Rohrbach, Birkenfeld
Encyclopedia
Rohrbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Birkenfeld
district
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Baumholder
, whose seat is in the like-named town
.
, in the east on the municipalities of Fohren-Linden
and Berschweiler bei Baumholder
, in the south on the municipality of Freisen
in the Saarland
and in the west on the municipality of Rückweiler
.
and Leitzweiler
bear the tag Auf der Heide, although it is unclear why this is so. As in English
, the words for “heath”, “heather” and “heathen” are similar to each other in German
. Since Heidekraut (“heather”) was formerly written with an A in second position, doubt has arisen about that theory of the name’s origin. It could also refer to Heiden (“heathens”). Nevertheless, the former theory is the likelier of the two, for the German word Heide formerly described a treeless, wild-growing area (as the English word “heath” still does).
Rohrbach’s own name seems to have sprung from the bulrushes
(Rohrkolben in German) and reeds
(Schilfrohr) that once grew in abundance along the brook (Bach). These gave the brook its name, Rohrbach. This theory is easy to believe, for the lower valley of the Rohrbach is quite marshy and boggy, with soil in which such plants easily take root and grow. Later, the village was named after the brook.
settlement here, or somewhere nearby. Witnessing this are a number of archaeological
finds of things such as gold and silver Roman coins and grave urns, which have been unearthed in the village during building work and in the local fields during digging. Iron Age
cremation
graves have also been found nearby in neighbouring municipalities. In the cadastral area known as Krämel, it is said that a Roman army long encamped. Another cadastral area nearby, Römermäuerchen, whose name means “Little Roman Wall”, further recalls a Roman past.
rule, the land was carved up into Gaue, with each headed by a Gaugraf (Gau count). Rohrbach belonged, together with the other “heath” villages, to the Moselgau. Under the Carolingians and Salians
, the fiefdom developed. The villages of the Pflege (literally “care”, but actually a local geopolitical unit) of Rohrbach had documentary mentions in 1428, 1431 and 1440. Belonging to this Pflege were Rohrbach, Rückweiler and Leitzweiler, while Hahnweiler and Wolfersweiler were affiliated. In 1586, the Pflege was in the Palatinate-Zweibrücken
Oberamt of Lichtenberg. Each year, the Schöffe (roughly “lay jurist”) was obliged to gather in the taxes and fines from the subjects and send them to his superior, the Amtsschultheiß
in Berschweiler, or to the Oberamt at Castle
Lichtenberg. Moreover, from time to time, he had to render certain official services, for example at executions. His remuneration was very slight, given the low population at the time, which amounted to some 115 persons.
In 1112, Gerlach, who was Count of the Nahegau Emich’s son, founded the County of Veldenz. In 1214, Count Gerlach IV founded Castle Lichtenberg. Count Gerlach V received from the Bishop of Verdun the Schirmvogtei (roughly “blanket bailiwick”) over the Amt of Wolfersweiler, to which Rohrbach, among other places, belonged. Shortly thereafter, however, he had to forgo the greater part of his new acquisition, but Wolfersweiler, along with Rohrbach, the Count of Veldenz managed to keep.
In 1386, Johann von Lewenstein paid Count of Veldenz Heinrich 100 Gulden
(roughly equivalent to €4000 or €5000 in modern funds) for his villages, courts, paupers, water and meadowland at “Roirbach, Zingswilre und Rickwilre” along with three bondsmen outside these villages.
In 1428, the Count of Veldenz awarded the court fief to the House of Winterbecher. Three years later, half of each of the two villages of Rohrbach and Rückweiler, along with their people, interest payments and earnings, were under Count of Sponheim
Wolf’s ownership. He in turn sold the rights along with other goods and sources of income for almost 500 Gulden to Count of Veldenz Friedrich.
The other halves of the fiefs of Rohrbach and Rückweiler were held by the family Gauwer von Lichtenberg, and thereafter by Hildebrand von Boxberg. Owing to disputes between Count of Veldenz Stephan and Lord of Oberstein Wyrich von Dhaun, a judicial decision on 26 January 1440 stipulated that the Boxberg fief of Rohrbach, Rückweiler and Würtzweiler was to be awarded in whole to the House of Veldenz.
In 1444, the House of Veldenz died out in its male line. There was a daughter left, Anna. She wed Count Palatine Stephan von Zweibrücken. Thus, ownership of the former Veldenz holdings, including Rohrbach, passed in whole to Palatinate-Zweibrücken. During this time, Rohrbach belonged to the Amt of Nohfelden and the Oberamt of Lichtenberg.
According to the 1477 Lichtenberg taxation book, levies for the Rohrbach court district payable to the lord amounted to 11.5 Malter of corn (it is not specified which grain this was), 23 Malter of oats
and 12 Kappen. A Malter was something between 80 to 90 kg, while a Kappe was a small measure).
On 15 October 1571, Count Palatine Johann, in his own, his brother Wilhelm’s and his cousin Ruprecht’s names, enfeoffed Wolfgang Blick von Lichtenberg with the Veldenz fief, which his parents had owned after Boxberg’s death, together with, among other things, shares in the villages of Rohrbach and Rückweiler and tithing rights in Rohrbach.
In 1580 and 1581, Duke Johannes I had some silver
prospecting
undertaken at “Michaels-Bergwerk” (“Michael’s Mine”) near Rohrbach, to ease his subjects’ poverty. The idea had to be given up, though, as it turned out there was no silver deposit.
The village’s poverty became all the more apparent a few years later, in 1586, when Rohrbach and Freisen were assigned a shared plot of meadowland measuring 150 Morgen: the village could not afford its share of the herdsman’s wages. So, livestock from outside was also allowed to use the meadow, and the Brothers Böschhan, butcher
s from Baumholder
, were given leave to graze their herd there, too.
In 1620, at the Schaumburg Amtmann
’s instigation, 74 sheep were pledged by the people of Freisen to the Brothers Böschhan. The Lorrainian Lord of Eberstein assigned the debt to the people of Rohrbach, because they had supposedly breached Lorrainian national custom. After the Brothers Böschhan had redeemed the herd at high cost, the Lord of Eberstein was satisfied.
On 5 October 1620, the Schultheiß of Baumholder, named Eichhorn, issued a report about Rohrbach to the Oberamt in connection with the above dispute over the sheep-pledging arrangement. Among other things, he characterized the village as being very run down. Before he had become Schultheiß, most of the houses had been allowed to fall into disrepair. The smithy owner, Hans Storrer, was singled out for not only letting his own house go to rack and ruin, but also for tearing empty buildings apart to sell beams and other building materials to outsiders. Eichhorn’s report ended with a request that the authorities grant him building wood so that he might build the village back up.
, there were only two families left in Rohrbach. By 1790, however, there were 24 households. This war also took its toll on the local livestock: in 1635, the Imperial
general Matthias Gallas
conquered the Oberamt of Lichtenberg, leaving only one cow standing.
In 1733, the land passed to the Birkenfeld-Bischweiler line. Also in the 18th century, many people emigrated
out of economic need. In 1741, Jakob Meyer left with four children, and in 1766, Michel Danneck left with four persons. All went to America (the United States
did not yet exist).
In 1789, a new disagreement arose when Freisen was asked to plant coppices, and chose to do this in the cadastral area known as Hundklopp. Rohrbach protested because Hundklopp was meant to be commonly held grazing land, and the village was entitled, under an agreement on grazing land, to a livestock path that gave access to livestock watering. It was eventually decided that only a fourth of the land would be planted with coppice.
. In its wake, Rohrbach, having formerly belonged to the Amt of Berschweiler, and for a short while to the Amt of Nohfelden, was assigned under French
rule, beginning in 1793, to the Mairie (“Mayoralty”) of Berschweiler in the canton
of Baumholder. In 1819, there were 128 inhabitants in Rohrbach living in 19 houses.
, Rohrbach and the surrounding area became part of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
as the Principality of Lichtenberg. This arrangement lasted until 1834 when, by treaty
, the Principality was incorporated into the Prussia
n state as the Sankt Wendel district. Twelve years later, Rohrbach burnt to ashes in a fire of unknown origin. A smaller fire in 1891 claimed two houses.
