Markgräflerland () is a region in the southwest of

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 betwe ...

, in the south of the German federal 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 ...

, located between the

Breisgau The Breisgau () is an area in southwest Germany between the Rhine River and the foothills of the Black Forest. Part of the state of Baden-Württemberg, it centers on the city of Freiburg im Breisgau. The district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, ...

in the north and 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 ...

in the east; adjacent to west with

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 ...

and in the south with

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

History and geography

The name translates to ''Margraves' Land'', in reference to the

Margrave Margrave was originally the medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or of a kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain feudal families in the Em ...

s of

Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden is ...

. They ruled the area from the 12th century as a margraviate of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

until its elevation 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, following the Empire's dissolution. Markgräflerland is the combination of three lordships:

Badenweiler Badenweiler ( High Alemannic: ''Badewiler'') is a health resort and spa in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, historically in the Markgräflerland. It is 28 kilometers by road and rail from Basel, 10 kilomet ...

Rötteln Rötteln (Old High German: ''Raudinleim''this expression refers to the red shimmering limestone of this place) is a hamlet beneath the ruins of Rötteln Castle. Today Rötteln is part of the quarter of Haagen, in the city of Lörrach, Baden-Würt ...

and

Sausenburg Sausenburg Castle is a ruined German castle on the edge of the Black Forest, just north of the town of Kandern in Baden-Württemberg, between the villages of Sitzenkirch and Malsburg-Marzell. The castle was originally the stronghold of the lor ...

. In 1556 the Markgraf (

) became

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

following the actions of the German monk

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...

. The river

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

marks the frontier to

in the west and

in the south. Markgräflerland is considered to be part of the transnational metropolitan area that includes

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...

, and

Mulhouse Mulhouse (; Alsatian language, Alsatian: or , ; ; meaning ''Mill (grinding), mill house'') is a city of the Haut-Rhin Departments of France, department, in the Grand Est Regions of France, region, eastern France, close to the France–Switzerl ...

. This region of Germany, also called the ''Dreiländereck'' (three-country corner), includes many towns, but it is generally accepted that the center of the region is the town of

Müllheim Müllheim ( High Alemannic: ''Mille'') is a town in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It belongs to the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald. Müllheim is generally considered to be the center of the region known as Markgräflerland. History ...

. Historically the region was a bit smaller, only reaching to

Heitersheim Heitersheim is a town in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The name of the school located in Heitersheim is Johanniterschule. It was the seat of the Grand Prior of Germany of the Knights Hospitaller ...

in the north. The largest mountain in the region, the Blauen, lies on the outside border.

Viticulture

Aerial View - Landschaft Markgräflerland1

The region is known for its vineyards. A unique grape variety is the Gutedel grape, also known as

Chasselas Chasselas or Chasselas blanc is a wine grape variety grown mainly in Switzerland, France, Germany, Portugal, Hungary, Romania, New Zealand, Croatia and Chile. Chasselas is mostly winemaking, vinified to be a full, Dry (wine), dry and fruit ...

, which probably made its way into the region in 1780 from

Vevey Vevey (; frp, Vevê; german: label=former German, Vivis) is a town in Switzerland in the canton of Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, near Lausanne. The German name Vivis is no longer commonly used. It was the seat of the district of ...

in Switzerland; this grape is also used in some of the viticulture on the northern shore of

Lake Constance Lake Constance (german: Bodensee, ) refers to three Body of water, bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, ca ...

. Other popular varieties in the region include

Müller-Thurgau Müller-Thurgau is a white grape variety (sp. ''Vitis vinifera'') which was created by Hermann Müller from the Swiss Canton of Thurgau in 1882 at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute in Germany. It is a crossing of Riesling with Madeleine ...

, Grau Burgunder (

Pinot gris Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio (, ) or Grauburgunder is a white wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot Noir variety, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name, but the gra ...

), Weiss Burgunder (

Pinot blanc Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produces white ...

), Spätburgunder ( Pinot noir) and Weissherbst. Other agricultural products include

Spargel Asparagus, or garden asparagus, folk name sparrow grass, scientific name ''Asparagus officinalis'', is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus ''Asparagus''. Its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. It was once classified in ...

(white asparagus) and cherries. The region is often called by Germans the

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

of Germany, referring to the Tuscan region of Italy, due in part to its climate, milder than the rest of the nation.

