Nerzweiler
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Nerzweiler is an '' Ortsgemeinde'' – 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'' Lauterecken-Wolfstein.


Geography


Location

Nerzweiler is nestled in the ''Eßweiler Tal'' (dale) in the
North Palatine Uplands The North Palatine Uplands (, ), sometimes shortened to Palatine Uplands (''Pfälzer Bergland''), is a low mountain range and landscape unit in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate and belongs mainly to the Palatinate region. It is part of ...
between Hinzweiler and
Offenbach-Hundheim Offenbach-Hundheim 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 ...
at an elevation of roughly 190 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 ...
. The elevations on either side of the dale reach some 300 m above sea level (Auf der Platte 310 m, Stiehlberg 280 m). The municipal area measures 213 ha, of which roughly 10 ha is settled.


Neighbouring municipalities

Nerzweiler borders in the north on the municipality of
Offenbach-Hundheim Offenbach-Hundheim 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 the east on the municipality of Aschbach, in the south on the municipality of Hinzweiler and in the west on the municipality of
Glanbrücken Glanbrücken is an '' Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Lauterecken-Wolfstein ...
.


Municipality’s layout

Nerzweiler is a loosely settled clump village on the road running through the ''Eßweiler Tal'' (''
Landesstraße ''Landesstraßen'' (singular: ''Landesstraße'' ) are roads in Germany and Austria that are, as a rule, the responsibility of the respective German or Austrian federal state. The term may therefore be translated as "state road". They are road ...
'' 372). In the village core, the village's sidestreets cross the main street, and also here, settlement is a bit heavier. The graveyard lies to the northwest, outside the village.


History


Antiquity

Given the many
prehistoric 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 ...
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 in the broader Nerzweiler area, it can be assumed that people likewise inhabited the area right around what is now Nerzweiler during the
Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
and 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 ...
, and perhaps even as early as the
New Stone Age The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide- ...
. There were people here during
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 ...
times, too. In state scrivener and geometer Johannes Hofmann's 1595 description of the ''Eßweiler Tal'', he wrote: “Likewise one also finds a walled sign near ''Hintzweiler'' and Nerzweiler in the fields down below at the ''Gutleuthaus'' (literally “good people’s house”, but actually a house for
lepers Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...
) on the road. There, too, such stones, coins and quite solid pieces of
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
, like one fashioned into a table, have been found in the earth.” He was writing about finds from Roman times, such as many that were found throughout the dale. The Hachenbach chronicler, Ludwig Mahler, also speaks of Roman finds between Nerzweiler and Aschbach. He said the foundations of a Roman bath with six rooms were unearthed in 1827.


