Blumberg
Encyclopedia
Blumberg is a municipality situated in the Schwarzwald-Baar region of Baden-Württemberg
, Germany
, 19 kilometres south of Donaueschingen
, on the southern edge of the Schwarzwald, The Black Forest
and lying directly on the border with Switzerland’s Canton of Schaffhausen
.
is situated, the former glacial valley between Eichberg and Buchberg, and its official origins date from the 13th Century, with the Masters of Blumberg first mentioned in 1260. However one of the oldest settlements, the Steppacher Hof, was already documented in the 12th century.
Nevertheless the town itself is believed to have originated long before that time, as archaeological discoveries have shown the area was inhabited during the Stone Age.
The Wutach is a 90km long tributary of the River Rhine that changes its name twice as it passes through the southern Black Forest
, and Blumberg was established in the Wutach valley near the ancient Wutachschlucht, the spectacular 'Wutach Gorge' which is now a nature reserve and conservation area known as the Grand-Canyon des Schwarzwaldes.
Blumberg castle was built above the town in the Middle Ages, and this contributed significantly towards the development of the surrounding settlements, and from 1559, while under the rule of the princely Fuerstenberg
family who from 1283 until 2004 also owned a brewery, Blumberg grew enough in importance to be elevated from a Städtle (town) to a 'city'.
During the Thirty Years' War
, 1618 -1648, Blumberg castle was destroyed, however after 1648, and thanks to its Doggererz iron ore reserves, the town did experience a short lived expansion.
The Doggererz mine was reopened and ore extracted once again from 1934 to 1942, the time of Germany’s National Socialism, and the population in what had been until then a predominantly agricultural town increased considerably. By 1945 it had risen from 700 to 7,000.
It was during this period that Doggererz AG also used forced labourers as miners.
In 1945 the town and surrounding region was occupied by French forces, as part of South Baden
, after the previous states of Baden
and Württemberg
had been divided into US and French occupation zones.
The 1950's saw various industrial works established in the district which helped Blumberg's expansion, currently there are approximately 10.800 inhabitants, while the town has also become a thriving tourist area.
At the same time Blumberg has retained its small town sense of community and traditional character, with time honoured seasonal festivities, decorations, customs, street parties and parades such as for Swabian–Alemannic Fastnacht, Carnival, as well as many small specialised local stores. Artisanal bakers with daily supplies of fresh handmade breads, and elaborately made cakes and cookies to be ‘taken away’ or enjoyed on the spot, including a few weeks when multicoloured filled carnival doughnuts are on offer, and master butchers where cold cuts, sausages, terrines, fresh meats, and Silesian specialties from what is now mainly Poland, are produced and supplied by Metzger working from the early hours of the morning.
It is also the starting point for the legendary Sauschwänzlebahr, literally the Pigtail Line, The Wutach Valley Railway. An old fashioned steam locomotive with original carriages, which is run as a railway museum and travels on elevated tracks across the countryside throughout the summer months.
The village of Achdorf is the only one remaining of the settlements that were alongside the river Wutach, which lies within the 30 km length of the scenic Wutachschlucht, the pre-historic Danube Wutachschlucht gorge.
. Born the son of a carpenter on May 28, 1881 in Riedböhringen near Donaueschingen
, he died in Rome on 16. November, 1968. A museum has been created in the house where his birth took place, and this can be visited by appointment.
Today the area has four Roman Catholic parishes which follow the new theology together with two continuing to use the old traditional Catholic theology, as well as a Protestant and a New Apostolic Church.
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, 19 kilometres south of Donaueschingen
Donaueschingen
Donaueschingen is a German town in the Black Forest in the southwest of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg in the Schwarzwald-Baar Kreis. It stands near the confluence of the two sources of the river Danube ....
, on the southern edge of the Schwarzwald, The Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
and lying directly on the border with Switzerland’s Canton of Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen is a city in northern Switzerland and the capital of the canton of the same name; it has an estimated population of 34,587 ....
.
History
The town of Blumberg lies in the region where the ancient source of the DanubeDanube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
is situated, the former glacial valley between Eichberg and Buchberg, and its official origins date from the 13th Century, with the Masters of Blumberg first mentioned in 1260. However one of the oldest settlements, the Steppacher Hof, was already documented in the 12th century.
Nevertheless the town itself is believed to have originated long before that time, as archaeological discoveries have shown the area was inhabited during the Stone Age.
