Schönenberg-Kübelberg
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Schönenberg-Kübelberg 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
Kusel Kusel (; written ''Cusel'' until 1865) is a town in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the Kusel-Altenglan ''Verbandsgemeinde'' and is also the district seat. The well-kno ...
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''
Oberes Glantal Oberes Glantal ("upper valley of the Glan") is a ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collective municipality") in the district of Kusel, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' is in Schönenberg-Kübelberg. It was formed on 1 Ja ...
, and is its seat. The municipality was formed on 7 June 1969 in the course of administrative restructuring in Rhineland-Palatinate out of the former municipalities and outlying centres of Schönenberg, Kübelberg, Schmittweiler and Sand. The centres have melded together since then and now stand as an economic hub for the southern Kusel district. By population, Schönenberg-Kübelberg is the Kusel district's biggest municipality. It is also a state-recognized
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
community.


Geography


Location

The municipality of Schönenberg-Kübelberg lies in the Western Palatinate near the boundary with the
Saarland Saarland (, ; ) is a state of Germany in the southwest 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 the smallest in ...
some 15 km south of
Kusel Kusel (; written ''Cusel'' until 1865) is a town in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the Kusel-Altenglan ''Verbandsgemeinde'' and is also the district seat. The well-kno ...
, and 10 km northeast of Homburg. The two ''
Ortsteil A village is a human settlement or Residential community, community, larger than a hamlet (place), hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located ...
e'' lie at the edge of the Landstuhler Bruch (a hollow). Kübelberg on the long mountain ridge south of the Klingbach runs seamlessly into Schönenberg to the east, while Schönenberg also melds without a break with the outlying centre of Sand. Within the municipality, the land rises from 241 m above
sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
at the edge of the brook up to 264 m near the church in Kübelberg. Outside the built-up area, the highest elevations in the municipal area reach some 300 m above sea level in the Steinwald and Peterswald (forests).


Neighbouring municipalities

Schönenberg-Kübelberg borders in the north on the municipality of Brücken, in the northeast on the municipality of Gries, in the east on the municipality of
Bruchmühlbach-Miesau Bruchmühlbach-Miesau () is a municipality in the district of Kaiserslautern in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the small river Glan, approx. 10 km north-east of Homburg, and 25 km west of Kaiserslautern. It has many ...
, in the south on the municipality of
Waldmohr Waldmohr is a town in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Oberes Glantal. Geography Location The municipality lies at the western end of the Landstuhl ...
, in the west on the municipality of
Dunzweiler Dunzweiler is an ''Ortsgemeinde (Germany), 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 Rhin ...
and in the northwest on the municipality of
Dittweiler Dittweiler is an ''Ortsgemeinde (Germany), 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 Rhin ...
.


Constituent communities

Schönenberg-Kübelberg's ''
Ortsteil A village is a human settlement or Residential community, community, larger than a hamlet (place), hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located ...
e'' are Schönenberg, Kübelberg, Schmittweiler and Sand. Also belonging to Schönenberg-Kübelberg are the outlying homesteads of Heidhof, Elmerthof and Klingenmühle.


Municipality’s layout

In each of the two biggest centres, the old village core can still be made out today. For Kübelberg this lies in the area of the
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 ...
, west of ''
Bundesstraße ''Bundesstraße'' (, ), abbreviated ''B'', is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways. Germany Germany's ''Bundesstraßen'' network has a total length of about 40,000 km. German ''Bundesstraßen'' are labelled with re ...
'' 423, and for Schönenberg east of this thoroughfare on the road branching off towards Sand. South of this road stand the village hall, which houses both the municipal and ''
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 ...
'' administration, and the
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 ...
church. What were once two linear villages (by some definitions, "thorpes") have grown together, along with the outlying centre of Sand, and have also spread in every direction, southwards, particularly to the
railway 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 ...
line, in the east end also over the railway. The central school building with a
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 ...
and a
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 ...
stands north of the village in the Kohlbach valley. 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 ...
, which is still used today, stands on Pestalozzistraße (named after an educator,
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (; ; ; 12 January 1746 – 17 February 1827) was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach. He founded several educational institutions both in German- and French-speaking ...
) in Kübelberg. Near the railway line south of Schönenberg spreads a major sporting facility.


History


Antiquity

By
prehistoric times Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins  million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...
, the area that is now Schönenberg-Kübelberg was already settled, as witnessed by
archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
finds within the municipal area and in neighbouring ones. A heavily damaged stone axe was found within municipal limits, and is now kept at
Speyer Speyer (, older spelling ; ; ), historically known in English as Spires, is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in the western part of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the r ...
. Several groups of barrows dating from the
Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
are to be found in the Peterswald, south of the village. Noteworthy are two finds that were unearthed and described as early as the 19th century, a
fibula The fibula (: fibulae or fibulas) or calf bone is a leg bone on the lateral side of the tibia, to which it is connected above and below. It is the smaller of the two bones and, in proportion to its length, the most slender of all the long bones. ...
and a
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 metalloid ...
armring. Actual
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 Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
finds have not been found within Schönenberg-Kübelberg's municipal limits, but quite a few artefacts have been unearthed in the surrounding area.