Middle Ages

To a great extent, Nerzweiler shares the same history as all the villages in the ''Eßweiler Tal'', which in many respects, form a unit. Besides Nerzweiler itself, these villages were originally Hundheim (Neuenglan), Hachenbach, Hinzweiler, Aschbach,
Horschbach Horschbach is an '' Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Kusel-Altenglan, wh ...
, Oberweiler im Tal, Elzweiler,
Eßweiler Eßweiler (, with a short E; also ''Essweiler'') is an ''Ortsgemeinde (Germany), Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel (district), Kusel ...
and the now vanished villages of Letzweiler, Niederaschbach, Nörweiler, Mittelhofen, Zeizelbach, Füllhof, Neideck and Lanzweiler. According to historians’ assumptions, these villages lay in the Free Imperial Domain (''Reichsland'') around the king's
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 ...
in Lautern (
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 sometime before the 9th century, they were given over into
Prüm Abbey Prüm Abbey is a former Order of Saint Benedict, Benedictine abbey in Prüm, now in the diocese of Trier (Germany), founded by the Franks, Frankish widow Bertrada of Prüm, Bertrada the elder and her son Caribert of Laon, Charibert, Count of Laon, ...
’s ownership. This area’s ecclesiastical hub was at first the ancient church at Hirsau, the ''Hirsauer Kirche'' near Hundheim. The village of Hundheim then still bore the name ''Glena'' or ''Glan'', perhaps even ''Neuenglan'' (''Niuwen Glena''), contrasting with
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 ...
(''Gleni'') – ''neu'' and ''alt'' are
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 ...
for “new” and “old” respectively. This ''Glena'' became seat of a ''Hund''. Despite this word's modern German meaning (“dog”), this was a secular administrator for 14
feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...
lords who held the right to share the
tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in money, cash, cheques or v ...
s from the whole dale among themselves. The lords in question were the ''Junker'' Mühlenstein von Grumbach as the Rhinegraves’
vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...
, the County Palatine of Zweibrücken, Offenbach Abbey, Remigiusberg Abbey,
Tholey Abbey Tholey Abbey () in Tholey, in the district of Sankt Wendel in Saarland, is a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Maurice. It is part of the Beuronese Congregation within the Benedictine Confederation. History As early as the 5th and 6th cen ...
, Enkenbach Abbey, the
Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there ...
commandry In the Middle Ages, a commandery (rarely commandry) was the smallest administrative division of the European landed properties of a military order. It was also the name of the house where the knights of the commandery lived.Anthony Luttrell and G ...
at Sulzbach, the Church of
Zweibrücken Zweibrücken (; ; , ; literally translated as "Two Bridges") is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Schwarzbach (Blies), Schwarzbach River. Name The name ''Zweibrücken'' means 'two bridges'; older forms of the name include Middl ...
, the Church of
Sankt Julian Sankt Julian (often rendered St. Julian) is an ''Ortsgemeinde (Germany), Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel (district), Kusel District ...
, the Church of Hinzweiler (formerly Hirsau), the ''Stangenjunker'' of Lauterecken, the House of Blick von Lichtenberg, the Lords of Mauchenheim and the Lords of Mickelheim. Obviously, each fiefholder held a different administrative seat. The
Waldgrave The first Waldgraves or Wildgraves (Latin: ''comites silvestres'') descended from a division of the House of the Counts of Nahegau in the year 1113. When the (a countship named after the river Nahe) split into two parts in 1113, the count ...
s and Rhinegraves, as holders of
high jurisdiction High, middle and low justices are notions dating from Western feudalism to indicate descending degrees of judicial power to administer justice by the maximal punishment the holders could inflict upon their subjects and other dependents. The scale ...
, resided above the Lords of Mühlenstein (later Cratz von Scharfenstein) near the ''Hirsauer Kirche'' and at the Springeburg (or Sprengelburg; the ruin still stands today between Eßweiler and Oberweiler im Tal). The
Counts of Veldenz The County Palatine of Veldenz was a principality in the contemporary Land Rhineland-Palatinate with full voting rights to the Reichstag. The county was located partially between Kaiserslautern, Sponheim and Zweibrücken, partially on the Mosel ...
, as feudal lords over the dale's “poor people” (as of 1444, this was instead the Counts Palatine of Zweibrücken) chose as their seat the village of Nerzweiler, which between 1350 and 1451 was always named in documents as the seat of the Nerzweiler '' Amt''. Michael Frey claims in his description of the Bavarian Rhine District (bayerischer Rheinkreis) that the Counts of Veldenz had already been enfeoffed with the ''Amt'' of Nerzweiler by 1130, and thus right after the county had been founded. Frey, however, does not name a source, and his claim is thus unproven. According to a 1350 document, in which Nerzweiler had its first documentary mention, a lesser nobleman Endris genannt (“called”) Müller von Grumbach made it clear that Count Heinrich II of Veldenz had hired him as ''
Burgmann From the 12th century in central Europe, a ''Burgmann'' (plural: ''Burgmannen'' or modern term ''Burgmänner'', Latin: ''oppidanus'', ''castrensus'') was a knight ministeriales or member of the nobility who was obliged to guard and defend castles. ...
'' for his Castle Lauterecken. Endris, however, could not actually live at the castle owing to a lack of room. Hence, he could only even show up at the castle whenever he was issued a special invitation. He was accorded remuneration of six pounds in Heller each year, which he had to claim yearly at the ''
