-rath

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The suffix -rath in place names indicates a place in German that goes back to clearing . The place name itself does not always end in -rath (e.g. Großkainraths ). In some cases, Rath also appears as an independent place name (for example in Cologne-Rath or Düsseldorf-Rath ).

Places with the ending -rath can be found in many places in the Rhineland and in the Bergisches Land . Corresponding clearing names in other regions of Germany end with -rade, -reuth , -roda or -rode .

Dating

In the late Franconian-Early German period in the 6th to 11th centuries, with the declining Franconian conquest, extensive clearing activities took place in the Bergisch as well as in the Rhineland. With regard to the places with the suffix -rath , foundations were assumed for the 10th to 13th centuries. This view has been shaken by excavations from 2003 and 2004 at the church of St. Martin in Langenfeld - Richrath . Based on archaeological finds , experts now assume that places on -rath could have been settled since the late 8th or early 9th century. In particular, the discovery of a bone of a person buried at the Church of St. Martin , which the researchers dated to the year 796 with the help of the radiocarbon method, allowed the assumption that Richrath could have been settled a good century earlier than previously assumed.

Another excavation in Reusrath carried out in 2008 at the church deserted St. Barbara led to the discovery of a tree coffin under the old St. Barbara Church at the old market and one hoped for a similarly spectacular result as in Richrath, but the age determination with the Radiocarbon dating indicated an entombment between AD 978 and AD 1046. The archaeologists then concluded that the church was built around the year 1000.

The discovery of the tree coffin in Reusrath had aroused additional interest, since it was already known from the earliest finds from Langenfeld that this district had been populated again and again from the Stone Age to the year 360 AD. From the 1940s to the 1960s, stone chips for flint blades from the Paleolithic Age were discovered on the Rosendahlsberg / Neuburger Hof , a river terrace towards the Wupper and Rhine . Ceramic shards from the same site have been dated to the Bronze and Iron Ages. A bronze consecration bell from Roman times also comes from the Neuburg court. There, prehistoric finds of a burial ground from the 1st century AD were made in a confined space of 800 m × 1000 m , without, however, yet having discovered the associated settlement area. In the entire Rhineland there is no other known settlement where the settlement of people over such long periods of time can be proven.

Due to the result from Reusrath, the find from Richrath remains a single phenomenon for the time being. It should be added that for Overath , for example, it is known that this place was only subsequently renamed in the 10th century. First of all, a change of place name could also be concluded with regard to Richrath, until further research possibly leads to the result that the foundation wave of the places on -rath has to be re-dated .

Nevertheless, there is another reference to an earlier settlement of the places on -rath , again concerning Langenfeld, in a document from the Kaiserswerth monastery . In 904 the hamlet of Neurath, which belongs to Langenfeld, was first mentioned in writing as "Niuuuenrothe". According to this, the end of the 9th century could have seen the first foundations with the ending -rath .

Evidence of a settlement further back in the past is only possible by means of archeology due to the lack of written records . This includes that incidental and reading finds are reported to the authorities responsible for the preservation of monuments with a precise description of the location and the circumstances of the find.

Examples of places on rath

Bergisches Land area

Left of the Rhine

Eifel

Belgium

Austria

  • Anrath - Anrath , community Waizenkirchen, Upper Austria
  • Danrath - Danrath, community Altschwendt, Upper Austria
  • Großkain- rath -s - Großkainraths, community Zwettl, Lower Austria
  • Cain rath -s - Kainraths, community Waidhofen an der Thaya-Land, Lower Austria
  • Cain rath -sschlag - Kainrathsschlag, community Zwettl, Lower Austria
  • Kleinkain- rath -s - Kleinkainraths, municipality of Allentsteig, Lower Austria (uninhabited)
  • Narrath - Narrath, community Sankt Johann im Saggautal, Styria
  • Neurath - Neurath , community Kitzeck im Sausal, Styria
  • Neurath - Neurath , Stainz, Styria
  • Pirath - Pirath, Kirchdorf am Inn, Upper Austria
  • Pirath - Pirath, community Weng im Innkreis, Upper Austria
  • Prarath - Prarath , community Gleinstätten, Styria
  • Practice- rath -ereck - Prarathereck, community Sankt Johann im Saggautal, Styria
  • Purrath - Purrath, community Arbesbach, Lower Austria
  • Rath , Eschenau municipality in the Hausruckkreis, Upper Austria
  • Rath , municipality of Kematen an der Krems, Upper Austria
  • Rath -en - Rathen , municipality of Hartkirchen , Upper Austria

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c Rolf Müller: City History Langenfeld Rhineland. Verlag Stadtarchiv, Langenfeld 1992.
  2. ^ A b Thomas Becker: New findings on St. Martin in Richrath. In: Niederwupper. 20, Historical Posts.
  3. ^ Stephan Meisel: Already in the 8th century. In: Rheinische Post. Edition Langenfeld from June 26, 2004.
  4. ↑ Stephan Meisel: Reusrath probably older than expected. In: Rheinische Post. Edition Langenfeld from May 9, 2008.
  5. ↑ Stephan Meisel: Reusrath much older than expected. In: Rheinische Post. Edition Langenfeld from October 25, 2008.
  6. ↑ Information board on the deserted church , set up by the Lower Monument Authority / City of Langenfeld in July 2009.
  7. ↑ Stephan Meisel: Richrath much older than expected. In: Rheinische Post , Langenfeld edition of March 12, 2003.