Elztal
Encyclopedia
Elztal is a municipality in the Neckar-Odenwald district
, in Baden-Württemberg
, Germany. It is named after the valley of the river Elz
.
The municipality Elztal is located in the southern part of the Odenwald
, close to Mosbach
at the B
27, B
292 and L
615. The next district cities are Heilbronn
in the South and Heidelberg
in the North. The local river Elz
or sometimes called Elzbach is flowing through Rittersbach, Dallau and Neckarburken and ends at Neckarelz
into the Neckar
river. The highest point of Elztal is located in Dallau at the Urnberg. At the moment there's a part of a former NATO base (Nike-Stellung D 1/67; later: A 3/71); today a cattle farm (Cattle-Horse-Ranch). The former living complex in the valley was demolished in 2007.
Auerbach district (Au) => Auerbach bei Mosbach, Dännigsiedlung
Dallau district (Dal) => Dallau, Mariental
Muckental district (Muc) => Muckental, Gehöft Rineck
Neckarburken district (Nbu) => Neckarburken
Rittersbach district (Ri) => Rittersbach, Heidersbacher Mühle, Zinken-Hütte
In all five districts are local governments in the sense of the Baden-Württemberg
s municipality order (Gemeindeordnung), each with its own town council (Ortschaftsrat) and mayor (Ortsvorsteher) as its chairman.
From 1788 to 1850 there was an older village between Dallau and Muckental with the name Rineck. Today the only certificate and remaining of this time is the Rineck far. Since 1850 the Rineck farm is known for its strawberry plantation.
with blue wings. In his right hand he raises a golden sword and in his lefts he holds a Libra to illustrate the balance of good and evil. Bottom right, there's an oval escutcheon/shield with the Teutonic Cross on a white background on the right side. On the left side there's the Palatinate
-Wittelsbach rhombus
flag of the Free State of Bavaria
(Freistaat Bayern). Saint Michael was the former patron of the former catholic Monastery
on the Urnberg in Dallau.
The Auerbach crest symbolizes the former status of Auerbach as wine region. Muckental and Neckarburken's crest are symbolizing only their toponyms. The Rittersbach's crest shows their patron Saint George
(hl. Georg) in a battle with a dragon
.
through the Elz Village. The Limes was strengthened from the Romans with a fort (today known as: Fort of Neckarburken). The Germanic settlers in Elztal were shocked from this changes and relied into the security of the forests and woods of their home area. In addition, the Romans strengthened their fort with nearby inns (Villa rustica
) and a separated Vicus
(camp village) for its military troops.
The Romans in the Elztal were eliminated in 260 AD by the Alemannic German
s. In 497 AD, the Franken
conquered the territorium and founded the villages Aue amnis (Auerbach), Dallau, Neckar Castellum (Neckarburken) and Miles Militis Flumen (Rittersbach). On the occasion of foundations of Frankish noblemans to the monastery Lorsch are the first written references of the four settlements in the Franconian Lorsch Codex
(Lorscher Codex). In this Codex, the villages are named:
Dallau (772 AD) => Dalaheim (Talheim)
Neckarburken (774 AD) => Borocheim (Burgheim)
Rittersbach (783 AD) => Rodinsburon (Ruodis Bure)
Auerbach (791 AD) => Urbach
In the 9th century AD, the villages has connections to the catholic Cyriak Monastery (Cyriaksstift) in Worms-Neuhausen
and the Diocese of Worms which enlarged it influence after a gift of Emperor Otto II
. So the Diocese of Worms possessed the Mosbach Abbey
with possession in 23 cities and villages.
s. In the extermination campaign 1356 AD of the Mainz
er Archbishop Gerlach von Nassau
against Albrecht Schenk von Limpurg in Lohrbach
was the water castle
(Wasserschloß) of Dallau in order of Karl IV
conquered. In this campaign Dallau was devastated and its settlers and peoples murdered by the order from Karl IV
. Gerlach von Nassau
got the rights to reestablishment of a new city on the Dallau territory. But he never realized this right. After the Death of Gerlach in 1371 AD, the Herr von Heinriets owned now the Possessions of the Elztal villages again. These were sold to Cunz Münch von Rosenberg in 1380 AD. During this sale was Muckental in its first time mentioned. In the 14th and early 15th century was the Elztal owned by Herren von Weinsberg, Herren von Hirschhorn and Albrecht Schenk von Limpurg.
The Rineck Farm between Dallau and Muckental got 1726 AD a bad reputation and was now known as an infertile farm territory. In the Lohrbach it got nicknames like Wild Plants (lauther Wildnus), Bad Odenwald
Field (schlecht Odenwäldisch Feld) and Desert Territory (Wüsteney). The farm included an area of 200 Morgen
for sheep grazing.
