Leitzweiler

Leitzweiler
Coat of arms
Leitzweiler
Location of Leitzweiler within Birkenfeld district
Coordinates: 49°35′28″N 07°13′20″E / 49.59111°N 7.22222°E / 49.59111; 7.22222Coordinates: 49°35′28″N 07°13′20″E / 49.59111°N 7.22222°E / 49.59111; 7.22222
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
District	Birkenfeld
Municipal assoc.	Baumholder
Government
• Mayor	Peter Ley
Area
• Total	3.02 km2 (1.17 sq mi)
Elevation	485 m (1,591 ft)
Population (2015-12-31)
• Total	111
• Density	37/km2 (95/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	55779
Dialling codes	06789
Vehicle registration	BIR
Website	www.leitzweiler.de

Leitzweiler is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Baumholder, whose seat is in the like-named town.

Leitzweiler lies near the state boundary with the Saarland, roughly 3 km southeast of Hoppstädten-Weiersbach and 9 km west of Baumholder. The municipal area measures 3.02 km², of which 30% is wooded.

Also belonging to Leitzweiler is the outlying homestead of Lindenhof.

Leitzweiler was founded in the 8th or 9th century by nobility. At that time, all the places ending in —weiler were founded as a result of the growth in population. In Leitzweiler’s case, the leading syllable would give a clue as to the founder’s name. It was likely Leudoin, for this was a very common name in the Early Middle Ages.

In 1440, Leitzweiler belonged to the County of Veldenz, and the Counts of Dhaun held it as a fief. This time is recalled in Leitzweiler’s civic coat of arms; the lion in the upper half of the escutcheon is drawn from the arms formerly borne by the Counts of Veldenz. Leitzweiler – older forms of the name were Leideßweiler, Leydesweiler or Laitzweiler – was certainly very small at this time, not so much a village as a farm, and with few inhabitants. In 1444, the tiny centre passed by inheritance to the Duchy of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, and within this was assigned to the Oberamt of Lichtenberg. In 1533, the Lords of Oberstein were enfeoffed with Leitzweiler, along with Mettweiler, Fohren and Linden. A 1539 agreement between the Oberamt of Lichtenberg and the Lords of Oberstein set forth clearly that authority in civil, personal and practical matters lay with the Duchy of Palatinate-Zweibrücken. The Lordship of Oberstein, however, did not hold with the arrangement very long, for it was out of force by 1559, and thereafter Leitzweiler was a fief held by the Lordship of Wertenstein. At first, the Lordship comprised Leitzweiler, Heimbach, Weiersbach, Namborn, Ellweiler and Bleiderdingen. Near the last-named place stood the Wertensteiner Schloss, the Lordship’s seat. In 1570, Leitzweiler burnt down utterly, although by 1587, Laitsweiler der Hof (Hof means “farm” in German) once again boasted four houses.