At the time the school
was built in 1876, the village had 40 houses. Roughly one third of them had upper floors, while the rest were bungalows. All were roofed with either slate
or tile
s. Beside a house usually stood a stable, then the barn, and then another stable.
in 1870/1871, some small farmers from Rohrbach moved to the neighbouring Saar area to work in the mines or ironworks. Before the First World War, some 30 men from Rohrbach were employed in the Saar area. The men spent the workweek at their jobs away from the village, sleeping in dormitories on site, and coming home only on weekends. This difficulty kept many from taking up jobs as miners, leaving them only with farming as a livelihood. Often this was not enough, and malnutrition was rife. It could be seen in schoolchildren’s languor and pallor.
In 1906, Rohrbach had a watermain, which came at a cost of 13,000 to 14,000 marks. Building work on the church began in 1907, and this cost roughly 48,000 marks.
When the First World War broke out on 2 August 1914, 25 fighters left the village to go to war. Twelve fell in action; a further four were taken prisoner
.
was introduced as a currency. Along with other misfortunes in the 1920s, foot-and-mouth disease
struck in 1926.
The first radio made its appearance in Rohrbach in 1928. In 1930, there was a celebration when the French finally withdrew from the Rhineland
in 1930.
became German Chancellor, marking the birth of the Third Reich
, and on 10 July of that same year, a Nazi named Johann Knop was installed as the head of the municipality of Rohrbach. On 1 March 1935, the Saarland
was returned to German sovereignty, causing much excitement in the local area, as many believed that this event would alleviate unemployment. Also this year, Hitler introduced conscription
. In 1939, the Second World War began.
The war came home to Rohrbach: in 1940, a twin-engine bomber
had to make an emergency landing on the Halterskopf, in 1943, there was an aerial engagement above the village, and of course, the village was occupied in 1945. This happened at about ten o’clock in the morning on 18 March, and the village did not fall without a fight. American tank
s and German infantry engaged each other, resulting in four deaths on the German side.
went home, and by 29 May 1945, the first men from Rohrbach who had gone to war came home. The last homecoming, though, did not happen until 21 July 1949. Under Allied occupation, there were many house searches. Refugees from the Saarland showed up. Nine men from Rohrbach had fallen in the war, and a further four had gone missing
(a memorial to them was dedicated in 1961). In 1946, a census yielded a population figure for Rohrbach of 217, of whom 202 were Catholic and the other 15 Protestant
.
In 1948 came currency reform, and the Deutsche Mark became the currency. One Deutsche Mark was worth 10 of the old Reichsmarks. Also, sewerage came in 1952. A volunteer fire brigade was established in 1957. In 1958, there were six American families living in Rohrbach, and the number of cars in the village amounted to six. In 1959, there was one television set
in the village, and in 1960, Flurbereinigung
was completed. In 1969, Rohrbach expressed a wish to be amalgamated with nearby Freisen; its population at this time was 286.
Rohrbach families have twice had triplets
in recent decades, with one set born in 1984 (Diana, Christina and Jessica) and another in 1997 (Hannah, Marie and Lukas). In 1989, the municipality elected its first woman municipal councillor, Christine Niegisch. In 1995, “pot
patches]]” were discovered in Rohrbach.
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
might be described thus: Per fess argent issuant from the line of partition a demilion azure armed and langued gules, and vert a bend sinister wavy abased issuant from which two bulrushes Or.
The charge
in the upper field, the lion, is a reference to the village’s former allegiance to the County of Veldenz. The charges in the lower field are canting
for the village’s name, Rohrbach, which roughly translated means “Bulrush Brook”.
3 programme Hierzuland, showing its lively village life and clubs. Along with clubs such as the “Tell” shooting club, the volunteer fire brigade, the Auf zur Heide carrier pigeon
club, the angling
club, the Catholic women’s association, „Schrillen Grillen“ e.V.
(dancing and Carnival
) and the promotional association with its many unpaid helpers, there are also those who do their best to maintain the village’s traditions.
(Kaiserslautern
–Trier
). Serving nearby Heimbach
is a railway station on the Nahe Valley Railway (Bingen
–Saarbrücken
).
raising. Later, some people worked at the coalfields and ironworks along the Saar. In recent decades, though, the village has undergone a great shift in economic structure. There are no longer any fulltime farmers. Those who work go to jobs in the surrounding area (in Baumholder, for instance), with a few even going as far as Ludwigshafen each day. Over the last few decades, the population figure has been shrinking as young people choose to move away after their studies or apprenticeship
, seeing not much in the way of job prospects locally, and greener pastures elsewhere.