The Royal Palatinate hereditary
of Mannheim
prompted the reclamation of the barren land of the Rineck Farm. Fifty years later, the territory of the farm was issued to settle. The settlers received some own land and had to submit their natural produces and yields to the Lohrbach basement office. The old farm was now renamed in Altrineck. New nicknames were Althof and Rühlingerhof. The settlement of Rineck was 1784 AD renamed into Neurineck. The settlers of this new settlement consisted of tinkers
, Broom binders, basket makers
, itinerant entertainers, musicians and mole catchers. A lot of them were deported from their former municipalities; they were known as Rielinger. The first mayor of the municipality was Franz Holzschuh (29 August 1788).
(Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation). In this way the Elz Valley villages were 1803 AD incorporated into the Principality of Leiningen. In 1806 the Principality dissolved and was now a part of Baden
.
1803 confirmed the former reputation from the Rineck Farm. Infertile soil and negligent field orders caused a famine
. Begging, thefts, poaching and armed raids were now on the agenda and shifted the whole area into fear and turmoil. All surrounding villages complained of the many robberies and thefts at the courts. But nothing was done. Until 1838, the first complaint of the Mosbach
supreme court
reached the Baden District Government. In this, the settlers of the municipality New Rineck were accused of being thieves, crooks, arsonists and vagabonds because they refused to work. From the people there were already claims to urge the settlers of New Rineck to emigrate to the USA. After lengthy negotiations with the surrounding municipalities this demand was realized. The first transport with 168 involuntary emigrants left New Rineck on 3 October 1849. The second Group left New Rineck on 11 May 1850 with 200 emigrants and the third Group left the municipality on 13 May 1850 with a group of 235 emigrants. On 2 December 1850, the municipality New Rineck dissolved. Ferdinand Scipio acquired the land in 1856 and created a farm with an area of 500 Morgen
. Currently is the Rineck Grange owned by the Baron of Gemmingen-Hornberg.
The road (today's B
27) through the Elz Valley were expanded in 1847 AD to improve the local market conditions. Another important project was the Railway Mosbach
-Neckarelz
to Osterburken
which is today very frequented by students, travelers and not mobile persons.
But there were no big changes after the realizing the projects. So the villages was remained agriculturally.
and the water castle
testify to the shocking happening of an inevitable war.
The first structural changes occurred during the last three war years and in the immediate postwar period of the transitional government. by the inclusion of refugees from the destroyed cities, the population of the villages rose. In the post-war years settled again a number of displaced from the eastern territories in the Elz Valley villages. New development zones and industrial estates have now been expelled and contributed to structural change.
It needed a long time to recover from the impacts of the recent World War. Every village of today's Elztal was a self-governed municipality within the Mosbach district of the North Baden county (Nordbaden).
The first sports facilities were built in the late 1960s:
1967: Sportzentrum Dallau (sports center)
1968: Elzbergstadion and Elzberghalle (Elzberg stadium and Elzberg gym)
As part of the district reform on 1 January 1973, Auerbach, Dallau, Muckental and Neckarburken founded the new municipality Elztal with Dallau as district office.
(Hauptschule) of Elztal is in Dallau behind the official municipality town hall (Rathaus
). The secondary school in the Elztal (Hauptschule mit Werkrealschule
; translated: secondary school with modern secondary handicraft workshop) is coupled with a handicraft workshop to learn the practical part in manual work (compulsory), technology (compulsory; election in the last year because compulsory), art (compulsory), home economics (election in the last year) and cooking (compulsory; election in the last year because compulsory). This is incidentally not a standard on German secondary schools.
Within the municipality are three evangelical
and two Catholic nursery schools called Kindergarten
.
Strauss Erika Einzelhandel (toy store)
Finkenrath (former firm; famous as a tax fraudster)
Glaserei Kaufmann (Glazier Kaufmann)
Spitzer Silo-Fahrzeugwerke GmbH (Europeans largest silo vehicles manufacturer)
of Dallau was bought up by the municipality Elztal in 1974 AD. It is the only remnant of a former and much larger water castle. The water castle was built in the earlier 12th century AD from knights
of the Teutonic Order. Particularly striking are the circular tower and the palace room with a medieval staircase gable. The both fountains near the water castle are build in the 16th century AD from farmers.
At Christmas time, it is possible to go inside the water castle for the annual flu issue of the municipality.
and the Catholic church are side by side. The churches are surrounded by other historical buildings as for example the catholic parish office and the Protestant schoolhouse.
The Protestant church was built in 1750 AD and expanded 1857 AD.
The Catholic Church St. Maria
Immaculate was consecrated on 9 May 1737. In 1985, the transverse building was complemented and the old choir renewed. Because the historic stained glass window in the old building had no Marie reference, the new parts were built with a baroque statue of Marie and other Marie symbols. The re-consecration of the church was held on 10 May 1987.
