DEUTSCHLAND	GERMANY
Bundesland: Rheinland-Pfalz	Rhineland-Palatinate
Landkreis: Donnersberg

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Rockenhausen is situated at an elevation of 199 m on the river Alsenz in the North Palatine Uplands in the Donnersberg district, about halfway between Kaiserslautern and Bad Kreuznach. The municipality has a population of about 5,300 (2018).

Rockenhausen received its town charter in 1332. At that time subordinated to the Raugraves, the town belonged to the Electoral Palatinate from 1457. During the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) it was almost completely destroyed as were almost all other villages in the region. After 1792 the region was occupied by French troops in the First Revolutionary War (War of the First Coalition, 1792–1797) and annexed after the peace of Campo Formio (1797). From 1798 to 1814 Rockenhausen belonged to the French département Mont-Tonnère (Donnersberg) and was the capital (chef-lieu) of the canton Rockenhausen. Due to the agreements made at the Congress of Vienna (1815) and an exchange contract with Austria, the region became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1816. From 1818 Rockenhausen was assigned to the Landkommissariat Kirchheim in the Bavarian Rheinkreis, later to the Bezirksamt Kirchheimbolanden. The district Rockenhausen was formed in 1900 out of parts of the districts Kirchheimbolanden and Kaiserslautern. In 1969 the district Rockenhausen was merged with the district Kirchheimbolanden to form today's Donnersberg district. In 1979 the previously independent municipalities of Dörnbach and Marienthal/Pfalz were incorporated into the town.

Rockenhausen manor [left, no. 3781] was originally built as a moated castle that was first mentioned in 1243 as castrum Ruhinberc (Ruhenburg). This castle was destroyed in 1504 and was rebuilt in 1571 as a Renaissance residential castle. Destroyed again during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and in the War of the Palatinate Succession (1688–1697) it was rebuilt as a three-winged manor with adjoining buildings in 1713–1738. After the War of the First Coalition (1792–1797) it was auctioned several times and finally, in 1956, came in possession of the municipality of Rockenhausen. After 2000 it was renovated and since 2013 operates as Schlosshotel Rockenhausen.

[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockenhausen, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockenhausen; https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruhenburg]