Schemmerhofen
Encyclopedia
Schemmerhofen is a municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...

 in the district of Biberach
Biberach (district)
Biberach is a district in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Ravensburg, Sigmaringen, Reutlingen and Alb-Donau, and the Bavarian districts Neu-Ulm, Unterallgäu and the district-free city Memmingen...

 in Upper Swabia
Upper Swabia
Upper Swabia is a region in Germany in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. The name refers to the area between the Swabian Alb, Lake Constance and the Lech...

.

Geography

Schemmerhofen is situated 9 km (5.6 mi) north of Biberach an der Riß
Biberach an der Riß
Biberach is a town in the south of Germany. It is the capital of Biberach district, in the Upper Swabia region of the German state of Baden-Württemberg...

. The formerly autonomous villages of Schemmerberg, Ingerkingen, Altheim, Aßmannshardt and Alberweiler are administratively part of Schemmerhofen. The municipality of Schemmerhofen has a total population of 7646.

Schemmerhofen

It is impossible to determine today whether the place Scammara, mentioned in a document of 851, referred to Langenschemmern or Schemmerberg. The mentioning of ad Scammares in 1095, Schamern in 1127, Scammun in 1242 and Krutschemmern in 1319, all indicate that no distinction was made between the two places, located in close proximity. Only in 1361 Landenschammar is referred to for the first time.

From the end of the 14th century onwards, 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 mentioned. The word Schemmern is related to the word Schiene, referring to the reedbeds
Phragmites
Phragmites, the Common reed, is a large perennial grass found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Phragmites australis is sometimes regarded as the sole species of the genus Phragmites, though some botanists divide Phragmites australis into three or four species...

 in the valley of the river Riß
Riß
The Riss is a small river in Baden-Württemberg, south-western Germany, right tributary of the Danube. Its source is in Upper Swabia, between Bad Waldsee and Bad Schussenried. It flows north, through the town of Biberach an der Riss. It then flows into the Danube between Ehingen and Erbach,...

.

Originally, the hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...

s of Aufhofen and Langenschemmern formed a single political entity. However, after the annexation by the newly formed Kingdom
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...

 of Württemberg
History of Württemberg
Württemberg developed as a political entity in south-west Germany, with the core established around Stuttgart by Count Conrad . His descendants managed to expand Württemberg, surviving Germany's religious wars, changes in imperial policy, and invasions from France. The state had a basic...

 in 1806, the inhabitants of Aufhofen wished to secede from Langenschemmern. Since the properties of the inhabitants were spread over the territories of both villages, it took until 1843 for the separation to be concluded.

Currently, Schemmerhofen has a population of 2928.

Schemmerberg

Schemmerberg has a population of 1220.

First mentioned in 1267 as Schamerberg, the village had its own parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...

 church, dedicated to Saint Martin
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...

, by 1275. However, the origin of this church dates back to the period of the christianization
Christianization
The historical phenomenon of Christianization is the conversion of individuals to Christianity or the conversion of entire peoples at once...

 of Upper Swabia in the Early Middle Ages.

Originally belonging to the Herren
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...

 of Schaemmern, the village was divided in the late Middle Ages: one part belonged to the Counts of Wartstein, the other to the Herren
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...

 of Sulmetingen. Both dynasties held the land rights as vassals of the Austrian house of Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...

.
The Counts of Wartstein sold their rights bit by bit to the Imperial Abbey
Reichsabt
Imperial abbeys were religious houses within the Holy Roman Empire which for some period during their existence had the status of Reichsunmittelbarkeit : that is, such houses were answerable directly to the Emperor and were thus sovereign territories , independent of other lordships...

 Salem
Salem Abbey
Salem Abbey , also known as Salmansweiler and in Latin as Salomonis Villa, was a very prominent Cistercian monastery in Salem in the district of Bodensee about ten miles from Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.-Abbey:The abbey was founded in 1136 by Gunthram of Adelsreute Salem Abbey (Kloster or...

