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Münchweiler an der Rodalb

Municipalities in Rhineland-PalatinateSüdwestpfalzSüdwestpfalz geography stubs
Münchweiler an der Rodalb in PS
Münchweiler an der Rodalb in PS

Münchweiler an der Rodalb is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and belongs to the municipal association of Rodalben. The primary industry of the village was that of a shoe manufacturer. It lies on Strasse B-10 between Karlsruhe and Pirmasens. The first mention of Münchweiler an der Rodalben was in 1179. The village was founded by monks and relied on its religion as its focal point. Because of its poor soil quality, the area has never been able to rely on agriculture. There is some industry from logging and crafts, After the construction of the railway line between Zweibrücken and Landau in the late 1800s, the area's financial hardship lessened. The area though has little industry other than the one shoe factory to rely on. There is a nearby train tunnel that was rumored to have been used to hide artillery during the war and in the forest can be seen the remnants of an old Roman era road. With the withdrawal of the military from Münchweiler, it has had a profound effect on the town with the closure of many businesses and a decrease in real estate values.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Münchweiler an der Rodalb (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Münchweiler an der Rodalb
Römerstraße, Rodalben

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 49.21787 ° E 7.70419 °
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Address

Römerstraße

Römerstraße
66981 Rodalben, Riegelbrunnerhof
Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
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Münchweiler an der Rodalb in PS
Münchweiler an der Rodalb in PS
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Clausen, Germany
Clausen, Germany

Clausen is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany. Clausen belongs to the local association community of Rodalben. The US Army's 330th Ordnance Company maintained the then classified stocks of GB and VX nerve gas located at Site 59 in Clausen. 110th Military Police company was in charge of guarding the site with a 42 man guard force. The nerve agents at Site 59 were removed under Operation Steel Box in 1990. These shells were poorly maintained and had numerous leaks from the caustic chemicals that they contained. In addition, the fence line was supposedly sprayed with Agent Orange to deter weeds. A maintenance program in 1979 removed a number of broken shells and replaced the gaskets on those that were still uncompromised. The shells were transported by truck, rail and ship ultimately ending up at Johnston Atoll for incineration at the Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System facility. Site 59 was sold and the bunkers were used to grow mushrooms. The area also had solar panels added for power generation. There is a 2.5 ton truck buried under the circular area used as a heliport - the truck was stolen from Pirmasens' base and used for spare parts during an inspection in 1976. A M151 Jeep in also buried next to the nearby bunker. When the US military began to downsize in the 1990s, the small US Army posts associated with Husterhoeh Kaserne (Pirmasens) were returned to Germany, including ones located at Maßweiler, Munchweiler, Fischbach, and Clausen. This site is currently used as a combination mushroom farm and solar energy site. A large number of former soldiers, who worked at Site 59, report illnesses consistent with nerve gas exposure. The US Veterans Administration has denied all claims for conditions related to exposure to date. These soldiers often have unexplained rashes, anxiety and diabetes. There were multiple maintenance programs to maintain the shells and to dispose of any with severe leaks. The last maintenance program prior to this site closing terminated in 1981. When Operation Steel Box removed the shells in 1990, multiple shells were found to have leaks. Clausen's primary industry is agricultural though it is a short drive to Pirmasens. It is located nearby the recreation area Clausensee and the area has many opportunities for outdoor recreation. The fields east of Clausen contain many concrete tank barriers remaining from WWII.