Bottenbach and Weselberg: Triumph in the Future” village competition!

Bottenbach and Weselberg: Triumph in the Future” village competition!

In an exciting competition, the villages of Bottenbach and Weselberg made the coveted leap into the state finals of the “Our Village has a Future” competition. The Neustadt Supervision and Services Directorate announced this on Monday. Bottenbach achieved a proud second place, while Weselberg took fourth place. With this performance, the anticipation of the state finals, which will take place at the end of September, is getting closer and closer. Rheinpfalz reports on the joy in both communities about the excellent result of the regional decision.

Strong together: Bottenbach and Weselberg

The proud mayor of Bottenbach, Klaus Weber, was satisfied with the placement and announced that changes are planned for the presentation in the state finals. The planned Lambachtal nature discovery trail, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of September, plays a central role here. The path will provide digital information and multimedia elements. Weselberg's local leader, Michael Schmitt, also said he was overwhelmed by the qualification and the associated recognition of the commitment of his community members.

A look at the rating: The regional commission particularly recognized the impressive sense of community in both places. Bottenbach was recognized for its sense of community, commitment and sustainable development, while Weselberg was recognized for its strong village community, which is based on five pillars: clubs, seniors, affordable housing, children and transparent politics. Both villages were able to impressively demonstrate their strengths in the competition.

A great commitment

District Administrator Susanne Ganster did not miss the opportunity to congratulate both communities and recognize the outstanding work of the volunteers. Other communities, such as Bobenthal, Eppenbrunn and Kleinsteinhausen, were also recognized as part of the regional decision and show that they are also actively concerned with improving their village quality of life.

The competition itself has a long tradition: “Our Village has a Future” is organized by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and aims to honor civic engagement and make positive developments in rural regions visible. Since its inception in 1961, the competition has motivated many villages to get involved in social, cultural, economic and environmental issues.

The path to the federal decision leads through the state finals, and the participating villages hope to present themselves strongly there too. Last year, over 120 municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate took part in the district decisions, and the next district decision is already being planned for 2027. This will once again create space for civic engagement in the villages.