 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 whole village was owned by this abbey. As part of Salem Abbey, Schemmerberg fell under the jurisdiction of the bailiffs of Upper Swabia
Upper Swabia
Upper Swabia is a region in Germany in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. The name refers to the area between the Swabian Alb, Lake Constance and the Lech...

, who resided in Altdorf. Due to the distance to Altdorf, King Maximilian I
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...

 granted Salem the right to establish a legal court in Schemmerberg in 1497.

During the Peasants' Revolt
Peasants' Revolt
The Peasants' Revolt, Wat Tyler's Rebellion, or the Great Rising of 1381 was one of a number of popular revolts in late medieval Europe and is a major event in the history of England. Tyler's Rebellion was not only the most extreme and widespread insurrection in English history but also the...

, the Baltringer Haufen
Baltringer Haufen
The Baltringer Haufen was prominent among several armed groups of peasants and craftsmen during the German Peasants' War of 1524-1525. The name derived from the small Upper Swabian village of Baltringen, which lies approximately south of Ulm in the district of Biberach, Germany...

 destroyed the castle on 26 March 1525, after the resident monks had fled to Biberach an der Riss.

In 1742, Salem Abbey received the privilege to inflict high justice
High Justice
High Justice is a 1974 collection of science fiction short stories by Jerry Pournelle. It was republished in a omnibus edition with Exiles to Glory in 2009 as Exile -- and Glory....

.

Following the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss, the mediatisation and secularisation of numerous secular and ecclesiastical principalities within the former Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...

, both parts of Schemmerberg first fell to the princely house of Thurn and Taxis, only to be annexed by the newly formed Kingdom
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...

 of Württemberg
History of Württemberg
Württemberg developed as a political entity in south-west Germany, with the core established around Stuttgart by Count Conrad . His descendants managed to expand Württemberg, surviving Germany's religious wars, changes in imperial policy, and invasions from France. The state had a basic...

 in 1806.

On January 1, 1974, Schemmerberg voluntarily became part of the municipality of Schemmerhofen.

Ingerkingen

Ingerkingen has a population of 1194.

Ingerkingen is a village situated along the road connecting the former Free Imperial Cities
Free Imperial City
In the Holy Roman Empire, a free imperial city was a city formally ruled by the emperor only — as opposed to the majority of cities in the Empire, which were governed by one of the many princes of the Empire, such as dukes or prince-bishops...

 Biberach
Biberach an der Riß
Biberach is a town in the south of Germany. It is the capital of Biberach district, in the Upper Swabia region of the German state of Baden-Württemberg...

 and Ehingen
Ehingen
Ehingen is a town in the Alb-Donau district in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, situated on the left bank of the Danube, approx. 25 km southwest of Ulm and 67 km southeast of Stuttgart.-Statistics:...

. This road was of Roman origin.

The existence of a local aristocratic dynasty was first documented when, in 1246, Friedrich von Magenbuch transferred ownership of a demesne
Demesne
In the feudal system the demesne was all the land, not necessarily all contiguous to the manor house, which was retained by a lord of the manor for his own use and support, under his own management, as distinguished from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants...

 to the Imperial Abbey of Salem. In the course of this transaction, the brothers Konrad and Hermann von Ingerichingen renounced their rights to the demesne. Furthermore, several members of the local aristocracy appeared as witnesses in documents: in 1263 and 1286 a certain Konrad von Ingerichingen and in 1298 a certain Dietherus von Ingiringen. In 1314 Reinhard von Ingerichingen donated farms in the hamlet of Edenbachen to the Imperial Ochsenhausen Abbey
Ochsenhausen Abbey
Ochsenhausen Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Ochsenhausen in the district of Biberach in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.- History :...

.

Although Ingerkingen was under the jurisdiction of the Austrian house of Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...

