Heimatmuseum im Herrenhaus Hausach

Further opening hours by appointment, tel. 07831-6185.

The museum office is open every Wednesday from 2 - 5 pm (work assignments).

The construction of the Black Forest railway from Offenburg to Hausach in 1866, then to Villingen in 1873 and to Freudenstadt in 1886, left its mark on the town of Hausach. The municipal museum in the manor house, a baroque building dating from 1760, is dedicated to this topic. However, the areas of mining, agriculture, crafts and industry also vividly document the historical development of the small town in the Kinzig valley. A unique geological feature on display is the largest 'tourmaline' ever found in the Black Forest.

It was built between 1760 and 1770 for the owners and "masters" of the smelting and hammer mill founded in 1740, who had previously lived in the former laboratory assistant's house near the oak pharmacy. Ignaz Speckle, the last abbot of St Peter's, was born in the house. The supply of ore in the tunnels of Haslach, Hausach, Wolfach, Oberwolfach, Gutach and the rear Kinzig valley was rather meagre, so that at times the business produced hardly any ore and frequently changed hands.

The house was always used as a residence during these times. Field names from the region such as "Grub", "Schmelze" and "Erzwäsche" still remind us today of the former mining of ore. The development of this economic sector also goes hand in hand with the religious beliefs of the Catholic and Protestant population: the former were the Fürstenbergs, the latter the Württembergs. On the south side of the Kinzig there was the Protestant and the Catholic Grub. The Kinzig marks the dividing line between the northern and southern Black Forest. On its northern side, there was the Catholic ore wash on the Hohberg and the Protestant ore wash in the Schmelze area in Vorderlehengericht, which also received its ore from the Hohberg. The ridge was the religious boundary.

After the Second World War, the rooms stood empty and were occupied by homeless people. The house fell into disrepair and in the 1960s, the possibility of demolishing the property was discussed for a long time. The initiative of the Historical Society in particular prevented this. After extensive renovation, the building was reopened in 1990 with the active help of the Historical Society and the Narrenzunft, both of which have their cellars in the basement rooms. Today, the ground floor and first floor are used to teach students from the commercial schools and the business grammar school. The museum is located on the upper floor.

After the Second World War, the building was used as a residential building for the pupils of the railway school. The manor house is a house of Hausach's history and a testimony to the development of local industry.

Tour of the museum

Mining

Even though the most important mine in the Hausach mining district is not mentioned in a document until 1455, the Hausach St. Bernhard silver mine was undoubtedly one of the oldest mines in the Kinzig valley. In any case, around 300 miners are said to have worked in this operation around 1520. The ore was crushed in two pothouses.

Husen Castle was also once built around 1230, not only to protect the trade route, but also because of the flourishing silver mining in the surrounding valleys. The town of Hausach is said to have been founded a few years later due to the ore deposits.

The construction of the hammer mill (1740), the cradle of the Hausach industry, can also be traced back to mining.

The miners' first activity was silver mining (galena). Then they mainly mined heavy and fluorspar as well as iron ore. The steadily declining yield, but above all the cheaper foreign competition, caused the mines to gradually "fall into the open!"

The Prince of Fürstenberg exercised supreme mining rights in the Fürstenberg estates. The directory of the former Fürstlich Fürstenberg Mining Office in Wolfach lists a total of 396 smaller and larger mines for the year 1849. Despite intensive forest utilisation and numerous road construction measures, around 1000 traces of these mines and mining attempts, such as pits, dumps, adit mouths and shafts, can still be found today. Around 30 mines were of mining importance for a long time. These include the mines "Segen Gottes" near Schnellingen, "Bernhard im Hauserbach", "Erzengel Gabriel" in Einbachtal and "Clara" in Oberwolfach.

To date, there is no clear evidence of the beginnings of mining in the Kinzig valley. There is evidence of Celtic and Roman mining in various areas of the Black Forest. A document for silver mining in the Kinzig Valley dates back to 14 July 1234, in which King Henry VII granted Count Egeno of Freiburg mining rights in the Kinzig Valley and other Black Forest valleys. There is no direct mention of ore mines until the period 1455 - 1491. As in other Black Forest mining areas, the yield of the mines fluctuated considerably due to the irregularity of the ore veins and thus their importance.

