Wiesbach, Germany
Wiesbach is a small municipality in southwestern Germany, in Rhineland-Palatinate’s Südwestpfalz district. It’s part of a local association with Zweibrücken-Land. The village sits in a valley area of the Sickingen Heights at the meeting point of several streams all named Wiesbach. The surrounding valleys are wooded, while the hills are farmed.
Meaning and origin
- The name comes from the German words for meadow (Wiese) and brook (Bach).
- Wiesbach was first mentioned in 1269. A castle is mentioned in 1297. In 1564, a settlement called Krähenberg appeared on Krähenberg hill and later became its own village. Around 1759 land was given to Rosenkopf, which had been settled earlier.
Early history
- In 1608, 110 people lived in Wiesbach. The Thirty Years’ War (1635–1638) was very hard, with fighting and looting in the area.
- After the war, people from Tyrol, Switzerland, the Allgäu, and Lorraine moved in; by 1688 there were 19 families again.
Rulers and modern era
- Wiesbach belonged to the House of Sickingen, then to Palatine Zweibrücken, until the end of the 18th century.
- In 1920, Wiesbach changed counties to Zweibrücken.
- In 1781, soldiers from the Régiment de Royal Deux-Ponts fought at Yorktown on the American side during the fight for independence.
- Zweibrücken later became part of Bavaria until after World War II.
- In the 19th century, many residents emigrated to the United States.
Coat of arms
- The four-part coat of arms includes symbols representing local history: five silver balls (cannonballs), a red mill wheel, a red oblique crozier on gold, and a black lion. It was awarded in 1982.
- The symbols stand for Franz von Sickingen’s weapons, historic water mills, Saint Pirminius, and the Palatine Lion.
Today
- Wiesbach covers about 4.07 square kilometers and sits around 260 meters above sea level.
- The population is about 479 people (as of 2023).
- The mayor for 2019–2024 is Klaus Buchmann.
- The postal code is 66894.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:48 (CET).