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Land of war and cultural osmosis
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There are still a
few traces of Prehistoric Man in Vosges du Nord and Pfälzerwald,
in particular from the Mesolithic Period. The Mediomatrici,
followed by the Tribocci and Nemetes settled there progressively,
building small villages on the high ground.
The Romans invaded the area between 58 and 52 BC but left
the Gauls and the Germanic tribes in situ. It was a period
of rapid development with the construction of roads, towns,
forts and castles, such as Trifels and Landeck Castle,
and colonisation of the land. The high ground was settled
at the same time, the people there living off forestry
and farming as can be seen for example on the Wasserwald
site (near Saverne).
From the 2nd to the 4th Cs, German tribes raided the area
regularly, until the Romans withdrew in 450 AD leaving
the Franks in control.
Christianity spread northwards into the area from the
8th C onwards. In 925, Otto I founded the First Germanic
Holy Roman Empire, today's two areas, Vosges du Nord and
the Rhineland-Palatinate, becoming a single territory.
During the Medieval Period, the area broke up into a number
of smaller units under noble families such as the Lichtenbergs
and the Deux-Ponts-Bitches. At the time, abbeys such as
Neuwiller, Sturzelbronn Eusserthal, Kaiserlautern and
Wissembourg played an important economic and agricultural
role. They were also thriving centres of faith and culture.
Following the publication of Luther's works in 1519, the
Reformation spread rapidly, with the local lords rallying
to the movement together with their subjects.
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Fleckenstein Castle
A bronze and glass mosaic Roman fibula, (used to
hold a toga in position) in the Archaeology Museum,
Niederbronn-les-Bains
Neuwiller-les-Saverne Abbey
"Body of a bather" a white bust in the
Archaeology Museum, Niederbronn-les-Bains |
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The Peasants' Revolt of 1524-26 was a rejection of their
deplorable economic and social situation by the country
people, the Rustauds, under the influence of the Reform
Movement. It was crushed in a series of blood-baths, in
particular by the Duke of Lorraine's troops in Saverne
where 18,000 were killed.
During the Thirty Years' War in Europe, from 1618 to 1648,
fighting occurred regularly in Vosges du Nord and Pfälzerwald.
As it was extensively plundered, and decimated by plague
and frequent famines, the region's relative prosperity
came to an end with the War.
In 1648, Vosges du Nord became French and the land originally
covered by the Pfälzerwald was occupied by French
troops. However, drained by the incessant warfare, the
area had first to be repopulated. It was many decades
before the region recovered.
Wars of conquest and changing nationalities |
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