Middle Ages

In 956, Kübelberg had its first documentary mention as ''Cheuilunbahc'', while Schönenberg had its first documentary mention in 1419. All the centres that today make up Schönenberg-Kübelberg once lay within the (originally free) Imperial Domain (''Reichsland'') around 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 ...
Lautern, which during the 10th century was for a while held by the
Bishopric of Worms The Prince-Bishopric of Worms was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire. Located on both banks of the Rhine around Worms just north of the union of that river with the Neckar, it was largely surrounded by the Electorate of the ...
. It is, however, unclear whether all these centres had already arisen at the time when this area held the status of Imperial Domain. It is certain that 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 ...
'' seat was there, namely Kübelberg, and the village of Sand was there, too. Kübelberg lay next to a castle that served as the seat of an ''Amt'' within the Imperial Domain. It is likely that this castle vanished before 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 ...
were over. In some houses on Schmittweiler Straße in Kübelberg, sparse remnants of the castle can still be made out. In the 13th century the castle belonged to the ring of fortifications in the broad area surrounding Castle Kaiserslautern. The area, now known as the Court of Kübelberg (''Gericht Kübelberg''), was repeatedly pledged by the
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
beginning in 1312 to various lordships, lastly to the Counts of Sponheim, under whose lordship it passed to
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 ...
in 1437, which itself had already taken over the ''Amt'' of Kaiserslautern as an Imperial pledge as early as 1375. The Court of Kübelberg thus now belonged within the Electoral Palatinate to the ''Oberamt'' of Kaiserslautern. The village of Schönenberg shared this turn of events within the ''Amt'' (or Court) of Kübelberg, although there may have been the odd divergence; these, however, are not always verifiable. For instance, after the first documentary mention in 1419, the ''Junker'' of Breidenborn, as lords of the neighbouring ''Amt'' of Münchweiler, counted 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 ( ...
'' Heinecze von Schonenberg among their subjects. In a further Breidenbach document from the 15th century, other names of inhabitants of Schönenberg were mentioned. Schönenberg must therefore have belonged, at least for a time, to the ''Amt'' of Münchweiler, and must thus also have been held by the Hornbach Monastery. A 1456 ''Weistum'' (
cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical effects on both the s ...
with
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
''wisdom'', this was a legal pronouncement issued by men learned in law in the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 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 ...
and early modern times) from the Court of Kübelberg has been preserved as a faithful copy.


Modern times

A further preserved ''Weistum'' comes from the year 1554. Even in the description of the ''Ämter'' of Zweibrücken and Kirkel by Tilemann Stella, a
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 ...
-era academic, Kübelberg is mentioned, as ''Kibelnberg''. In 1600, the
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 ...
forest superintendent Velmann described the whole area of the Court of Kübelberg, also mentioning subjects’ names in his writing, which began with a description of Schönenberg's municipal area. All the municipal area's particularities were noted, including the five ponds, which all belonged to the subjects. Following this was a description of Kübelberg's municipal area, noting its three ponds, although these ones belonged to the "heirs". During the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
, the villages of the ''Amt'' of Kübelberg, too, suffered serious hardship and misery. In 1635, during the
siege A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...
of the ''Amt'' town of
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 ...
, Imperial troops, in many cases Croats, marched through the land, plundering, robbing and murdering. The villagers fled into the woods or sought shelter in small towns that belonged to Electoral Palatinate, like Wolfstein. The land was depopulated both by war and by the Plague. According to local historian Ernst Christmann, a whole swath of land including the villages of Kübelberg, Schönenberg, Sand, Elschbach and Schmittweiler lay for decades desolate. Slowly, the population figures built themselves back up with villagers who had been driven out returning to their homes, and also with others migrating to the area, although French King Louis XIV's wars brought the people further havoc. Only with the
Treaty of Ryswick The Peace of Ryswick, or Rijswijk, was a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Rijswijk between 20 September and 30 October 1697. They ended the 1688 to 1697 Nine Years' War between France and the Grand Alliance, which included the Dutc ...
, which put an end to the
Nine Years' War The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between Kingdom of France, France and the Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg), Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial poss ...
(known in Germany as the ''Pfälzischer Erbfolgekrieg'', or War of the Palatine Succession), did a lasting peace set in.
French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...
migrants may well have been arriving even during the wars with the French, but at this time, it was mainly migrants from
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
. The population grew so quickly that
emigration 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 ...
, mostly to the
Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
, began to grow, too. In 1744, Schönenberg once again got a
market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market *Marketing, the act of sat ...
, after the former Kübelberg Market had been put to an end by the Thirty Years' War. In 1779, a territorial swap resulted in a new political arrangement when Electoral Palatinate agreed to exchange its ''Amt'' of Kübelberg with twelve villages (Kübelberg, Schönenberg, Sand, Brücken, Ohmbach, Schmittweiler,
Dittweiler Dittweiler is an ''Ortsgemeinde (Germany), 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 Rhin ...
, Frohnhofen,
Altenkirchen Altenkirchen () is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, capital of the Altenkirchen (district), district of Altenkirchen. It is located approximately 40 km east of Bonn and 50 km north of Koblenz. Altenkirchen is the seat of the ' ...
, Ober-Miesau, Nieder-Miesau and Elschbach) and six mills for the villages of
Duchroth Duchroth 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 ...
and
Oberhausen Oberhausen (, ) is a city on the river Emscher in the Ruhr Area, Germany, located between Duisburg and Essen ( ). The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and its Gasometer Oberhausen is an anchor point of the European Rout ...
and part of the village of
Niederkirchen Niederkirchen is a municipality in the district of Kaiserslautern, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North ...
in the Odenbach valley, all of which had hitherto belonged to the Dukes of
Palatine Zweibrücken The Duchy of Palatinate-Zweibrücken (; ) was a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire with full voting rights to the Reichstag. Its capital was Zweibrücken. The reigning house, a branch of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was also the Royal House of Sweden fr ...
. From this time there also survives a description of the villages in the ''Amt''. The short Zweibrücken interlude lasted until the outbreak of the French Revolution, during which the ''Amt'' of Kübelberg was transferred from the ''Oberamt'' of Kaiserslautern into the ''Oberamt'' of Homburg. The duke who ruled at that time, Charles II August, who had had himself a fairytale castle built in Homburg, was said to be the very model of a princely despot. He awarded himself the title "Admiral" and had a ship built – on the Neuwoog (a pond) in the Peterswald, now part of Schönenberg-Kübelberg. After little time, this ship ran aground and rotted. The Duke also forbade his subjects the use of the Peterswald so that he could use it as his hunting ground. For their part, the subjects registered their displeasure at this by chasing away any lordly lumberjacks that they found.


