Schotten
Encyclopedia
Schotten is a town in the middle of Hesse, Germany
. Larger towns nearby include Alsfeld
in the north, Fulda
in the east, Friedberg
in the south and Gießen
in the west.
on the western slope of the Vogelsberg Mountains
. Nearby are Hoherodskopf (764 m) and Taufstein (773 m), the two highest peaks in the High Vogelsberg Nature Park. Schotten is a tourist town
thanks to reliably high snow
fall in the winter and hiking
opportunities in the summer in the extensive forest
s. Watersports are also possible on the Nidda Reservoir.
In the outermost northwestern municipal area is the source of the river Nidda
, a favourite destination for hikers.
, in the northeast on the town of Herbstein
, in the east on the community of Grebenhain
, in the south on the town of Gedern
and the community of Hirzenhain
(both in the Wetteraukreis
), and in the west on the town of Nidda
(Wetteraukreis) and the town of Laubach
(district
).
finds from the Schotten area reach back to the New Stone Age. Several barrows
bear witness to prehistoric times as do the "Alteburg" and "Wildhauskopf" ringwalls, whose building date is unknown.
Schotten had its first documentary mention in 778. The "Horstburg", a local castle
near the constituent community of Rudingshain, may have stood in connection with the town's founding. There were digs at the ruins in the 1970s, and they were interpreted as having been a Carolingian
royal court. Schotten is said to have been founded by Irish
-Scottish
monks. The great Gothic
Liebfrauenkirche ("Church of Our Lady") was built in the 14th century.
In the Middle Ages
, Schotten belonged to the Eppstein and Trimberg noble families. The Rhenish League of Towns, in a feud with these families, captured the town and destroyed the walls and the stately home. From 1403, Schotten belonged to the Hessian Landgrave
s. The current stately home, the Schottener Schloss, dates from this time.
The golden hill stands for the Vogelsberg Mountains
. The falcon comes from a legend about the town's founding.
since 1960 Belœil-Quevaucamps, Belgium
since 1963 Crosne
, France
since 1963 Rýmařov
, Czech Republic
since 1996 Maybole
, Scotland
, United Kingdom
since 2000
There are furthermore town friendships between Schotten and these towns: Bogen
, Bavaria
Ozimek
, Poland
since 1996
and the A 45
.
The B 276 from Gedern by way of Schotten to Laubach is a notorious motorcycle
road that attracts motorcyclists in droves on sunny weekends, not least of all for the motorcycle clubs along the road, such as the Falltorhaus ("Portcullis House"). There have been problems with street racing, which in 2005 left 12 people dead and another 129 injured. A particular problem on the highway is the "Applauskurve", a 180° bow in the roadway between Schotten and Laubach known to motorcyclists all over Germany. There, onlookers – mostly other motorcyclists – gather to watch motorcycles take the curve a great speed, applauding – and even photographing or filming – the ones who go round the bend at the greatest lean.
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...
. Larger towns nearby include Alsfeld
Alsfeld
Alsfeld is a town in the center of Hesse, somewhere in Germany. Large towns nearby are Bad Hersfeld about 33 km to the east, Fulda 36 km to the southeast, Gießen 47 km to the west and Marburg an der Lahn about 36 km to the northwest...
in the north, Fulda
Fulda
Fulda is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district .- Early Middle Ages :...
in the east, Friedberg
Friedberg, Hesse
Friedberg is a town and the capital of the Wetteraukreis district, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 26 kilometers north of Frankfurt am Main.-Division of the town:The town consists of 7 districts:* Bruchenbrücken...
in the south and Gießen
Gießen
Gießen, also spelt Giessen is a town in the German federal state of Hesse, capital of both the district of Gießen and the administrative region of Gießen...
in the west.
Location
The officially recognized climatic spa lies from 168 to 773 m above sea levelSea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
on the western slope of the Vogelsberg Mountains
Vogelsberg Mountains
The Vogelsberg Mountains are a group duct of ancient volcanic activity and are separated from the Rhön Mountains by the Fulda River and its valley....
