Großweier is an urban subdivision (
Stadtteil
A quarter is a section of an urban settlement.
A quarter can be administratively defined and its borders officially designated, and it may have its own administrative structure (subordinate to that of the city, town or other urban area). Such a ...
) of the major county town (Große Kreisstadt) of
Achern
Achern (; gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Achre) is a town in Western Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located approximately 18 km southwest of Baden-Baden and 19 km northeast of Offenburg. Achern is the fourth largest town in the distric ...
in the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
state 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 ...
. The population of Großweier is approximately 1,500 inhabitants. Großweier was an autonomous rural municipality since the
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended around AD 150 ...
. In 1973, Großweier was incorporated as an urban subdivision of Achern in the
Ortenaukreis
Ortenaukreis ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Ortenaukrais; french: Arrondissement de l'Ortenau) is a ''Landkreis'' (district) in the west of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are (clockwise from north) Rastatt, Freudenstadt, Rottw ...
district.
History
Origins
Großweier was settled during the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
. The century of its original settlement is unknown. However, Großweier was dense, uninhabited forests at least until the 8th century CE.
[District of Großweier]
"First beginnings of Cultivation and Colonization"
Retrieved on 1 November 2015. The surrounding
Ortenau
The Ortenau, originally called Mortenau, is a historic region in the present-day German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the right bank of the river Rhine, stretching from the Upper Rhine Plain to the foothill zone of the Black Fo ...
region, which Großweier belonged, was controlled by the
Celts
The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancien ...
. In 12 BCE, during the reign of
Emperor Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
, the region was conquered by the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...
as part of
Germania Superior. The closest known Roman settlements to Großweier were Aquae (
Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden () is a spa town in the state of Baden-Württemberg, south-western Germany, at the north-western border of the Black Forest mountain range on the small river Oos, ten kilometres (six miles) east of the Rhine, the border with Fra ...
) and
Argentorate (
Strasbourg).
The region was subsequently conquered by the
Alamannia after the rupture of the ''
Limes Germanicus
The (Latin for ''Germanic frontier'') is the name given in modern times to a line of frontier () fortifications that bounded the ancient Roman provinces of Germania Inferior, Germania Superior and Raetia, dividing the Roman Empire and the unsubd ...
'' in 260 CE.
The
Franks
The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...
expanded into Ortenau towards the end of the 7th century with the arrival of the first Christian monks.
By 720, five Frankish monasteries are recorded in the Ortenau, including: Schwarzach, Schuttern, Honau and Gengenbach.
Deforestation projects began in the early 8th century, as laymen and farmers arrived at the monasteries.
Both spiritual and secular rulers took possession of newly deforested land and thus increased their spheres of influence.
Gradually, farms and hamlets were settled and the population increased. The settlement of Großweier was a result of this era of expanding colonization into 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 t ...
.
Großweier is first referenced in the undated
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
monastery records of Reichenbach, sometime between 1091 and 1115. The region that is referenced is referred to as United Weierer. Großweier was first mentioned in the records as Crosvilare.
[District of Großweier]
"The First Recorded Origins"
Retrieved on 29 October 2015. It was later referred to as Croschweier. In the early 12th century, Crosvilare was the capital of eight surrounding small settlements, identified in the Reichenbach monastery records as farms or hamlets, including: Oberweier, Hesselbach, Rodt, Fronrode, High Hurst and Egdessenloch.
In 1263, records mention a
moated castle
A water castle is a castle whose site is largely defended by water. It can be entirely surrounded by water-filled moats (moated castle) or natural waterbodies such as island castles in a river or offshore. The term comes from European castle ...
as having been previously built in Großweier. However, the year of this construction is unknown.
[District of Großweier]
"A Random Designation"
Retrieved on 29 October 2015. The Großweier castle is likely to have been the center of local government to the surrounding farms and hamlets.
Großweier and the surrounding lands were ruled by the Knights of United Weier. In the 13th century, the knights provided the city of Strasbourg with military aid against Walther von Geroldseck.
[District of Großweier]
"The United Weierer Knights and Their Wasserburg"
Retrieved on 29 October 2015. In recognition of this service, the Count of Eberstein granted landed gentry to Junker Johann in 1263, during a hearing in Strasbourg.
The knight Junker Johann took the surname of von Crosvilare, after the name of the town. Eventually, the von Crosvilares were without heir and became extinct in 1484. Kraft von Crosvilare died heirless and was survived by his wife Christine von Seldeneck. Consequently, the fiefdom became the property of the Lords of Seldeneck, a wealthy merchant family. By May 12, 1484, Philipp von Seldeneck became owner and Lord of Großweier for the princely sum of 2,500 guilders.
16th to 19th centuries
In 1583, Großweier was sold to the Margrave of Baden. The Margrave of Baden used the moated castle in Großweier as the seat of the local bailiff, thus operating as a district court. The castle was destroyed in 1689 by French troops of the "Sun King"
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Ver ...
, during the early stages of the
Nine Years' War (War of the League of Augsburg). The bailiff seat was subsequently moved to
Bühl.
Like many of the surrounding towns, Großweier was depopulated and devastated during the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...
. Between 1575 and 1630, eight witch trials were conducted in Großweier.
