Kusel (district)

Kusel
District
Coat of arms
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
Capital	Kusel
Area
• Total	573.42 km^2 (221.40 sq mi)
Population (31 December 2013)[1]
• Total	71,098
• Density	120/km^2 (320/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Vehicle registration	KUS
Website	landkreis-kusel.de

Kusel is a district (Kreis) in the south of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from north-west clockwise) Birkenfeld, Bad Kreuznach, Donnersbergkreis, Kaiserslautern, Saarpfalz and Sankt Wendel (the last two belonging to the state of Saarland).

History

The district of Kusel was created at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1939 it was renamed as Landkreis Kusel. The boundary was altered slightly as part of the communal reform of 1969/72 with some parts of the district of Birkenfeld being added to Kusel.

Geography

The district of Kusel lies in the North Palatine Uplands (Nordpfälzer Bergland), to the north of the industrial areas of the Saarland. The largest rivers are the Lauter (also called the Waldlauter, to distinguish it from other rivers in German-speaking Europe named Lauter) and the Glan.

Coat of arms

The German blazon reads: Gespalten: Vorne in Schwarz ein linksgewendeter, rot bewehrter goldener Löwe, hinten in Silber ein rot bewehrter, blauer Löwe. The district’s arms might in English heraldic language be described thus: Per pale sable a lion rampant sinister Or armed and langued gules and argent a lion rampant azure armed and langued of the third. The two charges, both lions, are both heraldic devices borne by former lords, the one on the dexter (armsbearer’s right, viewer’s left) side by the Counts of Veldenz and the one on the sinister (armsbearer’s left, viewer’s right) side by Electoral Palatinate, which acquired the area in the 15th century. The arms were approved on 13 December 1965.

Towns and municipalities

Verbandsgemeinden
1. Altenglan Altenglan^1 Bedesbach Bosenbach Elzweiler Erdesbach Föckelberg Horschbach Neunkirchen am Potzberg Niederalben Niederstaufenbach Oberstaufenbach Rammelsbach Rathsweiler Rutsweiler am Glan Ulmet Welchweiler 2. Glan-Münchweiler Börsborn Glan-Münchweiler^1 Henschtal Herschweiler-Pettersheim Hüffler Krottelbach Langenbach Matzenbach Nanzdietschweiler Quirnbach Rehweiler Steinbach am Glan Wahnwegen	3. Kusel Albessen Blaubach Dennweiler-Frohnbach Ehweiler Etschberg Haschbach am Remigiusberg Herchweiler Körborn Konken Kusel^1, 2 Oberalben Pfeffelbach Reichweiler Ruthweiler Schellweiler Selchenbach Thallichtenberg Theisbergstegen	4. Lauterecken-Wolfstein Adenbach Aschbach Buborn Cronenberg Deimberg Einöllen Eßweiler Ginsweiler Glanbrücken Grumbach Hausweiler Hefersweiler Heinzenhausen Herren-Sulzbach Hinzweiler Hohenöllen Homberg Hoppstädten Jettenbach Kappeln Kirrweiler Kreimbach-Kaulbach Langweiler Lauterecken^1, 2 Lohnweiler Medard Merzweiler Nerzweiler Nußbach Oberweiler im Tal Oberweiler-Tiefenbach Odenbach Offenbach-Hundheim Reipoltskirchen Relsberg Rothselberg Rutsweiler an der Lauter Sankt Julian Unterjeckenbach Wiesweiler Wolfstein^2	5. Schönenberg-Kübelberg Altenkirchen Brücken Dittweiler Frohnhofen Gries Ohmbach Schönenberg-Kübelberg^1 6. Waldmohr Breitenbach Dunzweiler Waldmohr^1
^1seat of the Verbandsgemeinde; ^2town

References

1. "Gemeinden in Deutschland mit Bevölkerung am 31. Dezember 2013". Statistisches Bundesamt (in German). 2014.

External links

• Official website (German)

Coordinates: 49°35′N 7°30′E / 49.58°N 7.5°E