Oberwolfach

coat of arms	Germany map
	Coordinates: 48 ° 19 '  N , 8 ° 13'  E
Basic data
State :	Baden-Württemberg
Administrative region :	Freiburg
County :	Ortenau district
Height :	323 m above sea level NHN
Area :	51.27 km 2
Residents:	2633 (December 31, 2018)
Population density :	51 inhabitants per km 2
Postal code :	77709
Area code :	07834
License plate :	OG, BH , KEL, LR, WOL
Community key :	08 3 17 093
Address of the municipal administration:	Rathausstrasse 1 77709 Oberwolfach
Website :	www.oberwolfach.de
Mayor :	Matthias Bauernfeind ( CDU )
Location of the municipality of Oberwolfach in the Ortenau district

Oberwolfach is a municipality in the Ortenau district in Baden-Württemberg , which became world-famous through the Oberwolfach Mathematical Research Institute .

geography

Geographical location

Oberwolfach Walke

The climatic health resort of Oberwolfach is 270 to 948 meters above sea level in the central Black Forest on the lower reaches of the Wolf , a tributary of the Kinzig .

Neighboring communities

The community borders in the north on Bad Peterstal-Griesbach , in the east on Bad Rippoldsau-Schapbach in the Freudenstadt district , in the south on the cities of Wolfach and Hausach and in the west on Oberharmersbach .

Community structure

Typical single farm landscape in Mitteltal

The municipality of Oberwolfach includes the villages of Bei der Kirche and Walke, the Grünach settlement, the hamlets of Battengott, Erzenbach, Frohnbach, Gelbach, Grangat, Kurzenbach, Rankach and Tiefenbach, the farms of Hapbach, Landeck, Mitteltal, Obertal, Schwarzenbruch, Waldhans, Waldlehme and Zierle and the Untertal residential area. The abandoned village of Tiefenbach is located in the municipality .

geology

Until the end of the Paleozoic , the so-called Variscan basement unfolded in Central Europe and was later covered by numerous layers of sediment in the area of ​​what is now Baden-Württemberg . Only as a result of tectonic movements and erosion in connection with the formation of the Upper Rhine Plain did the mountains visible today near Oberwolfach reappear. Farther east and on numerous mountain heights of Oberwolfach, the layers of the overburden - especially the red sandstone - have been preserved in remnants before they come to light at the transition from the Black Forest to the Gäu ( see also : Southwest German layer level land ).

The basement consists essentially of metamorphic rocks , in the Oberwolfach area mainly gneiss and granite. They were created by the high pressure of the original overlying rock layers. The minerals coveted by collectors , which are particularly common in the Oberwolfach area, developed under the most varied of conditions . This also explains the area's silver wealth .

history

In 1275 Oberwolfach was first mentioned in a document as superioris Wolfach . In 1409 it appears as Ober-Wolfach and in 1482 as Obern Wolfach . In addition, it was also known as veteri Wolfach , Alt-Wolfach or Altwolfach or - even today - in the Wolftaler dialect as alde Wolfe .

The place belonged to the lords of Wolfach , who ruled in the Wolftal and Kinzig valley . By marriage, Wolfach came to the Fürstenberg dynasty in 1291 . This pledged the place to the city of Wolfach in 1365 and then to Strasbourg families until 1419 . Oberwolfach belonged to the Fürstenberg Oberamt Wolfach. In 1806 it fell to the Grand Duchy of Baden along with the entire Wolftal .

Vegetation and agriculture

View in Oberwolfach

The mountain heights of Oberwolfach offer extremely unfavorable conditions for agriculture due to the soils created by the layers of red sandstone on top . In addition, there is often a lack of water. That is the reason why no larger settlements could develop there. They are concentrated in the valleys, although there is only limited management possible. The flowing down from the slopes of water collects in the valley and it forms waterlogging , their disadvantages by extensive drainage measures may be partially offset.

The steep slopes of the Oberwolfach valleys are a major problem for modern agriculture. They are difficult or impossible to manage mechanically. Many areas that were previously used as comparatively fertile fields with the help of slash and burn or multi-field farming have therefore become forested in recent decades. Only the names of individual places indicate the original management. With the forestation of the cultural landscape, numerous plant and animal species disappeared and the small-town climate changed negatively.

Hiking trail in Oberwolfach

Because of the conditions described, the farmers around Oberwolfach have always been dependent on silviculture. Grain or vegetables were usually only grown to cover their own needs. This is still true today, even if tourism and subsidies have been added as sources of income. In contrast, the form of forest management has changed. While beech and fir trees used to dominate in the Black Forest , today, for economic reasons, it is mainly the non-local spruce that is grown. One consequence of extensive spruce cultivation is strong soil acidification , which one tries to counteract by liming . In the meantime, the extremely negative consequences of the spruce monoculture are increasingly being noticed and attempts are being made to return to traditional forms of economy.

