The Village of Kottweiler-Schwanden

Kottweiler-Schwanden is the smallest village in the Ramstein-Miesenbach Union Community and consists of the old settlements of Schwanden, Altschwanden and Kottweiler. The village celebrated its 650th anniversary in 1999. Both parts of the village were united during the French occupation.

Farming which, until a few decades ago provided the livelihoods for most people in this village, has all but disappeared despite the area's excellent soil quality. In former days three mills were operated along the Schwanderbach stream. The last mill (Munzinger) was deactivated in 1983. Today the population is employed by businesses and organizations within the Union Community as well as the greater Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland regions.

Construction of a new grass sports field, the multi-purpose Sulzbach Hall and the village square, which was completed in 1991, all contributed greatly to the improvement of the village's infra-structure. The old school which is located between the two parts of the villages is used as a kindergarten and as a meeting place for local clubs today. With the renovation of this impressive sandstone building the community has created a local treasure. The rear portion of this old school house transferred into a community hall and is often referred to as the "village living room".

Newly developed areas have expanded the community. With the financial aid of the Ramstein-Miesenbach Union Community traditional portions of the village (e.g. Ochsenbach) were connected to the public water and sewage system, and public roads were landscaped, providing an inviting residential area. The recent development of the "Auf der Steig" area has provided sites for 28 new homes. Thanks to the involvement of the population and the assistance of local clubs the village in 1998 celebrated the 20th anniversary of its flourishing partnership with the French town of Rambersvillers.