Dienstweiler

Until the 17th century, the village went by the names Dintzwilr, Dyntzwilr, Dynczwiller and Dientzweiler before settling on the current form of the name, Dienstweiler. In 1367, Dienstweiler had its first documentary mention, and belonged to the “Hinder” County of Sponheim. The homestead of Eborn, which still exists today (roughly a kilometre outside the village itself) was formerly a self-administering municipality, but it merged with Dienstweiler sometime about 1544.

As early as the time around 1000 BC, the area where Dienstweiler now lies took its first steps into the realm of history. It is known from archaeological finds made in the “Auf Brand” barrow fields that quite a few people must have lived here then. These were the Treveri, a people of mixed Celtic and Germanic stock, from whom the Latin name for the city of Trier, Augusta Treverorum, is also derived. They were followed by the Romans (58 BC to AD 400) from whose time come the foundations of a country house – a villa rustica – unearthed in the municipality. Also brought to light at this site was a bronze wine service, which today is a major draw at the Birkenfelder Landesmuseum (Birkenfeld State Museum).

With the coming of the first permanent teacher, children from both Dienstweiler and Castle Birkenfeld were taught together beginning in 1785, although this institution did not last long. After it folded, Dienstweiler acquired its own school building in 1825, but this soon fell into such disrepair that it could no longer be used. At a municipal council meeting on 13 February 1849, it was decided that a new school would be built, and this was finished the following year. A new wing was built onto this school more than a century later, in 1955, and the school continued in this form until 1968, when school reform saw it close altogether. Now bereft of its original function, the school building gained a new purpose in 1985 when it was converted into a village community centre.

The early 1960s were a time of progress. In 1962 and 1963, Dienstweiler became the first village in the Amt of Birkenfeld to build its own sewer system and central sewage treatment plant. In 1960, a new building zone was laid out; 49 houses were built there, which made necessary a further development to the north (hence the reference to the “old new” building development). Although the inhabitants once drew their livelihoods mainly from agriculture, most now commute to jobs elsewhere in the area. Of the 26 agricultural operations that were once found here, only 4 are left.[5]

• Municipality’s official webpage (in German)