Oberstaufenbach
Encyclopedia
Oberstaufenbach is a municipality
in the district
of Kusel
, in Rhineland-Palatinate
, western Germany
. It is situated about 15 km from Ramstein Air Base
.
, formed around the main thoroughfare
, the Landesstraße
367. The village, located within the North Palatine Uplands, has a population of 258. It is situated at the foot of the Potzberg mountain, at an elevation of 254 metres in the valley of the stream Reichenbach
, a tributary of the river Glan
.
To the north, Oberstaufenbach borders on Niederstaufenbach
, to the south-east on Reichenbach-Steegen
and to the southwest on Neunkirchen am Potzberg
. Oberstaufenbach is part of the collective municipality (Verbandsgemeinde
) Altenglan
. The residential area Birkenhof also belongs administratively to Oberstaufenbach. Due to its proximity to Ramstein Air Base, many NATO personnel reside in Oberstaufenbach, the vast majority of which are members of the United States Armed Forces
and their families, who make up twenty-five percent of Oberstaufenbach's population.
and the early modern period
it changed hands frequently. In 1733 it became part of the Electoral Palatinate and, following the Congress of Vienna
in 1815, was incorporated, together with the rest of the territory of the former Electoral Palatinate to the west of the river Rhine, into the recently founded Kingdom of Bavaria
. After the Second World War, Oberstaufenbach became part of the newly formed federal state
of Rhineland-Palatinate, and, as a result of the restructuring of local administrations in 1972, it formed, together with 15 other municipalities, the collective municipality of Altenglan.
s on 7 June 2009, using the first-past-the-post system, six members were elected to the local council, which also includes the unsalaried local mayor
.
in or
refers to the Electoral Palatinate of which Oberstaufenbach was once part of.
can be reached via junction
Glan-Münchweiler
. The nearest train station is at Theisbergstegen
, connecting to the Glan Valley Railway.
Municipalities of Germany
Municipalities are the lowest level of territorial division in Germany. This may be the fourth level of territorial division in Germany, apart from those states which include Regierungsbezirke , where municipalities then become the fifth level.-Overview:With more than 3,400,000 inhabitants, the...
in the district
Districts of Germany
The districts of Germany are known as , except in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein where they are known simply as ....
of Kusel
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...
. It is situated about 15 km from Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe and is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation...
.
Geography
Oberstaufenbach is a typical linear villageLinear village
In geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Wraysbury, a village in Berkshire, is one of the longest villages in England....
, formed around the main thoroughfare
Thoroughfare
A thoroughfare is a place of transportation intended to connect one location to another. Highways, roads, and trails are examples of thoroughfares used by a variety of general traffic. On land a thoroughfare may refer to anything from a rough trail to multi-lane highway with grade separated...
, the Landesstraße
Landesstraße
Landesstraßen 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 roads that cross the boundary of a rural or urban district...
367. The village, located within the North Palatine Uplands, has a population of 258. It is situated at the foot of the Potzberg mountain, at an elevation of 254 metres in the valley of the stream Reichenbach
Reichenbach
- In Germany :* Reichenbach , in the Niederschlesischer Oberlausitzkreis district, Saxony* Reichenbach im Vogtland, in the Vogtlandkreis district, Saxony* Reichenbach am Heuberg, in the Tuttlingen district, Baden-Württemberg...
, a tributary of the river Glan
Glan (Nahe)
The Glan is a river in southwestern Germany, right tributary of the Nahe River. It is approximately long. It rises in the Saarland, northwest of Homburg. It flows generally north, through Rhineland-Palatinate, and empties into the Nahe in Odernheim am Glan, near Bad Sobernheim...
.
To the north, Oberstaufenbach borders on Niederstaufenbach
Niederstaufenbach
Niederstaufenbach is a municipality in the district of Kusel, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....
, to the south-east on Reichenbach-Steegen
Reichenbach-Steegen
Reichenbach-Steegen is a municipality in the district of Kaiserslautern, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany. It has a twin town in France, Magny-en-Vexin....
and to the southwest on Neunkirchen am Potzberg
Neunkirchen am Potzberg
Neunkirchen am Potzberg is a municipality in the district of Kusel, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.-Famous people:*Domenik Hixon, New York Giants wide receiver and kick returner....
. Oberstaufenbach is part of the collective municipality (Verbandsgemeinde
Verbandsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde is an administrative unit in the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt.-Rhineland-Palatinate:...
) Altenglan
Altenglan (Verbandsgemeinde)
Altenglan is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district of Kusel, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Altenglan....
. The residential area Birkenhof also belongs administratively to Oberstaufenbach. Due to its proximity to Ramstein Air Base, many NATO personnel reside in Oberstaufenbach, the vast majority of which are members of the United States Armed Forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
and their families, who make up twenty-five percent of Oberstaufenbach's population.
History
Oberstaufenbach was first mentioned in 945 and again in a document from 1345. During the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and the early modern period
Early modern period
In history, the early modern period of modern history follows the late Middle Ages. Although the chronological limits of the period are open to debate, the timeframe spans the period after the late portion of the Middle Ages through the beginning of the Age of Revolutions...
it changed hands frequently. In 1733 it became part of the Electoral Palatinate and, following the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
in 1815, was incorporated, together with the rest of the territory of the former Electoral Palatinate to the west of the river Rhine, into the recently founded Kingdom of Bavaria
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
. After the Second World War, Oberstaufenbach became part of the newly formed federal state
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
of Rhineland-Palatinate, and, as a result of the restructuring of local administrations in 1972, it formed, together with 15 other municipalities, the collective municipality of Altenglan.
Local council
During the last local electionLocal election
Local elections vary widely across jurisdictions. In electoral systems that roughly follow the Westminster model, a terminology has evolved with roles such as Mayor or Warden to describe the executive of a city, town or region, although the actual means of elections vary...
s on 7 June 2009, using the first-past-the-post system, six members were elected to the local council, which also includes the unsalaried local mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
.
Coat of arms
The blue waving band represents the stream (Bach) and the rocks allude to Stauf, originally a drinking vessel, but also used to denote cone-shaped hills and mountains. The Lion ramapantLion (heraldry)
The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises bravery, valour, strength, and royalty, since traditionally, it is regarded as the king of beasts.-Attitudes:...
in or
Or (heraldry)
In heraldry, Or is the tincture of gold and, together with argent , belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it may be represented using a field of evenly spaced dots...
refers to the Electoral Palatinate of which Oberstaufenbach was once part of.
Economy and infrastructure
At a distance of 14 km the motorway A 62Bundesautobahn 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...
can be reached via junction
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
Glan-Münchweiler
Glan-Münchweiler
Glan-Münchweiler is a municipality in the district of Kusel, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the river Glan, approx. 8 km south-east of Kusel, and 25 km west of Kaiserslautern....
. The nearest train station is at Theisbergstegen
Theisbergstegen
Theisbergstegen is a municipality in the district of Kusel, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....
, connecting to the Glan Valley Railway.
Sights
On a top of a hill to the north-east, the remains of a medieval castle, the so-called Heidenburg, dating from around 1100, are still visible.Notable people
- Daniel Kuntz (19 April 1860 - 1959), co-founder of Boston Symphony OrchestraBoston Symphony OrchestraThe Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...