Rutsweiler Am Glan
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Rutsweiler am Glan is an – 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 , 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'' of Kusel-Altenglan, whose seat is 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 ...
. Rutsweiler am Glan is one of two places in the Kusel district named Rutsweiler. The other is
Rutsweiler an der Lauter Rutsweiler an der Lauter is an – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a , a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ...
, lying some 13 km to the east-northeast.


Geography


Location

Rutsweiler am Glan lies in the Kusel '' Musikantenland'' (“Minstrels’ Land”) in the Western Palatinate at the foot of the
Potzberg The Potzberg, known as "King of the Westrich" (''König des Westrich''), is a wooded hill, (), in the North Palatine Uplands in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Geography & history The Potzberg is one of the "Palatine Domes" (''Pf ...
on the river Glan's right bank in a north-south direction along ''
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 (
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 ...
Glan-Münchweiler Glan-Münchweiler 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 ...
Sarreguemines Sarreguemines (; German: ''Saargemünd'' ; Lorraine Franconian: ''Saargemìnn'') is a commune in the Moselle department of the Grand Est administrative region in north-eastern France. It is the seat of an arrondissement and a canton. As o ...
). The valley floor lies at an elevation of 207.0 to 203.3 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 ground rises steeply up towards the Potzberg's summit to the east. The hilliness and the soil's poor quality hinder any intensive use. Living in the municipality are 371 inhabitants in an area of 159 ha, of which 144 ha is woodland, cropland and meadowland.


Neighbouring municipalities

Rutsweiler am Glan borders in the north on the municipality of
Altenglan Altenglan is an '' Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Kusel-Altenglan. Alte ...
, in the east on the municipality of
Föckelberg Föckelberg 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 Rhi ...
, in the southeast on the municipality of
Neunkirchen am Potzberg Neunkirchen am Potzberg is an '' Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Kusel-A ...
and in the south and west on the municipality of Theisbergstegen.


Municipality’s layout

As can be seen on the 1850 village map, the built-up part of Rutsweiler am Glan was once concentrated loosely around the village
well A well is an excavation or structure created on the earth by digging, driving, or drilling to access liquid resources, usually water. The oldest and most common kind of well is a water well, to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The ...
in the middle of the village. Until the late 1950s, the village's expansion thrust mainly to the north and south along Hauptstraße (“Main Street”). Only when new building zones were opened did the village begin spreading towards the Potzberg. All together, 65 new buildings arose 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 ...
. Out of what was originally a workers’ village with
farming 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 ...
as a secondary occupation has today grown into almost exclusively a residential community for
commuters Commuting is periodically recurring travel between a place of residence and place of work or study, where the traveler, referred to as a commuter, leaves the boundary of their home community. By extension, it can sometimes be any regular o ...
.


History


Antiquity

Rutsweiler am Glan is among the Middle Glan Valley's oldest villages. Before and 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, the area was settled by
Celts The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...
. After the Romans withdrew,
Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages, a group of Low Germanic languages also commonly referred to as "Frankish" varieties * Francia, a post-Roman ...
settlers came thrusting into the land.


