gau Algesheim. From Bingen am Rhein,
Regionalbahn The ''Regionalbahn'' (; lit. Regional train; abbreviated ''RB'') is a train categories in Europe, type of Regional rail, local passenger train (stopping train) in Germany. It is similar to the Regionalzug (R) and Regio (Swiss railway train), R ...
trains run by way of the
Alsenz Valley Railway The Alsenz Valley Railway () is a line that runs from Hochspeyer station, Hochspeyer via Winnweiler station, Winnweiler and Alsenz station, Alsenz to Bad Münster am Stein station, Bad Munster am Stein in the German state of Rhineland-Palatina ...
, which branches off the Nahe Valley Railway in
Bad Münster am Stein Bad or BAD may refer to: Common meanings *Evil, the opposite of moral good * Erroneous, inaccurate or incorrect *Unhealthy, or counter to well-being *Antagonist, the threat or obstacle of moral good Acronyms * BAD-2, a Soviet armored trolley ...
, to
Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern (; ) is a town 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 Frankfurt am Main, 666 kilometers (414 m ...
, reaching it in roughly 65 minutes. Running on the line to
Saarbrücken Saarbrücken (; Rhenish Franconian: ''Sabrigge'' ; ; ; ; ) is the capital and largest List of cities and towns in Germany, city of the state of Saarland, Germany. Saarbrücken has 181,959 inhabitants and is Saarland's administrative, commerci ...
and by way of Gau Algesheim and the
West Rhine Railway The West Rhine railway (German: ''Linke Rheinstrecke'', literally 'left (bank of the) Rhine route') is a famously picturesque, double-track electrified railway line running for 185 km from Cologne via Bonn, Koblenz, and Bingen to Mainz. It ...
to Mainz are
Regional-Express In Germany, Luxembourg and Austria, the Regional-Express (; RE, or in Austria: REX) is a type of regional train. It is similar to a semi-fast train, with a top speed of and an average speed of about as it calls at fewer stations than ''R ...
and Regionalbahn trains. The travel time to Mainz lies between 25 and 40 minutes, and to Saarbrücken between 1 hour and 40 minutes and 2 hours and 20 minutes. Schöneberg may soon have a more convenient rail service if the plans to reactivate the Cross-Hunsrück Railway (''Hunsrückquerbahn''), which runs through neighbouring Stromberg, meet with success. This would afford quick access not only to Mainz, in one direction, but also to
Frankfurt-Hahn Airport Hahn Airporthahn-airport.de
retrieved 30 April 2025
() , also colloquially known and formerly officially br ...
in the other.


Winegrowing

Schöneberg's preferred
vineyard A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...
locations have been found since yore at the edge of the Aubach or Steyerbach valley. These locations are distinguished mainly by their cultivation using slopes. The wines from these vineyards are mainly fruity and tangy. For years, however, the number of winemakers has fast been falling. The two locations known as Schäfersley and Sonnenberg lie at the northern edge of the Nahe wine region and belong to the winemaking appellation – ''Großlage'' – Pfarrgarten.
Winegrowing Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ...
was brought to the region by the
Romans 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 Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
.


Education

Schöneberg has no educational institutions of its own. Both the
daycare Child care, also known as day care, is the care and supervision of one or more children, typically ranging from three months to 18 years old. Although most parents spend a significant amount of time caring for their child(ren), childcare typica ...
centre and the
primary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
(grade levels 1 to 4) are to be found in Schweppenhausen, about 4 km away. After primary school, children may be enrolled at the all-day school in Stromberg. There are also
secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...
s in nearby places:Education
/ref> *Stromberg: ''Integrierte
Gesamtschule A comprehensive school is a secondary school for pupils aged 11–16 or 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is restricted on the basis ...
'' (IGS) * Wallhausen: '' Realschule plus Geschwister-Scholl-Schule'' *
Hargesheim Hargesheim is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Rüdesheim, ...
: ''Gesamtschule Alfred-Delp-Schule'' *
Bad Kreuznach Bad Kreuznach () is a town in the Bad Kreuznach (district), Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a spa town, known for its medieval bridge dating from around 1300, the Alte Nahebrücke (Bad Kreuznach), Alte Nahebrücke, ...
: ''
Realschule Real school (, ) 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''), F ...
an der Heidenmauer'' *Bad Kreuznach: '' Gymnasium an der Stadtmauer'' (Stama) *Bad Kreuznach: ''Lina-Hilger-Gymnasium'' (Lihi) *Bad Kreuznach: ''Gymnasium am Römerkastell'' (Röka)


Public institutions

Schöneberg has a municipal public
library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...
, a community centre and a volunteer
fire brigade A fire department (North American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire company, fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and ...
with a promotional association.


Further reading

* Dr. Barbara Poittner: ''Wüstungen im Kreis Bad Kreuznach''. Dissertationsschrift 1972, In: Landkreis Bad Kreuznach (Hrsg.): ''Heimatkundliche Schriftenreihe des Landkreises Kreuznach.'' Band 2, 1971, 212 S.


References


External links


Schöneberg in the collective municipality’s webpages

Municipality’s official webpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schoneberg, Bad Kreuznach Bad Kreuznach (district) Holocaust locations in Germany