In Neckarburken are forming the local church (built 1775) with its church tower (built 1811) and the surrounded half-timbered houses
a beautiful a historic ensemble. Opposite is the former rectory
which was built in 1818. In addition, you will find one of the very rare historical bread-back positions (from 1809) and a historic lime kiln, which was restored in 2006.
In Auerbach are a Protestant church which was renewed 1789, a Catholic church and several historic half-timbered buildings. These include the historic Gasthaus Lamm, the old railway station (today a S-Bahn station) and the old schoolhouse.
In 1886 the new George
Church designed by Ludwig Maier replaced the former one. The predecessor was built in the 14th century AD and was made of wood. The newer one is in the New Romanized Style from Ludwig Maier consists mainly of sandstones from the surrounding mountains. In the case of a renovation 1969/1970 AD inside the church were simplified the fresco
es simplified. Another renovation held in 2002.
On the Hill of Urns there was a great monastery in medieval times. Certificates for this are easy to find. So there are a lot of remains in the Große Kappel and in the Kleine Kappel. More of the wall remains are inside the Nature Reserve
between the Urnbergstraße and the underlying track.
On the circuit there are a lot of branchings and inconspicuous forest paths. The first peculiarity on the circuit is a hidden Tulip tree
on the right side of the way. A few hundred meters along is a three-compartment crossing on the left side. The first way is only a path and leads to the oldest tree of the municipality. The second leads to an old and small chapel which is on a brook and a little bridge over it. On the other side one has the choice to go inside the Mariental on the left or the rest of the circuit on the right. From the main road you will reach a Y-crossing. So you have the choice to go to the right or to the left, but as it is circular you can go either way.
One can then walk through Mariental. There are a lot of rare grasses, plants and bird species. In this valley can be seen the power of a volcano
. You'll find a lot of big hurled magma
lumps coming from the Katzenbuckel
.
Other popular routes for walking are the hiking:
For biking there is the old Roman road between the Elz Valley and the Schefflenz Valley recommended. One can start in Mosbach
and end in Walldürn
. Those preferring valley routes can use the signposted standard route from Mosbach
through the Elz Valley up to Walldürn
or Osterburken
.
Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis
Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis is a district in the north of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Main-Tauber-Kreis, Hohenlohe, Heilbronn, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Odenwaldkreis Hesse and Landkreis Miltenberg Bavaria...
, in Baden-Württemberg
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. It is named after the valley of the river Elz
Elz (Neckar)
The Elz is a small river in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, a right tributary of the Neckar. It rises in the Odenwald. The Elz flows through Mudau, Limbach and Mosbach before reaching the Neckar in Neckarelz, a borough of Mosbach. Its length is 34 kilometres....
.
Geography
Odenwald
The Odenwald is a low mountain range in Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany.- Location :The Odenwald lies between the Upper Rhine Rift Valley with the Bergstraße and the Hessisches Ried in the west, the Main and the Bauland in the east, the Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin – a subbasin of...
, close to Mosbach
Mosbach
Mosbach is the capital of the Neckar-Odenwald district in the north of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about 58 km east of Heidelberg. Its geographical position is 49.21'N 9.9'E....
at the B
Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
27, B
Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
292 and L
Landstraße
Landstraße is the 3rd municipal District of Vienna, Austria] . It is near the center of Vienna and was established in the 19th century. Landstraße is a heavily populated urban area with many workers and residential homes. It has inhabitants in an area of 7.42 km². It has existed since...
615. The next district cities are Heilbronn
Heilbronn
Heilbronn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is completely surrounded by Heilbronn County and with approximately 123.000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state....
in the South and Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
in the North. The local river Elz
Elz (Neckar)
The Elz is a small river in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, a right tributary of the Neckar. It rises in the Odenwald. The Elz flows through Mudau, Limbach and Mosbach before reaching the Neckar in Neckarelz, a borough of Mosbach. Its length is 34 kilometres....
or sometimes called Elzbach is flowing through Rittersbach, Dallau and Neckarburken and ends at Neckarelz
Neckarelz
-Geography:Neckarelz is in northern Baden-Württemberg, between the Odenwald and Kraichgau, at the confluence of the Neckar and Elz rivers. On the other side of the Neckar, are the towns of Hochhausen and Obrigheim. Next to Neckarelz, is the suburb of Diedesheim....
into the Neckar
Neckar
The Neckar is a long river, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, but also a short section through Hesse, in Germany. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the River Rhine...
river. The highest point of Elztal is located in Dallau at the Urnberg. At the moment there's a part of a former NATO base (Nike-Stellung D 1/67; later: A 3/71); today a cattle farm (Cattle-Horse-Ranch). The former living complex in the valley was demolished in 2007.
Municipality structure
The municipality contains the five districts of Auerbach, Dallau, Muckental, Neckarburken and Ritterbach. The combined population amounted to 6100.Auerbach district (Au) => Auerbach bei Mosbach, Dännigsiedlung
Dallau district (Dal) => Dallau, Mariental
Muckental district (Muc) => Muckental, Gehöft Rineck
Neckarburken district (Nbu) => Neckarburken
Rittersbach district (Ri) => Rittersbach, Heidersbacher Mühle, Zinken-Hütte
In all five districts are local governments in the sense of the Baden-Württemberg
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...
s municipality order (Gemeindeordnung), each with its own town council (Ortschaftsrat) and mayor (Ortsvorsteher) as its chairman.
From 1788 to 1850 there was an older village between Dallau and Muckental with the name Rineck. Today the only certificate and remaining of this time is the Rineck far. Since 1850 the Rineck farm is known for its strawberry plantation.
Coats of arms
The crest of Dallau and the municipality of Elztal contains on a white or silver background Saint MichaelMichael (archangel)
Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
with blue wings. In his right hand he raises a golden sword and in his lefts he holds a Libra to illustrate the balance of good and evil. Bottom right, there's an oval escutcheon/shield with the Teutonic Cross on a white background on the right side. On the left side there's the Palatinate
Palatinate-Mosbach
Palatinate-Mosbach was a state of the Holy Roman Empire based around Mosbach and Eberbach in the north of modern Baden-Württemberg, Germany.Palatinate-Mosbach was created in 1410 out of the partition of the Palatinate after the death of King Rupert III for his son Otto...
-Wittelsbach rhombus
Rhombus
In Euclidean geometry, a rhombus or rhomb is a convex quadrilateral whose four sides all have the same length. The rhombus is often called a diamond, after the diamonds suit in playing cards, or a lozenge, though the latter sometimes refers specifically to a rhombus with a 45° angle.Every...
flag of the Free State of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
(Freistaat Bayern). Saint Michael was the former patron of the former catholic Monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
on the Urnberg in Dallau.
The Auerbach crest symbolizes the former status of Auerbach as wine region. Muckental and Neckarburken's crest are symbolizing only their toponyms. The Rittersbach's crest shows their patron Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
(hl. Georg) in a battle with a dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
.
Colonization
The current area of the Elztal was populated by Germanic peoples in its prehistoric time. Today there are 14 burial mounds which witnesses it. The emergence of this burial mounds are dated on the middle of the 1st Millennium BC. At the time of the Romans ran the LimesLimes
A limes was a border defense or delimiting system of Ancient Rome. It marked the boundaries of the Roman Empire.The Latin noun limes had a number of different meanings: a path or balk delimiting fields, a boundary line or marker, any road or path, any channel, such as a stream channel, or any...
through the Elz Village. The Limes was strengthened from the Romans with a fort (today known as: Fort of Neckarburken). The Germanic settlers in Elztal were shocked from this changes and relied into the security of the forests and woods of their home area. In addition, the Romans strengthened their fort with nearby inns (Villa rustica
Villa rustica
Villa rustica was the term used by the ancient Romans to denote a villa set in the open countryside, often as the hub of a large agricultural estate . The adjective rusticum was used to distinguish it from an urban or resort villa...
) and a separated Vicus
Vicus (Rome)
In ancient Rome, the vicus was a neighborhood. During the Republican era, the four regiones of the city of Rome were subdivided into vici. In the 1st century BC, Augustus reorganized the city for administrative purposes into 14 regions, comprising 265 vici. Each vicus had its own board of...
(camp village) for its military troops.
The Romans in the Elztal were eliminated in 260 AD by the Alemannic German
Alemannic German
Alemannic is a group of dialects of the Upper German branch of the Germanic language family. It is spoken by approximately ten million people in six countries: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, France and Italy...
s. In 497 AD, the Franken
Franken
Franken may refer to:*Franks, medieval Germanic tribes*Franconia, a region in Bavaria, Germany*Franconia , one of the 13 wine regions of Germany*Franken, Haut-Rhin, a commune of the Haut-Rhin département of France*Franc, a currency unit...
conquered the territorium and founded the villages Aue amnis (Auerbach), Dallau, Neckar Castellum (Neckarburken) and Miles Militis Flumen (Rittersbach). On the occasion of foundations of Frankish noblemans to the monastery Lorsch are the first written references of the four settlements in the Franconian Lorsch Codex
Lorsch codex
The Lorsch Codex is an important historical document created between about 1175 to 1195 AD in the Monastery of Saint Nazarius in Lorsch, Germany. It consists of 460 pages in large format containing more than 3800 entries...
(Lorscher Codex). In this Codex, the villages are named:
Dallau (772 AD) => Dalaheim (Talheim)
Neckarburken (774 AD) => Borocheim (Burgheim)
Rittersbach (783 AD) => Rodinsburon (Ruodis Bure)
Auerbach (791 AD) => Urbach
In the 9th century AD, the villages has connections to the catholic Cyriak Monastery (Cyriaksstift) in Worms-Neuhausen
Worms, Germany
Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts, who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over the title of "Oldest City in Germany." Worms is the only...
and the Diocese of Worms which enlarged it influence after a gift of Emperor Otto II
Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto II , called the Red, was the third ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty, the son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy.-Early years and co-ruler with Otto I:...
. So the Diocese of Worms possessed the Mosbach Abbey
Mosbach Abbey
Mosbach Abbey was a Benedictine monastery, later a monastery of Augustinian Canons, in the town of Mosbach in the Odenwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.-Mosbach Abbey:...
with possession in 23 cities and villages.
Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages divided the society in different classes. In these time ascents some of the Elztal peoples into the 1st society class. One of them was Herr von Heinriet (1336 AD) who owned the Festivals of Dallau and a lot of land. After any years the Herr von Heinriet impoverished and developed to robber baronRobber baron
A robber baron or robber knight was an unscrupulous and despotic nobility of the medieval period in Europe, for example, Berlichingen. It has slightly different meanings in different countries. In modern US parlance, the term is also used to describe unscrupulous industrialists...
s. In the extermination campaign 1356 AD of the Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
er Archbishop Gerlach von Nassau
Gerlach I of Nassau-Wiesbaden
Gerlach I of Nassau , Count of Nassau in Wiesbaden, Idstein, Weilburg, and Weilnau.-Life:He was a son of Emperor Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg and Imagina of Isenburg-Limburg. In 1344 he abdicated.-Family and children:...
against Albrecht Schenk von Limpurg in Lohrbach
Mosbach
Mosbach is the capital of the Neckar-Odenwald district in the north of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about 58 km east of Heidelberg. Its geographical position is 49.21'N 9.9'E....
was the water castle
Water castle
A water castle is a castle or stately home whose site is entirely surrounded by moats or natural waterbodies. Topographically water castles are a type of lowland castle.There is a further distinction between:...
(Wasserschloß) of Dallau in order of Karl IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
conquered. In this campaign Dallau was devastated and its settlers and peoples murdered by the order from Karl IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
. Gerlach von Nassau
Gerlach I of Nassau-Wiesbaden
Gerlach I of Nassau , Count of Nassau in Wiesbaden, Idstein, Weilburg, and Weilnau.-Life:He was a son of Emperor Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg and Imagina of Isenburg-Limburg. In 1344 he abdicated.-Family and children:...
got the rights to reestablishment of a new city on the Dallau territory. But he never realized this right. After the Death of Gerlach in 1371 AD, the Herr von Heinriets owned now the Possessions of the Elztal villages again. These were sold to Cunz Münch von Rosenberg in 1380 AD. During this sale was Muckental in its first time mentioned. In the 14th and early 15th century was the Elztal owned by Herren von Weinsberg, Herren von Hirschhorn and Albrecht Schenk von Limpurg.
The Rineck Farm between Dallau and Muckental got 1726 AD a bad reputation and was now known as an infertile farm territory. In the Lohrbach it got nicknames like Wild Plants (lauther Wildnus), Bad Odenwald
Odenwald
The Odenwald is a low mountain range in Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany.- Location :The Odenwald lies between the Upper Rhine Rift Valley with the Bergstraße and the Hessisches Ried in the west, the Main and the Bauland in the east, the Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin – a subbasin of...
Field (schlecht Odenwäldisch Feld) and Desert Territory (Wüsteney). The farm included an area of 200 Morgen
Morgen
A morgen was a unit of measurement of land in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the Dutch colonies, including South Africa and Taiwan. The size of a morgen varies from 1/2 to 2½ acres, which equals approximately 0.2 to 1 ha...
for sheep grazing.
The Royal Palatinate hereditary
Heredity
Heredity is the passing of traits to offspring . This is the process by which an offspring cell or organism acquires or becomes predisposed to the characteristics of its parent cell or organism. Through heredity, variations exhibited by individuals can accumulate and cause some species to evolve...
of Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
prompted the reclamation of the barren land of the Rineck Farm. Fifty years later, the territory of the farm was issued to settle. The settlers received some own land and had to submit their natural produces and yields to the Lohrbach basement office. The old farm was now renamed in Altrineck. New nicknames were Althof and Rühlingerhof. The settlement of Rineck was 1784 AD renamed into Neurineck. The settlers of this new settlement consisted of tinkers
Tinsmith
A tinsmith, or tinner or tinker or tinplate worker, is a person who makes and repairs things made of light-coloured metal, particularly tinware...
, Broom binders, basket makers
Basket
A basket is a container which is traditionally constructed from stiff fibres, which can be made from a range of materials, including wood splints, runners, and cane. While most baskets are made from plant materials, other materials such as horsehair, baleen, or metal wire can be used. Baskets are...
, itinerant entertainers, musicians and mole catchers. A lot of them were deported from their former municipalities; they were known as Rielinger. The first mayor of the municipality was Franz Holzschuh (29 August 1788).
Leiningen and Baden
Through contributions and accommodation in the time of the French Wars and the losing of the left-side-territories of the Rhine, the Elz Valley villages are hard burdened. So the nobles led a political realignment for southwestern territories within the Holy Roman EmpireHoly Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
(Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation). In this way the Elz Valley villages were 1803 AD incorporated into the Principality of Leiningen. In 1806 the Principality dissolved and was now a part of Baden
Grand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden was a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918.-History:...
.
1803 confirmed the former reputation from the Rineck Farm. Infertile soil and negligent field orders caused a famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
. Begging, thefts, poaching and armed raids were now on the agenda and shifted the whole area into fear and turmoil. All surrounding villages complained of the many robberies and thefts at the courts. But nothing was done. Until 1838, the first complaint of the Mosbach
Mosbach
Mosbach is the capital of the Neckar-Odenwald district in the north of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about 58 km east of Heidelberg. Its geographical position is 49.21'N 9.9'E....
supreme court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
reached the Baden District Government. In this, the settlers of the municipality New Rineck were accused of being thieves, crooks, arsonists and vagabonds because they refused to work. From the people there were already claims to urge the settlers of New Rineck to emigrate to the USA. After lengthy negotiations with the surrounding municipalities this demand was realized. The first transport with 168 involuntary emigrants left New Rineck on 3 October 1849. The second Group left New Rineck on 11 May 1850 with 200 emigrants and the third Group left the municipality on 13 May 1850 with a group of 235 emigrants. On 2 December 1850, the municipality New Rineck dissolved. Ferdinand Scipio acquired the land in 1856 and created a farm with an area of 500 Morgen
Morgen
A morgen was a unit of measurement of land in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the Dutch colonies, including South Africa and Taiwan. The size of a morgen varies from 1/2 to 2½ acres, which equals approximately 0.2 to 1 ha...
. Currently is the Rineck Grange owned by the Baron of Gemmingen-Hornberg.
The road (today's B
Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
27) through the Elz Valley were expanded in 1847 AD to improve the local market conditions. Another important project was the Railway Mosbach
Mosbach
Mosbach is the capital of the Neckar-Odenwald district in the north of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about 58 km east of Heidelberg. Its geographical position is 49.21'N 9.9'E....
-Neckarelz
Neckarelz
-Geography:Neckarelz is in northern Baden-Württemberg, between the Odenwald and Kraichgau, at the confluence of the Neckar and Elz rivers. On the other side of the Neckar, are the towns of Hochhausen and Obrigheim. Next to Neckarelz, is the suburb of Diedesheim....
to Osterburken
Osterburken
Osterburken is a town in the Neckar-Odenwald district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 28 km southwest of Tauberbischofsheim, 50 km northeast of Heilbronn, 90 km east of Heidelberg, 60 km southwest of Würzburg and 30 km east of Mosbach...
which is today very frequented by students, travelers and not mobile persons.
But there were no big changes after the realizing the projects. So the villages was remained agriculturally.
World Wars and post-war years
Within the time of World War I, there were no changes and no happenings within the Elz Valley villages. The Second World War caused a lot of suffering and deaths in most of the settled families. A tombstone in the center of Dallau near to VolksbankVolksbank
Volksbank was founded in 1850 and is a retail bank in Central Europe based in Vienna, Austria. It currently operates in Austria, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.There are also 1,156 independent local...
and the water castle
Water castle
A water castle is a castle or stately home whose site is entirely surrounded by moats or natural waterbodies. Topographically water castles are a type of lowland castle.There is a further distinction between:...
testify to the shocking happening of an inevitable war.
The first structural changes occurred during the last three war years and in the immediate postwar period of the transitional government. by the inclusion of refugees from the destroyed cities, the population of the villages rose. In the post-war years settled again a number of displaced from the eastern territories in the Elz Valley villages. New development zones and industrial estates have now been expelled and contributed to structural change.
It needed a long time to recover from the impacts of the recent World War. Every village of today's Elztal was a self-governed municipality within the Mosbach district of the North Baden county (Nordbaden).
The first sports facilities were built in the late 1960s:
1967: Sportzentrum Dallau (sports center)
1968: Elzbergstadion and Elzberghalle (Elzberg stadium and Elzberg gym)
As part of the district reform on 1 January 1973, Auerbach, Dallau, Muckental and Neckarburken founded the new municipality Elztal with Dallau as district office.
