Schwerbach
| Schwerbach | ||
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View from the south
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 Schwerbach
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Location of Schwerbach within Birkenfeld district
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| Coordinates: 49°53′49″N 7°21′21″E / 49.89694°N 7.35583°ECoordinates: 49°53′49″N 7°21′21″E / 49.89694°N 7.35583°E | ||
| Country | Germany | |
| State | Rhineland-Palatinate | |
| District | Birkenfeld | |
| Municipal assoc. | Rhaunen | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Christel Roth-Janitz | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2.55 km2 (0.98 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 387 m (1,270 ft) | |
| Population (2015-12-31) | ||
| • Total | 54 | |
| • Density | 21/km2 (55/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) | |
| Postal codes | 55624 | |
| Dialling codes | 06544 | |
| Vehicle registration | BIR | |
| Website | www.schwerbach.de | |
Schwerbach 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 Rhaunen, whose seat is in the like-named municipality.
The municipality, a clump village, lies in the central Hunsrück. Between the village and the Kyrbach valley lies the Wacholderheide (“Juniper Heath”) Conservation Area.
Schwerbach is the district’s smallest municipality by population.
In the Early Middle Ages, the Lords of Wiltberg had built a chapel in Schwerbach on the estate with which the Waldgraves were enfeoffed; it was consecrated on 15 July 1314. Schwerbach had “burial rights” at that time, which were always special rights.
In 1563, there were 12 hearths (for which read “households”) in Schwerbach.
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 chairwoman.
Schwerbach’s mayor is Christel Roth-Janitz.
The German blazon reads: In geteiltem Schild oben in Gold ein rotes Fabeltier mit einem Wolfskopf und weit geöffneten Schwingen, belegt mit einem schwarzen Wolfshaken. Unten in Schwarz ein silberner Balken.
The municipality’s arms might in English heraldic language be described thus: Per fess Or a beast with a wolf’s head and an eagle’s body displayed gules, its breast surmounted by a crampon palewise sable, and sable a fess argent.
The upper field is a reference to the village’s former allegiance to the “Wild and Rhine” County (ruled by the Waldgraves and Rhinegraves) and shows the court seal used by those counts’ high court at Rhaunen. The lower field shows the arms formerly borne by the Lords of Wiltberg, who were the lords at Schwerbach. In 1310, they had a chapel built at Schwerbach.
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Wikipedia