Recent times

The first French Revolutionary troops showed up in the area in 1793.
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
annexed Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held to ...
the
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 ...
’s left bank in 1801. Schönenberg became the seat of a ''mairie'' ("mayoralty") to which also belonged the villages of Brücken, Gries, Kübelberg, Sand and Schmittweiler. Schönenberg and Kübelberg both lay in the
Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative divisions * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and entertainment * Canton (band), an It ...
of Waldmohr in the
Arrondissement An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, and certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands. Europe France The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissem ...
of Saarbrücken and the Department of Sarre. In 1814, the French withdrew from the Rhine's left bank. After a transitional period, the Bavarian ''Rheinkreis'' – an
exclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is s ...
of the Kingdom of Bavaria – was founded in 1816. This was later called the ''Rheinpfalz'' ("Rhenish Palatinate"). The administrative entities that had come into being during French Revolutionary and later
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
ic times were retained and Schönenberg became the seat of a ''Bürgermeisterei'' ("mayoralty") in the Canton of Waldmohr in the ''Landkommissariat'' of Homburg, although the seat actually shifted from place to place over the next century, according to where the mayor lived. After the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the victorious powers grouped the ''Bezirksamt'' of Homburg into the autonomous
Saar Saar or SAAR has several meanings: People Given name * Sarr Boubacar (born 1951), Senegalese professional football player * Saar Ganor, Israeli archaeologist * Saar Klein (born 1967), American film editor Surname * Ain Saar (born 1968), E ...
area, but not the Canton of Waldmohr, to which Schönenberg and Kübelberg both belonged. This stayed with the newly formed Free State of Bavaria – the
Kaiser Kaiser ( ; ) is the title historically used by German and Austrian emperors. In German, the title in principle applies to rulers anywhere in the world above the rank of king (). In English, the word ''kaiser'' is mainly applied to the emperors ...
had been overthrown and so had the Bavarian king – and thereby with
Weimar Germany The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...
. The canton belonged to the ''Bezirksamt'' of Kusel with an administrative branch of its own, which it retained until 1940, whereafter the Canton of Waldmohr was administered directly from Kusel. In 1969, Schönenberg, Kübelberg, Sand and Schmittweiler merged to form a new municipality with the name Schönenberg-Kübelberg. In the course of administrative restructuring 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 ...
, Schönenberg-Kübelberg became the seat of a ''Verbandsgemeinde'' in 1971.


Population development

In both villages, Schönenberg and Kübelberg, the villagers originally earned their livelihoods mainly at
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 ...
, although alongside farmers there were also craftsmen and
peat Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...
cutters. From the 19th century onwards, a general shift began in which farming fed ever fewer people directly and many farmers’ sons sought work in industry. Unlike many other villages, which offered only a few job opportunities, Schönenberg-Kübelberg today has developed considerable industry of its own. Nevertheless, many members of the workforce must commute elsewhere, to industrial works in
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 ...
and mines in the
Saarland Saarland (, ; ) is a state of Germany in the southwest 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 the smallest in ...
, or to smaller centres such as
Landstuhl Landstuhl (), officially the Sickingen Town of Landstuhl (), is a town in the district of Kaiserslautern, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the Municipal Association of Landstuhl. Situated on the north-west edge of the Palatin ...
or Homburg. After the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, many jobs arose in connection with the stationing of
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 ...
Armed Forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...
at
Ramstein Air Base Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany. It serves as the headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and NATO Alli ...
and the Miesau Army Depot. This development brought about a sharp rise in the population. With respect to religion, among Schönenberg's and Kübelberg's mainly
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
inhabitants, roughly 60% 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 ...
and the other 40%
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 ...
, with the Catholic share of the population having grown slightly over the last two centuries. There was once also a small
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 ...
community, but their share of the population was not very great. As a result of foreign families and
asylum seeker An asylum seeker is a person who leaves their country of residence, enters another country, and makes in that other country a formal application for the right of asylum according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 14. A per ...
s settling in the municipality, a considerable
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
community has sprung up. As early as 2000, some 16% of the population did not belong to any of the mainstream Christian denominations. The following tables show population development over the centuries for both Schönenberg and Kübelberg up to 1961, and then for the merged municipality of Schönenberg-Kübelberg:


Schönenberg


Kübelberg


Schönenberg-Kübelberg


Municipality’s name

Schönenberg first appeared in a document in 1419 as ''Schonenberg'', and Kübelberg first appeared in a document in 956 as ''Cheuilunbahc''. Other names that the two centres have borne are as follows: * For Schönenberg: ''Schollemberg'' and ''Schowemberg'' (1737), ''Schönberg'' (1564), ''Schönnbergk'' (1592), ''Schönenberg'' (1797) * For Kübelberg: ''Kebelinbach'' (1018), ''Keyfelberch'' (1263), ''Kebelinburg'' (1291), ''Kobelnberg'' (1291), ''in castro Keulnberg'' (1297), ''Kebelinberg'' (1304), ''Kebelnberg'' (1305 and 1310) The meaning of the name Schönenberg is not hard to discern. It comes from the
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 ...
words ''schön'' ("lovely") and ''Berg'' ("mountain"), and thus it means a settlement at a lovely mountain. The meaning of the name Kübelberg, on the other hand, is not quite as transparent. Although it literally means "tub mountain" (which explains the
canting ' (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: , Van Ophuijsen Spelling System, VOS Spelling: , ) is a pen-like tool used to apply liquid hot wax () in the batik-making process in Indonesia, more precisely (). Traditional consists of copper wax-con ...
charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...
in the civic
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 last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
), writers Dolch and Greule think that the name may be linked to the old German waterway name ''Cheuilun''. Furthermore, in the ''Ortsteil'' of Kübelberg once stood a
mediaeval 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 t ...
motte-and-bailey castle A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy ...
, the ''Burg Kübelberg'', and it is believed that this caused a shift in the placename ending from ''—bach'' to ''—berg''. The first part of Kübelberg's name changed steadily over time before settling on its current form about 1600.


