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Baden
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PopulationAt the beginning of the 19th century, Baden was only a margravate, with an area of barely 1300 sq mi (3,400 km²) and a population of 210,000. Since then, the grand duchy acquired more territory so that, by 1905, it had 5823 sq mi (15,082 km²) and its population is 2,009,320, of whom 60% are Roman Catholics, 37% Protestants, 1.5% Jews, and the remainder of other confessions. Of the population about half may have been said, at that time, to be rural, living in communities of less than 2,000, while the density of the rest is about .
The country was divided into the following districts:
The capital of the duchy was Karlsruhe, and among important towns other than the above, there are Rastatt, Baden-Baden, Bruchsal, Lahr and Offenburg. The population is most thickly clustered in the north and near the Swiss town of Basel. The inhabitants of Baden are of various origins, those to the south of Murg being descended from the Alemanni and those to the north from the Franks, while the Swabian Plateau derives its name from the adjacent German tribe living in Württemberg.
Due to the traditional rivalry between the populations of Baden and Württemberg, there was a strong opposition in Baden (predominantly in the South) against the unification of the two initially independent Länder. In recent years patriotism in Baden has increased again, mainly due to discontent with the politics of the government in Stuttgart (situated in Württemberg).
GeographyThe Grand Duchy had an area of and consisted of a considerable portion of the eastern half of the fertile valley of the Rhine and of the mountains which form its boundary.
The mountainous part was by far the most extensive, forming, indeed, nearly 80% of the whole area. From the Lake of Constance in the south to the river Neckar in the north is a portion of the Black Forest , which is divided by the valley of the Kinzig into two districts of different elevation. To the south of the Kinzig the mean height is ), and the loftiest summit, the Feldberg, reaches about , while to the north the mean height is only 640 m (2100 ft), and the Belchen, the culminating point of the whole, does not exceed 1365 m (4480 ft). To the north of the Neckar is the Odenwald Range, with a mean of 439 m (1440 ft), and in the Katzenbuckel, an extreme of 603 m (1980 ft). Lying between the Rhine and the Dreisam is the Kaiserstuhl, an independent volcanic group, nearly 16 km in length and 8 in breadth, the highest point of which is 536 m (1760 ft).
The greater part of Baden belongs to the basin of the Rhine, which receives upwards of twenty tributaries from the highlands; the north-eastern portion of the territory is also watered by the Main and the Neckar. A part, however, of the eastern slope of the Black Forest belongs to the basin of the Danube, which there takes its rise in a number of mountain streams. Among the numerous lakes which belonged to the duchy are the Mummelsee, Wildersee, Eichenersee and Schluchsee, but none of them is of any size. The Lake Constance (Bodensee) belongs partly to Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria (being German federal states: Länder), furthermore to Austria and Switzerland.
Owing to its physical configuration Baden presents great extremes of heat and cold. The Rhine valley is the warmest district in Germany, but the higher elevations of the Black Forest record the greatest degrees of cold experienced in the South. The mean temperature of the Rhine valley is approximately 10°C and that, of the high table-land, 6°C. July is the hottest and January the coldest month.
The mineral wealth of Baden was not great, but iron, coal, lead and zinc of excellent quality were produced, and silver, copper, gold, cobalt, vitriol and sulfur were obtained in small quantities. Peat was found in abundance, as well as gypsum, china clay, potter's earth and salt. The mineral springs of Baden are still very numerous and have acquired great celebrity, those of Baden-Baden, Badenweiler, Antogast, Griesbach, Friersbach and Peterthal being the most frequented.
In the valleys the soil is particularly fertile, yielding luxuriant crops of wheat, maize, barley, spelt, rye, beans, potatoes, flax, hemp, hops, beetroot, and tobacco; and even in the more montainous part, rye, wheat and oats are extensively cultivated. There is a considerable extent of pasture-land, and the rearing of cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats is extensively practised. Of game, deer, boar, snipe and wild partridges are fairly abundant, while the mountain streams yield trout of excellent quality. The growing of vines increases, and the wines, are in good demand. The Baden wine region is Germany's third largest in terms of vineyard surface. The gardens and the orchards supply an abundance of fruit, especially almonds and walnuts, and bee-keeping is practised throughout the country. A greater proportion of Baden than any other south German state is occupied by forests. In these the predominant trees are fir and pine, but many others, such as the chestnut, are well-represented. A third, at least, of the annual timber production is exported.
IndustriesOf the area, 56.8% is cultivated and 38% is forest, but the agricultural sector, which before 1870 yielded the bulk of the wealth, has been superseded by industrial production. The chief manufactures are machinery, woollen and cotton goods, silk ribbons, paper, tobacco, china, leather, glass, clocks, jewelry, and chemicals. Beet sugar is also largely manufactured, as are wooden ornaments and toys, music boxes and organs.
The exports of Baden consisted mostly of the above goods, and were considerable, but the bulk of its trade consisted of transit. The country had many railways and roads, as well as the Rhine for transporting good vis ship. Railways were run by the state. A rail-line ran mostly parallel with the Rhine, with oblique branches from East to West.
Mannheim was the great emporium for export down the Rhine and has much river traffic. It was also the chief manufacturing town for the duchy, and an important administrative centre for the northern part of the country.
Note that the above info describes Baden industry ca. 1910.
Education and religionThe educational institutions of Baden are numerous and flourishing, and public education is entirely in the hands of the government. There are five universities, one traditionally Protestant in Heidelberg, one traditionally Roman Catholic in Freiburg im Breisgau, one each in Konstanz and Mannheim, and a well-known technical university in Karlsruhe. The grand-duke was a Protestant; under him, the Evangelical Church was governed by a nominated council and a synod consisting of a "prelate", 48 elected and 7 nominated lay and clerical members. The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Freiburg is Metropolitan of the Upper Rhine.
History The Lords of Baden benefited from the break-up of Swabia and, raised to the dignity of Margrave in 1112, were able to take their place as one of the four most important dynasts in southern Germany (along with Habsburg, Wittelsbach and Württemberg). Baden was fragmented from 1190–1503, 1515–1620 and 1622–1771, though the eras of 1415–1503, 1604–20 and 1666–1771 saw only two active branches each.
After 1771 the only surviving branch retained full authority and in return for compliance with Napoleon, was raised to Electoral dignity in 1803, and then Grand Ducal status in 1806.
Notable people - Boris Becker, famous tennis player
- Karl Benz, inventor of the gasoline-powered automobile
- Karl Drais, inventor of velocipede, draisine, typewriter and stenograph machine
- Friedrich Ebert, first President of Germany during the Weimar period
- Franz Joseph Gall, neuroanatomist and physiologist
- Steffi Graf, famous female tennis player
- Kaspar Hauser, mysterious foundling
- Friedrich Hecker, revolutionary
- Oliver Kahn, Football goalkeeper in the German national team
- Joachim Löw, coach of the german national football team
- Berthold Schwarz, alchemist, inventor of gunpowder
- Franz Sigel, revolutionary, Union general in the American Civil War
- Felix Wankel, inventor of the Wankel engine
- See also Rulers of Baden.
See also
Further reading Publications in English - Linda Herrick & Wendy Uncapher, Baden: Atlantic Bridge to Germany, Origins, Janesville, WI, 2004.
External links
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