Vogtsburg
Encyclopedia
Vogtsburg im Kaiserstuhl is a town in the Kaiserstuhl
, a volcanic
region in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald
, Baden-Württemberg
. It has a population of about 5,700 and was created on January 1, 1975 through the unification of seven smaller villages. With its 5.4 square miles (14 km²) of vineyards, Vogtsburg is the biggest wine producing town in Germany
.
The individual villages of Vogtsburg are embedded in the valleys of the inner Kaiserstuhl
(except Burkheim). The horseshoe-shaped mountain range of the Kaiserstuhl opens to the west and forms the border of the area of Vogtsburg. To the west Vogtsburg borders the Rhine and the French
region of Elsass.
and the Schwarzwald (the Black Forest) create a nearly Mediterranean microclimate.
(the Rhine Rift) followed by some smaller volcanic activity. The Kaiserstuhl consists of thick layers of loess
(100 ft (30.5 m)), which, together with the special climate, is the main reason for the extraordinary fertility of this area.
during the Paleolithic
era between 4000 and 2500 BC.
Archaeological finds in Bischoffingen give evidence of neolithic
settlers of the Corded Ware culture
. Other archeological excavations found flexed burials, which could be dated to the Bronze Age
between 1700 and 1200 BC. In more recent history, from 800 BC onwards, there is extensive evidence of Celtic occupation. With the arrival of the Alemanni around 200 AD the Celts seem to have disappeared from the region. The area of Oberbergen is considered to be the most important settlement in South Baden
during the era of the Hallstatt culture
.
Because of the horseshoe-shaped mountain range of the Kaiserstuhl, which opens only to the west, Vogtsburg was not easily accessible before the introduction of modern roads. This led to a stagnation of development and of the population due to significant emigration until 1870. For about 100 years between 1880 and 1980 the population had been about constant at 5000 inhabitants. From 1980 on the population has increased due to development.
with the original name Vogtsburg belonged to Oberbergen. For this reason the city of Vogtburg has nine different villages but only seven political districts. Town privileges
for the city of Vogtsburg came from Burkheim, which since the Middle Ages was a town despite its small size. The individual villages:
grape
s. In addition the production of cherries
, damson
s, and apple
s contribute significantly to the economy. In recent years tourism has grown to be an important economic contributor.
- Riegel
to Freiamt
, and then meets the L115 near Niederrotweil. The L115 goes on to Bötzingen
and Umkirch
. The different districts are connected with a net of district roads.
Vogtsburg is one of the rare towns without speed limit zones of 30 km/h (20 mph).
leading from Breisach to Riegel. The railway traffic does not follow a fixed timetable but runs occasionally as needed. Vogtsburg is connected by bus lines to Breisach, Endingen, Bötzingen
and Freiburg
. All public transport is a part of a regional transport association.
, a famous architect. These four churches are typical of the style of Neoclassicism
in the former state of Baden
.
The church of St. Michael's in Niederrotweil dates from 1157, according to documented references. This building is famous for some recently discovered fresco
es and for its wooden altar, a late masterpiece of the unknown master H. L. This altar is an extraordinary example of the baroque
style of gothic art
and is dated to about 1530.
The church St. Romanus in Alt-Vogtsburg was founded in 1835/36 as a subsidiary church near a country road. First a church with a capacity of 700 people was planned which would have been several times the population figure of Alt-Vogtsburg. The reduced version built by the master builder Hans Voß has a choir and two adjoining rooms. The altar comes from the workshop of Franz Xaver Marmon. The windows are from the Freiburg glass workshops of Helmle and Merzweiler. The inner part of the church is decorated with historical paintings and murals from the Freiburg painter Anselm Endress. The church is now closed due to structural deterioration caused by water intrusion and vibration from traffic. The 'Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz" (German Foundation for Monument Protection) is engaged in restoration of the church.
The old town of Burkheim starts with a historical town gate. Its houses are grouped around a single paved street, and look very romantic. At the end of the town an old ruin of a castle sits atop a small mountain, below which the Rhine used to flow.