The Wutach is a 90km long tributary of the River Rhine that changes its name twice as it passes through the southern Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
, and Blumberg was established in the Wutach valley near the ancient Wutachschlucht, the spectacular 'Wutach Gorge' which is now a nature reserve and conservation area known as the Grand-Canyon des Schwarzwaldes.
Blumberg castle was built above the town in the Middle Ages, and this contributed significantly towards the development of the surrounding settlements, and from 1559, while under the rule of the princely Fuerstenberg
Fürstenberg (princely family)
Fürstenberg is the name of a noble house in Germany, based primarily in southern Baden-Württemberg. The family derives its name from the fortified town of the line's founder, Count Heinrich von Fürstenberg, today part of Hüfingen...
family who from 1283 until 2004 also owned a brewery, Blumberg grew enough in importance to be elevated from a Städtle (town) to a 'city'.
During the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, 1618 -1648, Blumberg castle was destroyed, however after 1648, and thanks to its Doggererz iron ore reserves, the town did experience a short lived expansion.
The Doggererz mine was reopened and ore extracted once again from 1934 to 1942, the time of Germany’s National Socialism, and the population in what had been until then a predominantly agricultural town increased considerably. By 1945 it had risen from 700 to 7,000.
It was during this period that Doggererz AG also used forced labourers as miners.
In 1945 the town and surrounding region was occupied by French forces, as part of South Baden
South Baden
South Baden , formed in December 1945 from the southern half of the former Republic of Baden, was a subdivision of the French occupation zone of post-WWII Germany. The state was later renamed to Baden and became a founding state of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949...
, after the previous states of Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
and Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
had been divided into US and French occupation zones.
The 1950's saw various industrial works established in the district which helped Blumberg's expansion, currently there are approximately 10.800 inhabitants, while the town has also become a thriving tourist area.
At the same time Blumberg has retained its small town sense of community and traditional character, with time honoured seasonal festivities, decorations, customs, street parties and parades such as for Swabian–Alemannic Fastnacht, Carnival, as well as many small specialised local stores. Artisanal bakers with daily supplies of fresh handmade breads, and elaborately made cakes and cookies to be ‘taken away’ or enjoyed on the spot, including a few weeks when multicoloured filled carnival doughnuts are on offer, and master butchers where cold cuts, sausages, terrines, fresh meats, and Silesian specialties from what is now mainly Poland, are produced and supplied by Metzger working from the early hours of the morning.
Tourism
Blumberg is set in the centre of one of the most scenically beautiful areas of Germany, offering everything from castles, nature parks, forests, lakes and mountains, to skiing, sailing, spas and tourist routes. While it is close to cities filled with history, culture and endless shopping possibilites, and just minutes away from Switzerland.It is also the starting point for the legendary Sauschwänzlebahr, literally the Pigtail Line, The Wutach Valley Railway. An old fashioned steam locomotive with original carriages, which is run as a railway museum and travels on elevated tracks across the countryside throughout the summer months.
Districts
The municipality of Blumberg is made up of the districts of Blumberg Achdorf, Blumberg, Epfenhofen, Fützen, Hondingen, Kommingen, Nordhalden, Riedböhringen and Riedöschingen. With the exception of Blumberg itself, each of these has its own district council, as is the custom in Baden-Württemberg.The village of Achdorf is the only one remaining of the settlements that were alongside the river Wutach, which lies within the 30 km length of the scenic Wutachschlucht, the pre-historic Danube Wutachschlucht gorge.
Religion
Even after the Reformation the Blumberg region remained predominantly Roman Catholic, and produced a Cardinal, Curial Cardinal Augustin BeaAugustin Bea
Augustin Bea, SJ was a German scholar at the Gregorian University specializing in biblical studies and biblical archeology. He was confessor of Pope Pius XII. In 1959, Pope John XXIII made him cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first President of the Secretariat for Promoting...
. Born the son of a carpenter on May 28, 1881 in Riedböhringen near Donaueschingen
Donaueschingen
Donaueschingen is a German town in the Black Forest in the southwest of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg in the Schwarzwald-Baar Kreis. It stands near the confluence of the two sources of the river Danube ....
, he died in Rome on 16. November, 1968. A museum has been created in the house where his birth took place, and this can be visited by appointment.
Today the area has four Roman Catholic parishes which follow the new theology together with two continuing to use the old traditional Catholic theology, as well as a Protestant and a New Apostolic Church.
External links
- Blumberg Tourist Office (English)