Lettweiler

Lettweiler is a largely preserved linear village (by some definitions, a “thorpe”) lying in the North Palatine Uplands in a mountain hollow, a side dale of the Glan between Obermoschel and Odernheim am Glan. The municipal area measures 627 ha. Lettweiler preserves a rural character even today.[3]

Clockwise from the north, Lettweiler's neighbours are the municipalities of Odernheim am Glan and Duchroth, the town of Obermoschel and the municipalities of Unkenbach and Rehborn. Obermoschel and Unkenbach both lie in the neighbouring Donnersbergkreis, whereas all the others likewise lie within the Bad Kreuznach district.

Also belonging to Lettweiler are the outlying homesteads of Nachtweiderhof and Neudorferhof.[4] The latter lies some three kilometres as the crow flies from Lettweiler's main centre and was founded by Mennonites.

At the Neudorferhof, where today one of the municipality's two riding stables is to be found, the Romans long ago set up a way station where horses could be changed. In 1686, the Neudorferhof had its first documentary mention. The small settlement here was built by Mennonites, who also built a small church.[7]

Over the centuries, the village's name changed many times (Littwiler, Lirrewilre, Lywilre, Lettwiler, Lytwyler), until sometime in the earlier half of the 20th century, the village finally settled on “Lettweiler”, the name by which it is now known.[8]

Lettweiler's population development since Napoleonic times is shown in the table below. The figures for the years from 1871 to 1987 are drawn from census data:[9]

In 1675 – 27 years after the Thirty Years' War had ended – there were only four families living in Lettweiler. In 1770, there were 51 commoners and 5 Hintersassen (roughly, “dependent peasants”). Then the population grew, reaching 502 in 1866. Until the First World War broke out, this figure only changed slightly.[10]

The council is made up of 6 council members, who were elected by majority vote at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.[12]

Lettweiler's mayor is Volker Wagner.[1]

The following are listed buildings or sites in Rhineland-Palatinate’s Directory of Cultural Monuments:[13]

• Protestant parish church, Rehborner Straße 51 – Late Baroque aisleless church, latter half of the 18th century
• Hauptstraße 1a – gymnasium, building with hip roof, marked 1925
• Hauptstraße 63 – Baroque timber-frame house, plastered, earlier half of or mid 19th century
• Hauptstraße 65 – Baroque timber-frame house, possibly from the earlier half of the 18th century
• Hauptstraße 66 – estate complex; essentially Baroque timber-frame house, plastered, presumably from the 17th or 18th century
• Hintergasse 41 – estate complex along the street; small house, partly timber-frame, marked 1808
• Hintergasse 43 – former school; building with hip roof, mid 19th century
• Rehborner Straße 50 – former Protestant rectory estate; Baroque buildings with half-hip roofs, 18th century
• Schäferhügel 28 – Baroque timber-frame house, partly solid, earlier half of the 18th century

• Mennonite church, Neudorferhof 100 – Classicist building with hip roof, marked 1885
• Neudorferhof 97 – three-sided estate; one-and-a-half-floor Late Classicist house, marked 1877, Wirtschaftsgebäude
• Neudorferhof 101 – estate complex; eingeschossiges Wohnhaus, marked 1831, commercial building
• Neudorferhof 97–102 (Neudorferhof monumental zone) – Mennonite settlement from 1789, church from 1885, estate complexes from the 19th century, big firepond; walled Mennonite graveyard

The 17th-century church was built to replace a 14th-century village chapel after this had fallen into disrepair and had to be torn down.[14]

Lettweiler has one listed natural monument, the Dicke Eiche (“Fat Oak”; no. ND-7133-424). This stands east of the village in the rural cadastral area known as “Auf der Trift”.

Lettweiler has a long tradition of winegrowing. The vineyards belong to the Nahe wine region. Even today, there is still one winemaker in the village, the Erwin Lamb winery.

Lettweiler has a sporting ground and a multipurpose hall.

The following clubs are active in Lettweiler:[15]

• Förderverein Feuerwehr — fire brigade promotional association
• Gesangverein 1869 e.V. Lettweiler — singing club
• Landfrauenverein — countrywomen's club
• TuS Lettweiler — gymnastic and sport club
• Volksbildungswerk Odernheim/Lettweiler — “people’s education”

To the southeast runs Bundesstraße 420. Leading through the village itself is Kreisstraße 78, off which branches Kreisstraße 77 in the middle of the village. Serving Staudernheim is a railway station on the Nahe Valley Railway (Bingen–Saarbrücken).