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...
belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde
Verbandsgemeinde
A Verbandsgemeinde is an administrative unit in the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt.-Rhineland-Palatinate:...
, a kind of collective municipality – in the Birkenfeld
Birkenfeld (district)
Birkenfeld is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Sankt Wendel , Trier-Saarburg, Bernkastel-Wittlich, Rhein-Hunsrück, Bad Kreuznach and Kusel.- History :...
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 ....
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 ....
, 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 belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Baumholder
Baumholder (Verbandsgemeinde)
Baumholder is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district of Birkenfeld, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The seat of the Verbandsgemeinde is in Baumholder....
, whose seat is in the like-named town
Baumholder
Baumholder is a town in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, in the Westrich, an historic region that encompasses areas in both Germany and France...
.
Location
The municipality lies on the like-named Rohrbach south of the Nahe at the foot of the 548.5 m-high Wüschberg.Neighbouring municipalities
Rohrbach borders in the north on the municipality of BerglangenbachBerglangenbach
Berglangenbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
, in the east on the municipalities of Fohren-Linden
Fohren-Linden
Fohren-Linden is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
and Berschweiler bei Baumholder
Berschweiler bei Baumholder
Berschweiler bei Baumholder is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Baumholder, whose seat is in the like-named town...
, in the south on the municipality of Freisen
Freisen
Freisen is a municipality in the district of Sankt Wendel , in Saarland, Germany. It is situated approx. 12 km northeast of Sankt Wendel, and 20 km southwest of Idar-Oberstein. The greater Freisen/Oberkirchen area is noted for its Turkish Cuisine, particularly the Donner Kebab...
in the Saarland
Saarland
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...
and in the west on the municipality of Rückweiler
Rückweiler
Rückweiler is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Baumholder, whose seat is in the like-named town.-Location:The municipality lies in...
.
Names
The villages of Rohrbach, Rückweiler, HahnweilerHahnweiler
Hahnweiler is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
and Leitzweiler
Leitzweiler
Leitzweiler is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
bear the tag Auf der Heide, although it is unclear why this is so. As in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, the words for “heath”, “heather” and “heathen” are similar to each other in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. Since Heidekraut (“heather”) was formerly written with an A in second position, doubt has arisen about that theory of the name’s origin. It could also refer to Heiden (“heathens”). Nevertheless, the former theory is the likelier of the two, for the German word Heide formerly described a treeless, wild-growing area (as the English word “heath” still does).
Rohrbach’s own name seems to have sprung from the bulrushes
Typha
Typha is a genus of about eleven species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. The genus has a largely Northern Hemisphere distribution, but is essentially cosmopolitan, being found in a variety of wetland habitats...
(Rohrkolben in German) and reeds
Phragmites
Phragmites, the Common reed, is a large perennial grass found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Phragmites australis is sometimes regarded as the sole species of the genus Phragmites, though some botanists divide Phragmites australis into three or four species...
(Schilfrohr) that once grew in abundance along the brook (Bach). These gave the brook its name, Rohrbach. This theory is easy to believe, for the lower valley of the Rohrbach is quite marshy and boggy, with soil in which such plants easily take root and grow. Later, the village was named after the brook.
Roman times
It can be said that Rohrbach does not find itself in the historical foreground, but on the other hand, there was a RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
settlement here, or somewhere nearby. Witnessing this are a number of archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
finds of things such as gold and silver Roman coins and grave urns, which have been unearthed in the village during building work and in the local fields during digging. Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
cremation
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
graves have also been found nearby in neighbouring municipalities. In the cadastral area known as Krämel, it is said that a Roman army long encamped. Another cadastral area nearby, Römermäuerchen, whose name means “Little Roman Wall”, further recalls a Roman past.