One result of the unfavorable agricultural conditions are the above-average farm sizes in Oberwolfach and its surroundings. It is not uncommon for farms to cultivate more than 100 hectares of land. The development of this large-scale farming community was supported by the inheritance law that Count Wilhelm von Fürstenberg introduced with the Kinzigtäler Landesordnung in 1543. Now farms could no longer be divided among several heirs and were thus preserved in their substance.

Grazing in Oberwolfach

Nowadays it is primarily the problematic economic framework conditions that endanger the continued existence of the once proud Black Forest farms. Most farmers now have another main job and only run their farms on the side. It is questionable whether future generations will also be prepared to bear this workload.

politics

mayor

• 1983 to 2015: Jürgen Nowak
• 2015 until today: Matthias Bauernfeind

Municipal council

The local council in Oberwolfach has twelve members. The local elections on May 26, 2019 led to the following preliminary final result. The municipal council consists of the elected voluntary councilors and the mayor as chairman. The mayor is entitled to vote in the municipal council.

Town hall Oberwolfach

Parties and constituencies		2019		2014
		Share of votes	Seats	Share of votes	Seats
FWG	Free community of voters	67.6%	8th	86.2%	10
CDU	Christian Democratic Union of Germany	32.4%	4th	13.8%	2
total		100%	12	100%	12
voter turnout		77.2%		64.3%

The municipal administration of the independent municipality is housed in the town hall (built in 1926) in the Walke district. In the field of tourism promotion and land use planning, Oberwolfach works together with the neighboring town of Wolfach within an agreed administrative community.

Partner municipality

Oberwolfach maintains a community partnership with the following community :

• Still (Bas-Rhin) , Alsace , France, since 1965

energy transition

As part of the strategic partnership, the Freiburg energy supplier Badenova AG prepared an energy potential study for the municipality of Oberwolfach. Building on this, the local council adopted a climate protection concept and set up a climate protection advisory board made up of committed citizens.

Culture and sights

Museums

Wenceslas Pit

• The MiMa Mineralien- und Mathematikmuseum shows minerals from the Black Forest in a permanent exhibition and explains mathematical phenomena.
• The visitor mine Grube Wenzel is an accessible silver mine from the 18th century. Fluorspar, barite and fluorite were mined there.

• Bruno's motorcycle museum is located on the top floor of the tourist information center in Oberwolfach-Kirche, Sportplatzstr. 9. Restored pieces of motorcycle nostalgia are shown in a permanent exhibition.

Buildings

Catholic parish church of
St. Bartholomew from 1762

• The parish church of St. Bartholomew is located in the middle of the parish near the church and is a listed building. It is the work of the Fürstlich-Fürstenberg architect Franz Joseph Salzmann in rococo style with a rich stucco ceiling . The foundation stone was laid in 1755. The main altar and the side altars have baroque pillars with rocaille decorations .
• The Oberwolfach town hall was built between 1922 and 1926 by the architect Stolz from Hausach in the historicist style. It was completely renovated in 2001 and 2002. It is located in the Walke district .

MiMa Oberwolfach

• The theme park "Historical Mining, Minerals and Mathematics" is located directly at the Oberwolfacher Church near the Hofbrücke, which leads to the MiMa - Mineral and Mathematics Museum. In the theme park "Historical Mining, Minerals and Mathematics", since October 27, 2013, visitors can find out more about the cultural heritage of the mining community of Oberwolfach and the connection between minerals and mathematics. The original mast from 1906 of the former Schwarzenbruch-Schwer-Fluorspar cable car can be seen from afar. At the entrance to the theme park there is a large scale barite and a large scale fluorite. Various mining tool exhibits and a meticulously furnished walk-in German door frame tunnel with a historic pit hunt provide an insight into historic mining. A mining locomotive with material and passenger cars is also on display. The connection between minerals and mathematics is illustrated by a Corten steel sculpture that contains five platonic solids.
• The festival hall was reopened on December 20, 2014 after a lengthy renovation and renovation phase. She is available to the local associations for their events and rehearsals. The festival hall is also used for meetings, seminars and cultural events of other groups and companies. The hall can also be booked for private celebrations such as weddings and birthdays.
• The Kreuzsattelhütte is located on the Kreuzsattel along the western route. In the monthly papers of the Black Forest Association from 1927 it is reported that the Wolfach branch of the Black Forest Association received the appropriately furnished shelter and accommodation hut on Höhenweg I from the "generous municipal council" to keep the "hiking world" clean and to protect it. However, it was only part of the hut; the greater part was still used as stables for the horses used in forest work. The hut was built in 1926 on the rubble of a burned down building. Two years after it was founded, the Oberwolfach local group of the Black Forest Association tried in 1963 to let the community-owned hut be made available. The community said yes. When you saw how much the hikers cared about the maintenance of the Kreuzsattelhütte, it was given to the Oberwolfach branch of the Black Forest Association in 1985 on a 99-year long lease. Since then, the hut has been constantly renewed and expanded. From May 1st to the end of October it is open on all Sundays and public holidays. Not only the hikers of the Westweg, but also many Sunday excursionists enjoy the relaxing rest and the excellent hospitality in the cozy Kreuzsattelhütte. In between, the hut is the cozy home of the Oberwolfacher hiking enthusiasts , be it at the club's internal prize game or when celebrating and singing in good company .
• There is a large children's playground next to the Kreuzsattelhütte.
• Wolfach castle ruins
• Walkenstein ruins