Vanished villages

Mentioned in the historical record is a place named Wunnenberg, at which it is likely another castle stood. This was known as ''Wonnenberg'', ''Wonnenburg'', ''Winnenberg'' or ''Winnenburg''. The actual 1358 document mentioning it says "''Wunnenberg, gelegen bei Keblinberg''" ("Wunnenberg, lying near Keblinberg"). A certain correspondence in meaning can be seen between ''schön'' ("lovely") and ''Wonne'' ("blissfulness" or "delight"). It may well therefore be that this Wunnenberg and Schönenberg were one and the same. There was also a place in the Peterswald that could be regarded as the seed that gave rise to today's Schönenberg-Kübelberg. It was called Neunkirchen, and it was mentioned in a document as early as 937 as a donation to the
Bishopric of Worms The Prince-Bishopric of Worms was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire. Located on both banks of the Rhine around Worms just north of the union of that river with the Neckar, it was largely surrounded by the Electorate of the ...
. It was then mentioned several times in the 10th century, and again in the 15th century, before cropping up in a 16th-century record as an abandoned estate in the Peterswald.


Religion

As mentioned above, in 937, even before Kübelberg's first documentary mention, the now vanished village of Neunkirchen (then called ''Niunchiricha''), which lay right near today's Schönenberg-Kübelberg, appeared in the historical record as a donation to the Bishopric of Worms, perhaps as a country church outside any built-up area. It cannot be ruled out that this church was already consecrated to
Saint Valentine Saint Valentine (; ) was a 3rd-century Roman saint, commemorated in Western Christianity on February 14 and in Eastern Orthodoxy on July 6. From the High Middle Ages, his feast day has been associated with a tradition of courtly love. He is al ...
. During the Middle Ages, Kübelberg was not only the seat of an ''Amt'' and a court, but also the hub of a parish whose boundaries changed over time. By no means was the parish coextensive with the court region. The
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
came to both Schönenberg and Kübelberg, and on the basis of the traditional rule of ''
cuius regio, eius religio () is a Latin phrase which literally means "whose realm, his 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) ...
'', all inhabitants of Electoral Palatinate were obliged to convert to the new belief. In the Reformation's early years, both
Lutheranism Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
and the
Reformed Reform is beneficial change. Reform, reformed or reforming may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine Places * Reform, Al ...
church were trying to become the predominant belief; in the end, the latter gained the upper hand locally. Any ecclesiastical victory between
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 ...
denominations, however, was quite moot, for the two villages mostly died out in the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
, and the church in Kübelberg was destroyed. Thereafter, what predominated was
religious freedom Freedom of religion or religious liberty, also known as freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice ...
, and believers from any
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
denomination were welcome to settle in the villages. The pattern of postwar settlement, though, was not the same in both villages: more Protestants settled in Schönenberg, whereas more
Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
settled in Kübelberg. During King Louis XIV's wars in the Palatinate, the French also promoted the settlement of Catholics, and in general, during the 18th century, the Electors of the Palatinate ever more strongly advocated in favour of Catholicism. The results can still be seen today with about 60% of the two villages’ combined population being Catholic and the other 40% being
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 ...
. Saint Valentine's Church (''Kirche St. Valentin'') in Kübelberg goes back to a
mediaeval 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 t ...
building, parts of whose tower are still preserved. In 1702, the new Catholic church was built with support from the
Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic Church, Cathol ...
, who then held rights in Kübelberg. The new church was attended by all Catholics living in the surrounding area. It was repeatedly remodelled and acquired a new
organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...
in 1841 built by the Stumm organ-building family. In 1963, the church was extensively expanded, whereby the old nave became the chancel, and on the south side, a great, modern
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 ...
arose. The Evangelical Christians at first had no central church. The Reformed community was bigger, and they attended church services in Miesau. The Lutherans had a small church in Brücken at their disposal. After the unification of the
Reformed Reform is beneficial change. Reform, reformed or reforming may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine Places * Reform, Al ...
and
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
faiths in the Palatine Union of 1818, the
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 ...
Christians from Kübelberg orientated themselves towards Waldmohr, while the ones from Schönenberg stayed with the parish of Miesau. Only in 1954 was the parish of Schönenberg, which still exists now, established, and to this belong the villages of Kübelberg, Sand and Schmittweiler (the whole municipality, in other words). Schönenberg has had an Evangelical church since 1935, which at first was a converted tollhouse. The Evangelical church that stands in Kübelberg was built in 1971 and acquired a belltower in 1986. Today, the Catholics in both the municipality's main centres belong to the Catholic deaconry of Homburg and the Evangelicals belong to the Evangelical deaconry of Homburg.


Politics


Municipal council

The council is made up of 22 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 municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results: "FWG" is a voters’ group.


Mayor

Schönenberg-Kübelberg's mayor is Thomas Wolf (CDU).


