Wiesental, Black Forest

Roman remains near Maulburg and Brombach provide evidence that the Wiesental was inhabited fairly early.

During the High Middle Ages the Wiesental was owned by numerous clerics and secular masters.

The noble family Wart held rights in Endenburg, Schlächtenaus and Weitenau, while the von Grenchens had theirs in Fröhnd, Schönau, Wembach and Höllstein.

Furthermore, the cloister received Fröhnd from the Lords of Stein and Künaberg and owned a church in Weitenau in the centre of the Wiesental.

The Lords of Stein, who worked as stewards in Zell and Häg for the Damenstift Säckingen and handed down their duties to the family of Schönau, are one example.

At the time of sale, the territory spanned the Wiesen- and Wehravallies including Gersbach, Schlechtbach, Raitbach, Kürnberg, Schweigmatt, as well as other farms,[5] which nowadays are part of East Schopfheim.

The division between both principalities was not only political but also religious: Parts of the Habsburger stayed Catholic, while Baden-Durlach turned Protestant.

Georg Herwegh moved through the valley with his Legion (German Democrats) and was defeated on April 27, 1848, in Dossenbach.

The reason for this was the hydraulic power of the Wiese: not only does the river fall a long way, but is also at a relatively constant water level.

Another reason for the economic boom of the valley was the proximity to Switzerland and Alsace, which also attracted capital from these countries.

One verse reads: Im Wiesental Fabriken stehn,wie Schlösser klar und hell,Rauchfahnen aus Kaminen wehn,von Lörrach bis nach Zell.

In the Wiesen valley there are factories,Bright and fair like castles,Trails of smoke are blown,From Lörrach up to Zell.

Today, the Wiesental's economy is based on mechanical engineering companies, a few of which are leaders on the global market.

Johann Peter Hebels´ "Alemannic poems" ("Allemannische Gedichte") are good example of the Wiesental dialect.

The poem "The Evening Star" ("Der Abendstern") makes a direct reference to the Wiesental: Er seit: "O Muetter, lueg doch au, do unte glänzts im Morgethau so schön wie in di'm Himmelssaal!"

‚He‘, seit sie, ‚drum isch's Wiesethal.‘ Er sagt: "Oh Mutter, sieh doch auch dort unten glänzts im Morgentau so schön wie in deinem Himmelssaal!"

The ruins of the castle, which is open all year long, are considered one of the biggest of its kind in the entire South Baden region.

The language, the landscape and the way of life of the Wiesen valley highly impressed the young Hebel and so he incorporated these into his Alemannic poems.

Schopfheim was the homeland and birthplace of the Roman Catholic priest and pacifist Max Josef Metzger, who was murdered by the National Socialists.

The football players Sebastian Deisler and Melanie Behringer, as well as the coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, were born in Lörrach.

The trainer of the Germany national football team Joachim Löw comes from Schönau, and Karl Nessler, the inventor of the Perm (hairstyle) came from Todtnau.