Südwestpfalz
Encyclopedia
Südwestpfalz is a district (Kreis) in the south of 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 ....

, 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...

. Neighboring districts are (from west clockwise) Saarpfalz
Saarpfalz
Saarpfalz is a Kreis in the south-east of the Saarland, Germany. Neighboring districts are Saarbrücken, Neunkirchen, Kusel, Kaiserslautern, Südwestpfalz, district-free Zweibrücken, and the French département Moselle.-History:After the Treaty of Versailles, the Saar basin was placed under the...

, the district-free city Zweibrücken
Zweibrücken
Zweibrücken is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Schwarzbach river.- Name :Zweibrücken appears in Latin texts as Geminus Pons and Bipontum, in French texts as Deux-Ponts. The name derives from Middle High German Zweinbrücken...

, the districts Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern (district)
Kaiserslautern is a district in the south of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighboring districts are Kusel, Saarpfalz-Kreis, Donnersbergkreis, Bad Dürkheim and Südwestpfalz. The city of Kaiserslautern is almost fully enclosed by, but not belonging to the district.-History:The district of...

 and Bad Dürkheim
Bad Dürkheim (district)
Bad Dürkheim is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Kaiserslautern, Donnersbergkreis and Alzey-Worms, the city of Worms, the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, the city of Neustadt/Weinstraße, the districts of Südliche Weinstraße, the city of Landau , the district...

, the district-free city Landau
Landau
Landau or Landau in der Pfalz is an autonomous city surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town , a long-standing cultural centre, and a market and shopping town, surrounded by vineyards and wine-growing villages of the...

  (the Taubensuhl/Fassendeich forest part of the city), Südliche Weinstraße
Südliche Weinstraße
Südliche Weinstraße is a district in the south of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighboring districts are Südwestpfalz, Bad Dürkheim, the district-free city Neustadt , Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, Germersheim, and the French département Bas-Rhin...

, and the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 département Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin is a department of France. The name means "Lower Rhine". It is the more populous and densely populated of the two departments of the Alsace region, with 1,079,013 inhabitants in 2006.- History :...

. The district-free city Pirmasens
Pirmasens
Pirmasens is a district-free city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, near the border with France. It is famous for the manufacture of shoes. The surrounding rural district was called Pirmasens from 1818 until 1997, when it was renamed Südwestpfalz....

 is completely surrounded by the district.

History

The district was created 18 February 1818 as the Landkommisariat Pirmasens. During the communal reforms of 1968-72 several changes were made to the district. In 1969 the neighboring district Bad Bergzabern
Bad Bergzabern
Bad Bergzabern is a municipality in the Südliche Weinstraße district, on the German Wine Route in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated near the border with France, on the south-eastern edge of the Palatinate forest, approximately southwest of Landau....

 was dissolved and some part of it was added, while other municipalities were incorporated into the city Pirmasens
Pirmasens
Pirmasens is a district-free city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, near the border with France. It is famous for the manufacture of shoes. The surrounding rural district was called Pirmasens from 1818 until 1997, when it was renamed Südwestpfalz....

. In 1972 the district Zweibrücken
Zweibrücken
Zweibrücken is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Schwarzbach river.- Name :Zweibrücken appears in Latin texts as Geminus Pons and Bipontum, in French texts as Deux-Ponts. The name derives from Middle High German Zweinbrücken...

 was dissolved and added into the district Pirmasens
Pirmasens
Pirmasens is a district-free city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, near the border with France. It is famous for the manufacture of shoes. The surrounding rural district was called Pirmasens from 1818 until 1997, when it was renamed Südwestpfalz....

, which on 1 January 1997 renamed itself to Südwestpfalz.

Geography

The district is located in the hills of the Palatinate, the Palatinate forest. The river Lauter
Lauter (Rhine)
The Lauter is a river in Germany and France, left tributary of the Rhine. Its length is 55 km. It is formed by the confluence of two headstreams north of Hinterweidenthal in the Pfälzerwald, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...

 has its spring near the city of Pirmasens
Pirmasens
Pirmasens is a district-free city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, near the border with France. It is famous for the manufacture of shoes. The surrounding rural district was called Pirmasens from 1818 until 1997, when it was renamed Südwestpfalz....

.

Coat of arms

The three red bars on golden ground in the left half is the coat of arms of Hanau-Lichtenberg, while the lion in the right half is the lion of Palatinate. These marks the two historic states which were located on the district's area until the end of the 18th century.

Towns and municipalities

Verbandsgemeinde
Verbandsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde is an administrative unit in the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt.-Rhineland-Palatinate:...

n
  • 1. Dahner Felsenland
    Dahner Felsenland
    Dahner Felsenland is a Verbandsgemeinde in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Palatinate forest, approx. 15 km southeast of Pirmasens, and 25 km west of Landau. Its seat of administration is in its central town, Dahn...