Middle Ages

Rutsweiler's founding may have happened in the 7th or 8th century when territorial changes took place with the donation of the ''Remigiusland''. The prevailing version of the story about the donation of the ''Remigiusland'' by Frankish king
Clovis I Clovis (; reconstructed Old Frankish, Frankish: ; – 27 November 511) was the first List of Frankish kings, king of the Franks to unite all of the Franks under one ruler, changing the form of leadership from a group of petty kings to rule by a ...
to the Bishop of Reims on the occasion of Clovis's baptism and
conversion Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''The Convert'', a 2023 film produced by Jump Film & Television and Brouhaha Entertainment * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * ...
along with 3,000 other Franks in 496, has been called into question by historians, and is interpreted in various different versions. Undisputed, however, is that the donation, in whatever year it took place, went into effect very early on and the formerly kingly Imperial Domain passed into ecclesiastical ownership. The river Glan thereby became a border, with all the villages on the right bank, from
Rehweiler Rehweiler is an – a municipality belonging to a , a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Oberes Glantal. Geography Location The municipality lies ...
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 ...
still held by King
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...
(768-814). After the division of the
Carolingian Empire The Carolingian Empire (800–887) was a Franks, Frankish-dominated empire in Western and Central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as List of Frankish kings, kings of the Franks since ...
in the 9th century, the Rutsweiler area became a German domain, whereas the ''Remigiusland'' remained under ownership of the
Bishopric of Verdun Bishopric of Verdun may refer to: * Roman Catholic Diocese of Verdun, the spiritual jurisdiction of the bishops of Verdun * Prince-Bishopric of Verdun, the secular jurisdiction of the bishops of Verdun in the Holy Roman Empire {{dab ...
. Endless disputes over
succession Succession is the act or process of following in order or sequence. Governance and politics *Order of succession, in politics, the ascension to power by one ruler, official, or monarch after the death, resignation, or removal from office of ...
as well as over borders led to continual friction between the secular rulers and the Church of
Reims Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...
. Even 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 ...
, who from 1072 to 1444 ruled as two separate lordly families, who held considerable power in the Rutsweiler area and who bore responsibility for security in the ''Remigiusland'' as '' Schutzvögte'', were no exception to this general rule. Their quest for broadened power eventually brought them the ''
Schultheiß In medieval Germany, the ''Schultheiß'' () was the head of a municipality (akin to today's office of mayor), a '' Vogt'' or an executive official of the ruler. As official (''villicus'') it was his duty to order his assigned village or county ( ...
erei'' of Reichenbach, to which Rutsweiler then belonged, in the form of an Imperial pledge. Together with the parish of Deinsberg, Rutsweiler am Glan originally belonged to the Imperial Domain (''Reichsland'') around 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 ...
). Going by Rutsweiler am Glan's first documentary mention in 1303, it can be inferred that the village then found itself as a so-called Imperial pledged holding in the hands of the ''Land
vogt An , sometimes simply advocate, (German, ), or (French, ), was a type of medieval office holder, particularly important in the Holy Roman Empire, who was delegated some of the powers and functions of a major feudal lord, or for an institutio ...
'' of the
Speyergau Speyergau was a medieval county in the East Frankish ( German) stem duchy of Franconia. It was centred around the administrative centre of Speyer and roughly covered the former Roman administrative area of Civitas Nemetum, which is today the s ...
, Count Georg I of
Veldenz Veldenz is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the former main seat of the County of Veldenz, ...
. 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.


Modern times

New territorial changes came by 1524, as manifested in the 1543 Treaty of Marburg, which established the Principality of Palatinate-Veldenz-Lützelstein. Among other things, this resulted in the '' Amt'' of Bosenbach, to which Rutsweiler, Mühlbach,
Föckelberg Föckelberg 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 Rhi ...
, Gimsbach, Deinsberg and a number of other nearby places belonged, being incorporated into this new state, thereby making the Glan a border from Altenglan to Bettenhausen between Palatinate-Veldenz and Palatinate-Zweibrücken jurisdiction. There were border disputes, although these were resolved peacefully by a series of treaties in 1600 and 1607. Rutsweiler, together with the other places around the Potzberg, was transferred to Count Palatine Georg Gustav. With Count Palatine Leopold Ludwig's death in 1694, the family Palatinate-Veldenz died out in the male line after four generations. There was, of course, a dispute over who would inherit his “orphaned” estate, but it ended with the
Settlement Settlement may refer to: *Human settlement, a community where people live *Settlement (structural), downward movement of a structure's foundation *Settlement (finance), where securities are delivered against payment of money *Settlement (litigatio ...
of
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 ...
on 24 December 1733. The ''Schultheißerei'' of Reichenbach, which included Rutsweiler, would henceforth belong to
the Palatinate The Palatinate (; ; Palatine German: ''Palz''), or the Rhenish Palatinate (''Rheinpfalz''), is a historical region of Germany. The Palatinate occupies most of the southern quarter of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate (''Rheinla ...
.