Educational facilities
Auerbach, Rittersbach, Neckarburken and Dallau have their own primary schools called Grundschule. The secondary schoolHauptschule
A Hauptschule is a secondary school in Germany and Austria, starting after 4 years of elementary schooling, which offers Lower Secondary Education according to the International Standard Classification of Education...
(Hauptschule) of Elztal is in Dallau behind the official municipality town hall (Rathaus
Rathaus
Rathaus is a German word literally translating as “council house”, meaning “city hall” or “town hall”. Many specific buildings are referred to as Rathaus even when spoken about in English.Some important Rathäuser are:* Rathaus Schöneberg...
). The secondary school in the Elztal (Hauptschule mit Werkrealschule
Werkrealschule
Werkrealschule is a relatively young branch of German secondary education , which offers pupils additional lessons in grades 8 and 9 and allows them to qualify after ten years with a final exam which is equal to graduation from Realschule....
; translated: secondary school with modern secondary handicraft workshop) is coupled with a handicraft workshop to learn the practical part in manual work (compulsory), technology (compulsory; election in the last year because compulsory), art (compulsory), home economics (election in the last year) and cooking (compulsory; election in the last year because compulsory). This is incidentally not a standard on German secondary schools.
Within the municipality are three evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
and two Catholic nursery schools called Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
.
Auerbach bei Mosbach
Schneider-Reisen (Schneider Coach Travel)Strauss Erika Einzelhandel (toy store)
Dallau
Blechnerei Mack (Tinsmiths Mack)Finkenrath (former firm; famous as a tax fraudster)
Glaserei Kaufmann (Glazier Kaufmann)
Spitzer Silo-Fahrzeugwerke GmbH (Europeans largest silo vehicles manufacturer)
Sights and special features
The water castle of Elztal
The water castleWater castle
A water castle is a castle or stately home whose site is entirely surrounded by moats or natural waterbodies. Topographically water castles are a type of lowland castle.There is a further distinction between:...
of Dallau was bought up by the municipality Elztal in 1974 AD. It is the only remnant of a former and much larger water castle. The water castle was built in the earlier 12th century AD from knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
of the Teutonic Order. Particularly striking are the circular tower and the palace room with a medieval staircase gable. The both fountains near the water castle are build in the 16th century AD from farmers.
At Christmas time, it is possible to go inside the water castle for the annual flu issue of the municipality.
Religious institutions
In Dallau the evangelicalEvangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
and the Catholic church are side by side. The churches are surrounded by other historical buildings as for example the catholic parish office and the Protestant schoolhouse.
The Protestant church was built in 1750 AD and expanded 1857 AD.
The Catholic Church St. Maria
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
Immaculate was consecrated on 9 May 1737. In 1985, the transverse building was complemented and the old choir renewed. Because the historic stained glass window in the old building had no Marie reference, the new parts were built with a baroque statue of Marie and other Marie symbols. The re-consecration of the church was held on 10 May 1987.
In Neckarburken are forming the local church (built 1775) with its church tower (built 1811) and the surrounded half-timbered houses
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
a beautiful a historic ensemble. Opposite is the former rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
which was built in 1818. In addition, you will find one of the very rare historical bread-back positions (from 1809) and a historic lime kiln, which was restored in 2006.
In Auerbach are a Protestant church which was renewed 1789, a Catholic church and several historic half-timbered buildings. These include the historic Gasthaus Lamm, the old railway station (today a S-Bahn station) and the old schoolhouse.
In 1886 the new George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
Church designed by Ludwig Maier replaced the former one. The predecessor was built in the 14th century AD and was made of wood. The newer one is in the New Romanized Style from Ludwig Maier consists mainly of sandstones from the surrounding mountains. In the case of a renovation 1969/1970 AD inside the church were simplified the fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es simplified. Another renovation held in 2002.
On the Hill of Urns there was a great monastery in medieval times. Certificates for this are easy to find. So there are a lot of remains in the Große Kappel and in the Kleine Kappel. More of the wall remains are inside the Nature Reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
between the Urnbergstraße and the underlying track.
The Limes
Another historical place is the Fort of Neckarburken and the Elantia Museum (Museum Elantia / Museum am Odenwaldlimes).Walking and hiking
The municipality Elztal offers many interesting routes for walking and to rest. One favorite route is the small circuit in Dallau. It is especially nice in spring and summer. Parking is available at Krähenwaldparkplatz near to the Märchenwald.On the circuit there are a lot of branchings and inconspicuous forest paths. The first peculiarity on the circuit is a hidden Tulip tree
Liriodendron tulipifera
Liriodendron tulipifera, commonly known as the tulip tree, American tulip tree, tuliptree, tulip poplar or yellow poplar, is the Western Hemisphere representative of the two-species genus Liriodendron, and the tallest eastern hardwood...
on the right side of the way. A few hundred meters along is a three-compartment crossing on the left side. The first way is only a path and leads to the oldest tree of the municipality. The second leads to an old and small chapel which is on a brook and a little bridge over it. On the other side one has the choice to go inside the Mariental on the left or the rest of the circuit on the right. From the main road you will reach a Y-crossing. So you have the choice to go to the right or to the left, but as it is circular you can go either way.