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: Azure a bend sinister wavy argent charged with a cross pattée in pale sable, in dexter chief a daisy proper and in sinister base a tub, handle to sinister, Or hooped of the second. The bend sinister wavy (slanted wavy stripe) refers to the municipality's wealth of water at the edge of the Landstuhler Bruch. The daisy stands for Schönenberg and the tub (''Kübel'' 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 ...
, thus making this a
canting ' (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: , Van Ophuijsen Spelling System, VOS Spelling: , ) is a pen-like tool used to apply liquid hot wax () in the batik-making process in Indonesia, more precisely (). Traditional consists of copper wax-con ...
charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...
) stands for Kübelberg. The arms have been borne since 1975 when they were approved by the ''
Regierungsbezirk A ' (, 'governmental district') is a type of administrative division in Germany. Currently, four of sixteen ' (states of Germany) are split into '. Beneath these are rural and urban districts ' (plural, ) serve as regional mid-level local gov ...
'' administration. Before this time, Schönenberg and Kübelberg each bore their own arms. Schönenberg's were azure three tubs one and two, handles to dexter argent hooped Or (a reference to the Court of Kübelberg), while Kübelberg's were gules a pile throughout between two tubs Or and charged with a wall and a tower embattled of the same masoned sable on a field lozengy argent and azure. Before amalgamation, the centres of Sand and Schmittweiler bore no arms. File:Wappen Schoenenberg-Kuebelberg.jpg, Municipality's current arms File:Wappen Schönenberg (Pfalz).jpg, Schönenberg's old arms File:Wappen Kübelberg (Pfalz).jpg, Kübelberg's old arms


Town partnerships

Schönenberg-Kübelberg fosters partnerships with the following places: *
Szabadszállás Szabadszállás is a small town in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary, 80 kilometres south of Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the ...
,
Bács-Kiskun County Bács-Kiskun (, ) is a county (''vármegye'' in Hungarian) located in southern Hungary. It was created by the merger of the pre-World War II Bács-Bodrog and the southern parts of Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun counties. With an area of 8,445 km2, ...
,
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...


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:


Kübelberg

*
Saint Valentine Saint Valentine (; ) was a 3rd-century Roman saint, commemorated in Western Christianity on February 14 and in Eastern Orthodoxy on July 6. From the High Middle Ages, his feast day has been associated with a tradition of courtly love. He is al ...
’s
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 ...
Parish Church (''Pfarrkirche St. Valentinus''), Kirchengasse 5 –
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
aisleless church An aisleless church () is a single-nave church building that consists of a single hall-like room. While similar to the hall church, the aisleless church lacks aisles or passageways on either side of the nave and separated from the nave by col ...
, 1702–1709, marked 1790, tower raised 1826; Stumm
organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...
from 1841, expansion-conversion 1963 * Kirchengasse 1–6 (monumental zone) – distinctive village square appearance around the Catholic church with the former Catholic
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 ...
house (no. 3), the former nurses’ residence (no. 4), rectory (no. 6), wayside cross and a small ''Quereinhaus'' (a combination residential and commercial house divided for these two purposes down the middle, perpendicularly to the street; no. 1) * Near Saarbrücker Straße 71 – warriors’ memorial 1914-1918 and 1939-1945, 1935 by Richard Menges,
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 ...
, expansion 1956


Sand

* Miesauer Straße 39 – one-floor ''Quereinhaus'' with
knee wall A knee wall is a short wall, typically under three feet (one metre) in height, used to support the rafters in timber roof construction. In his book ''A Visual Dictionary of Architecture'', Frank Ching, Francis D. K. Ching defines a knee wall as "a ...
, 1898, in the righthand corner stable and shed


Schmittweiler

* Höcherbergstraße 2 – 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 ...
;
sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
-framed plastered building, 1879 architect possibly Regional Building Director (''Bezirksbauschaffner'') Rottmüller, Homburg; characterizes village's appearance * Höcherbergstraße 5 – ''Quereinhaus'', dwelling wing with knee wall about 1780, commercial wing, 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 ...
, between 1806 and 1842 * Lindenstraße 2 – stately ''Quereinhaus'', marked 1844, in the righthand corner a pigsty; characterizes village's appearance * Lindenstraße 16 – ''Quereinhaus'' with half-hipped roof, marked 1839


Schönenberg

* Bahnhofstraße 48/52 (monumental zone) –
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 ...
with side buildings (
pissoir A pissoir (also known in French as a ) is a French invention, common in Europe, that provides a urinal in public space with a lightweight structure. The availability of pissoirs aims to reduce urination onto buildings, sidewalks, or streets. ...
and storage building) and railway hotel; railway station (no. 52) sandstone-block building, 1903/1904, spire light after 1920; railway hotel: sandstone-framed building with half-hipped roof, 1908 * Glanstraße 50 – dwelling wing of a former ''Quereinhaus'', partly timber-frame (plastered), 18th century, wooden gallery and enclosure possibly from the latter half of the 19th century; characterizes street's appearance


Regular events

Schönenberg-Kübelberg has old customs such as the
Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...
parade (''Faschingsumzug'') at
Shrovetide Shrovetide is the Christian liturgical period prior to the start of Lent that begins on Shrove Saturday and ends at the close of Shrove Tuesday. The season focuses on examination of conscience and repentance before the Lenten fast. It includes ...
, the
St. Martin's Day Saint Martin's Day or Martinmas (obsolete: Martlemas), and historically called Old Halloween or All Hallows Eve, is the feast day of Saint Martin of Tours and is celebrated in the liturgical year on 11 November. In the Middle Ages and early mod ...
children's parade and its own ways of celebrating
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 ...
es, as well as newer customs such as
Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
, among others. The best known event is the Easter Market (''Ostermarkt'') that the people of Schönenberg have been holding since 1744 on the second Sunday before
Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...
. The ''Johannisfest'' is a regional
folk festival A folk festival celebrates traditional folk crafts and folk music. This list includes folk festivals worldwide, except those with only a partial focus on folk music or arts. Folk festivals may also feature folk dance or ethnic foods. Handicra ...
held on the second Sunday before the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (24 June). The ''Schönenberger Kerwe'' (kermis), called the ''Bartholomäusfest'' (" Saint Bartholomew’s Festival") falls on the first Sunday before Saint Bartholomew's Day (24 August). There are an
Oktoberfest Oktoberfest (; ) is the world's largest , featuring a beer festival and a travelling carnival, and is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, from mid- or late-September to the first Sunday in October. The annual event attracts more than seven milli ...
on the first weekend in October and a Christmas Market on the third day of
Advent Advent is a season observed in most Christian denominations as a time of waiting and preparation for both the celebration of Jesus's birth at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Chri ...
. The ''Seefest'' ("Lake Festival") in July, meanwhile, is gaining in importance. The people of Kübelberg celebrate their church consecration festival on the first Sunday in September. There are other festivals in the outlying centres of Sand and Schmittweiler.


