Epfenbach
Encyclopedia
Epfenbach is a municipality in south western Germany
. It is located between Heidelberg
and Sinsheim
in the Rhein-Neckar
district in the state of Baden-Württemberg
. The municipality belongs to the municipal association of Waibstadt
and the tourist region Brunnenregion (Water Spring Region).
The meaning of the name Epfenbach is disputed. It could be derived from a person or plant name.
. In 1325 the manor was sold to the Archbishopric of Mainz
and then resold in 1344 to the knight Engelhard von Hirschhorn
. In the centuries to follow, ownership of the manor changed often. In 1622 count Tilly burned down the village. In 1643 the Johannes-Kirche (Church of Saint John
) in Epfenbach was besieged by 400 horsemen of Lorraine. Legend has it that the Schultheiß
at the time, one Hans Dengel, was shot in the head and killed during this siege. By end of the Thirty Years' War
only 15 of the 72 original inhabitants still lived in the village. In 1796 Carl Ullmann
was born. Carl was named by the grand duke of Baden as prelate
and director of the high church council of the State Church of Baden in 1857. In 1799 the village was plundered by French
troops. Later in 1812, citizens of Epfenbach took part in the French invasion of Russia (1812) under Napoleon
. At least Chr. Zapf came back alive. Two years after the union of Lutheran churches in Baden (Evangelischen Kirchenunion) in 1823 the reformed and the Lutheran schools were combined. In 1876 the Simultanschule was instituted.
The flag is blue and white and was awarded in 1978.
state road. You can reach the A6 autobahn
over Waibstadt and Sinsheim
Continuing schools can be found in Waibstadt, Neckarbischofsheim
, and Sinsheim.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is located between Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
and Sinsheim
Sinsheim
Sinsheim is a town in southwestern Germany, in the Rhine Neckar Area of the state Baden-Württemberg about 22 kilometers southeast of Heidelberg and about 28 kilometers northwest of Heilbronn in the district Rhein-Neckar. It consists of a city center and 11 suburbs with a total population of 35,605...
in the Rhein-Neckar
Rhein-Neckar-Kreis
Rhein-Neckar-Kreis is a district in the northwest of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Bergstraße, Odenwaldkreis, Neckar-Odenwald, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe, district-free Speyer, the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, and district-free Mannheim and Heidelberg.-History:The district was created in...
district in the state of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
. The municipality belongs to the municipal association of Waibstadt
Waibstadt
Waibstadt is a town in the district of Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.It belongs to the municipal administration union "Waibstadt", which consists of Epfenbach, Helmstadt-Bargen, Neckarbischofsheim, Neidenstein, Reichartshausen and Waibstadt itself...
and the tourist region Brunnenregion (Water Spring Region).
The meaning of the name Epfenbach is disputed. It could be derived from a person or plant name.
History
Epfenbach first appears in documents in the year 1286 as Epphinbach on a bestowal document of the Schönau AbbeySchönau Abbey
Schönau Abbey in Schönau in the Odenwald, in the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis in Baden-Württemberg, was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1142 from Eberbach Abbey...
. In 1325 the manor was sold to the Archbishopric of Mainz
Archbishopric of Mainz
The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780–82 and 1802. In the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, the Archbishop of Mainz was the primas Germaniae, the substitute of the Pope north of the Alps...
and then resold in 1344 to the knight Engelhard von Hirschhorn
Hirschhorn (Neckar)
Hirschhorn is a small town in the Bergstraße district of Hesse, Germany, and is known as "The Pearl of the Neckar valley”. Hirschhorn is a climatic health resort situated in the Geo-Naturpark Bergstraße-Odenwald.- Location :...
. In the centuries to follow, ownership of the manor changed often. In 1622 count Tilly burned down the village. In 1643 the Johannes-Kirche (Church of Saint John
John the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
) in Epfenbach was besieged by 400 horsemen of Lorraine. Legend has it that the Schultheiß
Schultheiß
In medieval Germany, the Schultheiß was the head of a municipality , a Vogt or an executive official of the ruler.As official it was...
at the time, one Hans Dengel, was shot in the head and killed during this siege. By end of the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
only 15 of the 72 original inhabitants still lived in the village. In 1796 Carl Ullmann
Karl Ullmann
Karl Christian Ullmann was a German Calvinist theologian.-Biography:...
was born. Carl was named by the grand duke of Baden as prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
and director of the high church council of the State Church of Baden in 1857. In 1799 the village was plundered by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
troops. Later in 1812, citizens of Epfenbach took part in the French invasion of Russia (1812) under Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
. At least Chr. Zapf came back alive. Two years after the union of Lutheran churches in Baden (Evangelischen Kirchenunion) in 1823 the reformed and the Lutheran schools were combined. In 1876 the Simultanschule was instituted.
Municipal council
The municipal council includes 12 members in addition to the chairperson and the mayor.| Municipal Council | |||||
| Party | Votes | Seats | |||
| CDU Christian Democratic Union (Germany) The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum... |
% | 4 | |||
| Independent Freie Wähler Verein (FWV) | % | 4 | |||
| SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
% | 4 | |||
| Voter Participation: % | |||||
Coat of arms
The coat of arms is derived from a court seal which has been shown to have been first used 1752. The apple and wavy bar suggest the local folklore referring to the origin of the name has some truth to it. In 1901 the municipality adopted the coat of arms.The flag is blue and white and was awarded in 1978.
Culture and sights
The Epfenbach Museum of Local History shows how a farm household looked around the year 1850. Displayed are things such as the clothes and tools of the local farmers and craftsmen. The museum is located in a classic restored half-timbered house belonging to a former overseer from the abbey in the year 1718.Transport
Epfenbach sits on the L 530Landesstraße
Landesstraßen are roads in Germany and Austria that are, as a rule, the responsibility of the respective German or Austrian federal state. The term may therefore be translated as "state road". They are roads that cross the boundary of a rural or urban district...
state road. You can reach the A6 autobahn
Bundesautobahn 6
, also known as Via Carolina is a 477 km long German autobahn. It starts at the French border near Saarbrücken in the west and end at the Czech border near Waidhaus in the east....
over Waibstadt and Sinsheim
Sinsheim
Sinsheim is a town in southwestern Germany, in the Rhine Neckar Area of the state Baden-Württemberg about 22 kilometers southeast of Heidelberg and about 28 kilometers northwest of Heilbronn in the district Rhein-Neckar. It consists of a city center and 11 suburbs with a total population of 35,605...
Education
In Epfenbach there are the following schools:- Merian-Schule
- A primary school
- A secondary school with a trade school(Werkrealschule)
Continuing schools can be found in Waibstadt, Neckarbischofsheim
Neckarbischofsheim
Neckarbischofsheim is a town in the district of Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 8 km northeast of Sinsheim, and 24 km southeast of Heidelberg....
, and Sinsheim.
Notable natives
- 1796, Carl Christian UllmannKarl UllmannKarl Christian Ullmann was a German Calvinist theologian.-Biography:...
, Protestant Theologian - 1939, Werner FischerWerner FischerWerner Fischer is a Doctor of mechanical engineering and was between 1980 and 1990 Vice-President and between 1990 and 2005 President of the University of Applied Sciences in Karlsruhe in Germany....
, former director of the Hochschule Karlsruhe – Technik und Wirtschaft (a university of applied sciences)