, the Imperial Knight
Imperial Knight
The Free Imperial Knights, or the Knights of the Empire was an organisation of free nobles of the Holy Roman Empire, whose direct overlord was the Emperor, remnants of the medieval free nobility and the ministeriales...

 of Stadion
Stadion (state)
Stadion was a statelet of the Holy Roman Empire, located around Thannhausen in the present-day Bavarian administrative region of Swabia, Germany....

 were enfeoffed with this right. When a royal decree on 10 December 1494 extended this jurisdiction to all inhabitants of Ingerkingen, a long-lasting conflict with the monastery of Buchau
Bad Buchau
Bad Buchau is a small town in the district of Biberach, Baden-Württemberg, Germany with about 4,000 inhabitants. It is situated near the Federsee, which is separated from the town by a wide reed belt....

 and the Imperial City of Biberach ensued, both of which feared this would infringe the rights they held in Ingerkingen. This was only resolved when Hans-Walter von Stadion sold the rights of low and high justice together with six farms of varying size to Biberach on 5 April 1526. The Imperial City of Biberach was to be the owner of Ingerkingen until 1801, when, as a result of the Treaty of Lunéville
Treaty of Lunéville
The Treaty of Lunéville was signed on 9 February 1801 between the French Republic and the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, negotiating both on behalf of his own domains and of the Holy Roman Empire...

, the village fell to the Margrave
Margrave
A margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...

 of Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....

, Charles Frederick, only to be annexed by the newly formed Kingdom
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...

 of Württemberg
History of Württemberg
Württemberg developed as a political entity in south-west Germany, with the core established around Stuttgart by Count Conrad . His descendants managed to expand Württemberg, surviving Germany's religious wars, changes in imperial policy, and invasions from France. The state had a basic...

 in 1806.

On 1 January 1975, Ingerkingen was incorporated into the municipality of Schemmerhofen.

Altheim

Altheim has a population of 686.

First mentioned in 851, Altheim is believed to be a Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...

 foundation.

After having belonged to the territory of the Imperial Knight
Imperial Knight
The Free Imperial Knights, or the Knights of the Empire was an organisation of free nobles of the Holy Roman Empire, whose direct overlord was the Emperor, remnants of the medieval free nobility and the ministeriales...

 of Warthausen
Warthausen
Warthausen is a town in the district of Biberach in Baden-Württemberg in Germany and birthplace of Baron F. M. Koenig Warthausen....

 and their successors, the Counts of Wartenstein during the 13th and 14th centuries, the ownership of the village became divided between several entities. In 1304, parts of the village came into the ownership of the Imperial Abbey of Salem. The rest of the village belonged to the dynasty of the Imperial Knight
Imperial Knight
The Free Imperial Knights, or the Knights of the Empire was an organisation of free nobles of the Holy Roman Empire, whose direct overlord was the Emperor, remnants of the medieval free nobility and the ministeriales...

 of Stadion
Stadion (state)
Stadion was a statelet of the Holy Roman Empire, located around Thannhausen in the present-day Bavarian administrative region of Swabia, Germany....

. This part was transferred into the possession of the Imperial Knight of Schienen zu Gammerschwang in 1505, who in turn transferred it to the Imperial Knight of Stauffenberg
Stauffenberg
The Schenken von Stauffenberg are an aristocratic Roman Catholic family from Swabia in Germany, whose best-known member was Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg – the key figure in the 1944 "20 July plot" to assassinate Adolf Hitler....

in 1591. On 12 November 1621, Hans Christoph Schenk von Stauffenberg sold half the village to the Imperial Abbey of Salem.

The development of the village was heavily influenced by these incessant partitions of rulership.
In 1699, Altheim counted 12 houses belonging to the Imperial Abbey of Salem, 33 houses to the Imperial Knight of Stauffenberg
Stauffenberg
The Schenken von Stauffenberg are an aristocratic Roman Catholic family from Swabia in Germany, whose best-known member was Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg – the key figure in the 1944 "20 July plot" to assassinate Adolf Hitler....

 and 2 houses to the monastery of Buchau.

