Orbis, Rhineland-Palatinate

Orbis
Municipality
Coat of arms
Location of Orbis within Donnersbergkreis district
Orbis Show map of Germany Orbis Show map of Rhineland-Palatinate
Coordinates: 49°41′39.87″N7°59′37.66″E / 49.6944083°N 7.9937944°E / 49.6944083; 7.9937944
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
District	Donnersbergkreis
Municipal assoc.	Kirchheimbolanden
Government
•  Mayor (2019–24)	Peter Schmitt [1] (SPD)
Area
• Total	5.68 km2 (2.19 sq mi)
Elevation	327 m (1,073 ft)
Population  (2023-12-31) [2]
• Total	698
• Density	120/km2 (320/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	67294
Dialling codes	06352
Vehicle registration	KIB
Website	www.orbis-pfalz.de

Orbis is a municipality in the Donnersbergkreis district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

Geography

Orbis is located about 40 km (25 mi) south of Mainz. It is situated in the Hills between Rhenish Hesse and the North Palatine Uplands. The Selz river has its source at the eastern edge of the village.

Neighbouring municipalities are Offenheim, Morschheim, Kirchheimbolanden and Oberwiesen.

History

Until the 18th century the village was part of Nassau-Weilburg and administered from Kirchheimbolanden.

After the War of the First Coalition Orbis was occupied and later annexed by France with the Treaty of Campo Formio in 1797. From 1798 to 1814 it belonged to the French Departement du Mont-Tonnerre. After the Congress of Vienna the region was first given to Austria (1815) and later to Bavaria (1816).

On 14th June 1849 the Battle of Kirchheimbolanden took place near the village. Orbis itself was peacefully handed over to the Prussian troops.

After World War II Orbis became part of Rhineland-Palatinate (1946). Since 1969 it belongs to the Donnersbergkreis district.

Politics

Council

The village council is composed of 12 members who were elected in a personalized proportional representation in the local elections on June 9, 2024, and the honorary mayor as chairman. ^[3]

Heraldry

The coat of arms shows a lion, symbolising the House of Nassau-Weilburg. The two firs on the right show the entomological interpretation of Orbis' name as „dense forest“. The key stands for Saint Peter the former patron saint of the church.

Infrastructure

The village is connected by minor roads. The A63 is 5 km (3 mi) to the south. Kirchheimbolanden on the Donnersberg Railway is the nearest train station to which Orbis is linked by the 420 bus line (Alzey-Kirchheimbolanden). ^[4]

People

• Franz Josef Heinz (1884-1924), also known as Heinz-Orbis, politician (DVP) and Palatine separatist

References

1. Direktwahlen 2019, Donnersbergkreis, Landeswahlleiter Rheinland-Pfalz, accessed 9 August 2021.
2. "Bevölkerungsstand 31. Dezember 2023, Landkreise, Gemeinden, Verbandsgemeinden; Fortschreibung des Zensus 2011" (in German). Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz. 2024.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
3. "Gemeinderatswahl 2024 Orbis". Landeswahlleiter Rheinland-Pfalz. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
4. "420 Alzey-Weinheim-Mauchenheim-Morschheim-Orbis-Kirchheimbolanden" (PDF). rnn.info (in German). Rhein-Nahe-Nahverkehrsverbund. 2024-05-22. Retrieved 2025-01-21.