Reich is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (district) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde Simmern-Rheinböllen, whose seat is in Simmern.
Reich | |
|---|---|
Location of Reich within Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis district  | |
  Reich  Reich | |
| Coordinates: 50°0′17″N 7°25′58″E / 50.00472°N 7.43278°E | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Rhineland-Palatinate |
| District | Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis |
| Municipal assoc. | Simmern-Rheinböllen |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2019–24) | Gerhard Schneider[1] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.76 km2 (1.84 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 410 m (1,350 ft) |
| Population (2022-12-31)[2] | |
| • Total | 349 |
| • Density | 73/km2 (190/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 55471 |
| Dialling codes | 06761 |
| Vehicle registration | SIM |
Geography edit
Location edit
The municipality lies in the Hunsrück, in a hollow in the Biebertal (Bieberbach valley). The rural residential community lies roughly 6 km north-northeast of Kirchberg and 7 km west-northwest of Simmern.
History edit
In the mid 16th century, Reich had its first documentary mention in a Weistum from the Ravengiersburg Monastery (a Weistum – cognate with English wisdom – was a legal pronouncement issued by men learned in law in the Middle Ages and early modern times). With the monastery's dissolution and the introduction of the Reformation, the village passed to the Duchy of Palatinate-Simmern, and then in 1673 to Electoral Palatinate. Beginning in 1794, Reich lay under French rule. In 1814 it was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia at the Congress of Vienna. Since 1946, it has been part of the then newly founded state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Politics edit
Municipal council edit
The council is made up of 8 council members, who were elected by majority vote at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.[3]
Mayor edit
Reich's mayor is Gerhard Schneider.[1]
Coat of arms edit
The municipality's arms might be described thus: Sable a fess countercompony gules and argent between an oaktree eradicated Or and a lion passant of the same armed and langued of the second.[4]
Culture and sightseeing edit
Buildings edit
The following are listed buildings or sites in Rhineland-Palatinate’s Directory of Cultural Monuments:[5]
- Auf dem Wasem – memorial site for the victims of the First and Second World Wars; small complex with oaktrees, memorial stone and crosses
- Hauptstraße 20 – former school between Reich and Wüschheim; timber-frame building, partly slated, about 1910
Sport and leisure edit
Running through the village is the newly built Biebertaler Rundweg (path).
References edit
- ^ a b Direktwahlen 2019, Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis, Landeswahlleiter Rheinland-Pfalz, accessed 4 August 2021.
- ^ "Bevölkerungsstand 2022, Kreise, Gemeinden, Verbandsgemeinden" (PDF) (in German). Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz. 2023.
- ^ Municipal election results for Reich
- ^ Image of Reich’s arms
- ^ Directory of Cultural Monuments in Rhein-Hunsrück district
External links edit
- Reich in the collective municipality’s webpages (in German)
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