Amtmann __NOTOC__ The ''Amtmann'' or ''Ammann'' (in Switzerland) was an official in German-speaking countries of Europe and in some of the Nordic countries from the time of the Middle Ages whose office was akin to that of a bailiff A bailiff is a ...
’s'' office at ''Nertzwilre''. In a 1377 document, a man called Henne Weber is named – or Hans – who worked at the weaver’s craft (indeed, his surname is German for “weaver”). This Henne Weber from ''Nertzwilre'' was one of 40 bondsmen for Gerhard von Lauterecken, his wife Gertrud and Henne Heinzmann’s sons. Gerhard von Lauterecken had pledged allegiance to Count Heinrich II of Veldenz and declared himself ready to pay one thousand Mainz ''Gulden'' should he fail to keep his word. In five further documents from Count of Veldenz Friedrich III’s time, the issuers make reference to the state of affairs between the
County of Veldenz The County Palatine of Veldenz was a principality in the contemporary States of Germany, Land Rhineland-Palatinate with full voting rights to the Reichstag. The county was located partially between Kaiserslautern, Sponheim and Zweibrücken, part ...
and
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 ...
. Specifically, a significant part of the County of Veldenz was made up of Electoral Palatinate
fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...
s; that is to say, these areas originally belonged to the Electors Palatine, but they enfeoffed the Counts of Veldenz with these holdings, to be kept as hereditary holdings. The fiefs in question were the town 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 ...
, the Michelsburg (
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 ...
) on the Remigiusberg, Castle Pettersheim, the whole ''Remigiusland'' and also the ''
Ämter Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only in Germany, but formerly also common in other countries of Northern Europe. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to ...
'' of Bosenbach and Nerzweiler. In the 1387, 1398, 1437 and 1443 documents, Count Friedrich III acknowledged receipt of these holdings from Electoral Palatinate. In a 1393 document, though, Ruprecht of Electoral Palatinate (as of 1398 Elector Palatine, and as of 1400
German King This is a list of monarchs who ruled over East Francia, and the Kingdom of Germany (), from Treaty of Verdun, the division of the Francia, Frankish Empire in 843 and Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire in ...
) granted Count Friedrich leave to grant his wife Margarethe of Nassau-Saarbrücken the ''Amt'' of Nerzweiler (and also the ''Amt'' of ''Bassenbach'' or Bosenbach) as a widow’s estate, meaning that, should the Countess outlive her husband, she could draw an income as a widow from these two ''Ämter''. In 1444, the County of Veldenz met its end when Count Friedrich III of Veldenz died without a male heir. His daughter
Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna of East Anglia, King (died c.654) * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th c ...
wed King Ruprecht’s son Count Palatine Stephan. By uniting his own Palatine holdings with the now otherwise heirless County of Veldenz – his wife had inherited the county, but not her father’s title – and by redeeming the hitherto pledged County of Zweibrücken, Stephan founded a new County Palatine, as whose comital residence he chose the town of
Zweibrücken Zweibrücken (; ; , ; literally translated as "Two Bridges") is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Schwarzbach (Blies), Schwarzbach River. Name The name ''Zweibrücken'' means 'two bridges'; older forms of the name include Middl ...
: the County Palatine – later Duchy – of Palatinate-Zweibrücken. Even before 1444 had ended, Stephan shared the new County Palatine out between his sons Friedrich and Ludwig. In 1446, the former Veldenz territory was confirmed for the two brothers by the new Elector Palatine, Ludwig. Cropping up in this confirmation document, issued on 27 July 1446 in
Alzey Alzey () is a ''Verband''-free town – one belonging to no ''Verbandsgemeinde'' – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the fifth-largest town in Rhenish Hesse, after Mainz, Worms, Germany, Worms, Ingelheim am Rhei ...
, for the very last time is a reference to the ''Amt'' of Nerzweiler. It is not known when, but sometime thereafter, the ''Amt'' seat was moved to Hundheim, and then the entity was always called in documents the ''Hundheimer Pflege'' (''Pflege'' literally means “care”, but it was actually a local geopolitical unit). Dependence on a great number of lords in the dale afforded greater freedom than in other areas where united power and governing relationships prevailed. Legal matters within the ''Eßweiler Tal'' were governed by a whole range of ''Weistümer'' (singular: ''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 ''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), which were already in force in the Middle Ages, although they were not actually set down in writing until the early 16th century. These documents are still preserved, and are said today to be prime examples of mediaeval jurisprudence. One deals with the court and borders, one is a ''Kanzelweistum'' (promulgated at church; ''Kanzel'' is German for “
pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, accesse ...
”), one is a ''Huberweistum'' (''Huber'' were farmers who worked a whole ''Hube'', which roughly corresponds to an “
oxgang An oxgang or bovate (; ; ; ) is an old land measurement formerly used in Scotland and England as early as the 16th century sometimes referred to as an oxgait. It averaged around 20 English acres, but was based on land fertility and cultivation, a ...
”), and one was a municipal ''Weistum'' (''Gemeindeweistum'').