Clubs

Schönenberg-Kübelberg is blessed with a vast array of clubs. The following ones are registered with the authorities: *''Angelsportverein'' (
angling Angling (from Old English ''angol'', meaning "hook") is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated with a fishing rod, although rodless te ...
) *''Brieftaubenzüchterverein'' (
carrier pigeon The homing pigeon is a variety of domestic pigeon (''Columba livia domestica''), selectively bred for its ability to find its way home over extremely long distances. Because of this skill, homing pigeons were used to carry messages, a practic ...
raising) *''
Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Alliance 90/The Greens (, ), often simply referred to as Greens (, ), is a Green (politics), green political party in Germany. It was formed in 1993 by the merger of the Greens (formed in West Germany in 1980) and Alliance 90 (formed in East Ger ...
'' (political party) *'' CDU Gemeindeverband'' (CDU municipal organization) *''CDU-Ortsverein'' (CDU local association) *''China-Kampfkunst'' (
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...
) *''Deutsches Rotes Kreuz'' (
German Red Cross The German Red Cross (GRC) ( ; DRK) is the national Red Cross Society in Germany. During the Nazi era, the German Red Cross was under the control of the Nazi Party and played a role in supporting the regime's policies, including the exclusion ...
) *''Elisabethenverein'' *''Evangelischer Kirchenchor'' (
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 ...
church choir) *''Evangelischer Krankenpflegeverein Schönenberg-Gries'' (
nursing Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...
) *''Evangelische Christusgemeinde'' ("Community of
Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...
") *''FFW Schönenberg-Kübelberg'' (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 ...
) *''Fördergemeinschaft der Realschule'' (
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 ...
promotional association) *''Förderkreis KJGF'' *''Förderverein TuS Schönenberg'' (sport club promotional association) *''Förderverein für Jugendarbeit in der evangelischen Kirchengemeinde (promotional association for youth work in the Evangelical church community) *''FWG "bürgernah"'' (voters’ group) *''Gesangverein 1899 Frohsinn'' (singing club) *''Gesangverein Liederkranz 1921 Kübelberg'' (singing club) *''Gesangverein Liederkranz Schmittweiler'' (singing club) *''Gewerbeverein'' (homeowners’, flatowners’ and landowners’ association) *''Heimatliebe Schönenberg'' *'' IG Bergbau und Energie Schönenberg-Kübelberg'' (
trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...
) *''Junge Union'' *''Jugendfeuerwehr'' (youth fire brigade) *''Karate-Dojo'' (martial arts) *''Katholische Frauengemeinschaft'' (
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 ...
women’s association) *''Katholische Junge Gemeinde'' (Catholic youth association) *''Katholische Kirchengemeinde Kübelberg'' (Kübelberg Catholic church community) *''Katholischer Kirchenchor'' (Catholic church choir) *''Katholisches Bildungswerk'' (Catholic education works) *''Kleintierzuchtverein'' (small-animal raising) *''Kolpingfamilie'' ( Kolping family) *''Komitee Erhaltung Glanbahn'' (
railway 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 ...
preservation society) *''Kulturhistorischer Verein "Gericht Kübelberg"'' (cultural history) *''Landfrauenverein Sand'' (countrywomen’s club) *''Männergesangverein 1899 Sand'' (men’s singing club) *''Modellbahnfreunde Schönenberg-Kübelberg'' (
model railways Railway modelling (UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland) or model railroading (US and Canada) is a hobby in which rail transport systems are Model building, modelled at a reduced Scale (ratio), scale. The scale models include locomotives ...
) *''Obst- und Gartenbauverein'' (fruit and vegetable growing) *''Pensionärsverein Kübelberg'' (pensioners’ club) *''Pensionärsverein Schmittweiler'' (pensioners’ club) *''Pensionärsverein Schönenberg/Sand'' (pensioners’ club) *''Pfälzerwaldverein'' (
hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...
) *''Pfälzischer Bauern- und Winzerschaft'' ( farmers’ and winegrowers’ association) *''Pfarrkapelle Kübelberg'' (
orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...
) *''Pferdefreunde Kübelberg'' (
horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...
s) *''Schachverein VG Schönenberg'' (
chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...
) *''Schiffsmodellbauclub'' (
ship model Ship models or model ships are scale models of ships. They can range in size from 1/6000 scale wargaming miniatures to large vessels capable of holding people. Ship modeling is a craft as old as shipbuilding itself, stretching back to ancient ...
building) *''Schützenbruderschaft Schönenberg'' (shooting) *''SPD Ortsverein Schönenberg'' (political party) *''Sportverein 1920 Kübelberg'' (sport club) *''Sportverein 1920 Sand'' (sport club) *''Sportverein 1928 Schmittweiler'' (sport club) *''Tennisclub 78T'' *''Traberclub TTC Sand 1962'' *''Turnverein 1970'' (
gymnastic Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sho ...
club) *''TuS 1890 Schönenberg'' (sport club) *''VdK Ortsverband Schönenberg-Kübelberg'' (advocacy and help for those with handicaps) *''Verbandsgemeindefeuerwehr'' (''
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 ...
'' fire brigade) *''Verein Partnerschaft überwindet Grenzen'' ("Partnership Overcomes Borders") *''Verein der Vogelfreunde'' (birds) *''Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde'' (
German Shepherd The German Shepherd, also known in Britain as an Alsatian, is a German Dog breed, breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various Old German herding dogs, traditional German herding dog ...
s) *''Vereinsunion Sand''


