Hauenstein (Verbandsgemeinde)

The German Shoe Museum (German: Deutsches Schuhmuseum Hauenstein, full name: Museum für Schuhproduktion und Industriegeschichte Hauenstein) is a museum in Hauenstein, Palatinate. Its exhibits cover the development of the local shoe industry. On four stories of an old shoe factory, the museum illustrates both technical aspects of shoe manufacturing and the social and every day history of shoes.The exhibition portrays the beginnings of the shoe industry in the nearby town of Pirmasens dating to around 1800, when discharged soldiers made shoes to earn a living. By the mid-19th century Pirmasens had developed into the most important site of the German shoe industry. This affected the little village of Hauenstein, which at the time consisted mainly of small farmers and forest workers. In 1886 the Seibel brothers founded the first shoe factory in Hauenstein. By 1914, twenty factories had been established, with more than 1,000 employees. Despite the pressures to combine that arose from the French occupation, economic crises, and the war years, the number of factories had grown by 1960 to 35. Thereafter, however, progressive automation and the relocation of production to foreign countries led to a serious structural crisis in the German shoe industry, resulting in numerous businesses being closed. The German Shoe Museum is housed in one of these former production facilities.

Hauenstein is a municipality in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Palatinate forest, approximately 20 km east of Pirmasens, and 20 km west of Landau. Hauenstein is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde ("collective municipality") Hauenstein. It is an important centre for the shoe industry, and is home to the German Shoe Museum (Deutsches Schuhmuseum).

Gillenbach is a river of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Queich at Hauenstein.

Falkenburg Castle is a castle ruin overlooking the village of Wilgartswiesen in the Palatinate Forest in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Like almost all castles in this region it was built on sandstone.

Spirkelbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.

Schwanheim is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.

Lug is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.

Wilgartswiesen is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.

Darstein is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.

Dimbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.

Oberschlettenbach is a municipality in Südliche Weinstraße district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.

The Erlenbach is a stream, over 9 km long, in the South Palatine Wasgau region of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is a left tributary of the Lauter which, here in its upper reaches is still called the Wieslauter.