The Kniebis is a 970 -metre-high mountain ridge 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 ...
and the name of a village to the south which is a
dispersed settlement
A dispersed settlement, also known as a scattered settlement, is one of the main types of settlement patterns used by landscape historians to classify rural settlements found in England and other parts of the world. Typically, there are a numb ...
. The Kniebis mountain rises in the 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 ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
.
Transport
The Kniebis lies on the
Black Forest High Road that, as the
B 28 federal highway approaches from Freudenstadt and continues from the mountain pass of
Alexanderschanze
The Alexanderschanze (Alexander's Redoubt) is a mountain pass, , on the B 28 federal road at Freudenstadt in the Northern Black Forest in southern Germany. In the vicinity is also a fortification and hotel of the same name.
Pass
The Alexanders ...
as the
B 500 to
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 ...
. The B 28 itself continues to
Kehl
Kehl (; gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Kaal) is a town in southwestern Germany in the Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg. It is on the river Rhine, directly opposite the French city of Strasbourg, with which it shares some municipal servicesfor exa ...
and
Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label= Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label= Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the ...
. The ''
Landesstraße
''Landesstraßen'' (singular: ''Landesstraße'') are roads in Germany and Austria that are, as a rule, the responsibility of the respective German or Austrian federal state. The term may therefore be translated as "state road". They are roads t ...
'' 96 runs south in the direction of
Hausach
Hausach (; gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Huusä) is a town in the Ortenaukreis, in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
History
Hausach was founded in the 13th century, below Husen Castle. In the 14th century, it became a possession of the Coun ...
. The Kniebis is on the bus routes from Freudenstadt.
Tourism
In winter there are numerous
cross country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreatio ...
''
loipe
A cross-country skiing trail or ''loipe''From german: Loipe or ''Langlaufloipe'', pl. –''n'', ''loipe'' is a loanword in English-language travel guides, referring to cross-country ski trails in Europe. It is a Germanization of the Norwegian word ...
s'', including on
night trailwith
snow cannon and
floodlight
A floodlight is a broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial light. They are often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions. More focused kinds are often used as a stage ...
s, as well as several ski lifts in the village and the surrounding area (Vogelskopf,
Zuflucht and Kniebis lifts); in addition there is a
toboggan run and various winter footpaths. In summer the Kniebis is a major
mountain bike
A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which m ...
,
Nordic walking
Nordic walking is a Finnish-origin total-body version of walking that can be done both by non-athletes as a health-promoting physical activity and by athletes as a sport. The activity is performed with specially designed walking poles similar to ...
and hiking area; in addition there is a fully renovated woodland
lido.
One nearby destination is the
Lothar Path
The Lothar Path (german: Lotharpfad) is a forest experience and educational path in the Schliffkopf Nature Reserve by the Black Forest High Road between Oppenau and Baiersbronn on the B 500 in the Northern Black Forest. The name of the ...
on the Black Forest High Road (B 500) in the direction of the
Schliffkopf
The Schliffkopf is a mountain in the Northern Black Forest between Baiersbronn, Ottenhöfen and Oppenau. It is . The Schliffkopf lies on the Black Forest High Road in the National Park and is the site of an eponymous four-star "wellness" hotel. V ...
. On the western exit of the village is the
Alexanderschanze
The Alexanderschanze (Alexander's Redoubt) is a mountain pass, , on the B 28 federal road at Freudenstadt in the Northern Black Forest in southern Germany. In the vicinity is also a fortification and hotel of the same name.
Pass
The Alexanders ...
, further north are the
Röschenschanze
The Röschenschanze is a former schanze in Bad Peterstal-Griesbach in the Black Forest in Southern Germany.
It is located on the L 402, the "Oppenauer Steige", which branches off from the B 500 ( Black Forest High Road). Another redoubt which is ...
and the
Schwedenschanze.
Economy
The village survives mainly on
tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
.
