Rhinau (; ) is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Bas-Rhin Bas-Rhin (; Alsatian: ''Unterelsàss'', ' or '; traditional german: links=no, Niederrhein; en, Lower Rhine) is a department in Alsace which is a part of the Grand Est super-region of France. The name means 'Lower Rhine', referring to its low ...

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

Grand Est Grand Est (; gsw-FR, Grossa Oschta; Moselle Franconian/ lb, Grouss Osten; Rhine Franconian: ''Groß Oschte''; german: Großer Osten ; en, "Great East") is an administrative region in Northeastern France. It superseded three former administrat ...

in north-eastern

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 ...

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

, in

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 ...

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

Taubergießen Taubergießen is a floodplain wetland on the southern Upper Rhine in the natural area Offenburg Rhine plain. Taubergießen was declared Naturschutzgebiet (Nature Reserve) in 1979 and, with 1,697 hectares, is one of the largest protected areas in Bad ...

. A

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

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 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 battl ...

was brought to a close. Rhinau belongs to the

canton of Erstein The canton of Erstein is a canton of France, located in the Bas-Rhin department, in the Grand Est region. Since the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015, the communes of the canton of Erstein are: # Benfeld # Bolse ...

and the

arrondissement of Sélestat-Erstein The arrondissement of Sélestat-Erstein (french: Arrondissement de Sélestat-Erstein; gsw-FR, Arrondissement Schlettstàdt-Eerstain) is an arrondissement of France in the Bas-Rhin department in the Grand Est region. It has 101 communes. Its popu ...

. 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 ( rm, ) is a mountain village and 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 cross of north-south and e ...

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 ...

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 clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

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 Eu ...

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

See also