High above the village of Achkarren on the top of the Schloßberg mountain are the ruins of the castle Burg Hoehingen
.
: Vogtsburg is the site of the traditional last race (king's stage) of the 'International Rothaus Regio-Tour' (sponsored by a local beer brewers company).
Kaiserstuhl
The „Kaiserstuhl“ is a relatively low mountain range – a Mittelgebirge – with a maximal height of 556.6 m above sea level. It is of volcanic origin and located in the South West of Baden-Württemberg, Germany in the districts of Emmendingen and Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald...
, a volcanic
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...
region in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald
Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald
Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald is a district in the south of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Emmendingen, Schwarzwald-Baar, Waldshut, Lörrach and the French départements of the Haut-Rhin and the Bas-Rhin. The district-free city of Freiburg is surrounded by the district...
, 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...
. It has a population of about 5,700 and was created on January 1, 1975 through the unification of seven smaller villages. With its 5.4 square miles (14 km²) of vineyards, Vogtsburg is the biggest wine producing town in 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...
.
Geographic position
The individual villages of Vogtsburg are embedded in the valleys of the inner Kaiserstuhl
Kaiserstuhl
The „Kaiserstuhl“ is a relatively low mountain range – a Mittelgebirge – with a maximal height of 556.6 m above sea level. It is of volcanic origin and located in the South West of Baden-Württemberg, Germany in the districts of Emmendingen and Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald...
(except Burkheim). The horseshoe-shaped mountain range of the Kaiserstuhl opens to the west and forms the border of the area of Vogtsburg. To the west Vogtsburg borders the Rhine and the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
region of Elsass.
Climate
The relatively low height above sea level and the protected position between the Vosges MountainsVosges mountains
For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany. They extend along the west side of the Rhine valley in a northnortheast direction, mainly from Belfort to Saverne...
and the Schwarzwald (the Black Forest) create a nearly Mediterranean microclimate.
Geology
The mountains of the Kaiserstuhl are a later result of the creation of a great riftRift
In geology, a rift or chasm is a place where the Earth's crust and lithosphere are being pulled apart and is an example of extensional tectonics....
(the Rhine Rift) followed by some smaller volcanic activity. The Kaiserstuhl consists of thick layers of loess
Loess
Loess is an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically in the 20–50 micrometre size range, twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate...
(100 ft (30.5 m)), which, together with the special climate, is the main reason for the extraordinary fertility of this area.
Neighboring towns
- ArtzenheimArtzenheimArtzenheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
(Elsass) - Bahlingen
- BaltzenheimBaltzenheimBaltzenheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
(Elsass) - BötzingenBötzingenBötzingen is a municipality in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district, Baden-Württemberg, Germany....
- BreisachBreisachBreisach is a town with approximately 16,500 inhabitants, situated along the Rhine in the Rhine Valley, in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about halfway between Freiburg and Colmar — 20 kilometres away from each — and about 60 kilometres north of Basel near the...
- EichstettenEichstetten am KaiserstuhlEichstetten am Kaiserstuhl is a town in the district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
- Endingen
- IhringenIhringenIhringen is a town in the district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
- SasbachSasbach am KaiserstuhlSasbach is a town in the district of Emmendingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Sasbach is adjacent to the River Rhine and the Kaiserstuhl mountain. It is the location of two medieval castle ruins, Limburg and Sponeck....
History
Although the city of Vogtsburg is one of the youngest in Germany, the individual villages making it up are mostly more than 1000 years old. The earliest archaeological finds in the village Oberbergen date to the times of the Linear Pottery cultureLinear Pottery culture
The Linear Pottery culture is a major archaeological horizon of the European Neolithic, flourishing ca. 5500–4500 BC.It is abbreviated as LBK , is also known as the Linear Band Ware, Linear Ware, Linear Ceramics or Incised Ware culture, and falls within the Danubian I culture of V...
during the Paleolithic
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
era between 4000 and 2500 BC.