Economy and infrastructure


Economic structure

Owing to its central location in the south of Kusel district, Schönenberg-Kübelberg has grown into a local supply and service centre. There are several
hypermarket A hypermarket or superstore is a big-box store combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including full grocery lines and general merchandise. In ...
s and
discount store Discount stores offer a retail format in which products are sold at prices that are in principle lower than an actual or supposed "full retail price". Discounters rely on bulk purchasing and efficient distribution to keep down costs. Types (Uni ...
s as well as many one-line businesses filling household and craft needs, a car dealership with workshops, a big motor vehicle scrapping and salvaging business, craft businesses in building and
architectural engineering Architectural engineering or architecture engineering, also known as building engineering, is a discipline that deals with the engineering and construction of buildings, such as environmental, structural, mechanical, electrical, computational, e ...
, a construction company, a building supply wholesaler, bank branches and professionals such as
lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...
s and
physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...
s. In both Schönenberg and Kübelberg, the villagers earned their livelihoods mainly from
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 ...
, although there were also craftsmen and
peat Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...
cutters. Beginning in the 19th century, there was a gradual shift that led to agriculture directly feeding ever fewer people, and many farm boys seeking work in industry. Unlike many other villages, which offer very little in the way of job opportunities, Schönenberg-Kübelberg has developed considerable industry of its own. Nevertheless, many working people must commute to work, to the industrial operations in
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 ...
and to the mines in the
Saarland Saarland (, ; ) is a state of Germany in the southwest 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 the smallest in ...
, even to smaller centres like
Landstuhl Landstuhl (), officially the Sickingen Town of Landstuhl (), is a town in the district of Kaiserslautern, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the Municipal Association of Landstuhl. Situated on the north-west edge of the Palatin ...
and Homburg. After the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, many jobs became available in the course of the stationing of US Forces at
Ramstein Air Base Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany. It serves as the headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and NATO Alli ...
and Miesau Army Depot. This development spurred a strong upswing in the population.


Education

In the course of the Reformation, the Electors promoted schooling. As early as 1510, a schoolteacher is believed to have taught classes in Kübelberg, even though the village did not yet have any schoolhouse. In 1615, the
Reformed Reform is beneficial change. Reform, reformed or reforming may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine Places * Reform, Al ...
pastor Nicolaus reported to the '' Oberamt'' of Kaiserslautern: "At Kübelberg is a schoolmaster, Petrus Matzenbach. Has a salary from the Collector of 30
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 … also seven ''malter'' of corn. … This schoolmaster is hardworking, good at his calling …". During the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
(which began only three years after Pastor Nicolaus’s report), schooling fell by the wayside, and it only began again once many children began growing up in the families that came to settle the village after the war. In Schönenberg and Kübelberg, schooling took different directions in each village. Kübelberg, as a new
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 ...
parish, established in the early 18th century a Catholic school, though the schoolteacher had to wait a long time for his monetary and material emoluments, since according to the rules, there was still supposed to be a
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 ...
schoolteacher. The Catholic school also sought out Catholic children from the neighbouring villages, mainly from Schönenberg. The building of the Catholic schoolhouse in Kübelberg about 1705 was financed by the pastor himself. Until then, school was taught at private houses or at the rectory. In 1754, 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 ( ...
'' reported to the ''Oberamt'' that the Catholic schoolmaster in Kübelberg had to teach 60 children and received 10 ''Malter'' of corn and 25 guilders each year, lived in a small, not well-built house and had at his disposal a little garden. About the children’s behaviour there was no complaint. Given the steady population growth, the available schoolhouse soon was no longer big enough for the village. In 1797, the people of Kübelberg got a new schoolhouse for all the area’s Catholic children. In this building, which would later become the
convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...
, school was taught until 1910. In 1848, the municipality bought up the
inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway. Before the advent of motorized transportation, they also provided accomm ...
to convert it into a school, too. The number of Catholic children rose more quickly than the number of
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 ...
children, and thus Schönenberg soon found itself having to make an equalization payment to Kübelberg. The year 1965 marked the last time that a school for Kübelberg alone stood on Pestalozzistraße in Kübelberg. Since the establishment of the ''Schulzentrum Süd'', this building has served as a
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 ...
for the whole, merged municipality of Schönenberg-Kübelberg. The Protestant children, mainly those from Schönenberg, at first attended school in neighbouring Miesau. Only about 1730 did the municipality of Schönenberg build a schoolhouse for the
Reformed Reform is beneficial change. Reform, reformed or reforming may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine Places * Reform, Al ...
and
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
children. It was expanded in 1802. In 1821, a new
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 ...
schoolhouse was built in Schönenberg, though after a few decades, it was no longer up to the task at hand. Thus, a new one was built in 1910, although great population growth also quickly made this one too small, particularly as Schönenberg introduced
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
community school. So, with the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
looming, Schönenberg began to build yet another schoolhouse, but this was left unfinished until after the war, whereupon it was built into a private house. For a while, the district maintained an agricultural
vocational school A vocational school (alternatively known as a trade school, or technical school), is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary education#List of tech ed skills, secondary or post-secondar ...
near the Schönenberg schoolhouse in the time after the war. In 1972, there was a thorough reform of schooling. All schoolchildren from all four of Schönenberg-Kübelberg’s centres now attend a single primary school, which has no local peculiarities, nor denominational affiliations. From 1979 to 1982, the ''Schulzentrum Süd'' ("School Centre South") was built for all the
Hauptschule A ''Hauptschule'' (, "general school") is a secondary school in Germany, starting after four years of elementary schooling (''Grundschule''), which offers Lower Secondary Education (Level 2) according to the International Standard Classification ...
students of the ''
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 ...
'' (''Erich-Kästner-Schule''). Also housed at this complex is a
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 ...
. The primary school pupils from the whole municipality are now taught at the schoolhouse on Pestalozzistraße. The nearest Gymnasium is in Homburg (not even in the same state), while
special school Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual d ...
s can be found in
Kusel Kusel (; written ''Cusel'' until 1865) is a town in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the Kusel-Altenglan ''Verbandsgemeinde'' and is also the district seat. The well-kno ...
and Brücken. Nearby
universities A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
are in Homburg (
Saarland University Saarland University (, ) 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 six faculties that cover all major ...
, Faculty of
Medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
),
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 ...
(
Kaiserslautern University of Technology Technical University of Kaiserslautern (German: ''Technische Universität Kaiserslautern'', also known as TU Kaiserslautern or TUK) was a public research university in Kaiserslautern, Germany. On January 1, 2023, the university was merged wit ...
),
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 ...
(
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
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 ...
(
Saarland University Saarland University (, ) 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 six faculties that cover all major ...
).