Mining was intensified at the instigation of Prince Anton Egon von Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg, who had been the Stadtholder of Augustus the Strong since 1697 and had thus also become familiar with mining in Saxony. He induced the Fürstenbergs in Donaueschingen to commission Saxon mining experts to assess the mines and veins in the Kinzig valley. The search for ore deposits in the Kinzig valley was particularly stimulated by the successes in the Wittichen mining district. By 1725, there were already 26 mines in operation near Wittichen, Schapbach and Haslach. For around 100 years, i.e. until 1825/1830, the Kinzig valley experienced numerous, albeit rarely constant, mining activities.

The area of the Kinzigtal and its neighbouring valleys has the largest number of known ore and mineral veins in the Black Forest. These are generally quartz veins with sections of silver-bearing ores of lead, zinc, copper and antimony.

Tourmaline

There are many treasures in the museum in the manor house - including a black tourmaline from the local area. The crystal sheaf was secured by honorary citizen and former mayor Manfred Kienzle during the construction of the Sommerberg tunnel in 1991. The former mayor of Hausach is an amateur mineralogist and asked the miners to keep an eye out for any special finds right at the start of construction work on the Sommerberg tunnel in July 1991. This was a noble request given the rapid pace of the work. After all, if Kienzle had arrived just a few minutes later, the marvellous lump would now have been embedded in an embankment. But luck favoured the collector. The ingrown tourmaline crystals - the black variety is called schorl - are arranged in a radial pattern to form a "sun". They are up to 56 cm long and up to 3 cm wide. The specimen comes from the western part of the tunnel, around 50 metres from the mouth. Prof Gregor Markl from the University of Tübingen speaks of a rare piece, probably the largest find in Europe to date.

Village church

If you come to Hausach, you can see Husen Castle overlooking the town from afar. The village church outside today's town centre is much older than the fortress. Until the end of the 19th century, the church was the town's parish church. The simple church exudes an extraordinary atmosphere. Until 1821, the church was the parish church of four independent parishes: Fischerbach, Einbach, Sulzbach and Hausach. Since the end of the 19th century, when the new town church was built, it has only been a cemetery church and a concert venue. The Hausach village church is one of the oldest churches in the south-west. There was already a church here over 900 years ago. It was made of wood and served as a place of worship even before the area was actually settled. The village church was first mentioned in 1139. It was primarily a church that served as a place of worship for the miners in the area.

The Romanesque tympanum, the decorative surface above the blessing door, is the oldest surviving part of the church. A single, relatively narrow entrance at the side and two window niches high up, almost under the ceiling, suggest that the church initially also served as a fortified church. However, the original character of the building changed over the centuries due to various remodelling measures. The largest remodelling measures took place at the beginning of the 16th century. The Romanesque choir tower was torn down and the taller, skyward-striving bell tower, which can still be seen today, was built to the side. The choir was built entirely in the Gothic style: The three-part, Gothic tracery windows and the narrow, delicate net vault are still among the church's highlights today.

Traces of the Baroque period can also be found in the church. The side altars date from this period. The rosary altar on the left-hand side shows the Mother of God, St Dominic and St Catherine of Siena, surrounded by the 15 mysteries of the rosary. In the centre of the right-hand side altar is Mother Anne, the patron saint of the Black Forest silver miners.

Living and working in the countryside

When the last heavy sheaves were stored under the mighty roof of the Black Forest house and the Öhmd sent its spicy scent through the late summer countryside, the Kinzigtäler farmer burnt down his "Rütti", his Reutfeld. Weeks earlier, he had already begun to cut down the "Eichbosch" growing on the steep slope. The oak trunks, as thick as an arm, were then peeled and the dried bark was sent to the tanneries.