Winter sport
Winter sports or winter activities are competitive sports or non-competitive recreational activities which are played on snow or ice. Most are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally, such games were only played in cold are ...
facilities include several
ski lift
A ski lift is a mechanism for transporting skiers up a hill. Ski lifts are typically a paid service at ski resorts. The first ski lift was built in 1908 by German Robert Winterhalder in Schollach/Eisenbach, Hochschwarzwald.
Types
* Aerial ...
s (each with a height difference of about 100
metre
The metre ( British spelling) or meter ( American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its pre ...
s), many kilometres of cut ''
loipe
A cross-country skiing trail or ''loipe''From german: Loipe or ''Langlaufloipe'', pl. –''n'', ''loipe'' is a loanword in English-language travel guides, referring to cross-country ski trails in Europe. It is a Germanization of the Norwegian word ...
s'' and a toboggan run. The so-called night trail in the Kniebis Ski Stadium attracts a fee. a roughly 2-kilometre-long circular route in the immediate vicinity is floodlight when the weather conditions require and it can be entirely covered with
artificial snow
Snowmaking is the production of snow by forcing water and pressurized air through a "snow gun", also known as a "snow cannon". Snowmaking is mainly used at ski resorts to supplement natural snow. This allows ski resorts to improve the reliabilit ...
.
Climate
Education
Kniebis has a
kindergarten
Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...
and a primary school. The primary school has an unusual architectural feature: it is built directly onto the evangelical church.
History
In
Early Modern times the Kniebis was a serious obstacle on the long distance trade route from
Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label= Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label= Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the ...
to
Ulm
Ulm () is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Danube on the border with Bavaria. The city, which has an estimated population of more than 126,000 (2018), forms an urban district of its own (german: link=no, ...
(the so-called ''Oppenauer Steige'') as a result of the climb from
Oppenau
Oppenau () is a town located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It has a population of 4,700 inhabitants.
Geography
Oppenau is situated in the Rench valley in the Black Forest. The nearest major cities are Offenburg and Freudenstadt.
...
up to the Kniebis pass. This trading route (also called the Swabian Way or ''Schwabenweg'') was controlled in
Hohenstaufen
The Hohenstaufen dynasty (, , ), also known as the Staufer, was a noble family of unclear origin that rose to rule the Duchy of Swabia from 1079, and to royal rule in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages from 1138 until 1254. The dynas ...
times by the
House of Zähringen
The House of Zähringen (german: Zähringer) was a dynasty of Swabian nobility. The family's name derived from Zähringen Castle near Freiburg im Breisgau. The Zähringer in the 12th century used the title of Duke of Zähringen, in compensation ...
. Later, it formed an important link between
Württemberg
Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart.
Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Württ ...
and the Württemberg estates in present-day
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. In times of war, for example 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 batt ...
it was also used for troop movements.
After the end of Hohenstaufen rule around 1250 the boundary between the lands of the
Principality of Fürstenberg in the Kinzig valley and Central Black Forest (which went to the
Grand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden (german: Großherzogtum Baden) was a state in the southwest German Empire on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918.
It came into existence in the 12th century as the Margraviate of Baden and subs ...
in 1806) m Kniebis ) and the Duchy, later Kingdom, of Württemberg.
In 1267 in Kniebis village (Württemberg Kniebis)
Kniebis Abbey was founded. It was dissolved in 1534 in
the Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
.
The pass over the Kniebis was already very important early on as a trade route between the Rhine valley and Württemberg. In 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 ...
it also became strategically important from a military perspective. As a result, several fortifications were built in the area of the Kniebis and to the north on the Black Forest High Road.
* In 1632, a fortification called the ''Kleine Schanze'' or ''Alte Schanze'' was built on the summit of the mountain at the exit to the village between boundary stones 52 and 53 on the road leading to the pass in order to control it. There are no visible remains left, but an information board by the road indicates where it was.
* About 1 km northwest of it on the Black Forest High Road (B 500) is another fortification, the
Alexanderschanze
The Alexanderschanze (Alexander's Redoubt) is a mountain pass, , on the B 28 federal road at Freudenstadt in the Northern Black Forest in southern Germany. In the vicinity is also a fortification and hotel of the same name.
