is a district (''Landkreis'') in
Rhineland-Palatinate ,
Germany . It is bounded by (from the south and clockwise) the districts of
Sankt Wendel (
Saarland ),
Trier-Saarburg ,
Bernkastel-Wittlich ,
Rhein-Hunsrück ,
Bad Kreuznach and
Kusel .
In the past, the east of the river. The principality of Birkenfeld was annexed by
Oldenburg in
1817 ; Lichtenberg became an exclave of
Saxe-Coburg . The latter unit was bought by
Prussia in
1834 and became the District of
Sankt Wendel .
After
World War I the southern half of Sankt Wendel had to be ceded to the newly-created
Saarland territory, and the small part remaining in Prussia was then officially called ''Restkreis Sankt Wendel'' ("remaining district of Sankt Wendel"). In
1937 the Oldenburgian District of Birkenfeld was merged with the remaining Sankt Wendel District to form the new Prussian District of Birkenfeld.
Following
World War II 24 more villages were ceded to the Saarland. It was not before
1970 that the district got its present borders.
The
Nahe River runs through the district from south to north. The portions west of the river are located on the eastern slopes of the
Hunsrück Mountains.
