Hettenleidelheim

The municipality lies in the north of the Palatinate Forest Nature Park (Naturpark Pfälzerwald) in the vicinity of the watershed between the Eisbach and the Eckbach, which flow by the municipality to the north and the south respectively. To the town of Eisenberg to the north, it is 2 km.

Represented in the municipality are some 1,500 Catholic and 1,000 Protestant Christians, each group with its own parish,[3] and a few Muslims. The Protestants moved to the community mainly in the latter half of the 20th century. The Catholic parish of St. Peter with its branch St. Georg, Tiefenthal, today form with Wattenheim and Altleiningen a parish community. The Protestant parish is an autonomous branch of Wattenheim.

The Jewish community that once existed in the municipality (synagogue in Wattenheim) is still witnessed by two old hidden graveyards that were used from the 18th to the 20th century, and where there are some gravestones worth seeing.[4]

The council is made up of 20 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:[5]

Since 2016, the Mayor of Hettenleidelheim has been Steffen Blaga (CDU).

1. Norbert Unterländer (CDU)
2. Dominik Wellstein (SPD)
3. Maria Altheimer (CDU)

The German blazon reads: In Schwarz ein schrägrechtsgestellter silberner Schlüssel mit abwärtsgekehrtem Bart, unten rechts begleitet von einem schwebenden goldenen Andreaskreuz.

The municipality's arms might in English heraldic language be described thus: Sable a key bendwise argent, the wards in chief and turned to dexter, in base dexter a saltire Or.

The arms were approved by the now abolished Regierungsbezirk government in Neustadt in 1979 and go back to a seal from 1758. The key symbolizes the High Foundation of Worms whose patron was Saint Peter.[6]

Hettenleidelheim fosters partnerships with the following places:

• Blanzy, Saône-et-Loire, France since 1978

Gründerzeit house

The Catholic Church of Hettenleidelheim

Verbandsgemeinde administration building

Catholic church – The Catholic Church stands in the constituent community of Leidelheim and was built from 1720 to 1724; from 1898 to 1901 it was expanded. It possesses two noteworthy stone Baroque altars from the time of its building.

Railway station – The old railway station is a work in dark sandstone from the late 19th century.

Kriegerhain – The Kriegerhain, or “Warriors’ Grove”, in Hettenheim's lower village harbours various monuments and noteworthy gravestones from the 17th century. The lands once served as the churchyard for Hettenheim's mediaeval Saint Stephen's Chapel (Stephanus-Kapelle), which between 1720 and 1724 was forsaken in favour of the then newly built parish church in Leidelheim.

Jewish graveyards – Next to the Warriors’ Grove lies the older of the municipality's two Jewish graveyards (18th century); the newer one was laid out in the 19th century on the boulevard that leads to Tiefenthal.

Alte Schule – Unusual is the Alte Schule, or “Old School”, built in the late 19th century with a crenellated tower; it now serves as the “house of clubs”.

Municipal festival hall – The spacious Gemeindefesthalle came into being in the 1920s and was renovated about 2000. It was built by the gymnastic club Gut Heil using prestressed concrete.

Festhalle Hettenleidelheim, originally built by the gymnastics club Gut-Heil as gym.

Local history museum – The Heimatmuseum with its Karl Blum Archive tells the municipality's history and also the history of quarrying clay.

Towards Eisenberg lies the Erdekaut protected area.

Concerning themselves with performing music are Saint Peter's Catholic Church Choir (Katholischer Kirchenchor St. Peter), the Sängerbund Frohsinn (“singers’ league”) and the Miner's Wind Orchestra (Bergmannsblasorchester).

• Waldfest, or Forest Festival (in the Birkenschlag): Whit Monday
• Kermis (church consecration festival, locally known as the Kerwe): last weekend in August
• Barbara markt: early December

Hettenleidelheim once earned its livelihood from quarrying clay. This economic activity has since been given up.

Roundabout in Hettenleidelheim

The municipality lies near the Autobahn Autobahn 6 and can be reached through the Wattenheim interchange (1 km). From 1895 to 1990, there was a railway link to Ebertsheim connecting with the Eistalbahn (another railway between Grünstadt and Enkenbach); passenger service was ended as early as 1954, and until the line was permanently closed, it was used only for goods transport. The railway to Grünstadt can nowadays be reached by bus, which goes to Eisenberg station.

As seat of the Verbandsgemeinde, Hettenleidelheim is home to this body's administration.

Hettenleidelheim has its own primary school; secondary schools are available in neighbouring places.

• Karl Blum, local historian

• Jakob Schwalb (1872–1934), Catholic priest, deacon in Göllheim, Nazi victim.
• Nikolaus Osterroth (1875–1933), politician (SPD), member of the Weimar National Assembly
• Georg Schmidt (1902–1962), politician (Zentrum), Member of the North Rhine-Westphalian Landtag.

• Werner Holz, painter and graphic artist
• Theo Rörig, sculptor
• Dr. Heinrich Schwalb, physician and patron
• Hans and Wiltrud Werner, landscape painters