Language

This region is home to the German dialect known as Alemannisch. The most famous writer of ''Alemannisch'' literature is

Johann Peter Hebel Johann Peter Hebel (10 May 1760 – 22 September 1826) was a German short story writer, dialectal poet, Lutheran theologian and pedagogue, most famous for a collection of Alemannic lyric poems (''Allemannische Gedichte'') and one of Ge ...

Cities and towns

Markgräflerland includes (among others) the following locations:

Auggen Auggen is a municipality in the district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It also belongs to a region called Markgräflerland that has both cultural and historical importance. Auggen has attached to it, a sma ...

, Ballrechten-Dottingen,

Betberg Betberg is a small village in Markgräflerland. It lies adjacent to Seefelden to the West. It is administratively a part of Buggingen, along with the village of Seefelden. It is the home to th''Haus der Besinnung'' which is a retreat center run ...

Binzen Binzen is a municipality in the southwestern German Federal State of Baden-Württemberg, part of the district Lörrach. The town's coat of arms was granted on 29 August 1967. The blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is ...

, Bollschweil, Britzingen,

Buggingen Buggingen is a municipality in the district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany located between the Rhine Valley and the Black Forest on the northern edge of Markgräflerland. Buggingen lies in the western part ...

, Dattingen, Dossenbach,

Efringen-Kirchen Efringen-Kirchen is a municipality in the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Fortifications During World War I fortifications were built at Istein, these were destroyed at the end of the war. In 1936 plans were drawn up to tur ...

Eimeldingen Eimeldingen is a municipality in the district of Lörrach, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after ...

, Gersbach, Hach,

Hartheim am Rhein Hartheim am Rhein is a town in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district, Baden-Württemberg, Germany with about 5000 inhabitants. The districts of Hartheim am Rhein are Bremgarten, Feldkirch and Hartheim. For the first time, Hartheim am Rhein ist ...

Hammerstein Hammerstein is a municipality on the river Rhine in the district of Neuwied in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous co ...

Hausen im Wiesental Hausen may refer to: Places in Germany Bavaria * Hausen, Miltenberg, in the Miltenberg district *Hausen, Lower Bavaria, in the Kelheim district * Hausen, Upper Franconia, in the Forchheim district *Hausen, Rhön-Grabfeld, in the Rhön-Grabfeld dis ...

, Hügelheim,

Inzlingen Inzlingen is a village in the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. From the Fondation Beyeler, a famous art collection in Riehen in the canton Basel Stadt, Switzerland, the street Inzlingerstrasse goes uphill to Inz ...

Kandern Kandern is a town in southwestern Germany in the state of Baden-Württemberg, in the '' Kreis'' (district) of Lörrach. During the Battle of Schliengen, in which the French Revolutionary army fought the forces of Austria, the battle lines of both ...

, Kleinkems,

Lörrach Lörrach () is a town in southwest Germany, in the valley of the Wiese, close to the French and the Swiss borders. It is the capital of the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg. It is the home of a number of large employers, including the ...

, Malsburg, Marzell,

, Neuenburg,

Neuenweg Neuenweg is a village and a former municipality in the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg in Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous count ...

Riedlingen Riedlingen () is a town in the district (''Kreis'') of Biberach, Baden-Württemberg, in the south-west of Germany. It is one of the destinations of the Upper Swabian Baroque Route. Riedlingen has approximately 10,000 inhabitants. Geography ...

Schliengen Schliengen is a municipality in southwestern Germany in the state of Baden-Württemberg, in the '' Kreis'' (district) of Lörrach. Schliengen's claim to international fame is the Battle of Schliengen (24 October 1796), fought between forces of th ...

Schopfheim Schopfheim is a town in the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the river Wiese, 10 km north of Rheinfelden, and 13 km east of Lörrach. The town is the birthplace of Gisela Oeri, Max Picard, and ...

, Seefelden, Steinen,

Sulzburg Sulzburg is a town in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the western slope of the Black Forest, 20 km southwest of Freiburg. Sulzburg had a long tradition of continuous Jewish settlemen ...

, Tegernau, Vögisheim,

Weil am Rhein Weil am Rhein (High Alemannic: ''Wiil am Rhii'') is a German town and commune. It is on the east bank of the River Rhine, and extends to the point at which the Swiss, French and German borders meet. It is the most southwesterly town in Germany an ...

, Wies, Wieslet, Weitenau, Wollbach.

External links

* Map: https://web.archive.org/web/20051222203414/http://www.geschichtsverein-markgraeflerland.de/
Markgräflerland: pictures & history
{{DEFAULTSORT:Markgraflerland Geography of Baden-Württemberg Regions of Baden-Württemberg