Modern times

In 1537, 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 ...
was introduced into the ''Eßweiler Tal''. In the course of the 16th century, the Plague raged, and the villages were emptied of people. In Nerzweiler itself by 1575 were only ten people. With regard to the ruling class, this brought about a shift in power in 1595 as the high jurisdiction, hitherto held for some 250 years by the Waldgraves and Rhinegraves, was transferred to the Dukes of Zweibrücken. In return, Count Palatine Johannes I of Zweibrücken transferred the village of Kirchenbollenbach near
Idar-Oberstein Idar-Oberstein () is a town in the Birkenfeld (district), Birkenfeld Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. As a ''Große kreisangehörige Stadt'' (large city belonging to a district), it assumes some of the respons ...
(nowadays a ''
Stadtteil A quarter is a part of an urban area, urban settlement. A quarter can be administratively defined and its borders officially designated, and it may have its own administrative structure (subordinate to that of the city, town or other urban area ...
'' of that town) to the Rhinegraves. Lordship over the blood court thereby ended up in new hands, while the other lords named still otherwise held their tithing rights in the various villages. In 1614, Duke Johannes II of Zweibrücken traded his
serfs Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery. It developed dur ...
in Teschenmoschel for some in the ''Eßweiler Tal'' belonging to Baron Johann Gottfried von Sickingen in
Schallodenbach Schallodenbach is municipality in the district Kaiserslautern of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Location Schallodenbach is situated approximately 13 km north of Kaiserslautern. Schallodenbach is part of the Verbandsgemeinde Otterbach-Otterbe ...
. Nerzweiler also suffered 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 ...
. Details are, however, unavailable. Another fundamental shift in the power structure came in 1755, when Duke Christian IV transferred Offenbach Abbey with the villages of Hundheim, Nerzweiler, Hinzweiler, Oberweiler, Oberaschbach and Niederaschbach (now vanished) and also the ''Hirsauer Kirche'' to the Rhinegraves of Grumbach, who until 1595 had exercised high jurisdiction in these villages. Nerzweiler thereafter remained in the Rhinegraviate until the collapse of the old
feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...
order in the course of the French Revolution.