Together with Schemmerberg, Altheim first fell to the princely house of Thurn and Taxis, following the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss, only to be annexed by the newly formed Kingdom Württemberg in 1806.

On 1 January 1975, Altheim was incorporated into the municipality of Schemmerhofen.

Aßmannshardt

Aßmannshardt has a population of 865.

Aßmannshardt was first mentioned as Aßmundeshart around 1180 in the Codex Hirsaugiensis, a book which systematically recorded all donations to Hirsau Abbey
Hirsau Abbey
Hirsau Abbey, formerly known as Hirschau Abbey, was once one of the most prominent Benedictine abbeys of Germany. It was located in the town of Hirsau, in the Diocese of Speyer, near Calw in the present Baden-Württemberg.-History:...

. Evidence of earlier settlement has been discovered in several tumuli
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...

 which were dated to the Hallstadt culture. The name of the village contains the elements of a personal name Asmunt and the word hart which means forest or meadow.

Toponomic evidence, such as Leithauser Wiesen, Lindacher-Weg-Ösch and Aufhofer Weiher, suggests that there were more settlements on the territory that now constitutes the village of Aßmannshardt. Another name of a village now lost is mentioned when during the late Middle Ages a conflict arose between the parish Aßmannshardt and Attenweiler
Attenweiler
Attenweiler is a municipality in the district of Biberach in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....

 regarding the rights held in Husshoven.

A local aristocratic dynasty was first recorded at the end of the 13th century when, in 1288, Konrad Schenk von Asmushard donated a meadow in Altheim. After 1300, the village was held by Seneschal
Seneschal
A seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the sénéchal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli...

 Walter von Warthausen as a fief from Count Walter von Landau. Together with Warthausen
Warthausen
Warthausen is a town in the district of Biberach in Baden-Württemberg in Germany and birthplace of Baron F. M. Koenig Warthausen....

, the village was sold to the house of Habsburg in 1331. It remained under the ultimate sovereignty of the house of Habsurg until 1806, being part of the barony of Warthausen. Warthausen, having been mortgaged several times, finally came into the possession of the Imperial City of Biberach in 1446 only to be released from Biberach's rule after the Protestan Reformation was introduced there. In 1529, Martin Schad of Mittelbiberach
Mittelbiberach
Mittelbiberach is a village in the district of Biberach.Mittelbiberach is a village between Reute, Stafflangen and Biberach.The river Rotbach flows through the village. Parts of Mittelbiberach are Reute, Oberdorf, Findenmösle, Unterreute and Geradsweiler...

 acquired the rights to Warthasuen and the village of Aßmannshardt. His family owned the village until they died out in the agnatic
Agnatic seniority
Agnatic seniority is a patrilineal principle of inheritance where the order of succession to the throne prefers the monarch's younger brother over the monarch's own sons. A monarch's children succeed only after the males of the elder generation have all been exhausted...

 line in 1696, after which the Counts of Stadion
Stadion (state)
Stadion was a statelet of the Holy Roman Empire, located around Thannhausen in the present-day Bavarian administrative region of Swabia, Germany....

 were enfoeffed with Warthausen and thereby also Aßmannshardt.

During the Thirty Years War 1618-1648, Aßmannshardt was devastated. Most of the inhabitants died of war, plague and starvation. The village itself was burnt down. In order to repopulate the village, settlers from the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....

 were introduced, mostly from Montafon
Montafon
Montafon is a valley in Austria that extends from the city of Bludenz to the Silvretta mountain range. It is also known in the local dialect as Muntafu....

 and Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg is the westernmost federal-state of Austria. Although it is the second smallest in terms of area and population , it borders three countries: Germany , Switzerland and Liechtenstein...

. In 1662, there was not a single inhabitant who had either been born or brought up in the village.

