Weidenthal

Weidenthal
Municipality
Coat of arms
Location of Weidenthal within Bad Dürkheim district <imagemap>File: Weidenthal in DÜW.svg | 240x240px poly 55 111 56 116 55 118 62 132 66 132 69 140 77 140 77 147 89 160 103 156 108 157 116 148 124 148 137 130 174 119 179 119 178 114 193 106 193 97 175 104 171 99 171 95 167 95 146 108 152 99 154 87 137 93 137 96 134 98 134 104 138 104 135 109 123 105 122 103 119 115 116 116 113 105 111 106 114 116 113 116 115 122 109 125 102 123 100 117 96 119 89 118 77 101 Bad Dürkheim poly 134 46 140 45 145 41 139 35 140 29 149 25 156 39 167 39 168 50 156 53 155 58 146 61 145 55 140 52 135 55 Grünstadt poly 96 96 100 97 101 101 96 101 Grünstadt poly 180 176 189 175 204 167 208 170 215 181 224 221 182 205 183 199 177 196 Haßloch poly 169 171 176 168 176 158 184 152 184 149 196 145 204 168 188 175 174 176 Meckenheim poly 185 139 188 147 184 148 184 152 176 158 173 149 183 144 181 140 Niederkirchen bei Deidesheim poly 141 160 176 157 177 168 163 172 161 167 140 162 Ruppertsberg poly 173 133 171 137 170 145 165 147 162 142 152 145 151 145 158 140 168 136 Forst an der Weinstraße poly 185 132 182 133 172 134 171 145 165 147 163 142 152 146 149 145 115 162 109 161 100 173 103 177 107 174 116 174 115 169 125 166 134 174 140 169 141 161 175 157 173 149 181 143 180 139 186 139 Deidesheim poly 111 81 102 80 79 95 79 98 77 102 54 111 55 99 69 97 88 81 107 71 115 68 119 70 120 71 Wattenheim poly 116 58 124 67 120 71 116 68 98 74 98 70 103 63 Hettenleidelheim poly 116 57 123 65 130 62 137 54 124 52 Tiefenthal poly 110 80 101 80 80 95 79 99 87 100 92 103 98 102 95 101 95 96 103 86 112 81 Carlsberg poly 99 101 101 106 108 105 111 107 115 104 116 95 122 85 126 82 126 76 124 75 116 80 114 77 102 86 97 96 Altleiningen poly 194 105 183 112 183 118 189 117 199 122 206 120 203 113 203 106 Ellerstadt poly 182 117 188 117 199 122 206 119 208 127 201 129 192 132 185 133 Gönnheim poly 182 113 179 114 178 119 173 119 173 134 186 133 183 130 Friedelsheim poly 173 119 137 130 124 148 116 148 107 156 109 160 114 162 150 145 157 140 173 134 Wachenheim poly 8 186 10 196 16 196 11 209 16 223 29 222 38 220 47 224 50 216 63 209 68 207 70 202 74 203 78 199 70 194 64 173 67 165 61 161 53 169 37 168 Elmstein poly 55 149 70 140 77 140 77 147 90 160 87 162 85 167 66 165 58 157 Weidenthal poly 110 161 107 155 102 155 87 161 84 166 101 172 Neidenfels poly 125 165 125 185 117 187 119 181 116 169 Lindenberg poly 116 173 120 178 117 187 102 193 91 193 90 190 96 181 108 173 Lambrecht poly 70 165 85 166 99 172 104 177 95 182 82 171 77 171 Frankeneck poly 67 165 71 165 75 170 81 170 97 181 82 202 70 194 64 174 Esthal poly 132 22 132 17 147 1 154 2 159 11 146 24 141 25 Kindenheim poly 141 27 158 11 155 2 163 0 172 6 173 10 179 17 163 25 152 24 142 28 Bockenheim an der Weinstraße poly 132 22 142 26 140 33 135 41 134 46 129 41 129 41 130 39 Quirnheim poly 140 33 144 40 141 46 134 46 Mertesheim poly 130 32 119 38 118 42 123 52 134 53 134 45 129 41 131 39 Ebertsheim poly 149 25 157 40 167 39 173 36 178 36 178 32 185 28 180 21 182 18 178 16 163 25 Obrigheim poly 167 39 172 36 178 36 178 47 174 52 168 50 Obersülzen poly 178 31 177 48 179 47 191 52 206 50 204 31 197 29 191 27 Dirmstein poly 205 49 191 51 192 61 195 65 197 63 204 61 207 55 Gerolsheim poly 174 50 175 54 183 58 187 67 195 66 195 64 193 64 191 51 183 47 177 47 Laumersheim poly 171 51 176 72 180 73 187 66 184 58 Großkarlbach poly 172 57 166 62 168 71 176 71 Bissersheim poly 168 49 171 51 173 56 167 63 167 69 158 70 155 70 156 60 155 53 Kirchheim an der Weinstraße poly 155 58 156 66 155 70 151 67 145 70 142 64 146 61 151 60 Kleinkarlbach poly 140 51 145 