Recent times

During the time of the French Revolution and the
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 era that followed, the German lands on 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 were
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 ...
by
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 ...
. The French thereby swept away all borders that had hitherto existed and established their own administrative entities. Roughly, the Glan formed the boundary between the
Departments Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military * Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
of Sarre and
Mont-Tonnerre Mont-Tonnerre () was a department of the First French Republic and later the First French Empire in present-day Germany. It was named after the highest point in the Palatinate, the '' Donnersberg'' ("Thunder Mountain", possibly referring to Do ...
(or Donnersberg 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 ...
). Nerzweiler passed together with the villages of Aschbach, Hinzweiler, Hachenbach and Gumbsweiler to the newly founded ''Mairie'' (“Mayoralty”) of Hundheim, which itself belonged to the Canton of Lauterecken and 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 Kaiserslautern. After the victory over Napoleon, the
Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...
awarded a territory on the Rhine to the
Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria ( ; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1806 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German Empire in 1871, the kingd ...
, the ''Baierischer Rheinkreis'' (“Bavarian Rhine District”), later known as the ''Bayerische Rheinpfalz'' (“Bavarian Rhenish Palatinate”). Nerzweiler now belonged within this territory to the ''Bürgermeisterei'' (“Mayoralty”) of Hundheim in the Canton of Lauterecken and the ''Landkommissariat'' (later ''Bezirksamt'', and later still ''Landkreis'' or District) of Kusel. Only in the time between 1880 and 1892 was Nerzweiler the ''Bürgermeisterei'' seat. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...
(NSDAP) became quite popular in Nerzweiler. In the 1928 Reichstag elections, 3.0% of the local votes went to
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
’s party, but by the 1930 Reichstag elections, this had grown to 65.2%. By the time of the 1933 Reichstag elections, after Hitler had already seized power, local support for the Nazis had swollen to 98.1%. Hitler’s success in these elections paved the way for his
Enabling Act of 1933 The Enabling Act of 1933 ( German: ', officially titled ' ), was a law that gave the German Cabinet—most importantly, the chancellor, Adolf Hitler—the power to make and enforce laws without the involvement of the Reichstag or President Pa ...
(''Ermächtigungsgesetz''), thus starting the
Third Reich Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...
in earnest. Further changes in administrative structures came about not only through the Third Reich but also 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 ...
. The Palatinate was grouped into the then newly founded
state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
of
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 ...
, which itself undertook administrative restructuring in 1968. Thus, since 1 January 1972, Nerzweiler has belonged within the Kusel district to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Lauterecken.


Population development

Nerzweiler was throughout 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 ...
a small village, whose very existence was often threatened by such things as Plague and war. People earned their livelihoods mainly at farming. The naming of a wealthy weaver named Hans in the 1377 document can be taken as a clue that as early as the Middle Ages, weaving was a distinct craft. In 1477, two persons liable to pay the ''Maibede'' were named. In 1559, the following names are known from Nerzweiler: Daniel Jung, Hans Poth, Daniel Beller, Hans Lay, Bastian Krill and Jakob Anthes. Even before 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 village was heavily depopulated by the Plague. From the 17th century onwards, some villagers sought a living in the ore mines at the Königsberg. In the area near Hinzweiler was a
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
pit, which employed a few people. Near Nerzweiler itself were collieries on both sides of the dale, where men from the village sometimes also found work. In a 1743 statistical publication, all 14 fathers heading households were said to be free subjects. Five villagers worked at craft occupations besides working the land. There were one
linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...
weaver Weaver or Weavers may refer to: Activities * A person who engages in weaving fabric Animals * Various birds of the family Ploceidae * Crevice weaver spider family * Orb-weaver spider family * Weever (or weever-fish) Arts and entertainmen ...
, one
miller A miller is a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents ...
, one
tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...
, one tanner and one
shoemaker Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or '' cordwainers'' (sometimes misidentified as cobblers, who repair shoes rather than make them). In the 18th cen ...
. Essentially, this occupational structure remained in place well into the 20th century. From the late 19th century until Weimar times, some ''Wandermusikanten'' (travelling musicians; see the Hinzweiler article for more about them) may have travelled the world. Since that time, the traditional craft businesses have disappeared utterly. Most villagers must now seek livelihoods elsewhere. The village's population peaked about 1870. Today, there are fewer people living in Nerzweiler than there were 200 years ago. The following table shows population development over the centuries for Nerzweiler: *This figure is the number of families.


