Fils (river)

Fils - course of source to mouth

The Fils is a 63 km long, right or eastern tributary of the Neckar in Baden- Württemberg ( Germany ). Its upper valley is locally called Dales, which finds itself as adding a few names of valley villages.

Course

The springs Fils on the Swabian Alb about two kilometers southwest of the city Wiesensteig. Your karst spring, the Filsursprung, is situated on 625 m above sea level. NN in remaining close to nature Hasental.

The young river passes - running in a northeasterly direction at first - the town of Mühlhausen in the Dales, on the mouth on the left side of the creek and the angle A 8 crosses the valley. Then Gosbach follows with the mouth of the Gos on the right side. In Bad Ditzenbach Hertel hits the left side of the river, on the right opens the Ditz. In Deggingen the shaft Bach, as well as the next inflows tastes, from the left side in the Fils. In Reichenbach in the Dales Fischbach and in Hausen an der Fils of Röhrbach opens. In Bad Ueberkingen coming in from right Rötelbach leaves the Fils continue to grow. In Geislingen the Fils Valley describes a curve to the left by 90 degrees, during which opens the northwestward flowing Eyb. Henceforth, the Fils runs in a similar and gradually einschwenkender westward direction. Then follow cake and Went to the confluence of the Marrbachs. The Louder, the largest tributary of the Fils, leads to sweet.

Then Salach Eislingen follow the Krumm (right), the second largest tributary of the Fils, and the Weilerbach (left), Göppingen with the stone Bach ( right), Faurndau with the Rams or Brunnenbach (left), the Moßbach (right) and Marbach (right), Uhingen with the blue Bach ( right), Butzbach (left), the lower hole Bach and the Nassach (both right). The last towns on the river are Ebersbach and Reichenbach an der Fils, after which the Ebersbach ( right) and the Talbach (left ) opens. In addition, lead nor the Reichenbach, Lützelbach and Kirn Bach ( right) in the Fils.

In Plochingen the Fils opens to the 377 m total gradient to 248 m above sea level. NN in the Neckar.

Onomastics

It has long been believed that the name belongs to a pre-Roman name Fils layer. Many waters finds that were found especially in Göppingen and Uhingen ( axes, swords) - as they are also known from numerous other rivers - come from the Bronze Age and could go back to ritual depositions. More recently, another derivation is favored: The first mention as the eponymous part of Filsgaues ( " Filiuuisgouwe " ) suggests an original form of the name * Filiuuisa, and thus a derivative of the Old High German * filiuua ( FELBE = willow tree ). So the name would be as " lined with willow river " to explain.

History

The lower and middle Filstal made ​​since prehistoric times, an important east -west corridor. Here was a Roman road (see also: fort Eislingen - Salach ). In the early Middle Ages, it may have been crucial that at Geislingen a powerful noble family was well established. Hungarian finds from Eislingen and Schlatter suggest that it also served as an advance of Hungary storms of the 10th century.

Today, it runs the railway line (See Filstalbahn, Geislingen ) and the Federal Road 10 Fords in sweetened, Göppingen and Faurndau allowed the crossing of north-south connections.

Environmental aspects

Because the Fils flows through a beginning of the 20th century heavily industrialized area, it was for decades strongly with waste water from households, and more burdened by the chemical and leather-processing industry, as well as bleachers and dyers.

In the period between the 1940s until the mid 1980s, the sewage was largely initiated unexplained directly, resulting in red, blue or purple discoloration. In the period of the 1960s and 1970s, the share of chemical effluents increased so that in the Fils existed no more life. During this time, hung from a ban after still was not allowed to " enter " the water to drink.

Since the mid- 1980s, the situation has greatly improved. Due to new environmental regulations, many fabrications had to be discontinued treatment plants were built and newly settled species in the Fils. However, banks and reason are still heavily contaminated with heavy metals. The banks are built over long distances, which is why attempts in some places to make the Fils again experienced as a flow.

Flood

The previous highest recorded flood of the Fils was registered in height Plochingen with a flow of 379 m³ / s on May 7, 1931 followed by the floods in March 1956 ( 350 m³ / s), in April 1994 (352 m³ / s ), in October 1998 (308 m³ / s), in March 2002 (285 m³ / s), in January 2004 (351 m³ / s) and in June 2013 (326 m³ / s). Of the seven highest Filshochwassern since 1931 are five flown down in the last 20 years. Previously floods on 29 October 1829 on May 12, 1853, December 27, 1882 on May 20, 1906, on December 24, 1919 have survived.

The flood of 1853 cost the district Göppingen about 40 people their lives, about 200 head of cattle perished. In Uhingen Ebersbach and the then new bridges were swept away. In Faurndau the water was about 4 feet high in the church. The new Filstalbahn was damaged in Eislingen.

Flood but has given it an der Fils in earlier times. The place name Faurndau points to the special flood hazard that may was particularly large by the gorge and the leading- streams Brunnenbach and Marbach. Also Bronze Age finds from the gravel of the Fils will provide information on flood be - if it is not to ritual depositions. Soil investigations at the town hall in Göppingen showed that there has fallen by the progressive incision of the river dry during the Bronze Age, an oxbow lake of the Fils.

Cause of the flood are usually rain events, while the effect of snowmelt through the Karst of Alb at least in the upper reaches is greatly alleviated. The straightening of the Fils and many of its tributaries enhance the effect of the floods. Shortly before the 1935 flood extensive regulation, and regulation between sweet and Reichenbach were in 1934 in the context of job creation schemes have been carried out.

Flooding occurs in all seasons. In summer, the Fils leads to prolonged rainless periods a little water. For perfect drying it but never came.

Fish species

The Fils houses typical fish of the trout region. Rainbow trout, brown trout, speckled trout, barbel, gudgeon, minnow, chub, stickleback, bullhead, loach ( sporadically: grayling, perch, carp) shown that the following fish species are represented

Water

For water, the Fils is suitable only in the upper part of Mühlhausen to the Old City, and in the lower reaches from Göppingen; in the upper reaches only for experienced whitewater kayakers at appropriate water levels. In the middle reaches is not recommended because of many weirs and associated risks of a Befahrung.

Attractions

Sights on the Fils and in the valley, in the direction of flow:

• In Hasental, about 2 km south-west of Wiesensteig, is the Filsursprung
• Above the Filsursprungs is the 232 meter long Schertelshöhle
• Right above Deggingen is the Sanctuary of Ave Maria
• In Sweet are the right ruins Staufeneck and the castle Ramsberg
• In Walked on the Fils ( 11 km east of Göppingen), St. John's Church is probably the oldest church inscription Germany
• At the end of the middle course is right Göppingen, the largest city on the river, with Staufer exhibition and museum of local history
• It follows the left Faurndau with Romanesque collegiate church (13th century)
• The Filseck castle stands before Uhingen left above the valley