Gernsbach () is a town in the
district of Rastatt, in
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
, Germany. It is located on the river
Murg, east of
Baden-Baden in the
Black Forest
The Black Forest (german: Schwarzwald ) is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is ...
. Twin towns are
Baccarat in France and
Pergola, Marche
Pergola is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino in the Italian region Marche
Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is loc ...
in Italy.
The town is the historic centre of the lower Murg Valley and forms a
central place of mid-size with
Gaggenau. It is located in the ', one of the twelve spatial planning regions of
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
.
Gernsbach is an officially recognised climatic spa with a historic centre. Furthermore, Gernsbach is noted for its paper industry and Paper Centre, a service provider in the field of training, staff qualification and management consultancy for the German and Swiss paper and pulp industry.
Geography
Geographical position
Gernsbach is located in the northern part of the
Black Forest
The Black Forest (german: Schwarzwald ) is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is ...
on both banks of the river Murg at 150 to 988 meters above the sea level.
In the west the 668 m high mountain Merkur provides a distinctive landscape. In the east there is the 908 m high mountain
Teufelsmühle.
Area
The local subdistrict area of Gernsbach including all quarters is 8208,86 hectares of which most is covered by forest areas – 6628,00 hectares (81% of the total area). That is more than twice as much as the average ratio in Baden-Württemberg. Settlement and traffic areas make up 6% - less than half of the average. 12% of the area used for agriculture.
Quarters
The core city is divided into “to the right of the Murg” (including: ''Kelterberg'', ''Entensee'', ''Kolonie'' and ''Nord'') and “to the left of the Murg” (including: ''Klingele'', ''Waldbach'', ''Faltergass'', ''Heppeler'', ''Walheimer Hof'', ''Stadtbuckel'', ''Siedlung'', ''Hahnbachweg'', ''Panoramaweg'' and ''Weinau'')
In the 20th century following townships were suburbanized:
*''
Scheuern
Scheuern is a municipality in the district of Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.
References
Bitburg-Prüm
{{BitburgPrüm-geo-stub ...
'' (in 1936)
After the redivision of local government in the 1970s
*''
Lautenbach'' (in 1973)
*''
Hilpertsau'' (in 1974)
*''
Obertsrot'' (in 1974)
*''
Staufenberg'' (in 1974)
*''
Reichental'' (in 1975) (doubling the total subdistrict area of Gernsbach)
followed.
Coat of Arms of the quarters
File:Wappen Scheuern.png, Scheuern
File:Hilpertsau Wappen.svg, Hilpertsau
File:Lautenbach Wappen.svg, Lautenbach
File:Obertsrot Wappen.svg, Obertsrot
File:Staufenberg Wappen.svg, Staufenberg
File:Reichental Wappen.svg, Reichental
Neighbouring towns
These townships and towns border on Gernsbach:
* in the north: Gaggenau, Loffenau, Bad Herrenalb and Dobel
* in the east: Bad Wildbad and Enzklösterle
* in the south: Forbach and Weisenbach
* in the west: Baden-Baden
History
Beginnings
A permanent settlement of Gernsbach before the 12th century is not verified.
At the beginning of the 12th century the
Counts of Eberstein bought the “predium” Rotenfels thus allowing the initial settlement of the lower Murg valley.
From Rotenfels the counts of Eberstein ordered to uproot the wooded and swampy valley and to found new settlements. By 1200 the route Loffenau–Scheuern–Gernsbach–Staufenberg was established.
[Hennl: ''Gernsbach'', p. 30 ff]
In an ebersteinian inheritance document Gernsbach is first mentioned in written form in 1219 as ‘’Genrespach’’. At that time there was already a differentiation between a Marktdorf (a settlement which had the right to run a market) and a Kirchdorf (a settlement which had the right to build a church). Gernsbach (also called “Hof” –‘’a little settlement of farmers’’) was a Kirchdorf at that time, being located to the left of the Murg in the south of the Waldbach on the ebersteinian allodium.
The local church was the preceding building of today’s St.-Jakobskirche.
To the north of the Waldbach was a Marktdorf on the grounds of the Diocese of Speyer located on a spur, thus having an ideal location for the construction of a fortification.
Sons and daughters of the town
*
Ludwig Dill
Wilhelm Franz Karl Ludwig Dill (2 February 1848, Gernsbach - 24 October 1940, Karlsruhe) was a German ship and landscape painter who was a founding member of the Munich Secession.
Life and work
He was the only son of the Tax Assessor (later ...
(1848-1940), ship and landscape painter
*
Walther Eichrodt, (1890-1978), Protestant theologian
*
Georg Ackermann (athlete) (born 1972), long jumper
Other famous personalities in Gernsbach
*
William IV of Eberstein (1497-1562), officially introduced the Reformation in the county of Eberstein in 1556
*
Karl Drais (1785-1851), studied forestry teacher and inventor, lived here in 1794 and started on July 28, 1817 from Gernsbach on his running machine to Baden-Baden (second two-wheel drive of history)
* Heinrich Funck (1853-1932), philologist and historian, director of the Higher Bürgerschule in Gernsbach
* Georg Menges (1888-1973), mayor of 1919-1933, local politician of Baden and Baden-Wuerttemberg
*
Scipio Colombo (1910-2002), Italian baritone
*
Heinz Schimmelpfennig
Heinz Schimmelpfennig (6 April 1919 – 31 December 2010) was a German actor and director.
After leaving school, Schimmelpfennig trained as a designer until 1939. He then joined as a soldier in World War II, before being wounded in 1942 and le ...
(1919-2010), actor and radio playwright, known as
Tatort - '' Commissioner Gerber ''
Gallery
File:Marktplatz mit oberem Stadtbuckel-vonDer Bruzzla.jpg, The Marketplace
File:Das Alte Rathaus zu Gernsbach-von Der Bruzzla.JPG, ''Altes Rathaus'', or ''Old Town Hall'', a palace built in 1617-18 for a rich timber merchant
File:Storchenturm Gernsbach von Der Bruzzla.jpg, ''Storchenturm'', or ''Stork Tower'', part of the ancient city wall
File:Gernsbach - Teilansicht der Hofstätte - Der Bruzzla.jpg, ''Hofstätte'', the entrance to the Old Town
File:Alter Amtshof-Ansicht Schloßstr. von Der Bruzzla.jpg, ''Alter Amtshof'', a former administration building established in 1556
File:Gernsbach-Liebfrauenkirche-06-gje.jpg, Church of Our Lady
File:Gernsbach - Schloss Eberstein von Der Bruzzla.jpg, ''Eberstein Castle'' with vineyard
References
{{Authority control
Rastatt (district)
Baden