You might now ask why the farmers practised this type of slash-and-burn? The annual burning of a Reutfeld was ultimately vital for securing the daily bread of a farming family. The narrow valleys with their steep slopes offered little arable land for growing fruit and potatoes. There was also no artificial fertiliser. The poor soil only allowed for a meagre harvest. In contrast, the well-rested Rütti soil, which was richly fertilised with wood ash, allowed the ears to ripen vigorously. The farmer also received a few fathoms of good firewood and additional grazing land, because after three or four years the Reutfeld was left to grow wild again. But after about 15 years it was burnt down again.

The Rüttibrennen was a business that ran alongside the other work. If the bad weather gave the field work a break, the sound of axes could be heard. The thicker trees were piled up to form a wall that ran straight down the slope. The green branches were laid across. This created a "Ju", which was separated from the other Ju by the wooden wall to prevent the fire from spreading as it burned. The sun then dried out the field of branches. If the weather promised to stay good for a few days, the farmer would invite the "Rüttibrenner", who he usually chose from the neighbourhood or his relatives. On a hot, sunny day, you would see the "Rüttibrenner" trudging up the mountain. Each of the seven or eight men carried a long, heavy wooden pole on their shoulders with an iron hook attached to the thick end. Each of the men hooked his pole into the dry branches, which he lit. Slowly, the firewall was pulled down the slope with the long poles. After a while, the group climbed uphill again. Once again, the all-consuming embers gnawed their way down the slope. The smoke continued to billow up the mountainside and was lost in the woods. Little by little, one Ju after another was consumed by the flames.

In earlier times, poverty and hunger characterised the daily diet of the common people. Obesity was rarely a problem. Meat? It was rarely on the table and was a scarce commodity for months. It wasn't until the parish fair that the butcher's shop was visited again and the "Kilwibrote" (parish fair roast) was bought. A little later, it was time for the pigs. A "slaughter festival" was celebrated - the slaughter day was a day of celebration. From then on, people had meat again for a long time. What else did the cook put on the table? In autumn, she not only made sure that the potatoes were stored in the cellar, but also filled the "Ständle" with sauerkraut, sour turnips and sour beans. If you could then add some bacon, smoked or salted meat to the pot, you would think you were in the land of milk and honey. Ham was reserved for special occasions. In spring, the first "Bändelikrut", a throat herb that was also served as "Zwelfapostelkrut", because twelve apostles would have eaten enough in one portion. Milk, flour, fat and eggs formed the basis of many old dishes for the self-sufficient. Hot milk and baked bread were used to make simple milk soup, which was then refined and served as "wißi Supp". Even today, you can still find "ibrännti" (burnt) or "schwarze Supp" with browned flour or similarly with semolina as "ibrännti Grießsupp". In addition to the well-known "Ärdepfelsupp" (potato soup), the "Riebelesupp" should not be forgotten. It was not uncommon for the soup to be served simply with swollen potatoes or, in better quality, as "Brägele" (fried potatoes). Potatoes in combination with milk, sour milk (gstockti milk) or "Bibiliskäs" (similar to quark) were a good way to satisfy hunger.

Pastries usually filled the kitchen menu. The "Dummis" is still well known today, as Hansjakob wrote about the poor, hungry tailor's "Dummisessen" at the Hermeshof. Baked in hot fat, the "Holderkiechli" (elderberry cakes) - made in spring with the elderflowers and in autumn with the shiny black berries - were something special, but the "Striebli" were not to be outdone. The "Kilwikiechli" (church consecration cakes) were also a trademark of the church consecration festival, although they also appeared on various occasions at carnival (Schmutziger Donnerstag) or on Funkensonntag. The leftover dough from baking bread was used to make "Flammenkuchen" (flame cake) with various toppings such as bacon, cream and onions. The same ingredients were also used to make "Datschkuchen", whose dough is still mixed with raw grated potatoes and apple slices. This pastry is still distributed today as a speciality at the Hausach carnival.

The Einbach traditional costume

In addition to its many specialities, the Kinzig valley can lay claim to being one of the most traditional costume-loving regions in Germany, if not in Europe. In addition, it is rare to find such a variety of individual traditional costumes in such a small area. The realm of the Henkelhaube, in the Harmersbachtal valley, is followed by the land of the Goldhaube, which encompasses many villages and is worn with some variations not only in Mühlenbach. Then the communities with the bright red Bollenhut stand out, while in the Wolftal and upper Kinzigtal the "Fürstenberger" (or Schapbacher) costume predominates. The colourful array of traditional costumes in the Kinzig valley also includes the traditional costume of Lehengericht.