[Martin Burkart (2009) ''Witches and Witch Trials in Baden'', Durmersheim, pp 308-389.] Consequently, two men were found guilty and executed during this period.
In 1797, French troops occupied Großweier for approximately one year, until the end of the
War of the First Coalition
The War of the First Coalition (french: Guerre de la Première Coalition) was a set of wars that several European powers fought between 1792 and 1797 initially against the constitutional Kingdom of France and then the French Republic that suc ...
. Großweier was economically hit by the Napoleonic Wars and struggled to recover after they ended. The issue was further exacerbated by three sequential crop failures in Großweier from 1845 through 1847.
[District of Großweier]
"Crop Failures and Subsequent Times of Need."
Retrieved on 1 November 2015. Many of the poor faced starvation. A special meeting was called and it was agreed to donate 800 gilders to feeding the poor. The population subsequently began to deplete. In particular, the period from 1843 to 1852 saw many inhabitants migrating to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The majority of those immigrating to the US were done so forcibly. In 1852, Großweier voted to eliminate the poor and banish them, raising the minimum financing necessary to ship them from
Le Havre
Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very ...
to
. A number of these immigrants died on the voyage or shortly after arrival to the United States, from
yellow fever
Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. ...
or other afflictions. After eliminating the poor, Großweier lost 25 percent of its population within a ten-year period, from 800 to 600 residents.
20th and 21st centuries
In 1902, the parish church of St. Martin was completed. During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Großweier mourned the loss of 29 killed and missing. In
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, 83 people were killed and missing. In 1958, highway construction reached Großweier, connecting the town to the modern transportation system. In 1961, Großweier underwent
land consolidation
Land consolidation is a planned readjustment and rearrangement of fragmented land parcels and their ownership. It is usually applied to form larger and more rational land holdings. Land consolidation can be used to improve rural infrastructure and ...
of agricultural and forestry land. On January 1, 1973, Großweier was incorporated as an urban subdivision of Achern. In 2005, Großweier celebrated its 850th anniversary.
Geography
Großweier is located in the northern Black Forest. Großweier is located approximately 30 kilometers south of the Rhine valley of
Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden () is a spa town in the state of Baden-Württemberg, south-western Germany, at the north-western border of the Black Forest mountain range on the small river Oos, ten kilometres (six miles) east of the Rhine, the border with Fra ...
and about 30 kilometers north of
Offenburg
Offenburg ("open borough" - coat of arms showing open gates; Low Alemmanic: ''Offäburg'') is a city located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With nearly 60,000 inhabitants (2019), it is the largest city and the administrative capital ...
. The western
Strasbourg in
Alsace
Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...
on the French side of the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
is also approximately 30 kilometers away.
Demographics
As of the 2013 census, there were 1,512 residents in Großweier. There were 687 residents in 1933 and 692 residents in 1939.
Culture
Architecture
![St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/St._Martin_Grossweier_Schwarz_Orgel.jpg)
The Church of St. Martin is the parish church of Großweier. The church was completed in 1904 and is one of the central pieces of architecture in Großweier.
Economy
Großweier has a
service economy
Service economy can refer to one or both of two recent economic developments:
* The increased importance of the service sector in industrialized economies. The current list of Fortune 500 companies contains more service companies and fewer manu ...
that also includes
heavy industry
Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...
and
commercial transportation. Großweier is home to the international headquarters of Hodapp GmbH & Co. KG, a
manufacturer
Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...
specializing in the production of
steel doors and gates.
[Hodapp]
"Portrait: Three Generations on the Road to Success"
Retrieved on 2 November 2015. The company was founded in 1948 by Eugen Hodapp.
[Hodapp]
"Company History."
Retrieved on 2 November 2015. Presently, the company has branches in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, and
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
.
Hodapp designs doors with a variety of safety features, including:
fire protection
Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of potentially destructive fires. It involves the study of the behaviour, compartmentalisation, suppression and investigation of fire and its related emergencies, as we ...
,
burglary, and
radiation.
The corporate headquarters in Großweier is a 20,000 meter facility that employs 180 people.
Großweier is also the headquarters of the international commercial transportation company Firma Deichelbohrer. The company has a fleet of
tractor-trailers
A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semitruck, (or semi, eighteen-wheeler, big rig, tractor-trailer or, by synecdoche, a semitrailer) is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight. A semi-trailer a ...
that provide transportation services across
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
, as well as parts of the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
.
[Firma Deichelbohrer]
"History"
Retrieved on 2 November 2015.
See also
*
Achern
Achern (; gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Achre) is a town in Western Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located approximately 18 km southwest of Baden-Baden and 19 km northeast of Offenburg. Achern is the fourth largest town in the distric ...
References
Bibliography
*Bönsch, Karl. ''Großweier Through The Ages''. Ortsverwaltung Großweier, 1985.
*Federle, Rolf. ''Ortsfamilienbuch Großweier''. 2nd revised ed., Dinglingen, 2005.
*Federle, Rolf/Hall Ewald. ''Großweier Book of Field Names''. Ortsverwaltung Großweier, 2014.
*Federle, Rolf. Alt - Großweier - Historical Buildings and their Owners. Ortsverwaltung Großweier, 2016
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Ortenaukreis