Rhinau (; ) is a commune in the

Bas-Rhin Bas-Rhin () is a department in Alsace which is a part of the Grand Est region of France. The name means 'Lower Rhine', referring to its lower altitude among the two French Rhine departments: it is downstream of the Haut-Rhin (Upper Rhine) de ...

department of

Grand Est Grand Est (; ) is an Regions of France, administrative region in northeastern France. It superseded three former administrative regions, Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine, on 1 January 2016 under the provisional name of Alsace-Champagne-A ...

in north-eastern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Until 1398, the village was located on the bank of the Rhine. The present village dates from the sixteenth century. At periods of low water in the Rhine, it is possible to see the old foundations of the village, as happened in 1749. After a flood in 1541, an uninhabited 58% of its territory (10 km²) happened to end up on the right bank of the

Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...

, in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. The German part of Rhinau is a natural reserve, the Taubergießen. A

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

crosses the river, linking the two banks in France and Germany.

Geography

The village of Rhinau is situated on the Rhine about 30 kilometers sound of Strasbourg. It is a notable city in that it has 997 hectares of territory on the right bank of the Rhine, in Germany. These 997 hectares are thus managed under German sovereignty, but, ''de facto'' run by the commune of Rhinau. This is due to a meander of the Rhine in 1541, and was made note of in the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 as the Thirty Years Wars was brought to a close. Rhinau belongs to the canton of Erstein and the arrondissement of Sélestat-Erstein. The inhabitants are called the ''Rhinois''. Access to all territories of Rhinau are maintained by the

"Rhenanus", giving access to one of the more beautiful natural preserves of countryside in the Ried. Rhinau is a stop in the Véloroute Rhin EV 15 (1,320 km) which connects the source of the Rhine in

Andermatt Andermatt () is a mountain village and municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the canton of Uri in Switzerland. At an elevation of above sea level, Andermatt is located at the center of the Saint-Gotthard Massif and the historical center ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

and its terminus in Rotterdam.

History

Prior to 1398, the village of Rhinau was situated at the bank of Rhine. Today's village dates from the 16th Century. At that time, the city was being gradually submerged into the waters of the Rhin.Laguille dans son Histoire d'Alsace, signale que Rhinau fut une ville considérable To avoid this fate, the village was rebuilt further inland, where it sits today. Though further from the river that gave it its name, the name continued. In 1267 Rhinau allied with the city of Strasbourg. In 1290, the

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

transferred the chapter of Honau to Rhinau, and conferred the full rights over this chapter to Rhinau, without prejudice for the rector of the local parish church.

Geography

History

Population

See also