The barony, which officially had been part of the Kingdom of Württemberg since 1806, was sold to the state on 16 January 1826 by Johann Philipp Eduard von Stadion, thereby relinquishing all seigneurial rights.

On 1 January 1975, Altheim was incorporated into the municipality of Schemmerhofen.

Alberweiler

Alberweiler has a population of 753.

There is evidence to suggest that the village was founded in the 8th or 9th century. In the 11th century, Alberweiler consisted of seven fishermen's huts, a chapel and the local castle (Alberweiler Castle
Alberweiler Castle
Alberweiler Castle is a small castle-like structure in the village of Alberweiler, now part of the municipality of Schemmerhofen in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on a hillside in the centre of the village...

). In 1092 a parish church was mentioned.

Alberweiler was subject to the Counts of Warthausen, a collateral line of which had its residence there, until 1585, when it came into the possession of the Counts of Stadion.

The hamlet of Grafenwald belonged to Alberweiler. Originally owned by the Counts of Berg, the forest was cleared in 1581 and, following further clearing in 1683, was farmed by four tenants.

On 1 January 1975, Altheim was incorporated into the municipality of Schemmerhofen.

Municipal council

The municipal council consist of 20 councillors, representing the whole municipality. They are elected for a five-year term. The council is chaired by the mayor.
Name Representing
Hermann Ackermann Alberweiler
Robert Kling Alberweiler
Anton Hagel Altheim
Mathias Heinzler Altheim
Manfred Kühnbach Altheim
Gerd Haberbosch Aßmannshardt
Karl Jucker Aßmannshardt
Paul Haid Ingerkingen
Ursula Haid Ingerkingen
Jürgen Weber Ingerkingen
Rudolf Forderer Schemmerberg
Josef Hinsinger Schemmerberg
Jans Peter Stegmaier Schemmerberg
Brigitte Bertsch Schemmerhofen
Elisabeth Bumiller Schemmerhofen
Albert Kehrle Schemmerhofen
Petra Dicke Schemmerhofen
Johannes Maier Schemmerhofen
Erich Pappela Schemmerhofen
Georg Wenger Schemmerhofen

Industry

Schemmerhofen is a predominantly agricultural municipality. There is no large scale industry.

Traffic

Schemmerhofen is situated on the Bundesstraße 465 as well as on the railway line Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...

-Friedrichshafen
Friedrichshafen
This article is about a German town. For the Danish town, see Frederikshavn, and for the Finnish town, see Fredrikshamn .Friedrichshafen is a university city on the northern side of Lake Constance in Southern Germany, near the borders with Switzerland and Austria.It is the district capital of the...

. The resepective station is Schemmerberg. The station Langenschemmern is only used by freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...

s, transporting sand and gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...

.

Attractions

  • Aßmannshardt: parish church Saint Michael
  • Aufhofen: pilgrimage church, called Käppele (little chapel).
  • Langenschemmern: parish church Saint Maurice
    Saint Maurice
    Saint Maurice was the leader of the legendary Roman Theban Legion in the 3rd century, and one of the favorite and most widely venerated saints of that group. He was the patron saint of several professions, locales, and kingdoms...

    , containing 14th century murals.

Notable people from Schemmerhofen

  • Joseph Cades (1855–1943), church architect (born in Altheim).

Sources

  • Krezdorn, Siegfried & Schahl, Adolf, Schemmerhofen: Alberweiler, Altheim, Aßmannshardt, Aufhofen, Ingerkingen, Langenschemmern, Schemmerberg, Sigmaringen, 1980
  • Steim, Karl Werner, 750 Jahre Alberweiler, Schemmerhofen, 2000
  • Weiler, Fritz, 900 Jahre Aßmannshardt, 700 Jahre Pfarrei Sankt Michael. Rückblick und Gegenwartsaufnahme, Biberach an der Riss, 1980

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK