Bohemian Forest

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Großer Arber

The Bohemian Forest, Czech Šumava, is a 120 km long mountain range that extends to both sides along the Czech- German -Austrian border. They are the highest mountains of the Bohemian Massif and Hull, together with the Bavarian Forest up to 50 km wide. The highest mountain of the Bohemian Forest is the Great Arber 1456 meters.

Geography

The Bohemian Forest extends from the Cham-Further Valley, Neumark Valley, Neumark pass and Neugedeiner furrow him from northwest subsequent Bohemian or Palatinate Forest (Czech: Český les - Bohemian Forest) separate from the northwest to the southeast to the Kerschbaumer saddle. It forms the watershed of the Danube and Moldova area.

Although geologically speaking is a single mountain in the Bohemian Forest, it is divided by political boundaries since the beginning of the 20th century: Depending on the regional situation or context, the term " Bohemian Forest " all the mountains or just parts of it designated.

  • Bohemian Forest ( Šumava, the noise or the end of Slavonic Forest ) on the Czech side
  • Bavarian Forest in eastern Bavaria
  • Bohemian Forest in the northwestern Upper Austria Upper Austria.

Originally also the Upper Palatinate Forest / Bohemian Forest in Bavaria and the Czech Republic was still counted the Bohemian Forest.

The names of the Bavarian Forest and Bohemian Forest are thus subjected in the river and centuries of changes, as shown particularly in the first article. Often this is described as the front and rear Bavarian Forest and says, curiously, with the whole of the not purely Bavarian Bohemian Forest.

The backbone of the region called high Šumava. The Great Arber on the Bavarian side, with its 1456 meters the highest point of this low mountain range. In the Czech Republic and Austria of lying on the border Plöckenstein / Plechý is the highest mountain with 1,378 m. (There are also some lower Bavarian Plöckenstein. )

Name

In Strabo and Ptolemy the Bohemian Forest appears as Gabreta Silva. His first German name " Northern Forest ", the highlands receive from the Bavarian side: As a forest in the north of the Duchy of Bavaria. Early mentions can be found in documents of Louis the German 853 and Henry II in 1010. In the latter, the emperor bequeathed to the monastery Niedernburg in Passau part of the northern forest. Later put the term " Bohemian Forest " for the entire forest area " against Bohemia " by. Mentioned in documents such as 1147 and 1204 Boemerwalt Behaimer violence. Since the 19th century it divided the landscape into smaller units, which - especially in Bavaria - essentially to the political boundaries oriented ( Upper Palatinate Forest, Bavarian Forest ).

Clearing and settlement

In the course of the country and city development from the 12th to the 14th century, especially the forested border areas of Bohemia were cleared and settled. In the Bohemian Forest mainly German -speaking settlers from the neighboring Bavarian regions were involved in it. Since that time, Bohemia was considered a bilingual country. Important for the development of the Bohemian Forest, the connection paths between Bavaria and Bohemia were such as the trade route " Golden Path ". Over the centuries, new settlements penetrated ever further into the jungle. Many villages date back to Glashütte locations of the 18th century and often ending in " ... hut " name. The latest creation is one example Eleonorenhain / Lenora, was created as the Glashüttenort until 1834.

1938, the predominantly German areas of Czechoslovakia ( Sudetenland ) were annexed to the German Reich because of the so-called Munich Agreement. The thereby increasing threat of Nazi opponents, Jews and Czechs led to an escape shaft (not only of Czechs ) from these areas.

After the Second World War in 1945 lost ( Beneš decrees ) were totally depopulated many of the smaller settlements in return by expulsion of most German-speaking inhabitants. Today, it is often only so-called " waste places " left .. In other places it came to the influx of Czechs and Slovaks from the interior as well as by members of the Roma ethnic minority. For further information see history of Bohemia.

Economic use

Of economic importance was in the area since the Middle Ages the manufacture of glass. After the introduction of chalk glass ( lead crystal) shortly before 1700, the production of glass of Bohemia experienced a rapid boom. As a result, Bohemia could break the dominance of Venetian glass from Murano, and even the market leader in the worldwide glass business for almost 200 years take over (even the now famous Swedish glassworks in Småland worried their first glassblowing families here). So it was in the area of Šumava some well-known glass manufacturers, which have influenced the production of the other Böhmerwälder huts. In the 17th and 18th centuries were the Michl hut in Helmbach ( Michlová Huť ) in Winterberg / Vimperk and the Novohradské hut in Gratzen / Novohradský. In the 19th and 20th century, the most famous companies were: Lötz in monastery mill at sub- Hory, Kralik in Eleonorenhain / Lenora and Meyr 's Neffe in Adolf in Winterberg / Vimperk. They were leaders, especially as producers of Art Nouveau glass. Major manufacturers of mirror glass were the huts in New Hurkenthal and Elisenthal in Markt Eisenstein / Železná Ruda.

Great importance for timber extraction had the Schwarzenberg Navigational Canal / Schwarzenberský Plavební kanál and Chinitz - Tettauer Schwemmkanal / Vchynicko - Tetov Plavební kanál.

In the literature, the Bohemian Forest appears in the stories of Adalbert Stifter, Karel Klostermann, Hans Watzlik, Karl May and John Urzidil ​​. The Bohemian Forest is also the scene of Carl Maria von Weber's opera Der Freischütz.

The three-country region Šumava has become a common European Region ( Euregio Bayerischer Wald - Bohemian Forest) together since 1994 and deals with cross-border cooperation. The region covers an area of ​​approximately 16,000 km ², on the approximately 1.3 million inhabitants.

Large parts of the Czech part was declared a National Park Šumava. In the Bohemian Forest are now living again lynx.

Attractions

  • Valley of Widra / Vydra (Czech: Povydří ) at Antigl / Dolni Antýgl, is regarded as the most beautiful valley of the Bohemian Forest
  • Seefilz / Jezerní slať between Innergefild / Horská Kvilda Kvilda / Kvilda ( raised bog ) boardwalk with observation tower
  • Weitfäller felt / Modravské slať at Mader / Modravy ( raised bog )
  • Black Lake / The Black Devil Jezero and / Čertovo in Markt Eisenstein / Železná Ruda
  • Kubany-Urwald/Boubínský prales south of Winterberg / Vimperk
  • Pürstling / Březník
  • Lackensee / Laka
  • Osser / Ostry, ( scenic mountain on the edge of Künischen Mountains / Královský Hvozd )
  • Plöckenstein / Plechý and Plešné
  • Dreisesselberg
  • Moldaustausee / lake Lipno
  • Saint Maurenzen / Mouřenec, Romanesque church of St. Mauritius, high above Annathal / Annin ( Gothic frescoes )
  • Gutwasser / Dobra Voda in Hartmanice / Hartmanice: Sanctuary of St. Gunther ( glass altar, well house " Good Water " ), Gunther rock / Březník with hermitage (viewpoint)
  • Karl Castle / Castle Kašperk
  • Wallern / Volary: wooden houses, Church of St. Catherine
  • Winterberg / Vimperk: City Place, Castle Museum and the administrative seat of the national park ( Golden Path )
  • Schüttenhofen / Sušice: Old Town houses with sgraffito facades, square, Zündholzmuseum, Guardian Angel Mountain Church ( Ambitenanlage, viewpoint)
  • Bergreichenstein / Kašperské Hory: Town Hall, Church of St. Nicholas Cemetery, Bohemian Forest Museum ( significant Glass Department ), Information Centre of the National Park ( Golden Path )
  • Hartmanice / Hartmanice: Historic Synagogue
  • Castle Welhartitz / Velhartice
  • Prachatitz / Prachatice: Old Town with sgraffito facades, St. James' Church, Museum ( Gold Trail )
  • Hohenfurth / Vyšší Brod: Major monastery
  • Rosenberg / Rožmberk nad Vltavou: townscape, castle
  • Oberplan / Horni Plana, birthplace of Adalbert Stifter
  • Rabi Castle, one of the largest castle ruins in the Czech Republic
  • Giants Castle / Obří hrad, prehistoric hillfort
  • Klattau / Klatovy: Old Town, Town Square, Jesuit Church, St. Mary's Church, Baroque pharmacy, Black Tower, White Tower
  • Cesky Krumlov / Český Krumlov Old Town, Castle ( UNESCO World Heritage )

Trivia

In Old Bavaria the phrase " aging as the Bohemian Forest " exists. This means that something is very old, but the age can not be determined accurately.

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