Sports

• The Oberwolfach sports club is the largest club in the community and has almost 1,350 members. The main sport is soccer. The club currently plays in the regional league.
• The Oberwolfach tennis club has several tennis courts.
• The Oberwolfach local association of the Black Forest Association offers hiking groups as well as biker meetings for men and women.

Carnival

In Oberwolfach the Customs is carnival maintained by several Häsgruppen. There is an annual parade in Oberwolfach on Carnival Sunday.

Peterlestag

The Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Peter's on February 22nd every year . This ecclesiastical festival is less well known these days. The purely ecclesiastical character of the day disappears very quickly when one comes to speak of the customs connected with it. Children go from house to house and loudly shout spells. As a reward, they get dried fruit, sweets, bacon or money.

Costume

The Fürstenberg costume used to be worn in Oberwolfach. It is a catholic costume and has its home in the former Kinzig valley territory of the Lords of Fürstenberg.

The women wear a chobe , a black, short jacket with ivory buttons on the sleeves and held together by clinging. This includes the chest, a sleeveless vest that ends with a bulge at the waist. This bead holds the silk skirt, which is pleated at the hips, and the white petticoat. A black silk apron embroidered with a floral motif is worn over this, which is held together by the apron mesh at the back. On high church holidays and on personal celebrations, the woman wears the fringed scarf over her shoulders, a silk scarf richly embroidered with floral motifs and tied with white fringes. The Tschobebändel, a velvet ribbon sewn into a loop and embroidered with silver threads, is fastened over the chest. The married woman wears black silk stockings and a lace cap as headgear, a cap that is also embroidered with silver threads and edged with a beautiful lace at the front. The single woman wears the bowler hat on festive occasions . This heavy, crown-like headdress is made of tulle and wire, decorated with many small mirrors and glass beads. On ordinary Sundays, women's costume is a little simpler. You do without the Tschoben and the Tschoben ribbon, the fringed cloth and the loin stitches. Instead, under the breast, a white cotton blouse with puffy sleeves and above the so-called Fula , a silk, embroidered with floral motifs shawl worn.

The young men wear a white shirt and round their necks made of colored silk , black silk knee breeches and hand-knitted blue woolen stockings. The so-called breast cloth, a velvet vest embroidered with colorful flowers, is buttoned in two rows. The smock is worn over this, a jacket made of heavy black wool and lined with a red cloth. A wide-brimmed hat and black loafers complete the whole thing. The married men wear a long coat instead of a short coat, which is also made of black wool and lined with a red cloth. Instead of the low shoes, they wear the high boots and white, hand-knitted cotton stockings.

Today the traditional costumes and customs are maintained by the traditional costume group and the traditional costume band of Oberwolfach.

Economy and Infrastructure

Main industries are the agriculture and forestry , the tourism and further the mining (in the upper Wolfacher Clara mine is barite mined).

Furthermore, Oberwolfach is known among mineralogists as a site for rare minerals.

Salmon farming

The Landesfischereiverband Baden-Württemberg e. V. is the sponsor of the coordinated program for the reintroduction of salmon , in short the salmon program. Since 2008 he has been supported by the non-profit GmbH Wanderfische Baden-Württemberg (WFBW). The seven waters of the Baden-Württemberg salmon program are the Alb , Murg , Rench , Kinzig, Elz - Dreisam , the rest of the Rhine and the meadow .