Municipality’s name

Citing Johannes Hofmann once again, Nerzweiler supposedly has its name from a man named Narriseus, whom Hofmann held to be the village's founder, and thus the original name was ''Narriseusweiler''. The village's name, Nerzweiler, indeed has the common
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 ...
placename ending ''—weiler'', which as a standalone word means “
hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
” (originally “homestead”), to which is prefixed a syllable ''Nerz—'', but modern placename researchers do not all share Hofmann's interpretation of this prefix (although the ending's origin is indisputable). Researchers Dolch and Greule, for instance, believe it to have arisen from the personal name ''Nerizo'', suggesting that an early settler named Nerizo founded the village. It cannot be said, however, just when the villages in the ''Eßweiler Tal'' with names ending in ''—weiler'' were founded. The time period in question is quite a long one, from the 8th century to the 12th. Nerzweiler had its first documentary mention in 1350, whereas the dale's other villages were all mentioned nearly a century earlier. These villages’ foundings might arguably be held to have taken place some 300 years before their first documentary mentions. In the document that first mentions Nerzweiler, its name is rendered ''Nertzwilre''. Later forms of the village's name are: ''Nerzewilre'' (14th century), ''Nerzwilr'' (1443) and Nerzweiler (1575).


Vanished villages

Johannes Hofmann's 1595 description of the ''Eßweiler Tal'' also yields the following: “In the Nerzweiler domain, up at the end of the Rendbach dell, in former times the Mühlstein Junkers had a livestock farm, called Heinzenmauren”. Also mentioned was a house for
lepers Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...
that stood on the road between Nerzweiler and Hinzweiler. Information about any actual former villages within Nerzweiler's current limits, however, is unavailable.


Religion

The old ''Hirsauer Kirche'' was originally the spiritual hub for all villages in the ''Eßweiler Tal''. When it was that a church was first built in Hirsau (not to be confused with
Hirsau Hirsau (formerly ''Hirschau'') is a district of the town of Calw in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, located in the south-west portion of the country, about two miles north of Calw and about twenty-four miles west of Stuttgart. Town Hir ...
in
Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...
) cannot be determined today. It can be assumed nonetheless that there had been an earlier church standing at the same spot centuries before the one that still stands now was built (about 1100); it may have been wooden. Churchgoers came from throughout the dale to attend services, all
wedding A wedding is a ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnicity, ethnicities, Race (human categorization), races, religions, Religious denomination, denominations, Cou ...
s were held there, and so were all
funeral A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...
s and burials. It was also the thingstead, and on certain days,
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 ...
was held there, too. Hirsau lost this central role when in 1451 the church in Hinzweiler was built, although originally this only functioned as a
chapel of ease A chapel of ease (or chapel-of-ease) is a church architecture, church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently, generally due to trav ...
to Hirsau's parish church. This actually brought about competition between the two churches in the time that followed for the function of parish church. As early as 1526, the Duchy of Palatinate-Zweibrücken introduced 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 ...
into the church of the '' Oberamt'' of Meisenheim, replacing
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 ...
belief with
Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...
’s teachings so that bit by bit, church services in the ''Eßweiler Tal'', too, began to be conducted in accordance with the Reformation. The Offenbach Monastery, to which the Hinzweiler church was subject, at first opposed Reformist efforts. In 1555, though, the Rhinegraves of Grumbach, too, introduced the Reformation, and in 1588, the Offenbach Monastery was dissolved. In 1562,
Eßweiler Eßweiler (, with a short E; also ''Essweiler'') is an ''Ortsgemeinde (Germany), Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel (district), Kusel ...
got its own graveyard. After the Counts Palatine of Zweibrücken had become absolute fiefholders over the ''Eßweiler Tal'' in 1795, worshippers then had to convert to
Calvinism Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteri ...
in line with developments in the County Palatine. Beginning in 1601, Hinzweiler became the temporary parish seat, but already by 1610, it once again had to yield this function to Hirsau, only to get it back after 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 ...
. This structure remains in place to this day. In earlier days, Nerzweiler's inhabitants were mainly
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 ...
, according to
John Calvin John Calvin (; ; ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French Christian theology, theologian, pastor and Protestant Reformers, reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of C ...
’s teachings. As minorities, there were
Lutherans Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...
, who in 1818 merged with the Calvinists.
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 ...
Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...
were not found in Nerzweiler until the early 19th century, and even thereafter, only sporadically. In 1743, out of 14 households, only two belonged to the Lutheran faith, while none belonged to either the Catholic or the
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
faith. In 1825, only
Protestants 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 ...
lived in the village, that is, former Calvinists and Lutherans after the 1818 Protestant Union. In 1961, among the 180 inhabitants was one Catholic.


Politics


Municipal council

The council is made up of 6 council members, who were elected by
majority vote A majority is more than half of a total; however, the term is commonly used with other meanings, as explained in the "#Related terms, Related terms" section below. It is a subset of a Set (mathematics), set consisting of more than half of the se ...
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.


Mayor

Nerzweiler’s mayor is Michael Hildebrand.


Coat of arms

The municipality’s
arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...
might be described thus: Per fess Or a demilion gules armed and langued azure and vert a cuckoo argent. The
charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...
in the upper field is the lion once borne as an heraldic device by the Rhinegraves of Grumbach, who held the area until 1793. The charge in the lower field is a
cuckoo Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae ( ) family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes ( ). The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals, and anis. The coucals and anis are somet ...
, which here symbolizes a nickname used for the villagers, “''Kuckuck''” (“Cuckoo” 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 ...
). The arms have been borne since 5 September 1985.


Culture and sightseeing


Regular events

Nerzweiler holds its
kermis Kermesse, or kermis, or kirmess, is an outdoor fair or festival usually organized for charitable purposes. The term was derived from 'kerk' (church) and 'mis' (mass) in the original Dutch language term, and was borrowed in English, French, Spa ...
(church consecration festival) on the third weekend in August. In 2000, the ''Ortsgemeinde'' staged a village festival in connection with the 650-year jubilee of its first documentary mention, with an exhibition of old pictures from local history, which found great favour among the public. Other old customs are hardly kept at all.


Clubs

Clubs are not very strongly represented in this small village, but Nerzweiler does have a singing club, a country youth group and a promotional association for the
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 ...
and the municipality.


Economy and infrastructure


Economic structure

Nerzweiler was formerly purely a farming village. A livestock headcount in 1928 yielded figures of 27
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, 208 head of
cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...
, 79
pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...
s, 22
goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the ...
s, 547
chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...
s and 10
bee Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...
colonies. In earlier times, both a
mill Mill may refer to: Science and technology * Factory * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Paper mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * Sugarcane mill * Textile mill * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic ...
and a small
tannery Tanning, or hide tanning, is the process of treating skins and hides of animals to produce leather. A tannery is the place where the skins are processed. Historically, vegetable based tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound derived fr ...
stood on the brook. According to a 1744 report, the mill had two
waterwheel A water wheel is a machine for converting the kinetic energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a large wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with numerous blade ...
s and two sets of
millstone Millstones or mill stones are stones used in gristmills, used for triturating, crushing or, more specifically, grinding wheat or other grains. They are sometimes referred to as grindstones or grinding stones. Millstones come in pairs: a s ...
s. Peter Hornbacher was at that time the ''Erbbeständer'' (holder of the ''Erbbestand'', a uniquely German landhold arrangement in which ownership rights and usage rights were separated; this is forbidden by law in modern Germany). There were also collieries during the 18th century with some 5 or 6 galleries in the “Wernesacker”, “in der Hölle” and “im Bächel” districts. Newer pits were worked between 1821 and 1869. The workforce of 12 men in the beginning, though, shrank over time to six. In the long run, 12 964 t of coal were mined each year.


