Esthal

Esthal is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.GeographyLocationThe municipality lies on a plateau in the Palatinate Forest. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Lambrecht, whose seat is in the like-named town.Constituent communitiesEsthal’s Ortsteile, or Annexen, as they are known, are Esthal, Breitenstein, Erfenstein and Sattelmühle.HistoryIn 1380, Esthal had its first documentary mention as Estall. It was held until 1794 by the Lords of Erfenstein, whose seat was at the nearby castle.ReligionIn 2007, 71% of the inhabitants were Catholic and 17% Evangelical. The rest practised other faiths or none.PoliticsMunicipal councilThe council is made up of 16 council members, who were elected at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.The municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results:Coat of armsThe German blazon reads: Unter silbernem Schildhaupt in Schwarz ein schwebendes kugelbesetztes goldenes Tatzenkreuz.The municipality’s arms might in English heraldic language be described thus: Under a chief argent sable a cross pattée couped, the lower arm longer than the others, and in each end a roundle Or.