Originally, the village's main economic focus was on agriculture, and indeed, there are still today a number of big agricultural operations here. In 1738 coal prospecting near the village was first mentioned. For thirty years, the mine was owned by either private citizens or a mining union, until in 1788 it was bought up by the Duke of Palatinate-Zweibrücken. In 1786, the Breitenbach coalfields already boasted six collieries. The coal was marketed in the "Oberamt" of Lichtenberg, where several other places were also drawn to the work. The ducal mine, though, was hardly profitable, particularly because of competition from the coalmines near Altenkirchen.