At the Congress of Vienna, Rückweiler was granted to Duke Ernest III of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld as part of a large estate of some 8.25 square miles, at first called the "Herrschaft" Baumholder; by a ducal decree of 6 March 1819, the area between Baumholder and Kusel was renamed the Principality of Lichtenberg. In 1834, however, due to political unrest and its great distance from the rest of his Duchy, Duke Ernest sold the Principality to Prussia for an annuity of 80,000 talers.