Recent times

The rather haphazardly chosen borders, though, held true for none too long. No sooner had the French Revolution reached full swing than it spilt over into the Palatinate in 1792. In the fighting that followed, the
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), ...
defeated the Austrian-Prussian alliance, and all sovereign boundaries 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 swept away. The administration of the conquered areas was reorganized according to the French Revolutionary model. During the
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), ...
occupation between 1801 and 1814, the village belonged to the ''Mairie'' (“Mayoralty”) of Neunkirchen am Potzberg, the Canton of Landstuhl, 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 Deux Ponts (Zweibrücken) and the Department of
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 ...
). Under the Treaty of Paris (30 May 1814), the Palatinate passed 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 ''Landcommissariat'' of Kusel (as of 1862 the ''Bezirksamt'' of Kusel) consisted of the cantons of Kusel, Lauterecken and Wolfstein. Rutsweiler was grouped into this last canton and was administered by the Mayoralty of Neunkirchen until 1825, and then by the Mayoralty of Mühlbach from 1826 to 1853. After a petition in 1829, the municipality, together with Mühlbach and
Bedesbach Bedesbach is an '' Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Kusel-Altenglan, who ...
, was transferred out of the canton of Wolfstein on 1 January 1836 and into the canton of Kusel by reason of the better accessibility under this arrangement. Beginning in 1853 and until 1972, Rutsweiler belonged to the Mayoralty of either Godelhausen or Theisbergstegen. In 1845, the village got a schoolhouse. In 1899, it was given an upper floor and a belltower. Between 1893 and 1903, four trial bores were made on the Potzberg, two within Rutsweiler's limits, by prospectors seeking
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
. On 15 May 1908, the waterworks (a cistern and a watermain) were brought into service. Electric light came to the village in 1921. On
Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas, the festival commemorating nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus. Christmas Day is observance of Christmas by country, observed around the world, and Christma ...
1944, the village was bombed by the
Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...
; two civilian villagers were killed. On 19 March 1945,
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 ...
troops took Rutsweiler am Glan. 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 memorial at the graveyard was dedicated in 1953. A new schoolhouse was dedicated on 24 November 1962. 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 ...
, Rutsweiler was grouped into the then newly founded ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Altenglan in 1972. Rutsweiler was granted
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 ...
in 1978. In 1986, Rutsweiler am Glan participated in the contest ''Unser Dorf soll schöner werden'' (“Our village should become lovelier”), winning second place at the district level.


Population development

On 30 June 1997, the population's age breakdown in Rutsweiler am Glan was as follows: *19 or younger: 19% *20–59: 59% *60 or older: 32% The oldest known listing of the population comes from a 1594 taxation roll for the ''Mey Bedt'', or “May tax”, which lists 13 people who were liable to taxation, suggesting a total population of 50 to 55 inhabitants. Rutsweiler's losses in 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 ...
amounted to four fallen, and in 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 ...
, 22 fallen in battle, killed in the village's one air raid or
missing in action Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty (person), casualty classification assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoner of war, prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been ...
. Despite the many new houses, the population level has been stagnant for at least 30 years, and more recently seems to have been shrinking. Underlying this may be the declining birthrate, or perhaps a drop in numbers of people moving to the village. The local dialectal speech, which included
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), ...
expressions, has largely died out now, and older villagers only ever still use it now and then, or can at least interpret it. The following table shows population development over the centuries for Rutsweiler am Glan, with some figures broken down by religious denomination:


Municipality’s names

Rutsweiler is one of the oldest villages in the Middle Glan Valley. Ernst Christmann presumed that the name quite possibly went back to the personal name ''Hruod'' (later ''Ruod''). This man, Ruod – whoever he was – was surely one of the first (perhaps ''the'' first) to live at what is now the village of Rutsweiler am Glan. The village's name has undergone spelling changes quite a number of times, having formerly been known as ''Rützweiller'' in 1590 and ''Rudtsweiler am Glan'' about 1835. Other forms known to history are ''Routzweiler'', ''Rutzweyler'' and ''Rußwilre''. In June 1303, Rutsweiler had its first documentary mention. The actual document says: “Count Georg of
Veldenz Veldenz is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the former main seat of the County of Veldenz, ...
(''Veldentie'') gives his consent for Sir Heinrich, son of the knight Godebert of Zweibrücken (''de Geminoponte''), to bestow upon his wife Lyse his Veldenz fief in ''Rußwilre'' and lying around the mountain Deynesperg. – ''Datum anno domini 1303 post octavas Trinitas''.” In other words, it was a widow's estate for his wife. Unfortunately, this document has gone missing, and despite intensive searching, it has not turned up in any state archive. There also seems to be some confusion as to the spelling used therein, with another source rendering it ''Ruzwilre''. The Potzberg may well derive its name from the word ''Putsch'', but not in the meaning in which the Modern High German word '' Putsch'' is generally understood today. Rather, it is a form of the word ''Busch'',
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 the English word “bush”, and thus the name would mean a mountain with bushy growth on it. The river Glan flows through the village from south to north. Its name is likely of
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...
origin. One story, though, has it that it draws its name from the fish ''Silurus glanis'' (the
wels catfish The wels catfish ( or ; ''Silurus glanis''), also called sheatfish or just wels, is a large species of catfish native to wide areas of central, southern, and eastern Europe, in the basins of the Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas. It has been intro ...
or sheatfish).


