The Ortenau is a historical territory 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...

, located on the right bank of the River Rhine. It covers approximately the same area as the Ortenaukreis

Ortenaukreis

Ortenaukreis is a district in the west of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Rastatt, Freudenstadt, Rottweil, Schwarzwald-Baar and Emmendingen...

, a present-day district.

The Ortenau, originally called Mortenau, was an early medieval county (Gau) in the Duchy of Swabia

Duchy of Swabia

Swabia was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany.-History:...

. It was first mentioned in 763. In 1007, the Ortenau was given to the Bishopric of Bamberg. In the late 13th century, the county disintegrated, and several smaller states formed in its place. Parts fell to the Bishopric of Strasbourg; the territories that remained in the possession of the king formed a Landvogtei, the Landvogtei Ortenau. Between 1803 and 1819, the Ortenau became part 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....

.