Südliche Weinstraße (; ; ) is a district (Kreis) in the south of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from west clockwise) Südwestpfalz, Bad Dürkheim, the district-free city Neustadt (Weinstraße), Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, Germersheim, and the French département Bas-Rhin. The district-free city Landau is surrounded by the district.
History On May 27, 1832 the Hambacher Fest took place in the castle of Hambach, an event which marks the beginning of the German democracy. The district was formed in 1969 by merging the districts Landau and Bergzabern. At first the name of the new district was Landau-Bad Bergzabern, it was renamed to Südliche Weinstraße in 1978.
Geography The district is named after the first touristic route built in Germany in the 1930s, the German Wine Route (Deutsche Weinstraße). It starts in Bockenheim an der Weinstraße, goes through Bad Dürkheim, Deidesheim, and after 85 kilometers ends in Schweigen-Rechtenbach (near Bad Bergzabern).
The river Lauter forms part of the boundary with France in the south.
Coat of arms The coat of arms is very similar to that of the previous district Landau. In the top-left is the lion of the Electorate of the Palatinate. The white bar in the middle symbolizes the Weinstraße, the touristic route which gave the district its name. The bottom-right show two bunches of grapes, again symbolizing the route. The cross stands for Speyer, as the diocese of Speyer owned land in the district historically. The crown in the middle is taken from the coat of arms of the Bad Bergzabern district, symbolizing the Trifels and Annweiler areas.
Towns and municipalities Verbandsgemeinden1. Annweiler am Trifels Albersweiler Annweiler am Trifels1, 2 Dernbach Eußerthal Gossersweiler-Stein Münchweiler am Klingbach Ramberg Rinnthal Silz Völkersweiler Waldhambach Waldrohrbach Wernersberg 2. Bad Bergzabern Bad Bergzabern1, 2 Barbelroth Birkenhördt Böllenborn Dierbach Dörrenbach Gleiszellen-Gleishorbach Hergersweiler Kapellen-Drusweiler Kapsweyer Klingenmünster Niederhorbach Niederotterbach Oberhausen Oberotterbach Oberschlettenbach Pleisweiler-Oberhofen Schweigen-Rechtenbach Schweighofen Steinfeld Vorderweidenthal3. Edenkoben Altdorf Böbingen Burrweiler Edenkoben1, 2 Edesheim Flemlingen Freimersheim Gleisweiler Gommersheim Großfischlingen Hainfeld Kleinfischlingen Rhodt unter Rietburg Roschbach Venningen Weyher in der Pfalz 4. Herxheim Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz1 Herxheimweyher Insheim Rohrbach5. Landau-Land [seat: Landau in der Pfalz] Billigheim-Ingenheim Birkweiler Böchingen Eschbach Frankweiler Göcklingen Heuchelheim-Klingen Ilbesheim bei Landau in der Pfalz Impflingen Knöringen Leinsweiler Ranschbach Siebeldingen Walsheim 6. Maikammer Kirrweiler Maikammer1 Sankt Martin 7. Offenbach an der Queich Bornheim Essingen Hochstadt Offenbach an der Queich11seat of the Verbandsgemeinde; 2town
See also Südliche Weinstraße Wildlife Park
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