Religion

Rutsweiler am Glan has never had its own
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 ...
. The villagers were formerly almost exclusively
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 ...
, and thus their religious past was always the same as for the church at Deinsberg ( Theisbergstegen) on the Potzberg, whereas the
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 ...
always belonged to the parish of St. Remigius am Remigiusberg. The first breakdown by religion comes from the year 1802, according to which the population was made up of 9 Catholics, 99
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 ...
and 9
Calvinists 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, Presbyterian, ...
. In 1837, it was 11 Catholics and 138 Protestants. According to the latest statistics from 1986 and 1997, the share 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 ...
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 ...
had shrunk from 82% to 76%, while the Catholic share of the population remained steady at 12%. Some 10% of the villagers now belong to another religious community besides these two, or they acknowledge membership in none.


Politics


Municipal council

The council is made up of 8 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

Rutsweiler's mayor is Joachim Sander.


Coat of arms

The German blazon reads: ' 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 in English
heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...
language be described thus: Argent issuant from base a mount of three vert, dexter a globus cruciger and a mercury symbol in pale, both azure, and sinister a lion rampant of the same armed and langued gules. The arms group together
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 ...
s representing the village's history. Rutsweiler's past as part of the ''Reichsland'' (Imperial Domain) and various Palatine lordships is symbolized by both the
globus cruciger The for, la, globus cruciger, cross-bearing orb, also known as ''stavroforos sphaira'' () or "the orb and cross", is an Sphere, orb surmounted by a Christian cross, cross. It has been a Christian Church, Christian symbol of authority since the M ...
(called a ''Reichsapfel'' in the German blazon, “Imperial apple”) and the lion, both of which are shown in the
tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...
s borne by 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 ...
. The local mountain, the Potzberg, is represented by the mount of three, a charge known in
German heraldry German heraldry is the tradition and style of heraldic achievements in Germany and the Holy Roman Empire, including national and civic arms, noble and burgher arms, ecclesiastical heraldry, heraldic displays and heraldic descriptions. German her ...
as a ''Dreiberg''. The mercury symbol recalls the former quicksilver mining within municipal limits. The arms have been borne since 27 September 1978 when they were approved by the now defunct
Rheinhessen-Pfalz Rheinhessen-Pfalz (rarely anglicized as "Rhine-Hesse-Palatinate") was one of the three ''Regierungsbezirke'' of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, located in the south of the state. It was created in 1968 out of ''Regierungsbezirke'' Rheinhessen and ...
''
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 in
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 ...
.


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: * Hauptstraße 74 – former fire engine house; one-floor plastered building with jutting gable roof and
ridge turret A ridge turret is a turret or small tower constructed over the ridge or apex between two or more sloping roofs of a building. It is usually built either as an architectural ornament for purely decorative purposes or else for the practical housing ...
, possibly from the latter half of the 19th century


Regular events

Among folk festivals in Rutsweiler am Glan, the
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, held on the third Sunday in September) has survived, but is no longer considered important. Beginning in 1985 and for several years thereafter, a village festival was held on the second weekend in August. Dwindling attendance and people’s unwillingness to volunteer their help for the event brought about council’s decision to suspend the event for the time being. The municipality invites those aged 65 or older to a seniors’ celebration each year in December.