  1. Bobenthal
    Bobenthal
    Bobenthal is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  2. Bruchweiler-Bärenbach
    Bruchweiler-Bärenbach
    Bruchweiler-Bärenbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  3. Bundenthal
    Bundenthal
    Bundenthal is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  4. Busenberg
    Busenberg
    Busenberg is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  5. Dahn
    Dahn
    ----Dahn is a municipality in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Palatinate Forest, approximately 15 km southeast of Pirmasens, and 25 km west of Landau...

    1, 2
  6. Erfweiler
    Erfweiler
    Erfweiler is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  7. Erlenbach bei Dahn
    Erlenbach bei Dahn
    Erlenbach bei Dahn is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  8. Fischbach bei Dahn
    Fischbach bei Dahn
    Fischbach bei Dahn is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  9. Hirschthal
    Hirschthal, Germany
    Hirschthal is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  10. Ludwigswinkel
    Ludwigswinkel
    Ludwigswinkel is a municipality in the district of Südwestpfalz of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, very close to the French border. The nearest large town is Pirmasens....

  11. Niederschlettenbach
    Niederschlettenbach
    Niederschlettenbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  12. Nothweiler
    Nothweiler
    Nothweiler is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  13. Rumbach
    Rumbach
    Rumbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  14. Schindhard
    Schindhard
    Schindhard is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  15. Schönau
    Schönau, Rhineland-Palatinate
    Schönau is a village in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany on the French border. It has a population of roughly 600....

    • 2. Hauenstein
      Hauenstein (Verbandsgemeinde)
      Hauenstein is a Verbandsgemeinde in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the municipality is in Hauenstein....

  16. Darstein
    Darstein
    Darstein is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  17. Dimbach
    Dimbach
    Dimbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  18. Hauenstein
    Hauenstein
    Hauenstein is a municipality in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Palatinate forest, approximately 20 km east of Pirmasens, and 20 km west of Landau....

    1
  19. Hinterweidenthal
    Hinterweidenthal
    Hinterweidenthal is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  20. Lug
    Lug, Germany
    Lug is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  21. Schwanheim
    Schwanheim, Rhineland-Palatinate
    Schwanheim is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  22. Spirkelbach
    Spirkelbach
    Spirkelbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.-Politics:The council consists of twelve in Spirkelbach Council members who worked for the local elections on 7 June 2009 in a majority vote were chosen, and the honorary mayor as chairman....

  23. Wilgartswiesen
    Wilgartswiesen
    Wilgartswiesen is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

    • 3. Pirmasens-Land
      Pirmasens-Land
      Pirmasens-Land is a Verbandsgemeinde in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the southwestern edge of the Palatinate forest, around Pirmasens...

      [seat: Pirmasens]
  24. Bottenbach
    Bottenbach
    Bottenbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  25. Eppenbrunn
    Eppenbrunn
    Eppenbrunn is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  26. Hilst
    Hilst
    Hilst is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  27. Kröppen
    Kröppen
    Kröppen is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  28. Lemberg
    Lemberg, Germany
    Lemberg is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  29. Obersimten
    Obersimten
    Obersimten is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  30. Ruppertsweiler
    Ruppertsweiler
    Ruppertsweiler is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  31. Schweix
    Schweix
    Schweix is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  32. Trulben
    Trulben
    Trulben is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  33. Vinningen
    Vinningen
    Vinningen is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • 4. Rodalben
    Rodalben (Verbandsgemeinde)
    Rodalben is a Verbandsgemeinde in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the municipality is in Rodalben....

  • Clausen
    Clausen, Germany
    Clausen is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Donsieders
    Donsieders
    Donsieders is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Leimen
    Leimen, Rhineland-Palatinate
    Leimen is a municipality in the district of Südwestpfalz in the German state of Rhineland-Pfalz. It is located between the cities of Kaiserslautern and Pirmasens, and is situated in the heart of the Pfaelzerwald ....

  • Merzalben
    Merzalben
    Merzalben is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.Merzalben's earliest known records were dated back from 1237.-Religion:2007 was 66.3% of the inhabitants Catholic and 19.3% Protestant...

  • Münchweiler an der Rodalb
    Münchweiler an der Rodalb
    Münchweiler an der Rodalb is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Rodalben
    Rodalben
    Rodalben is a municipality in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Palatinate forest, approx. 5 km northeast of Pirmasens.Rodalben is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Rodalben....

    1, 2
    • 5. Thaleischweiler-Fröschen
      Thaleischweiler-Fröschen (Verbandsgemeinde)
      Thaleischweiler-Fröschen is a Verbandsgemeinde in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the municipality is in Thaleischweiler-Fröschen....

