Lichtenwald is a municipality located in the Schurwald forest in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.

The district of Hegenlohe lies on the wooded eastern slope (also called Heuberg by locals) of the Reichenbach valley and, like Thomashardt situated on the high ridge, is surrounded by the mixed forests of the Schurwald.

On the high trail (a hiking path from the community center to the nature house), one has a panoramic view of the Swabian Alb and areas in front of it on a clear day.

This decreases in the evening, and in summer a reversal of the effect can be observed, as the warm air rises from the valley after sunset.

In winter, snow lies more often and for longer periods, as on the entire Schurwald, compared to the Fils, Neckar or Rems valleys.

Due to the elevated location and (almost) unobstructed views to the west and east, Lichtenwald can take nearly full advantage of potential sunshine duration.

The Lichtenwald ridge consists of a very narrow zone (20-25 meters) of Black Jurassic or (lower) Lias alpha.

This in turn is composed of a layer of weathered products such as dark loam, clay and sand, with the light gray Angulatensandstone underneath and even deeper (but no longer visible, as hidden under scree) the Psilonotenton.

Due to the sinking of the zone, in Reichenbach, Stubensandstein layers lie 50-70 meters lower than north of the fault line.

The tensions have not yet subsided, which explains the tectonic earthquake of August 1940, whose epicenter was about 10 km below Hegenlohe (although it did not cause any damage, it was still felt throughout the Schurwald).

Other rejected suggestions included: Hegenhardt, Thomaslohe, Schlichtenwald, Hohenlau, Schurdorf, Langgehren and Langrain.

The old sports and community hall was demolished in 2012 as it was in dire need of renovation, far too small, and no longer met today's requirements for such a building.

Later, the feudal lordship over Hegenlohe was transferred to the Counts of Württemberg, who in turn enfeoffed it to the Esslinger family Holdermann among others.

Around 1700, the municipality of Hegenlohe began introducing its own school instruction; previously, school-age children (only boys) had to attend classes in Thomashardt and Hohengehren.

The Protestant parish church of the Holy Cross, which sits on a rocky hilltop spur, was likely completed in 1479, although the interior underwent several changes over the centuries, most recently in 1955.

The third part of the village belonged to Adelberg Monastery from 1268 onwards, which transferred its feudal rights to Württemberg in 1362.

The educational sector developed earlier than in Hegenlohe, with a school building constructed in 1812 that was also used as a town hall.

After Baiereck and Schlichten left the association, the two remaining municipalities separated on 29 September 1825, regaining their independence.

As a result of the strong population growth, new residential areas had to be created and many new streets with supply and disposal lines built.

A previously announced competition in the municipality did not produce any usable results for the coat of arms, but important suggestions came from the Archives Directorate in Stuttgart.

The green triple mount in the new coat of arms, as in the two previous ones, commemorates the topographical location of the municipality in the Schurwald area."

Until the beginning of the 20th century, agriculture and forestry constituted the main sources of income for the residents of both municipalities, and charcoal burning also took place.

With the development of the Thomashardt-Ost area with a commercial section, they hope to create additional local jobs and thus to increase business tax revenues.

In early May 2014, a supermarket with 840 sqare meters of retail space, a beverage store, and a bakery branch with a standing cafe opened there.

The cultural program stands under a different motto each year, with the themes in 2004 revolving around Eduard Mörike and EU enlargement.

For example, in June 2004 there was an international intarsia exhibition with artists from France, Poland, the Czech Republic and Russia.

In Hegenlohe, the Protestant parish church was completed in 1479 with the parsonage, rectory barn and neighboring bakehouse.

An attraction in Thomashardt is the newly designed village square with the town hall as part of the village renovation, as well as the artistically designed water tower with an accessible platform and a magnificent distant view of the Swabian Alb from Hohenstaufen to Hohenzollern.

At the upper part of the tower, the local artist couple Heinze has installed a colorful ceramic tile mosaic in the shape of a water droplet.

Due to lack of stability caused by an almost completely hollow trunk, this tree had to be cut down in spring 2012.