The Municipal Community of Waldmohr
Waldmohr lies in the southern part of the
district Kusel and extends to a length of 14.5 km
and width up to 3 km along the Rhineland-Palatinate border with the Saarland.
While the southeast half lies in part of the Westpfaelz
moorland valley, the northwest part projects into the southern extension of
the Nordpfalz mountain country.
Waldmohr encloses three communities within an
area of 2797 hectars - Breitenbach
(2225 inhabitants), Dunzweiler (1082 inhabitants)
and Waldmohr (5797
inhabitants) - and thus has a total of 9104 inhabitants (as of 31 October
2000). The administrative seat of the municipal community is located in
the city of Waldmohr.
Waldmohr is one of the oldest settlements in the
Westpfalz. Archeological finds testify that
humans lived here as long ago as the stone age. Mound graves and the
remains of iron ore smelting from the Celtic times are also present.
Likewise, there is evidence of Roman settlement, around the "Shrine [Heiligtum] of Waldmohr" in
the Hengstwald.
Around
830
|
First
authenticated mention of Waldmohr as a royal
courtyard "villa Moraha" (village on
the swamp creek) in the Lorscher Codex. The
same document notes that charcoal was processed to pitch and/or tar
here.
|
1190
|
Friedrich
"de Moran ", a member of the Niederadels,
is mentioned as Gefolgsmann of the counts of
Homburg. There was probably a small, castle-like "firm house" in Waldmohr.
|
1219
|
Kaplan
Thiederich of More is recorded as a witness to a
deed of donation by the Homburger counts. At that
time Waldmohr was already the seat of a parish
with a church consecrated by Saint George.
|
1257
|
Count
Friedrich of Homburg exchanged a tenth of Bliesbrücken
for the monastery Werschweiler belonging "mul to More ". Thus the Mohrmuehle,
one of the oldest mills of the Pfalz, is mentioned for the first time with Waldmohr.
|
14th
Century
|
The
gentlemen of Homburg pawn Waldmohr several times
to the counts of Veldenz.
|
1383
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Waldmohr is mentioned as the seat of a jury.
|
1418
|
The
place name approximates as "Waltmore",
for the first time similar to the way it is writen
today.
|
1449
|
The
place Waldmohr comes into the hands of the dukes
of Pfalz Zweibruecken. It remains in their posession up until the fall of the duchy in the French
revolution.
|
1547
|
In
the Gerichtsdorf of Waldmohr
lives 43 farmers with their families. It is
the largest place in the Oberamt Zweibrücken. Over the Bartenfurt
runs an age-old trade route and escort road, which connect Waldmohr with Zweibrücken, Kusel and Kaiserslautern.
|
1567
|
With
Quirin Bender are called for the first time a Waldmohrer Foerster. As
seat of a forest office today, Waldmohr still
holds to this tradition.
|
1622
- 1635
|
The
village of Waldmohr is destroyed several times
during the 30-years war, because it lies "in the roads ".
|
1752
|
Building
of the Eichelscheider by duke Christian IV.
It soon becomes a well-known horse breeding center.
|
1763
|
For
the first time, the brick cabin in the Hengstwald
[stallion forest] is mentioned. It was the start of the today's local Hengstwalder [stallion forest] brick cabin.
|
1764
|
Building
of the venerable old Protestant church, which still today shapes the
silhouette of the town.
|
1798
|
Waldmohr becomes the principal place of the canton of
the same name in the Saardepartement and seat of
a mayor (Buergermeisterei), as well as a justice
of the peace (Friedensgerichts).
|
1816
|
The
Pfalz becomes part of Bavaria. Waldmohr
remains the canton seat and the central place for an administrative
territory, which spans from Kirkel in the today's
Saarpfalzkreis to Glan Muenchweiler, with 17,380 inhabitants in 57
villages.
|
1848/49
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Waldmohrer citizens actively take part in the Palatine revolution,
under the leadership of the clerk of the court Veit
Zoeller.
|
After
1850
|
Waldmohr becomes the center of a blossoming linen weaving mill,
which specializes in the production of "Schamasstoffen"
and continues until around 1900.
|
Around
1880
|
Numerous
Waldmohrer citizens find work, and bread, in the
coal mines of the Saar district, particularly in the Frankenholz
pit. The profession of the miner farmers shapes the social structure into
the 1950s.
|
1900
- 1905
|
The
"Consolidiertes Nordfeld"
(consolidated north field) mine gives work and bread to about 500 miners,
before it breaks down because of economic speculation.
|
1920
|
Waldmohr and the surrounding countryside suffer strongly when
the Saar boarder is drawn. The seat of the canton must give up much of its
authority to the district office for Kusel, to
which it is subordinated as district branch office.
|
1947
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After
the establishment of the Rhineland-Palatinate state, Waldmohr
remains an independent municipality and overcomes the problems of renewed
separation from the Saarland.
|
1964
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The
development of industrial areas at the western boarder begins. Thus
is created the basis of the Waldmohr's present
industrial site.
|
1971
|
At
the conclusion of the Rhineland-Palatinate reorganization, Waldmohr is designated the Waldmohr
municipal seat and regains at least one part of its "historical
authority ".
|
Today, Waldmohr is a place with numerous
businesses, banks, and other important enterprises, as well as stately houses
and broad roads, all of which make it an important regional center. It
has developed into an economic center and into an efficient and expansive
industrial site with a direct motorway connection to markets. Numerous
industries and crafts have settled in Waldmohr,
making it the most important industrial site in the Kusel
district. Nevertheless, Waldmohr, with its
mantle of reborn forests and its reputation as tourist place, retains
popularity for high recreational value and quality living.
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