Breitenbach, Rhineland-Palatinate
Encyclopedia
Breitenbach is a municipality in the district of Kusel
, in Rhineland-Palatinate
, western Germany
. Breitenbach is part of the association of municipalities of Waldmohr
.
. In the north of Breitenbach is Frohnhofen
, east Altenkirchen
, in the south Lautenbach
, in the southeast Dunzweiler
, and west Fürth
.
.
16 people and the mayor are part of the council, which were both elected in June 2009.
Seatings in the elected council:
The previous mayors of Breitenbach were:
The museum is in the erstwhile schoolhouse south, which was the primary school of Breitenbach until 1990. The schoolhouse north, which is not used as a school for some longer, is used for two different things: the old building contains the council, the office of the mayor and can be rent as a meeting place; the extension is used as a kindergarten.
In September 2009, the European Farmers Market took place in Breitenbach. About 50 000 people were visiting the market on the weekend of 19th and 20th September. In 2010, the market will be there again.
In May 2009 about 70 children and youths from several different clubs took part in the 72-Stunden-Aktion, where a path in the local wood should be improved in 72 hours.
southeast or the A 62
northeast. The next train station is in Homburg (Saar). The half-hour connection by bus to Neunkirchen (Saar) by the NVG was decreased on weekends in summer 2009.
In Breitenbach are a lot of different shops, besides others a grocery, a drug store and two banks. Several restaurants and pubs gain interest mostly by people from Breitenbach.
Since 2008 several working groups try to improve the appearance of Breitenbach.
Kusel (district)
Kusel is a district in the south of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighboring districts are Birkenfeld, Bad Kreuznach, Donnersbergkreis, Kaiserslautern, Saarpfalz and Sankt Wendel .-History:The district of Kusel was created at the beginning of the 19th century...
, in Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
, western Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Breitenbach is part of the association of municipalities of Waldmohr
Waldmohr
Waldmohr is a municipality in the district of Kusel, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated near the source of the river Glan, approx. 15 km south-west of Kusel, and 10 km north of Homburg....
.
Geography
Breitenbach is the most western village in Palatinate. Its western border adjoins the SaarlandSaarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
. In the north of Breitenbach is Frohnhofen
Frohnhofen
Frohnhofen is a municipality in the district of Kusel, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....
, east Altenkirchen
Altenkirchen
Altenkirchen is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, capital of the district of Altenkirchen. It is located approx. 40 km east of Bonn and 40 km north of Koblenz. Altenkirchen is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Altenkirchen.-References:...
, in the south Lautenbach
Lautenbach
Lautenbach is a town in the district of Ortenau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
, in the southeast Dunzweiler
Dunzweiler
Dunzweiler is a municipality in the district of Kusel, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....
, and west Fürth
Fürth
The city of Fürth is located in northern Bavaria, Germany in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. It is now contiguous with the larger city of Nuremberg, the centres of the two cities being only 7 km apart....
.
History
Breitenbach was first mentioned diplomatically in 1303. It belonged to the Palatinate-ZweibrückenPalatinate-Zweibrücken
Palatinate-Zweibrücken is a former state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its capital was Zweibrücken.-Overview:→ History before 1394 see main article County of Zweibrücken→ History before 1444 see main article County of Veldenz...
.
Politics
Municipal Council16 people and the mayor are part of the council, which were both elected in June 2009.
Seatings in the elected council:
| SPD | CDU | WG Grünspecht | Freie Wählergruppe Roth | Total | |
| 2004 | 9 | 5 | 2 | - | 16 Seats |
| 2009 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16 Seats |
Mayor
Since 2004, Wolfgang Steigner-Wild is the mayor of Breitenbach. He was elected with 59,1% of the votes. His competitors in the last election campaign were Eugen Rheinschmitt (CDU) and Klemens Bott (WG Grünspecht). They got 23,6% (Rheinschmitt) and 17,3% (Bott) of the votes.The previous mayors of Breitenbach were:
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|
Culture and Sights
In Breitenbach is a Museum that shows the living circumstances and culture of the people of the village in the 19th and the beginning 20th century, as they were mostly farmers and coal miners. The Museum is called “Bergmannsbauernmuseum”. The Museum was mostly developed by the local scouts and their eldest member Günther Schneider with his passion for collecting ancient things.The museum is in the erstwhile schoolhouse south, which was the primary school of Breitenbach until 1990. The schoolhouse north, which is not used as a school for some longer, is used for two different things: the old building contains the council, the office of the mayor and can be rent as a meeting place; the extension is used as a kindergarten.
In September 2009, the European Farmers Market took place in Breitenbach. About 50 000 people were visiting the market on the weekend of 19th and 20th September. In 2010, the market will be there again.
Clubs and youth
Breitenbach is one of the eight biggest municipals in the district Kusel, so there are a lot of clubs and activities:- The local scouts group of VCPVerband Christlicher Pfadfinderinnen und PfadfinderThe Verband Christlicher Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder is a German Protestant coed Scouting and Guiding association with about 47,000 members....
, named after Albert SchweitzerAlbert SchweitzerAlbert Schweitzer OM was a German theologian, organist, philosopher, physician, and medical missionary. He was born in Kaysersberg in the province of Alsace-Lorraine, at that time part of the German Empire... - The TUS (roughly: Gymnastics and Sports Club)
- The youth club
- The auxiliary fire brigade
- The fire brigade youth
- The municipal club of the German Red CrossGerman Red CrossThe German Red Cross , or the DRK, is the national Red Cross Society in Germany.With over 4.5 million members, it is the third largest Red Cross society in the world. The German Red Cross offers a wide range of services within and outside Germany...
- The shooting Club “Diana”
- Several choirs and other clubs
In May 2009 about 70 children and youths from several different clubs took part in the 72-Stunden-Aktion, where a path in the local wood should be improved in 72 hours.
Economy and infrastructure
Several autobahns are in the vicinity of Breitenbach, such as the A6Bundesautobahn 6
, also known as Via Carolina is a 477 km long German autobahn. It starts at the French border near Saarbrücken in the west and end at the Czech border near Waidhaus in the east....
southeast or the A 62
Bundesautobahn 62
is an autobahn in southwestern Germany, connecting the A 1 with the A 6. It also connects numerous communities throughout the central Hunsrück mountains...
northeast. The next train station is in Homburg (Saar). The half-hour connection by bus to Neunkirchen (Saar) by the NVG was decreased on weekends in summer 2009.
In Breitenbach are a lot of different shops, besides others a grocery, a drug store and two banks. Several restaurants and pubs gain interest mostly by people from Breitenbach.
Since 2008 several working groups try to improve the appearance of Breitenbach.