Transport

Schönenberg-Kübelberg is linked by ''
Bundesstraße ''Bundesstraße'' (, ), abbreviated ''B'', is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways. Germany Germany's ''Bundesstraßen'' network has a total length of about 40,000 km. German ''Bundesstraßen'' are labelled with re ...
'' 423 (
Mandelbachtal Mandelbachtal (, ) is a municipality in the Saarpfalz district, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated near the border with France, approx. 15 km southeast of Saarbrücken. Its capital is Ormesheim. Community organization Mandelbachtal is co ...
-
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. Alte ...
) to the national road network. Some 5 km to the south runs 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 6 (
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 ...
Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (), is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, the States of Ger ...
) with an
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 ...
at
Waldmohr Waldmohr is a town in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Oberes Glantal. Geography Location The municipality lies at the western end of the Landstuhl ...
, while roughly 13 km to the northeast runs the Autobahn A 62 (
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 ...
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 ...
) with an interchange at Kusel. The former
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
Glan Valley Railway The Glan Valley Railway () is a non-electrified line along the Glan (Nahe), Glan river, in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It consists of the Glan-Münchweiler–Altenglan section, which was built as part of the Landstuhl–Kusel railwa ...
(''Glantalbahn'') in the municipality itself has been abandoned. Homburg and the even nearer
Bruchmühlbach-Miesau Bruchmühlbach-Miesau () is a municipality in the district of Kaiserslautern in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the small river Glan, approx. 10 km north-east of Homburg, and 25 km west of Kaiserslautern. It has many ...
have stations on the
Mannheim–Saarbrücken railway The Mannheim–Saarbrücken railway () is a railway in the German states of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and the Saarland that runs through Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Kaiserslautern, Homburg (Saar), Homburg an ...
(''Pfälzische Ludwigsbahn''). Public passenger transport is provided by bus routes that radiate from the municipality in almost every direction.


Famous people


Famous people associated with the municipality

*Albert Buchheit (b. 1862 in
Contwig Contwig is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western 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 nort ...
; d. 1933 in Kirchmohr) ::A
Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in common English usage ''priest'' refe ...
, Buchheit was a well known church historian and author of the book ''Die säkularisierten Kirchengüter der Pfalz'' ("The Secularized Church Properties of the Palatinate"). After 1920, he was also the pastor in Kübelberg. *Josef Hanß (b. 1871 in
Steinwenden Steinwenden is a municipality in the district of Kaiserslautern, in Rhineland-Palatinate, 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 ...
; d. 1957 in
Landau Landau (), officially Landau in der Pfalz (, ), is an autonomous (''kreisfrei'') town surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße ("Southern Wine Route") district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town (since 1990), a long ...
) ::A Catholic priest and author of religious writings, Hanß was a co-founder of the
Sacred Heart The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus () is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus Christ is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This devotion to Christ is p ...
Monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...
(Herz-Jesu-Kloster) in the Schöntal near
Neustadt an der Weinstraße Neustadt (German for ''new town'' or ''new city'') may refer to: Places * Neustadt (urban district) Czech Republic *Neustadt an der Mettau, Nové Město nad Metují *Neustadt an der Tafelfichte, Nové Město pod Smrkem * Nové Město na Mo ...
. After he was ordained in 1894 he was chaplain in Kübelberg. *Emil Nesseler (b. 1891 in
Lauterecken Lauterecken () is a town in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the '' Verbandsgemeinde'' Lauterecken-Wolfstein, to which it also belongs. Lauterecken bears the nickname ''Veldenzstadt'', after the comital famil ...
; d. 1952 in
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 ...
) ::A schoolteacher and manager of the Palatine Teachers’ Association, Nesseler was an author of regional historical literature, particularly dealing with the Ludwigshafen area. He was also the city archivist in Ludwigshafen and designed maps as instructional materials. After 1920, he was also a schoolteacher in Schönenberg. *Peter Josef Ohmer (b. 1881; d. 1968 in
Bad Bergzabern Bad Bergzabern () is a municipality in the Südliche Weinstraße district, on the German Wine Route in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated near the border with France, on the south-eastern edge of the Palatinate forest, approximately s ...
) ::A Catholic priest and author of regional historical writings, Ohmer was active in the municipality of
Hatzenbühl Hatzenbühl is a municipality in the district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, 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 nor ...
in many ways, and became an honorary citizen there. About 1904, he was chaplain in Kübelberg.Peter Josef Ohmer


References


External links


Municipality’s official webpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schonenberg-Kubelberg Kusel (district)