Education

Schooling experienced a general upswing beginning in the time of 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 ...
. However, an end would have been put to it no later than 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 ...
(1618-1648). About the Nerzweiler school's beginnings, little is known. It is likely that there was a winter school (a school geared towards an agricultural community's practical needs, held in the winter, when farm families had a bit more time to spare) in the 18th century. School documents in the
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 ...
State Archive tell the reader that in 1845, a prospective schoolteacher named Wilhelm Hahn was teaching school lessons at a private dwelling. Hahn was soon asked to find a new job, since he was to be replaced by a schoolteacher who held a diploma. This successor at the
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 ...
school was Heinrich Engel, born in 1824 in
Einöllen Einöllen is an ''Ortsgemeinde (Germany), Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a type of collective municipality – in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhine ...
, and he was named the regular teacher in 1856. Because the municipality's finances were never very strong, there were time and again disputes between the municipality and Engel, and later his successors, over wages and municipal benefits. In 1862, Engel demanded 650
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 that the municipality had not paid him during his time in service. The number of pupils throughout that time was more than fifty in seven grade levels, from a population of somewhat more than 200 (1850/1851: 53; 1851/1852: 56). The municipality had a new schoolhouse built in 1870, and at the same time, it laid out its own graveyard. Because of the financial hardship brought about by this, it also sold the municipal woodland to the municipality of Aschbach. It is said that this is why Nerzweiler villagers were given the nickname “''Kuckuck''” (“Cuckoo”, although 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 ...
, it seems that this word does not bear the same connotation of madness as in English). Heinrich Engel was in the beginning quite assiduous about his duties, but over time, carelessness and neglect began to show up in his work, perhaps brought about by his meagre wages. In 1877, he had to be pensioned off early after becoming sick. His successor was Jacob Förster from Hinterweidenthal. About him, too, there were soon complaints, and in 1879 he was transferred to Blaubach. Several administrators over the following two years led classes, until Peter Lang was hired in 1881. Lang, who was born in 1848, was actually from Nerzweiler itself. In 1896, he also took on the office of
computer A computer is a machine that can be Computer programming, programmed to automatically Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (''computation''). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic set ...
at the Hundheim-Nerzweiler
credit union A credit union is a member-owned nonprofit organization, nonprofit cooperative financial institution. They may offer financial services equivalent to those of commercial banks, such as share accounts (savings accounts), share draft accounts (che ...
, but he, likewise, had to seek early retirement owing to illness in 1897. Then, the teaching post was filled many times over by teachers who only stayed a short time, until from 1912 to 1923 Rudolf Brügel taught. He was transferred to
Hütschenhausen Hütschenhausen is a municipality in the district of Kaiserslautern, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Western Germany. Sons and daughters of the community * Julius Koh (1884 – after 1936), chemist and manager of the chemical industry * Julius Rüb ...
in 1923. The village's last schoolteacher was Armin Hübner. In 1967, the school in Nerzweiler was dissolved. Schoolchildren at first had to go to the central school in
Sankt Julian Sankt Julian (often rendered St. Julian) is an ''Ortsgemeinde (Germany), Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel (district), Kusel District ...
, but then later to 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 ...
-
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 ...
in
Offenbach-Hundheim Offenbach-Hundheim 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 ...
.


Transport

Nerzweiler lies on ''
Landesstraße ''Landesstraßen'' (singular: ''Landesstraße'' ) are roads in Germany and Austria that are, as a rule, the responsibility of the respective German or Austrian federal state. The term may therefore be translated as "state road". They are road ...
'' 273, which links Rothselberg with
Offenbach-Hundheim Offenbach-Hundheim 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 ...
. South of the village, ''Landesstraße'' 368 branches off ''Landesstraße'' 273, leading eastwards to the Lauter valley. ''Landesstraße'' 368 leads from neighbouring Hinzweiler by way of
Horschbach Horschbach is an '' Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Kusel-Altenglan, wh ...
and
Welchweiler Welchweiler is an '' Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Kusel-Altenglan, wh ...
to
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 ...
. 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 ...
and
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
s lie respectively 20 and 30 km away. To the north runs ''
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 ...
'' 420. The nearest
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 ...
s are the ones 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 ...
6 km away, and Wolfstein 8 km away, both on the '' Lautertalbahn''.Transport
/ref>


References


External links


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