. Nearby are Hoherodskopf (764 m) and Taufstein (773 m), the two highest peaks in the High Vogelsberg Nature Park. Schotten is a tourist town
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
thanks to reliably high snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
fall in the winter and hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
opportunities in the summer in the extensive forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s. Watersports are also possible on the Nidda Reservoir.
In the outermost northwestern municipal area is the source of the river Nidda
Nidda River
The Nidda is a right tributary of the Main river in Hesse.It springs from the Vogelsberg on the Taufstein mountain range near the town of Schotten, flows through the Niddastausee dam, and the towns of Nidda, Niddatal, Karben, and Bad Vilbel...
, a favourite destination for hikers.
Neighbouring communities
Schotten borders in the north on the town of UlrichsteinUlrichstein
-Location:Ulrichstein lies in the Vogelsberg Mountains 614 m above sea level and is thereby Hesse's highest town. It is a recognized climatic spa and lies right near the "Hoherodskopf" nature reserve...
, in the northeast on the town of Herbstein
Herbstein
-Location:The spa town of Herbstein lies on the eastern slope of the Vogelsberg Mountains.-Neighbouring communities:Herbstein borders in the north on the community of Lautertal and the community of Wartenberg, in the east on the communities of Großenlüder and Hosenfeld , in the south on the...
, in the east on the community of Grebenhain
Grebenhain
-Location:The community of Grebenhain lies from 400 to 733 m above sea level in the southeastern Vogelsberg Mountains, about 30 km west of Fulda.-Neighbouring communities:...
, in the south on the town of Gedern
Gedern
Gedern is a town in the Wetteraukreis district in Hesse, Germany, and historically belongs to Oberhessen. It is located northeast of Hanau at the foot of the Vogelsberg, once one of the largest inactive volcanoes in Europe.-Neighboring towns:...
and the community of Hirzenhain
Hirzenhain
Hirzenhain is a municipality in the Wetteraukreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located approx. 45 kilometers northeast of Frankfurt am Main....
(both in the Wetteraukreis
Wetteraukreis
The Wetteraukreis is a Kreis in the middle of Hesse, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Landkreis Gießen, Vogelsbergkreis, Main-Kinzig-Kreis, district-free Stadt Frankfurt, Hochtaunuskreis, Lahn-Dill-Kreis.-History:...
), and in the west on the town of Nidda
Nidda
Nidda could refer to:*Niddah, a concept in Judaism*Niddah , a tractate in the Mishna and Talmud*Nidda, Hesse, a town in Germany*Nidda , a river in Germany...
(Wetteraukreis) and the town of Laubach
Laubach
' is a town of approximately 10,000 people in the region of Hesse, Germany. Laubach is known as a , a climatic health resort. It is situated east of Gießen. Surrounding are the towns of , , and .-Points of interest:...
(district
Gießen (district)
Gießen is a Kreis in the middle of Hessen, Germany. Neighboring districts are Marburg-Biedenkopf, Vogelsbergkreis, Wetteraukreis, Lahn-Dill.-History:...
).
Constituent communities
Besides the main town, which bears the same name as the whole municipality, Schotten is divided into the following communities: Betzenrod, Breungeshain, Burkhards, Busenborn, Eichelsachsen, Einartshausen, Eschenrod, Götzen, Kaulstoß, Michelbach, Rainrod, Rudingshain, Sichenhausen and Wingershausen.History
ArchaeologicalArchaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
finds from the Schotten area reach back to the New Stone Age. Several barrows
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...
bear witness to prehistoric times as do the "Alteburg" and "Wildhauskopf" ringwalls, whose building date is unknown.
Schotten had its first documentary mention in 778. The "Horstburg", a local castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
near the constituent community of Rudingshain, may have stood in connection with the town's founding. There were digs at the ruins in the 1970s, and they were interpreted as having been a Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
royal court. Schotten is said to have been founded by Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
-Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
monks. The great Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
Liebfrauenkirche ("Church of Our Lady") was built in the 14th century.
