Кандерн: Город у подножия Шварцвальда и родина золотоискателя Саттера

Town in Germany

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 armies ended in Kandern. It is not far from a tripoint where the three countries Germany, France and Switzerland meet and is one of the smallest cities in Germany. To many in North America, Kandern is best known as the birthplace of John Sutter, who owned the land that gold was discovered in 1848, which sparked the California gold rush, and the beginning of intensive settlement in California. Today, Kandern has a large community of English speaking residents as a result of the presence of Black Forest Academy. This is an English language institution founded in 1956. Most of the students are children of international business professionals from around the world, mainly from the United States, Canada, and South Korea. The coat of arms of Kandern is a pitcher on a yellow background. The blazon is Or a covered Jug Gules.

Kandern lies in southwestern Germany, at the foot of the Black Forest. North of Kandern is the Blauen or Hochblauen, one of the highest mountains in the Southern Black Forest. The Hochblauen lies at the end of the Kander Valley and is the source of the Kander. Through Kandern runs the well known Westweg, a hiking trail through the Black Forest from Pforzheim to Basel. Nearby is the Sausenberg and its castle.

As in all of the Margraviate of Baden, Kandern took part in the Reformation in 1556, and has remained predominately Protestant since.

The first documented mention of Feuerbach was is the Liber decimationis of the Bishopric of Konstanz. The village became part of the possessions of the Order of St. John in 1297 and eventually came to be owned by the Margrave of Hachberg in 1470. In 1503 Feuerbach, like the rest of the Markgräflerland, became part of Baden. Feuerbach is a recognized wine producing municipality with around 12 hectares of vineyards. The modern church was built in 1846 on medieval foundations. Feuerbach's community building houses the village offices, a youth center, the fire department and a community hall for the use of local clubs and individuals. The shield of Feurbach does not follow any of the themes used by the other Kandern municipalities. It is not a canting coat of arms, nor does it explicitly relate to the industrial tendencies of the citizens. It was in use long before the administrative merger with Kandern and had been officially registered in 1961.

The first documented reference to Holzen was in the year 1249. In recent times, Holzen has become well known for its large stork population. A stork refuge was built in Holzen in 1979 in hopes of re establishing the large birds in the area, where they used to be common in medieval and early modern times. The storks have spread over a wide area, and are particularly noticeable in their nests on church steeples throughout the Markgräflerland. In addition to the village offices, the Holzen Rathaus (town hall) houses the Kandern Land Registration office and the local youth center. New developments around Holzen complement the traditionally built Altdorf. Wine production is an important part of the local agriculture, with 1473 ares of vineyards in the area around the village.

The documentary evidence for the village of Riedlingen dates as far back as 972. This village in the valley of the Feuerbach creek was already settled by the early Alamanni tribes in Roman times, as excavation of burials in the area has shown. Here one finds a very traditional village center with a church and old farmhouses. New development has surrounded the old village, particularly on the slopes of the Schorner, a forested hill to the north. Riedlingen is the site of one of Kandern's industrial areas, as well as the Kandern golf course. For two weeks each summer (and occasionally in winter) the "Theater im Hof" offers modern plays in a romantic interior courtyard converted to an open air theater.

The first documented mention of Sitzenkirch was in 1120, when the village belonged to the Abbey of St. Blasien. Notable sights in the village include a Romanesque church built in 1290 and an overshot millwheel. Until the time of the Reformation there was a small convent for nuns near the church. The village was destroyed during the German Peasants' War of 1525, with only the church surviving. The church and convent remained in the possession of St. Blasien until 1805.

Tannenkirch was first documented in 1179. The village of Tannenkirch itself is composed of four smaller villages; Tannenkirch, Ettingen, Uttnach, and Gupf, the former three of which have grown together and are now coterminous. Due to Tannenkirch's location with good southern exposure, low precipitation, and an almost Mediterranean microclimate it is an ideal location for viniculture. An interpretive trail through the vineyards informs visitors about the traditions of wine growing. In clear weather Tannenkirch has a good view of the Alsace, the Black Forest, the Jura and the peaks of the Bernese Alps. The village church contains medieval frescoes, and a family of storks in the nest on the steeple. During the Middle Ages, the Margrave held court on the nearby Sausenhard. Kaltenherberge, today a riding stable, was originally a post station on the route from Basel to Frankfurt. Tannenkirch has its own kindergarten and grade school. The main commercial activity is agriculture and vineyards (around 2262 are 22.62 hectares), as well as local tradesmen and an implement dealership.

Wollbach was first documented in 767. Wollbach is the largest "suburb" of Kandern by population, and is composed of the villages of Wollbach, Egerten, Egisholz, Hammerstein, and Nebenau. There are three historical mills in Wollbach; the Hofmühle still in operation today, the Hammersteiner Mühle today a private house, and the Bruckmühle currently a restaurant. In the surrounding forest there are remains of iron mines. Public facilities in Wollbach include a kindergarten, grade school, and sports hall. There are two museums in Wollbach, one of the painter Max Böhlen in his former house (today a restaurant), and a historical Lime kiln in Nebenau.

The town council currently consists of 20 members, besides the mayor. The elections of June 13, 2004 had the following results
CDU 35.6% 7 seats ( 2)
FWV 27.4% 6 seats (+1)
SPD 20.9% 4 seats (=)
GRÜNE 16.1% 3 seats (=)

The coat of arms of Kandern was granted on 11 November 1975. The blazon is Or a covered Jug Gules. The jug, or kanne, alludes to the town's name, and was first used on border stones as a village sign in the 18th century. There are no old seals known from the village. The oldest seals date from the early 19th century and show the shield bearing the jug. Since that time, all seals and images of the arms have shown this symbol, though its size and shape have changed considerably.

Soufflenheim in Alsace since 1985.

The Museumscafe is located in the manor house of the Riedlingen's former tithe barn, built in 1825. The museum contains toy collection including over 50 dollhouses and many stuffed bears.

Iron ore mining was an important activity in Kandern area until the 19th century, but is no longer practiced.

The A 98 autobahn from Weil am Rhein to Stockach and the B 3 federal highway from Buxtehude to Weil am Rhein connect Kandern to the long distance traffic network. The Chanderli heritage railway runs along the route of the former Kander Valley Railway from Kandern to Haltingen.

The August Macke School Centre in Kandern consists of a Hauptschule and a Realschule. There are grade schools (grades 1 4) in Kandern and Tannenkirch. In addition, there are two communal and two Lutheran kindergartens, and one private Waldorf kindergarten. Black Forest Academy (BFA), an English speaking private school (grades 5 12) is also located in Kandern. There is also a bi lingual grade school located in Wollbach (grades 1 4) associated with the Freie Evangelische Schule in Lörrach.