Pass
The Alexanders ...
. On a map by Stäbenhaber
[Georg Ludwig Stäbenhaber was born in 1640 in Hetzlinshofen. From 1668 he worked under a master builder, Weiß, on the fortress in Freudenstadt as assistant and inspector. His most important work is, however, the map of the Freudenstadt Forest of 1675. Due to the high accuracy of the cartography, the map is now a valuable historical document.] from the year 1674 it is already described as "repaired", so it must be older than that date.
* A further 3 kilometres further along the Black Forest High Road near the turn off to Oppenau is the
Schwedenschanze ("Swedish ''
Schanze'') which was first mentioned in 1593.
* In the immediate vicinity of the Schwedenschanze is the
Röschenschanze
The Röschenschanze is a former schanze in Bad Peterstal-Griesbach in the Black Forest in Southern Germany.
It is located on the L 402, the "Oppenauer Steige", which branches off from the B 500 ( Black Forest High Road). Another redoubt which is ...
, built in 1794 by
Major Rösch and named after him.
The Kleine Schanz(1), the Alexanderschanze(2) and the Schwedenschanze(3) are all marked on the section of the map by Stäbenhaber.
From 1939 (start of construction) to 1945 (demolition by the German
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...
) there was one of
Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
's
''Führer'' Headquarters here, the
''Tannenberg'', which he used briefly in 1940. From July to the end of 1941
Gestapo
The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe.
The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one orga ...
prisoners from the
forced labour
Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...
camp (AEL) of Kniebis-Ruhestein built a section of the Black Forest High Road on the Kniebis.
[Ingrid Bauz, Sigrid Brüggemann, Roland Maier (eds.): ''Die Geheime Staatspolizei in Württemberg und Hohenzollern.'' Stuttgart, 2013, pp. 148f., .] Both sites belong to the municipality of Baiersbronn, which extends from the new boundaries of the borough of Freudenstadt only on a part of the areas in the south, on which there are residential house and the Alexanderschanze.
From earliest days the Kniebis consisted of 3 parts, the Baiersbronn part, the Freudenstadt part (together forming the Württemberg Kniebis) and the
Bad Rippoldsau part that belonged to Baden. The boundary is still marked today by boundary stones along the "Border Way" (''Grenzweg''). As a result of its division between two states an "inner Alemannic" dialect has developed between the Swabian (North Alemannic) speaking area and the Upper Rhenish, Lower Alemannic area.
In 1975 all three districts were incorporated into Freudenstadt.
Gallery
File:Grenzstein Kniebis Baden.JPG, Baden side of a boundary stone on the Border Way (''Grenzweg'')
File:Grenzstein Kniebis Wuerttemberg.JPG, Württemberg face of a boundary stone on the ''Grenzweg''
Notes
References
Literature
* Louise Pichler, ''Die Ansiedler im Schwarzwald''. Verlag Otto Risch, Stuttgart um 1890. (''Erzählungen für die Jugend und das Volk'', Vol. 15, 2nd ed.)
* Ralf Bernd Herden:Der Hofstaat des Führerhauptquartiers (auf dem Kniebis). In: Die Ortenau, 93. Jahresband 2013, pp. 443–452
* Ralf Bernd Herden: Das „Führerhauptquartier Tannenberg“ auf dem Kniebis. In: Martin Ruch (ed.): Die Ortenau. Veröffentlichungen des Historischen Vereins für Mittelbaden. 82. Jahresband 2002, Bühl 2002, pp. 681–684.
* Adolf J. Schmid: ''Der Kniebis und seine katholische Kirche St. Josef : 1899–1999''. Schillinger, Freiburg im Breisgau, 1999, .
External links
Kniebis.de - das SchwarzwalddorfKniebisim landeskundlichen Informationssystem LEO-BW
{{Authority control
Mountains and hills of Baden-Württemberg
Mountains and hills of the Black Forest