In June 2010, the Baden-Württemberg State Fisheries Association opened its own salmon farm in Oberwolfach. The restored former pond system is managed by Stephan Stäbler. The young salmon that are reared in the salmon farm are finally stocked in the program waters on the Rhine to support the new stock build-up.

A residential building is connected to the salmon farm and is to be converted into a visitor center. With numerous information boards and guided tours, interested visitors can then find out more about the salmon and the salmon program.

traffic

The L 96 runs through Oberwolfach and branches off from the B 294 at Wolfach in the south and joins the B 28 at Kniebis in the north .

tourism

Due to the special topology and landscape, the low mountain range and the leisure facilities in Oberwolfach and the surrounding area, Oberwolfach offers favorable conditions for tourism.

The Kleine Hansjakobweg and the Westweg run through Oberwolfach .

One of the numerous hiking trails in Oberwolfach is the bird nature trail. Native bird species are presented on 43 educational boards and their way of life is described. There are also species-appropriate nesting boxes for the cave-breeding birds at suitable places along the path , so that the path invites you to watch birds, especially during the breeding season. The comfortable hiking trail - without any significant inclines - connects the two districts of Kirche and Walke. It always leads away from the road and mostly along the stream through a charming piece of landscape in the Wolftal valley. Benches invite you to linger in several places. Length approx. 3 km. Refreshments in the district Walke and district Kirche.

media

The daily newspapers Offenburger Tageblatt and Schwarzwälder Bote contain a local section from Oberwolfach. Every Friday, the municipality, together with the city of Wolfach and the municipality of Bad Rippoldsau-Schapbach, publishes the citizens' journal with official notices and announcements from local organizations.

education

In Oberwolfach there is a primary and secondary school with a technical secondary school . There is also a Roman Catholic kindergarten in town. There is also a library in the rooms of the Catholic parish.

research

A special feature is the Oberwolfach Mathematical Research Institute , which is considered to be one of the “most important institutions for mathematical research worldwide”. The institute awards the Oberwolfach Prize .

Personalities

Sons and daughters of the church

• Johannes Groß (1879–1954), politician, member of the Reichstag

Honorary citizen

• Jürgen Nowak, Mayor of Oberwolfach 1983–2015

Personalities associated with Oberwolfach

• Luitgard von Wittichen (1291–1348), founder of the Wittichen monastery , lived in Oberwolfach from 1303 to 1323
• William Threlfall (1888–1949), German mathematician, died in Oberwolfach
• Wilhelm Süss (1895–1958), 1944 founder of the Mathematical Research Institute
• Martin Barner (* 1921), director of the Mathematical Research Institute from 1963 to 1994

Individual evidence

1. ↑ State Statistical Office Baden-Württemberg - Population by nationality and gender on December 31, 2018 (CSV file) ( help on this ).
2. ^ The state of Baden-Württemberg. Official description by district and municipality. Volume VI: Freiburg region Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1982, ISBN 3-17-007174-2 . Pp. 431-432
3. ↑ State Office for Geology, Raw Materials and Mining Baden-Württemberg (Ed.): Geological school map of Baden-Württemberg 1: 1000000. Explanations. Freiburg i.Br. 1998. 12th, revised and expanded edition. P. 11 ff.
4. ↑ Schapbach church book, Ehebuch 1720–1810, p. 55
5. ^ History of Oberwolfach on Mortenau.de
6. ↑ State Office for Geology, Raw Materials and Mining Baden-Württemberg (Ed.): Geological school map of Baden-Württemberg 1: 1000000, explanations. Freiburg i.Br. 1998, 12th revised and expanded edition, p. 133
7. ↑ Veltzke, Gardy Gerhard: The bound rural property in the Prince bergischen legislation illustrated by the example of the former princely rule bergischen Wolfach. Donaueschingen 1938. pp. 10-12
8. ↑ Veltzke, Gardy Gerhard: The bound rural property in the Prince bergischen legislation illustrated by the example of the former princely rule bergischen Wolfach. Donaueschingen 1938. p. 6 ff.
9. ↑ Kreuzsattel ( Memento of the original from March 16, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on schwarzwaldverein-oberwolfach.de 
10. ^ Homepage of the city of Wolfach
11. ^ Gebhard Bächle: Home in the Wolftal - Oberwolfach: Life and customs in a Black Forest community. Oberwolfach 1999
12. ↑ Homepage of the municipality of Oberwolfach
13. ↑ http://www.lfvbw.de
14. ^ Schwarzwälder Bote from May 17, 2012
15. ↑ Press release ( Memento of the original from June 5, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research from April 1, 2008 

Web links

Commons : Oberwolfach  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Wikivoyage: Oberwolfach  - travel guide

Website of the municipality of Oberwolfach