One can then walk through Mariental. There are a lot of rare grasses, plants and bird species. In this valley can be seen the power of a volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
. You'll find a lot of big hurled magma
Magma
Magma is a mixture of molten rock, volatiles and solids that is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and is expected to exist on other terrestrial planets. Besides molten rock, magma may also contain suspended crystals and dissolved gas and sometimes also gas bubbles. Magma often collects in...
lumps coming from the Katzenbuckel
Katzenbuckel
The Katzenbuckel is an extinct volcano and the highest elevation of the Odenwald. The mountain is located eastwards of Eberbach, near the village of Waldbrunn....
.
Other popular routes for walking are the hiking:
- Dallau – Auerbach
- Forest street parallel to B292 and then around the Cattle-Horse-Ranch (former Nike-Stellung / Missile defense base) along the streets
- Valley route passing the shelter and the Cattle-Horse-Ranch (former Nike-Stellung / Missile defense base)
- Dallau to Lower SchfflenzSchefflenzSchefflenz is a town in the district of Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany....
- Valley route passing the shelter and the Cattle-Horse-Ranch (former Nike-Stellung / Missile defense base) and then passing the barbecue place
For biking there is the old Roman road between the Elz Valley and the Schefflenz Valley recommended. One can start in Mosbach
Mosbach
Mosbach is the capital of the Neckar-Odenwald district in the north of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about 58 km east of Heidelberg. Its geographical position is 49.21'N 9.9'E....
and end in Walldürn
Walldürn
Walldürn is a town in the Neckar-Odenwald district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 23 km southwest of Wertheim.Walldürn Basilica:...
. Those preferring valley routes can use the signposted standard route from Mosbach
Mosbach
Mosbach is the capital of the Neckar-Odenwald district in the north of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about 58 km east of Heidelberg. Its geographical position is 49.21'N 9.9'E....
through the Elz Valley up to Walldürn
Walldürn
Walldürn is a town in the Neckar-Odenwald district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 23 km southwest of Wertheim.Walldürn Basilica:...
or Osterburken
Osterburken
Osterburken is a town in the Neckar-Odenwald district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 28 km southwest of Tauberbischofsheim, 50 km northeast of Heilbronn, 90 km east of Heidelberg, 60 km southwest of Würzburg and 30 km east of Mosbach...
.
2004
| CDU Christian Democratic Union (Germany) The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum... |
41,8 % | + 3,0 | 9 Sitze | ± 0 |
| FWV Free Voters Free Voters is a German concept in which an association of persons participates in an election without having the status of a registered political party. Usually it is a locally organized group of voters in the form of a registered association . In most cases, Free Voters are active only at the... |
32,9 % | – 1,1 | 7 Sitze | ± 0 |
| SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
17,2 % | – 5,0 | 3 Sitze | – 2 |
| GAL | 8,0 % | + 3,0 | 1 Sitz | ± 0 |
2009
| CDU Christian Democratic Union (Germany) The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum... |
43,1 % | + 1,3 | 9 Sitze | ± 0 |
| FWG Free Voters Free Voters is a German concept in which an association of persons participates in an election without having the status of a registered political party. Usually it is a locally organized group of voters in the form of a registered association . In most cases, Free Voters are active only at the... |
30,3 % | – 2,6 | 6 Sitze | – 1 |
| SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
17,9 % | + 0,7 | 3 Sitze | ± 0 |
| GAL | 8,7 % | + 0,7 | 1 Sitz | ± 0 |
External links
- Elz Village/Village Home official Web site
- Rittersbach Web Site
- Gemeindeverwaltung Elztal
- Animal shelter of Dallau
- Cattle-Horse-Ranch website
- Bruno König: 1200 Jahre Elztal (1975)
- Karl Wilhelm Beichert: Muckental und Rineck (1995)
- Statistisches Landesamt Baden-WürttembergBaden-WürttembergBaden-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...
: Population status - Das Land Baden-WürttembergBaden-WürttembergBaden-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...
: Amtliche Beschreibung nach Kreisen und Gemeinden. Band V: Regierungsbezirk Karlsruhe Kohlhammer, StuttgartStuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
1976, ISBN 3-17-002542-2. S. 295–298 - Stadtarchiv Heilbronn