Archaeological finds in Bischoffingen give evidence of neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
settlers of the Corded Ware culture
Corded Ware culture
The Corded Ware culture , alternatively characterized as the Battle Axe culture or Single Grave culture, is an enormous European archaeological horizon that begins in the late Neolithic , flourishes through the Copper Age and culminates in the early Bronze Age.Corded Ware culture is associated with...
. Other archeological excavations found flexed burials, which could be dated to the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
between 1700 and 1200 BC. In more recent history, from 800 BC onwards, there is extensive evidence of Celtic occupation. With the arrival of the Alemanni around 200 AD the Celts seem to have disappeared from the region. The area of Oberbergen is considered to be the most important settlement in 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...
during the era of the Hallstatt culture
Hallstatt culture
The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Central European culture from the 8th to 6th centuries BC , developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC and followed in much of Central Europe by the La Tène culture.By the 6th century BC, the Hallstatt culture extended for some...
.
Because of the horseshoe-shaped mountain range of the Kaiserstuhl, which opens only to the west, Vogtsburg was not easily accessible before the introduction of modern roads. This led to a stagnation of development and of the population due to significant emigration until 1870. For about 100 years between 1880 and 1980 the population had been about constant at 5000 inhabitants. From 1980 on the population has increased due to development.
Districts
Vogtsburg is composed of nine individual villages. Prior to unification in 1975 the villages of Oberrotweil and Niederrotweil were one political entity. The small hamletHamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
with the original name Vogtsburg belonged to Oberbergen. For this reason the city of Vogtburg has nine different villages but only seven political districts. Town privileges
Town privileges
Town privileges or city rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium.Judicially, a town was distinguished from the surrounding land by means of a charter from the ruling monarch that defined its privileges and laws. Common privileges were related to trading...
for the city of Vogtsburg came from Burkheim, which since the Middle Ages was a town despite its small size. The individual villages:
Municipal Council
The results of the local elections from June 13 of 2004:| FWG (Free Electors Association) | 49,8% | +0,2 | 13 seats | ±0 |
| CDU (Christian Democratic Union 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... |
38,0% | -2,9 | 9 seats | -1 |
| SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany) Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
12,3% | +2,9 | 3 seats | +1 |
Economy and infrastructure
The city economy is based primarily on the production of wineWine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
s. In addition the production of cherries
Cherry
The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....
, damson
Damson
The damson or damson plum is an edible drupaceous fruit, a subspecies of the plum tree. Sometimes called the Damask plum, damsons are commonly used in the preparation of jams and jellies...
s, and apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
s contribute significantly to the economy. In recent years tourism has grown to be an important economic contributor.
Education
There is one general-education secondary school, two primary schools, and six kindergartens plus one nursery school. Nearby in Breisach there is a secondary school and a 'Gymnasium' (high school, grammar school).Streets
The L113 - a country road without cross-town links runs through the western part of the city. This street goes from BreisachBreisach
Breisach is a town with approximately 16,500 inhabitants, situated along the Rhine in the Rhine Valley, in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about halfway between Freiburg and Colmar — 20 kilometres away from each — and about 60 kilometres north of Basel near the...
- Riegel
Riegel am Kaiserstuhl
Riegel am Kaiserstuhl is a German municipality in the district of Emmendingen in Baden-Württemberg. It is accessed by the motorway A5 .-Education:...
to Freiamt
Freiamt
Freiamt is a town in the district of Emmendingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
, and then meets the L115 near Niederrotweil. The L115 goes on to Bötzingen
Bötzingen
Bötzingen is a municipality in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district, Baden-Württemberg, Germany....
and Umkirch
Umkirch
Umkirch is a municipality in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located around 5 kilometres west of Freiburg im Breisgau.-History:...
. The different districts are connected with a net of district roads.
Vogtsburg is one of the rare towns without speed limit zones of 30 km/h (20 mph).