Middle Ages
When Rohrbach was founded is something that research has not yielded. Under FrankishFranks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
rule, the land was carved up into Gaue, with each headed by a Gaugraf (Gau count). Rohrbach belonged, together with the other “heath” villages, to the Moselgau. Under the Carolingians and Salians
Salian dynasty
The Salian dynasty was a dynasty in the High Middle Ages of four German Kings , also known as the Frankish dynasty after the family's origin and role as dukes of Franconia...
, the fiefdom developed. The villages of the Pflege (literally “care”, but actually a local geopolitical unit) of Rohrbach had documentary mentions in 1428, 1431 and 1440. Belonging to this Pflege were Rohrbach, Rückweiler and Leitzweiler, while Hahnweiler and Wolfersweiler were affiliated. In 1586, the Pflege was in the Palatinate-Zweibrücken
Palatinate-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...
Oberamt of Lichtenberg. Each year, the Schöffe (roughly “lay jurist”) was obliged to gather in the taxes and fines from the subjects and send them to his superior, the Amtsschultheiß
Schultheiß
In medieval Germany, the Schultheiß was the head of a municipality , a Vogt or an executive official of the ruler.As official it was...
in Berschweiler, or to the Oberamt at Castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
Lichtenberg. Moreover, from time to time, he had to render certain official services, for example at executions. His remuneration was very slight, given the low population at the time, which amounted to some 115 persons.
In 1112, Gerlach, who was Count of the Nahegau Emich’s son, founded the County of Veldenz. In 1214, Count Gerlach IV founded Castle Lichtenberg. Count Gerlach V received from the Bishop of Verdun the Schirmvogtei (roughly “blanket bailiwick”) over the Amt of Wolfersweiler, to which Rohrbach, among other places, belonged. Shortly thereafter, however, he had to forgo the greater part of his new acquisition, but Wolfersweiler, along with Rohrbach, the Count of Veldenz managed to keep.
In 1386, Johann von Lewenstein paid Count of Veldenz Heinrich 100 Gulden
Gulden
Gulden is the historical German term for gold coin Gulden is the historical German term for gold coin Gulden is the historical German term for gold coin (from Middle High German guldin [pfenni(n)c] "golden penny", equivalent to the Dutch term guilder...
(roughly equivalent to €4000 or €5000 in modern funds) for his villages, courts, paupers, water and meadowland at “Roirbach, Zingswilre und Rickwilre” along with three bondsmen outside these villages.
In 1428, the Count of Veldenz awarded the court fief to the House of Winterbecher. Three years later, half of each of the two villages of Rohrbach and Rückweiler, along with their people, interest payments and earnings, were under Count of Sponheim
County of Sponheim
The County of Sponheim was an independent territory in the Holy Roman Empire which lasted from the 11th century until the early 19th century...
Wolf’s ownership. He in turn sold the rights along with other goods and sources of income for almost 500 Gulden to Count of Veldenz Friedrich.
The other halves of the fiefs of Rohrbach and Rückweiler were held by the family Gauwer von Lichtenberg, and thereafter by Hildebrand von Boxberg. Owing to disputes between Count of Veldenz Stephan and Lord of Oberstein Wyrich von Dhaun, a judicial decision on 26 January 1440 stipulated that the Boxberg fief of Rohrbach, Rückweiler and Würtzweiler was to be awarded in whole to the House of Veldenz.
In 1444, the House of Veldenz died out in its male line. There was a daughter left, Anna. She wed Count Palatine Stephan von Zweibrücken. Thus, ownership of the former Veldenz holdings, including Rohrbach, passed in whole to Palatinate-Zweibrücken. During this time, Rohrbach belonged to the Amt of Nohfelden and the Oberamt of Lichtenberg.
According to the 1477 Lichtenberg taxation book, levies for the Rohrbach court district payable to the lord amounted to 11.5 Malter of corn (it is not specified which grain this was), 23 Malter of oats
OATS
OATS - Open Source Assistive Technology Software - is a source code repository or "forge" for assistive technology software. It was launched in 2006 with the goal to provide a one-stop “shop” for end users, clinicians and open-source developers to promote and develop open source assistive...
and 12 Kappen. A Malter was something between 80 to 90 kg, while a Kappe was a small measure).
On 15 October 1571, Count Palatine Johann, in his own, his brother Wilhelm’s and his cousin Ruprecht’s names, enfeoffed Wolfgang Blick von Lichtenberg with the Veldenz fief, which his parents had owned after Boxberg’s death, together with, among other things, shares in the villages of Rohrbach and Rückweiler and tithing rights in Rohrbach.
In 1580 and 1581, Duke Johannes I had some silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
prospecting
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
undertaken at “Michaels-Bergwerk” (“Michael’s Mine”) near Rohrbach, to ease his subjects’ poverty. The idea had to be given up, though, as it turned out there was no silver deposit.
The village’s poverty became all the more apparent a few years later, in 1586, when Rohrbach and Freisen were assigned a shared plot of meadowland measuring 150 Morgen: the village could not afford its share of the herdsman’s wages. So, livestock from outside was also allowed to use the meadow, and the Brothers Böschhan, butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
s from Baumholder
Baumholder
Baumholder is a town in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, in the Westrich, an historic region that encompasses areas in both Germany and France...
, were given leave to graze their herd there, too.
In 1620, at the Schaumburg Amtmann
Amtmann
Amtmann can be :*a feudal, administrative and/or gubernatorial title, such as Bezirksamtmann . Amtmann, ammann and amman were a kind of bailiff in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and in Brussels....
’s instigation, 74 sheep were pledged by the people of Freisen to the Brothers Böschhan. The Lorrainian Lord of Eberstein assigned the debt to the people of Rohrbach, because they had supposedly breached Lorrainian national custom. After the Brothers Böschhan had redeemed the herd at high cost, the Lord of Eberstein was satisfied.
On 5 October 1620, the Schultheiß of Baumholder, named Eichhorn, issued a report about Rohrbach to the Oberamt in connection with the above dispute over the sheep-pledging arrangement. Among other things, he characterized the village as being very run down. Before he had become Schultheiß, most of the houses had been allowed to fall into disrepair. The smithy owner, Hans Storrer, was singled out for not only letting his own house go to rack and ruin, but also for tearing empty buildings apart to sell beams and other building materials to outsiders. Eichhorn’s report ended with a request that the authorities grant him building wood so that he might build the village back up.
Early modern times
In 1675, after the Thirty Years' WarThirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, there were only two families left in Rohrbach. By 1790, however, there were 24 households. This war also took its toll on the local livestock: in 1635, the Imperial
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
general Matthias Gallas
Matthias Gallas
Matthias Gallas, Graf von Campo und Herzog von Lucera , was an Austrian soldier, who first saw service in Flanders, then in Savoy with the Spaniards, and subsequently joined the forces of the Catholic League as captain during the Thirty Years' War.On the general outbreak of hostilities in Germany,...
conquered the Oberamt of Lichtenberg, leaving only one cow standing.
In 1733, the land passed to the Birkenfeld-Bischweiler line. Also in the 18th century, many people emigrated
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
out of economic need. In 1741, Jakob Meyer left with four children, and in 1766, Michel Danneck left with four persons. All went to America (the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
did not yet exist).
In 1789, a new disagreement arose when Freisen was asked to plant coppices, and chose to do this in the cadastral area known as Hundklopp. Rohrbach protested because Hundklopp was meant to be commonly held grazing land, and the village was entitled, under an agreement on grazing land, to a livestock path that gave access to livestock watering. It was eventually decided that only a fourth of the land would be planted with coppice.
French Revolution and Napoleonic times
This problem, though, paled next to the one that began that same year, namely the French RevolutionFrench Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. In its wake, Rohrbach, having formerly belonged to the Amt of Berschweiler, and for a short while to the Amt of Nohfelden, was assigned under 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...
rule, beginning in 1793, to the Mairie (“Mayoralty”) of Berschweiler in the canton
Cantons of France
The cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's 342 arrondissements and 101 departments.Apart from their role as organizational units in certain aspects of the administration of public services and justice, the chief purpose of the cantons today is to serve as...
of Baumholder. In 1819, there were 128 inhabitants in Rohrbach living in 19 houses.
Principality of Lichtenberg
With Napoleon’s downfall and the Congress of ViennaCongress 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,...
, Rohrbach and the surrounding area became part of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
The Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was one of the Saxon Duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin Dynasty. Established in the 17th century, the Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield line lasted until the reshuffle of Ernestine territories that occurred following the extinction of the Saxe-Gotha line in...
as the Principality of Lichtenberg. This arrangement lasted until 1834 when, by treaty
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
, the Principality was incorporated into the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n state as the Sankt Wendel district. Twelve years later, Rohrbach burnt to ashes in a fire of unknown origin. A smaller fire in 1891 claimed two houses.
At the time the school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
was built in 1876, the village had 40 houses. Roughly one third of them had upper floors, while the rest were bungalows. All were roofed with either slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
or tile
Tile
A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
s. Beside a house usually stood a stable, then the barn, and then another stable.
Imperial Germany
After the Franco-Prussian WarFranco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
in 1870/1871, some small farmers from Rohrbach moved to the neighbouring Saar area to work in the mines or ironworks. Before the First World War, some 30 men from Rohrbach were employed in the Saar area. The men spent the workweek at their jobs away from the village, sleeping in dormitories on site, and coming home only on weekends. This difficulty kept many from taking up jobs as miners, leaving them only with farming as a livelihood. Often this was not enough, and malnutrition was rife. It could be seen in schoolchildren’s languor and pallor.
In 1906, Rohrbach had a watermain, which came at a cost of 13,000 to 14,000 marks. Building work on the church began in 1907, and this cost roughly 48,000 marks.
When the First World War broke out on 2 August 1914, 25 fighters left the village to go to war. Twelve fell in action; a further four were taken prisoner
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
.
Weimar Germany
In 1922, Rohrbach was hooked up to the Baumholder district power station, although electricity was, given the financial difficulties at that time, quite dear. In 1923, the French francFrench franc
The franc was a currency of France. Along with the Spanish peseta, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra . Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
was introduced as a currency. Along with other misfortunes in the 1920s, foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease or hoof-and-mouth disease is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids...
struck in 1926.
The first radio made its appearance in Rohrbach in 1928. In 1930, there was a celebration when the French finally withdrew from the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
in 1930.
Nazi Germany
In 1933, Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
became German Chancellor, marking the birth of the Third Reich
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, and on 10 July of that same year, a Nazi named Johann Knop was installed as the head of the municipality of Rohrbach. On 1 March 1935, the Saarland
Saarland
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...
was returned to German sovereignty, causing much excitement in the local area, as many believed that this event would alleviate unemployment. Also this year, Hitler introduced conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
. In 1939, the Second World War began.
The war came home to Rohrbach: in 1940, a twin-engine bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
had to make an emergency landing on the Halterskopf, in 1943, there was an aerial engagement above the village, and of course, the village was occupied in 1945. This happened at about ten o’clock in the morning on 18 March, and the village did not fall without a fight. American tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s and German infantry engaged each other, resulting in four deaths on the German side.
Since the Second World War
Twelve OST-ArbeiterOST-Arbeiter
OST-Arbeiter was a designation for slave workers gathered from Eastern Europe to do forced labor in Germany during World War II. The Ostarbeiters were mostly from the territory of Reichskommissariat Ukraine . Ukrainians made up the largest portion although many Belarusians, Russians, Poles and...
went home, and by 29 May 1945, the first men from Rohrbach who had gone to war came home. The last homecoming, though, did not happen until 21 July 1949. Under Allied occupation, there were many house searches. Refugees from the Saarland showed up. Nine men from Rohrbach had fallen in the war, and a further four had gone missing
Missing in action
Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
(a memorial to them was dedicated in 1961). In 1946, a census yielded a population figure for Rohrbach of 217, of whom 202 were Catholic and the other 15 Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
.
In 1948 came currency reform, and the Deutsche Mark became the currency. One Deutsche Mark was worth 10 of the old Reichsmarks. Also, sewerage came in 1952. A volunteer fire brigade was established in 1957. In 1958, there were six American families living in Rohrbach, and the number of cars in the village amounted to six. In 1959, there was one television set
Television set
A television set is a device that combines a tuner, display, and speakers for the purpose of viewing television. Television sets became a popular consumer product after the Second World War, using vacuum tubes and cathode ray tube displays...
in the village, and in 1960, Flurbereinigung
Flurbereinigung
Flurbereinigung is the German word used to describe land reforms in various countries, especially Germany and Austria. The term can best be translated as land consolidation. Another European country where those land reforms have been carried out is France...
was completed. In 1969, Rohrbach expressed a wish to be amalgamated with nearby Freisen; its population at this time was 286.
Rohrbach families have twice had triplets
Multiple birth
A multiple birth occurs when more than one fetus is carried to term in a single pregnancy. Different names for multiple births are used, depending on the number of offspring. Common multiples are two and three, known as twins and triplets...
in recent decades, with one set born in 1984 (Diana, Christina and Jessica) and another in 1997 (Hannah, Marie and Lukas). In 1989, the municipality elected its first woman municipal councillor, Christine Niegisch. In 1995, “pot
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
patches]]” were discovered in Rohrbach.
Municipal council
The council is made up of 6 council members, who were elected by majority votePlurality voting system
The plurality voting system is a single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member constituencies...
at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.
Mayor
Rohrbach’s mayor is Bernhard Sauer, and his deputies are Franz-Josef Ley and Ignatius Forster.Coat of arms
The municipality’s armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
might be described thus: Per fess argent issuant from the line of partition a demilion azure armed and langued gules, and vert a bend sinister wavy abased issuant from which two bulrushes Or.
The charge
Charge (heraldry)
In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
in the upper field, the lion, is a reference to the village’s former allegiance to the County of Veldenz. The charges in the lower field are canting
Canting arms
Canting arms are heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name in a visual pun or rebus. The term cant came into the English language from Anglo-Norman cant, meaning song or singing, from Latin cantāre, and English cognates include canticle, chant, accent, incantation and recant.Canting arms –...
for the village’s name, Rohrbach, which roughly translated means “Bulrush Brook”.
Culture and sightseeing
The municipality of Rohrbach was featured on 10 September 2009 on the SWRSWR
SWR may refer to:Technology:* Standing wave ratio, a wave and antenna concept* Steel Wire ropeRadio stations:* Südwestrundfunk, a public broadcasting company for the southwest of Germany...
3 programme Hierzuland, showing its lively village life and clubs. Along with clubs such as the “Tell” shooting club, the volunteer fire brigade, the Auf zur Heide carrier pigeon
Carrier pigeon
A carrier pigeon is a homing pigeon that is used to carry messages. Using pigeons to carry messages is generally called "pigeon post". Most homing or racing type varieties are used to carry messages. There is no specific breed actually called "carrier pigeon"...
club, the angling
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
club, the Catholic women’s association, „Schrillen Grillen“ e.V.
Eingetragener Verein
Eingetragener Verein is a legal status for a registered voluntary association in Germany and Austria. While any group may be called a Verein, registration as eingetragener Verein holds many legal benefits because a registered association may legally function as a corporate body rather than just...
(dancing and Carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
) and the promotional association with its many unpaid helpers, there are also those who do their best to maintain the village’s traditions.
Transport
Running south of the municipality is the Autobahn 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...
(Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern is a city in southwest Germany, located in the Bundesland 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, and from Luxembourg.Kaiserslautern is home to 99,469 people...
–Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
). Serving nearby Heimbach
Heimbach, Rhineland-Palatinate
Heimbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
is a railway station on the Nahe Valley Railway (Bingen
Bingen am Rhein
Bingen am Rhein is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.The settlement’s original name was Bingium, a Celtic word that may have meant “hole in the rock”, a description of the shoal behind the Mäuseturm, known as the Binger Loch. Bingen was the starting point for the...
–Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city is situated at the heart of a metropolitan area that borders on the west on Dillingen and to the north-east on Neunkirchen, where most of the people of the Saarland live....
).
Economy
In days gone by, Rohrbach was purely a farming village, with cropraising and livestockLivestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
raising. Later, some people worked at the coalfields and ironworks along the Saar. In recent decades, though, the village has undergone a great shift in economic structure. There are no longer any fulltime farmers. Those who work go to jobs in the surrounding area (in Baumholder, for instance), with a few even going as far as Ludwigshafen each day. Over the last few decades, the population figure has been shrinking as young people choose to move away after their studies or apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
, seeing not much in the way of job prospects locally, and greener pastures elsewhere.