55 147 60 142 64 131 69 126 76 124 75 116 81 113 78 124 65 132 61 Neuleiningen poly 145 69 133 81 126 85 123 85 126 82 126 76 130 70 142 63 Battenberg poly 79 98 87 99 92 103 90 107 90 112 86 115 76 102 Neuleiningen poly 100 101 92 102 90 112 93 109 101 107 Kirchheim an der Weinstraße poly 182 70 186 85 186 95 204 90 200 67 195 69 195 65 186 66 Weisenheim am Sand poly 130 93 135 98 134 101 127 101 126 96 Weisenheim am Sand poly 111 109 114 116 112 117 114 123 108 125 109 121 104 116 107 110 Weisenheim am Sand poly 186 90 171 94 171 98 175 105 187 98 Erpolzheim poly 150 67 155 70 155 72 143 79 121 96 116 95 123 84 133 83 144 69 Bobenheim am Berg poly 95 108 91 117 88 117 86 115 Bobenheim am Berg poly 155 70 168 70 169 76 159 80 Dackenheim poly 98 108 107 105 112 107 106 110 99 110 Dackenheim poly 168 70 179 74 183 71 186 88 186 90 167 94 162 89 166 86 166 77 169 76 Freinsheim poly 114 104 116 115 119 115 122 103 136 109 138 105 135 105 134 101 127 101 126 96 Freinsheim poly 158 79 165 77 167 86 162 90 155 89 154 85 Herxheim am Berg poly 130 93 136 92 138 96 135 98 Herxheim am Berg poly 92 117 95 118 107 111 106 109 99 110 Herxheim am Berg poly 153 89 161 89 167 94 146 108 152 98 Kallstadt poly 102 114 100 116 101 122 109 124 109 119 Kallstadt poly 155 71 159 79 154 87 136 92 128 93 115 103 116 95 122 94 Weisenheim am Berg poly 98 108 95 108 91 116 91 117 Weisenheim am Berg poly 186 -1 186 4 188 4 188 8 191 8 194 27 190 26 184 28 179 21 181 17 172 9 172 7 162 0 154 1 151 3 147 0 148 -1 Alzey-Worms poly 186 -1 186 4 187 4 188 9 192 9 193 27 204 31 230 21 229 -1 Worms poly 230 99 214 106 214 110 217 111 224 121 229 118 Ludwigshafen poly 229 53 221 55 225 62 221 66 219 75 221 83 219 92 222 102 229 99 Frankenthal poly 229 20 204 30 207 55 204 61 195 63 195 68 200 68 204 90 186 94 187 98 193 97 194 106 201 105 208 128 185 134 187 147 196 146 204 166 209 170 216 181 225 221 223 226 226 229 230 229 229 118 224 121 217 111 214 111 214 106 222 102 218 92 221 83 218 73 221 65 226 62 222 55 230 53 Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis poly 226 230 223 226 218 226 214 230 Germersheim (district) poly 213 229 218 226 224 225 224 221 182 205 183 198 177 195 180 176 174 175 169 171 163 173 162 168 141 161 141 169 134 174 124 167 124 185 119 188 117 186 102 193 93 192 91 191 82 202 78 204 87 211 85 218 116 216 145 225 156 222 170 226 170 230 Neustadt an der Weinstraße poly 49 230 47 224 50 216 57 212 67 206 70 201 74 202 78 199 82 202 79 204 89 210 84 218 115 218 146 225 158 222 169 226 169 230 Südliche Weinstraße poly 47 230 46 224 37 219 29 223 16 223 19 229 Landau poly 0 119 6 118 13 127 12 133 14 134 18 154 17 157 -1 164 Kaiserslautern poly 0 71 48 70 60 98 54 99 55 118 61 132 66 132 70 141 55 149 58 158 61 160 53 169 38 168 8 187 -1 182 2 174 -1 175 0 164 17 157 19 154 13 127 6 117 -1 119 Kaiserslautern (district) poly 148 -1 131 18 130 22 129 25 130 32 119 38 118 42 124 52 104 62 98 69 98 76 89 81 82 88 70 97 60 97 49 71 -1 71 -1 -1 Donnersbergkreis poly -1 175 2 174 -1 180 9 186 8 189 -1 192 Kaiserslautern poly -1 194 8 190 10 197 17 197 10 210 20 229 -1 229 Südwestpfalz desc bottom-right </imagemap>
Weidenthal Weidenthal
Coordinates: 49°25′26″N 07°59′27″E
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
District	Bad Dürkheim
Municipal assoc.	Lambrecht (Pfalz)
Government
• Mayor (2019–24)	Ralf Kretner (CDU)
Area
• Total	14.49 km2 (5.59 sq mi)
Elevation	295 m (968 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)
• Total	1,667
• Density	120/km2 (300/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	67475
Dialling codes	06329
Vehicle registration	DÜW
Website	www.weidenthal.de