However, anyone who knows the traditional costumes of our homeland well and takes even small changes into account will have to emphasise that diversity nevertheless predominates in the unity, i.e. every valley, every community, ultimately has its own traditional costume. Thus the Einbacher Heimatkleid stands out in its uniqueness between the Mühlenbacher and Fürstenberger costumes, even though it has many similarities with the costumes of the neighbouring valleys.

While the men's costumes in Einbach - the side valleys to the right and left of the Kinzig around Hausach - are rarely seen, the traditional costumes of the peasant women are often worn, especially on festive and public holidays. However, an interesting fact must be pointed out here, which is perhaps due to the fact that Einbach never had its own parish church, but belonged to the municipal parish of Hausach: Einbach women who married in other traditional parishes adopted the local peasant dress of honour, while women who married in brought their traditional costume with them to the valley and remained faithful to it. So you can admire a whole range of different traditional costumes in Einbach.

Let us first turn our attention to the festive costume of the Einbach women. The black overskirt - also with a (velvet) "breast" - is put on the underskirt with its coloured "breast". In earlier times, skirts reached down to the ankle, so the edging at the bottom of the petticoat was known as the "beselitze" - it stirred up the dust. The black "Schoben", a garment that encircles the hips and arms, is now placed on top of the two skirts. The actual neckline is covered with the so-called artistic "Krägele" with the "Krälleli" (very small glass beads). The "Krägle" itself was painstakingly and artistically made by the farmer's wife herself. The "Krägle" itself is worn as a kind of necklace made of small garnet stones, the "Halsnister" with a small golden cross. There were also times when the "Halsnister" was replaced by the "Knipferle". The light-coloured, silk, flower-embroidered neckerchief with fringes is worn over the shoulders as an extremely enlivening element, under which a small "white neck scarf with a lace" is hidden. A dark-coloured silk apron, decorated with flowery tendrils at the lower edges, is wrapped around the hips.

The crowning glory is the unique "Einbacher Kappe", a characteristic feature of the Einbacher women's costume, with its magnificent cap bottom and the wafer-thin lace veil covering the forehead.

Today, the traditional costume is also worn with fashionable silk stockings. In the past, however, white woollen stockings with a "gusset" were part of the festive costume. On weekdays, the blue woollen stockings dyed at the Hansjakob dye works in Haslach peeked out from under the skirt. In the case of complete mourning, the light-coloured neckerchief and stockings were replaced by black colours, and a black, unadorned cap was also worn to indicate mourning. Purple or dark red neckerchiefs indicate half-mourning.

In addition to this festive costume, there is also one for the working day or for ordinary Sundays. This is characterised above all by the fact that only a blue or flowered "Peter" is worn over the skirts, or a black one in the case of mourning, with a silk "Schäle" or "Knipferle" around the neck. It is still well remembered that a priest once admonished the peasant women and asked them not to appear at Sunday high mass wearing the "bed gown", the Peter. The women's costume also includes a special hairstyle in which a black velvet ribbon encircles the circular, pinned-up plait. Schoolgirls used to wear a blue skirt and a red peter with a little bowl.

Girls and unmarried women adorned themselves with the "Schäppel" (from the French word chapeau - hat) on special festive days if they belonged to the "Schäppelmädchen" (secret girls), the "G'heimnussen". Otherwise they go bareheaded, as they are not yet "under the bonnet" and are not allowed to wear a bonnet or cap like married women. For the first time, girls wear the "Schäppel" - also known as the Mühenbacher Perlenkranz (scroll wreath) until they leave school - on White Sunday, and for the last time on their wedding day as a sign of virginity.