Public transport
Achkarren, Oberrotweil and Burkheim together with Bischoffingen each have a railway station for the western track of the small Kaiserstuhlbahn, a light railwayLight railway
Light railway refers to a railway built at lower costs and to lower standards than typical "heavy rail". This usually means the railway uses lighter weight track, and is more steeply graded and tightly curved to avoid civil engineering costs...
leading from Breisach to Riegel. The railway traffic does not follow a fixed timetable but runs occasionally as needed. Vogtsburg is connected by bus lines to Breisach, Endingen, Bötzingen
Bötzingen
Bötzingen is a municipality in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district, Baden-Württemberg, Germany....
and Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
. All public transport is a part of a regional transport association.
Shipping
Even though Burkheim borders directly on the Rhine river, the city of Vogtsburg has no river harbor. There is a landing stage on the river to ship the grit produced by a quarry in Burkheim.Museums
In 1979 the museum of viniculture in the historical 'Zehntscheur' (a barn where historic taxes were collected = 1 tenth of all produced goods) was established in Achkarren. The earliest documented reference to this building dates from 1358 as 'St. Johannser Trotte'. In Burkheim one can visit the Museum of Corkscrews.Buildings
In the villages of Achkarren, Oberrotweil, Schelingen and Altvogtsburg there are four churches designed by Friedrich WeinbrennerFriedrich Weinbrenner
Friedrich Weinbrenner was a German architect and city planner admired for his mastery of classical style.- Birth and education :...
, a famous architect. These four churches are typical of the style of Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
in the former state 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....
.
The church of St. Michael's in Niederrotweil dates from 1157, according to documented references. This building is famous for some recently discovered 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 and for its wooden altar, a late masterpiece of the unknown master H. L. This altar is an extraordinary example of the baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style of gothic art
Gothic art
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...
and is dated to about 1530.
The church St. Romanus in Alt-Vogtsburg was founded in 1835/36 as a subsidiary church near a country road. First a church with a capacity of 700 people was planned which would have been several times the population figure of Alt-Vogtsburg. The reduced version built by the master builder Hans Voß has a choir and two adjoining rooms. The altar comes from the workshop of Franz Xaver Marmon. The windows are from the Freiburg glass workshops of Helmle and Merzweiler. The inner part of the church is decorated with historical paintings and murals from the Freiburg painter Anselm Endress. The church is now closed due to structural deterioration caused by water intrusion and vibration from traffic. The 'Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz" (German Foundation for Monument Protection) is engaged in restoration of the church.
The old town of Burkheim starts with a historical town gate. Its houses are grouped around a single paved street, and look very romantic. At the end of the town an old ruin of a castle sits atop a small mountain, below which the Rhine used to flow.
High above the village of Achkarren on the top of the Schloßberg mountain are the ruins of the castle Burg Hoehingen
Burg Hoehingen
Burg Hoehingen is a castle built in the early middle ages on the top of the Schlossberg mountain above the town Achkarren, a part of the city of Vogtsburg im Kaiserstuhl in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.- Location :...
.
Natural monuments
There are twelve nature reserves covering a total of 280 hectares (1.1 sq mi).Sport
Cycling RacesCycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
: Vogtsburg is the site of the traditional last race (king's stage) of the 'International Rothaus Regio-Tour' (sponsored by a local beer brewers company).
Sons and daughters of the town
- Eugen Biser (* b. 1918 in Oberbergen), a philosopher of religionPhilosophy of religionPhilosophy of religion is a branch of philosophy concerned with questions regarding religion, including the nature and existence of God, the examination of religious experience, analysis of religious language and texts, and the relationship of religion and science...
- Simone Larsen (* 1970), a German-Norwegian popstar, grew up in Bischoffingen
- Lazarus von Schwendi (1522–1584), a diplomat, statesman and an emperor's general, since 1560 AD Lord of Burkheim (Oberrotweil, Oberbergen, Vogtsburg and Jechtingen included).
- Jörg Wickram (* b. 1505 in Burkheim, d. 1562), an early New High GermanNew High GermanNew High German is the term used for the most recent period in the history of the German language. It is a translation of the German Neuhochdeutsch...
writer