Weidenthal is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

Geography

Location

The municipality lies in the middle of the Palatinate Forest in the region of the Palatinate. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Lambrecht, whose seat is in the like-named town.

History

In 1247, Weidenthal had its first documentary mention as Wydentall and was held by the Lords of Frankenstein as a fief from the Limburg Monastery. Later, Weidenthal belonged to the Electorate of the Palatinate.

In 2011, this was the location of the last known sighting of the Palatinate Dragon, possibly the last Dragon in Europe.

Religion

View of the two churches in 1897; Evangelical on the left and Catholic on the right

Weidenthal has an autonomous Catholic parish. The Catholic parish church, St. Simon und Judas Thaddäus, and the rectory, Maximilian Kolbe-Haus, are found on Hauptstraße (“Main Street”).

Together with the neighbouring municipality of Frankenstein, Weidenthal forms a Protestant parish. The Christuskirche (“Christ Church” or “Church of Christ”) is found in the village centre at the fairground on Hauptstraße.

In 2007, 45.5% of the inhabitants were Evangelical and 38.5% Catholic. The rest belonged to other faiths or adhered to none.

Politics

Municipal council

The council is made up of 16 council members, who were elected at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.

The municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results:

	SPD	CDU	LINKE	FWG	WG Weilacher	Total
2009	5	5	1	5	-	16 seats
2004	4	4	-	7	1	16 seats

Coat of arms

The German blazon reads: In Silber ein aufrecht gestellter wachsender goldener Krummstab mit linksgewendeter Krümme (Bischofsstab).

The municipality’s arms might in English heraldic language be described thus: Argent issuant from base a crozier palewise Or, the crook to sinister.

The arms were approved by the Bavarian king in 1845 and go back to a court seal from 1747. The single charge recalls the former feudal lord, the Bishop of Speyer. The Bishop’s rule ended in 1803. Formerly, seals also bore the letters W and D (for Weiden Dal, an old form of the municipality’s name), but these were eventually dropped and never included in the arms.

Culture and sightseeing

• The Planetenwanderweg (“Planetary Hiking Trail”) is a trail laid out with informational plaques. It begins at the graveyard at the end of Klingentalstraße. In about an hour, one can hike through the Solar System at a scale of 1:1,500,000,000.
• Once each year the Weidenthal kermis (church consecration festival, locally known as the Kerwe) is held.
• Weidenthal has a natural bathing pond as a swimming pool.
• The Warriors’ Memorial on the Köpfchen is one of Weidenthal’s landmarks, and from the memorial’s location, there is a wonderful panoramic view over the whole village.
• The Catholic church is one of the Palatinate’s most important Gothic Revival churches.

Sport

There are a football club with its own hard sporting ground (Karl-Heinz Sportplatz), a gymnastics club with its own competition ground and track, a tennis club with three sand courts, one tar court and a tennis wall, and a shooting club with its own shooting ranges of various sizes.

Moreover, there is a gymnastic and multipurpose hall used by all clubs as well as the two kindergartens and the primary school.

Since August 2007 a nighttime mountainbike race called Schlaflos im Sattel (“Sleepless in the Saddle”) has been held. The circuit of just under 10 km begins in the Erdbeertal (“Strawberry Dale”) and runs over the Stempelweg into the Weissenbach and then over the Maifeld back into the Erdbeertal.

Economy and infrastructure

Transport

Stopping at Weidenthal station are RheinNeckar S-Bahn trains on the Saarbrücken–Mannheim line. Lines S1 and S2 afford direct links to Kaiserslautern in the west and Ludwigshafen, Mannheim and Heidelberg in the east. Public transport is integrated into the VRN, whose fares therefore apply.

External links

• Municipality’s official webpage (in German)