In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Schotten belonged to the Eppstein and Trimberg noble families. The Rhenish League of Towns, in a feud with these families, captured the town and destroyed the walls and the stately home. From 1403, Schotten belonged to the Hessian Landgrave
Landgrave
Landgrave was a title used in the Holy Roman Empire and later on by its former territories. The title refers to a count who had feudal duty directly to the Holy Roman Emperor...
s. The current stately home, the Schottener Schloss, dates from this time.
Municipal area development
Under the municipal reforms in the early 1970s, 15 communities were amalgamated into a greater community of Schotten.Coat of arms
Schotten's civic coat of arms might heraldically be described thus: In azure a falcon argent armed gules wings outstretched standing upon a hill Or.The golden hill stands for the Vogelsberg Mountains
Vogelsberg Mountains
The Vogelsberg Mountains are a group duct of ancient volcanic activity and are separated from the Rhön Mountains by the Fulda River and its valley....
. The falcon comes from a legend about the town's founding.
Town partnerships
Schotten has the following sister towns: Arco, ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
since 1960 Belœil-Quevaucamps, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
since 1963 Crosne
Crosne
Crosne may mean:* Stachys affinis, an edible plant* Crosne, Essonne, a commune in Essonne, France...
, France
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...
since 1963 Rýmařov
Rýmarov
Rýmařov is a town in the Bruntál District, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic. It has a population of 8,856 as of 25 Mar 2010.- History :...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
since 1996 Maybole
Maybole
Maybole is a burgh of barony and police burgh of South Ayrshire, Scotland. Pop. 4,552. It is situated south of Ayr and southwest of Glasgow by the Glasgow and South Western Railway. ...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
since 2000
There are furthermore town friendships between Schotten and these towns: Bogen
Bogen, Germany
Bogen is a town in the district of Straubing-Bogen in Bavaria, Germany. It has a population of 10,105. Bogen is located between the southern slopes of the Bavarian Forest and the Danube River. The town lies on the foot of the Bogenberg, a hill directly placed by the Danube...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
Ozimek
Ozimek
Ozimek is a town in Opole County, Opole Voivodeship, Poland, with 10,040 inhabitants .History of the town starts in 1753, when Malapanew steelworks was opened, the first one in Silesia. In mid-19th century, Ozimek was located on the major rail route Lubliniec - Opole and the town quickly...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
since 1996
Transport
Federal Highways (Bundesstraßen) B 455 and B 276 run through the town. The nearest Autobahnen arre the A 5Bundesautobahn 5
is a 445 km long Autobahn in Germany. Its northern end is the Hattenbach triangle intersection is a 445 km (277 mi) long Autobahn in Germany. Its northern end is the Hattenbach triangle intersection is a 445 km (277 mi) long Autobahn in Germany. Its northern end is the...
and the A 45
Bundesautobahn 45
is an autobahn in Germany, connecting Dortmund in the west with Aschaffenburg in the southwest. It is colloquially known by its byname Sauerlandlinie, which derives from the Sauerland, the landscape which said autobahn is running through between the cities of Hagen and Siegen. Many people think of...
.
The B 276 from Gedern by way of Schotten to Laubach is a notorious motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
road that attracts motorcyclists in droves on sunny weekends, not least of all for the motorcycle clubs along the road, such as the Falltorhaus ("Portcullis House"). There have been problems with street racing, which in 2005 left 12 people dead and another 129 injured. A particular problem on the highway is the "Applauskurve", a 180° bow in the roadway between Schotten and Laubach known to motorcyclists all over Germany. There, onlookers – mostly other motorcyclists – gather to watch motorcycles take the curve a great speed, applauding – and even photographing or filming – the ones who go round the bend at the greatest lean.
Sports and leisure
Schotten is also home to the Niddastausee, a man-made lake. Here, sailors, surfers and other watersport lovers find a place, as do recreation seekers. In winter, on the other hand, the Hoherodskopf is probably the favourite outing destination in the area.Buildings
In the Old Town, the Gothic Liebfrauenkirche can be seen with its famous Marienaltar. The winged altar was made about 1385 by an unknown painter.Sons and daughters of the town
- Wilhelm Gontrum (1910–1969), German politician (CDUChristian 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...
), Member of the BundestagBundestagThe Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...