  • Höheischweiler
    Höheischweiler
    Höheischweiler is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Höhfröschen
    Höhfröschen
    Höhfröschen is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Maßweiler
    Maßweiler
    Maßweiler is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Nünschweiler
    Nünschweiler
    Nünschweiler is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Petersberg
    Petersberg, Rhineland-Palatinate
    Petersberg is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Reifenberg
    Reifenberg
    Reifenberg is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Rieschweiler-Mühlbach
    Rieschweiler-Mühlbach
    Rieschweiler-Mühlbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Thaleischweiler-Fröschen
    Thaleischweiler-Fröschen
    Thaleischweiler-Fröschen is a municipality in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the western edge of the Palatinate forest, approx. 7 km north of Pirmasens....

    1
    • 6. Waldfischbach-Burgalben
      Waldfischbach-Burgalben (Verbandsgemeinde)
      Waldfischbach-Burgalben is a Verbandsgemeinde in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the municipality is in Waldfischbach-Burgalben....

  • Geiselberg
    Geiselberg
    Geiselberg is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Heltersberg
    Heltersberg
    Heltersberg is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Hermersberg
    Hermersberg
    Hermersberg is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany. It is situated on the western edge of the Palatinate forest, approx. 15 km northeast of Pirmasens, on top of the Sickinger Höhe.-Inhabitants:...

  • Höheinöd
    Höheinöd
    Höheinöd is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Horbach
    Horbach, Südwestpfalz
    Horbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Schmalenberg
    Schmalenberg
    Schmalenberg is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Steinalben
    Steinalben
    Steinalben is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Waldfischbach-Burgalben
    Waldfischbach-Burgalben
    Waldfischbach-Burgalben is a municipality in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the western edge of the Palatinate forest, approx. 10 km northeast of Pirmasens...

    1
    • 7. Wallhalben
      Wallhalben (Verbandsgemeinde)
      Wallhalben is a Verbandsgemeinde in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the municipality is in Wallhalben....

  • Biedershausen
    Biedershausen
    Biedershausen is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Herschberg
    Herschberg
    Herschberg is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Hettenhausen
    Hettenhausen
    Hettenhausen is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Knopp-Labach
    Knopp-Labach
    Knopp-Labach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Krähenberg
    Krähenberg
    Krähenberg is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Obernheim-Kirchenarnbach
    Obernheim-Kirchenarnbach
    Obernheim-Kirchenarnbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Saalstadt
    Saalstadt
    Saalstadt is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Schauerberg
    Schauerberg
    Schauerberg is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Schmitshausen
    Schmitshausen
    Schmitshausen is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Wallhalben
    Wallhalben
    Wallhalben is a municipality in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated approximately 15 km northwest of Pirmasens, and 15 km northeast of Zweibrücken....

    1
  • Weselberg
    Weselberg
    Weselberg is a municipality in the Wallhalben municipality of the Südwestpfalz district of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. The sister portion of the town on the western outskirts is Zeselberg. The chief economic activity is agriculture....

  • Winterbach
    Winterbach, Südwestpfalz
    Winterbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

    • 8. Zweibrücken-Land
      Zweibrücken-Land
      Zweibrücken-Land is a Verbandsgemeinde in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the southwestern edge of the Palatinate forest, around Zweibrücken...

      [seat: Zweibrücken]
  • Althornbach
    Althornbach
    Althornbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Battweiler
    Battweiler
    Battweiler is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Bechhofen
    Bechhofen, Rhineland-Palatinate
    Bechhofen is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Contwig
    Contwig
    Contwig is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Dellfeld
    Dellfeld
    Dellfeld is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Dietrichingen
    Dietrichingen
    Dietrichingen is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Großbundenbach
    Großbundenbach
    Großbundenbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Großsteinhausen
    Großsteinhausen
    Großsteinhausen is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Hornbach
    Hornbach
    Hornbach is a municipality in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated southwest of the Palatinate forest, on the border with France, south of Zweibrücken. It is part of the Verbandsgemeinde Zweibrücken-Land.The monastery was the most likely reason for the...

    2
  • Käshofen
    Käshofen
    Käshofen is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Kleinbundenbach
    Kleinbundenbach
    Kleinbundenbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Kleinsteinhausen
    Kleinsteinhausen
    Kleinsteinhausen is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Mauschbach
    Mauschbach
    Mauschbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Riedelberg
    Riedelberg
    Riedelberg is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • Rosenkopf
    Rosenkopf
    Rosenkopf is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.On June 12th, 2011, a that most likely points to Rosenkopf as the first German town to grant Adolf Hitler honorary citizenship , not Bad Doberan, which had been generally confirmed as the town with that...

  • Walshausen
    Walshausen
    Walshausen is a German town in the Zweibrücken-Land municipality, in the Südwestpfalz district in the Rhineland-Palatinate. As of August 2004 it had 367 inhabitants. Walshausen is first mentioned in history in 1463....

  • Wiesbach
    Wiesbach
    Wiesbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....

  • 1seat of the Verbandsgemeinde; 2town

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