Clubs

Rutsweiler am Glan's club life can still be said to be lively, even though all clubs in the village suffer from the dearth of new, younger membership. The oldest club and cultural sponsor is the singing club, which was founded in 1904, and had to suspend its singing activities during both world wars. 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 club started back up as a mixed
choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
. The conversation club, founded in 1950 stages
theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...
productions with periodic interruptions. The countrywomen's club, founded in 1973, distinguishes itself by offering activities such as
cooking Cooking, also known as cookery or professionally as the culinary arts, is the art, science and craft of using heat to make food more palatable, digestible, nutritious, or Food safety, safe. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from ...
,
sewing Sewing is the craft of fastening pieces of textiles together using a sewing needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era. Before the invention of spinning yarn or weaving fabric, archaeo ...
and
handicraft A handicraft is a traditional main sector of craft making and applies to a wide range of creative and design activities that are related to making things with one's hands and skill, including work with textiles, moldable and rigid material ...
courses.


Economy and infrastructure


Economic structure

The greater part of Rutsweiler am Glan's population worked even into the 1950s at the stone quarries around the Remigiusberg.
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 ...
was worked as a secondary occupation, for the scant soil never would yield up plentiful crops. Since that time, there has been a great shift in the economic base, and most villagers nowadays work in the
service sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the ...
, administration and industry 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 in the
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 ...
area. Most of the fields now lie fallow. Among independent businesses in Rutsweiler today are a
bakery A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based baked goods made in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, doughnuts, bagels, Pastry, pastries, and pies. Some retail bakeries are also categorized as Coffeehouse, cafés, servi ...
, a
trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...
farming 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 ...
business, a building firm and an electrical installation firm. From 1893 to 1901, two deep-boring operations were undertaken on the Potzberg, whose purpose was to explore for the presence of
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
. Even after two more exploratory bores in other municipalities, the results were unsatisfactory.


Education

In 1844, Rutsweiler am Glan got its first schoolhouse. Until then, schoolchildren had been attending denominational schools in Theisbergstegen. The building, which stood apart from others for its great size, also housed the teacher's dwelling. Even so, the thoroughly inadequate facilities forced the municipality to add an upper floor in 1897. During 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 ...
, schooling was reduced bit by bit, and schoolchildren had to go to either Theisbergstegen or Godelhausen again. Rising numbers of children drove the municipality to build a new schoolhouse in 1960, this one with a separate teacher's dwelling. It was dedicated in November 1962. The forecast of having made a great investment for the future did not last very long, only ten years. With the end of the 1970/1971 school year, schooling was ended at the village school. Ever since,
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 ...
pupils have been attending classes in Theisbergstegen while
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 have been going 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 ...
. Other types of
secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...
, such as
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 Gymnasium, are available 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 ...
. In 1988, the schoolhouse, which had stood empty for almost two decades, was converted into a village community centre.


Transport

Running through Rutsweiler is ''
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 (
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 ...
Glan-Münchweiler Glan-Münchweiler 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 ...
Sarreguemines Sarreguemines (; German: ''Saargemünd'' ; Lorraine Franconian: ''Saargemìnn'') is a commune in the Moselle department of the Grand Est administrative region in north-eastern France. It is the seat of an arrondissement and a canton. As o ...
). Besides this road, which runs along the village's length, Rutsweiler am Glan has five local streets, all of which but Wingertstraße are linked with each other as well as with ''Bundesstraße'' 423, also known locally as Hauptstraße (“Main Street”). It was also formerly known as Moorstraße, whose first syllable refers to ''Moor'' in the word's more usual
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 ...
meaning of “low-lying wetland”. This old name likely owes itself to the street's lying right near the Glan, a river known for often flooding its banks, which were not secured in any way, and were boggy at the best of times. Furthermore, the
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 ...
that was cut in the Landstuhl Marsh was sometimes shipped along this road. The local streets are all named for the cadastral areas through which they pass.Transport
/ref> To the southwest 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 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 ...
). Serving
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 ...
and Theisbergstegen are
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 on the Landstuhl–Kusel railway.


References


External links


Municipality's official webpage

Rutsweiler am Glan in the collective municipality's webpages


at
SWR Fernsehen SWR Fernsehen is a German regional television channel targeting the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. It is produced by Südwestrundfunk (SWR) and is one of eight regional "third channels" broadcast by the ARD members. His ...
(''Hierzuland'') {{DEFAULTSORT:Rutsweiler Am Glan Municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate Kusel (district)