Schemmerberg Castle

Schemmerhofen () is a municipality ("Gemeinde") in the district ("Landkreis") of Biberach in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Schemmerhofen is located in the Upper Swabia region ("Oberschwaben" or "Schwäbisches Oberland") of Baden-Württemberg.

Geography

The municipality of Schemmerhofen is located north of the district town ("Kreisstadt") Biberach an der Riß. The municipality includes, in addition to the village of Schemmerhofen, the formerly autonomous villages of Schemmerberg, Ingerkingen, Altheim, Aßmannshardt and Alberweiler. The settlements ("Wohnplätze") Bachhof, Britschweiler, Brühlhof, Eichelsteig, Grafenwald, Mittenweiler, Öschhof and Ziegelei likewise fall under the municipality's jurisdiction.

The river Mühlbach flows through Aßmannshardt, Alberweiler and Schemmerhofen before emptying into the river Riß. The Riß in turn travels north through Schemmerberg before flowing into the Danube.

The municipality has a total population of 8,082.

History

Schemmerhofen

It is impossible today to determine whether the term ''Scammara'' in a document in the year 851 referred to the village of Langenschemmern or Schemmerberg. Later references to ''ad Scammares'' in 1095, ''Schamern'' in 1127, ''Scammun'' in 1242 and ''Krutschemmern'' in 1319, indicate that no distinction was made during this period between the two towns. Only in 1361 is ''Landenschammar'' referenced for the first time.

From the end of the 14th century, a distinction was made between ''Oberschemmern'' and ''Unterschemmern'' (Upper and Lower Schemmern), even though the shortened name ''Schemmern,'' as well as the name used today, was also mentioned during this period. ''Schemmern'' is related to the word ''Schiene'' and refers to the reedbeds in the Riß River valley.

Originally, the hamlets of ''Aufhofen'' and ''Langenschemmern'' formed a single political entity. However, after the annexation by the newly formed Kingdom of Württemberg in 1806, the inhabitants of Aufhofen chose to secede from Langenschemmern. Since the properties of the inhabitants were spread over the territories of both villages, the separation was not completed until 1843.

As part of the territorial reform ("Gebietsreform") in Baden-Württemberg, Langenschemmern and Aufhofen reunited on 1 August 1972 to become the community of Schemmerhofen.

Schemmerhofen currently has a population of 2928.

Schemmerberg

Schemmerberg has a population of 1220.

First mentioned in 1267 as ''Schamerberg'', Schemmerberg has had its own parish church, dedicated to Saint Martin, since 1275. The origin of this church dates back to the earlier period of Christianization of Upper Swabia in the Early Middle Ages.

Originally belonging to the Herren of Schaemmern, Schemmerberg was divided in the late Middle Ages: one part belonging to the Counts of Wartstein and the other to the Herren of Sulmetingen. Both of these dominions held their land rights in Schemmerberg as vassals of the Austrian House of Habsburg.

The Counts of Wartstein sold their rights incrementally to the Imperial Abbey Salem during the 13th and 14th century. When Jakob and Sebastian von Sulmetingen also sold their possessions in Schemmerberg to the Imperial Abbey Salem in 1496, the entire village was owned by this abbey. As part of the Salem Abbey, Schemmerberg fell under the jurisdiction of the bailiffs of Upper Swabia, who resided in Altdorf. Due to the distance to Altdorf, King Maximilian I granted the Salem Abbey the right to establish a legal court in Schemmerberg in 1497.

During the German Peasants' War, the Baltringer Haufen looted and destroyed the Schemmerberg Castle on 26 March 1525, after the resident monks had fled to Biberach an der Riss. The castle was rebuilt in 1532 and eventually demolished in 1837.

In 1742, the Salem Abbey received the privilege to inflict high justice ("Blutgerichtsbarkeit" or "Blutgericht").

Following the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss, (the mediatisation and secularisation of numerous secular and ecclesiastical