The Einbach men's costume is somewhat more restrained, but no less majestic. Originally, the "Mannsbilder" wore black "shop trousers". The white shirt, made from hand-woven linen, had an ornamental decoration on the neck. The so-called "breast" was once made by the bride as a wedding gift for her husband. In return, the groom bought her the beautiful scarf with which she adorned herself for the first time on her wedding day. The "breast" is created by pulling the threads out of the linen cloth with the fingers to create artistic patterns. Around six or eight of these "ushzogene Hämder" were made during the bridal period. "When the wedding came round, this painstaking labour of patience had to be supplemented by outside help.

The coloured (black in the case of mourning) "Knipferle" peeked out from under or over the shirt collar - similar to the women's dress. Married men wear a red, black, knee-length skirt over a dark floral velvet waistcoat.

The boys, on the other hand, stand out with a dark blue "smock" (jacket). A round, wide-brimmed, not too high, black hat completes the Einbach men's costume, which first appeared on White Sunday and of which the Kinzigtäler local poet Eugen Falk-Breitenbach sings: "Wo's Mannsvolk trät ä runde Huet, ä Bruschttuech hät, wo schtoht im guet............."

Wedding customs

There are many folk customs associated with weddings. Many of the wedding customs are still preserved, at least in some families. However, when it comes to weddings today, status, property and court come after love. The bride and groom personally invite their relatives to the wedding, who come to the "Zech", i.e. they don't have to pay for food and drink. At the beginning of the century, the rest of the valley was invited by the "Hochziglader" or "Hochzitladerin". If it was a "real" wedding, the whole valley could come to the celebration, but everyone paid their own bill. The unmarried girls in the neighbourhood have the task of "decorating" the bride's and groom's house and the inn with "Maien" (little fir trees with white paper flowers) and garlands of fir rice. The unmarried boys from the neighbourhood also help with the decorations and are also responsible for the firecrackers on the wedding morning. Shooting used to be allowed from 6 am. The marksmen and ornamental girls are invited to the "Schäppelhirschen" (today's wedding evening). In addition to the marksmen, the children from the neighbourhood also come to the "morning soup". After church, it's off to the pub, where until 30 years ago the dances of honour began. The robbery of the bride's shoe is an exciting event. The marksmen who get hold of one of the bride's shoes (while the best man is sitting at the table) decorate it and have the best man buy it back at a high price. The basis for negotiation is about as many litres of wine as the bride is years old. After the wedding, the "Schuehwitrinke" is another hearty celebration for the marksmen and maidens. At the wedding, the "Schäppel" is worn for the last time before the bride "goes under the bonnet".

The face of the town in the 19th century

A look back to that time shows a small community, but one that was equipped with all the necessities. The two gates still stood together with the town wall and admittedly restricted the town's structural development somewhat, but Hausach still attached great importance to cleanliness. There were five tube wells from which the townspeople could fetch their water every day, but of course there was no proper water pipe leading into the houses. But, as was to be expected, the most lively town politics took place at the fountains.

Washing was also carried out in Hausach in the municipal wash house on the Grün, a place that has now disappeared as a river island but still bears its old name. "Grün" or "Grien" literally means a low, elongated gravelly island in the flowing water, a place where washing has always been done and where a house was built for the washerwomen with all the comforts of the time that were suitable for washing. There is also evidence of a town bakery from the early years of the 19th century, which stood in front of the upper gate and was very popular, as people at that time made little use of the opportunity to buy their bread from the baker.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Hausach was autonomous in terms of its guilds; its craftsmen were no longer incorporated into Wolfach, as had been considered very burdensome and unworthy a few decades earlier, but had their guild masters in their own town. In addition to some trades, such as blacksmiths, tinsmiths or plumbers, tailors, carpenters and locksmiths, butchers, bakers and wainwrights as well as shoemakers, a number of now extinct craftsmen were also united in guilds in Hausach, such as cloth and linen weavers, nail smiths, rope makers and carpenters, stove makers and brick makers. In those days, which already bore the hallmarks of modernity, the guild still had the character of a privileged class. A craftsman who was not a member of the guild was still not entitled to practise a trade, the sons of master craftsmen still enjoyed many privileges, and the time had not yet come to an end when the guild administrations successfully tried to exclude people who were not members of the guild from joining the craftsmen's association and thus from the trade altogether. But this is precisely where the reform began: it was not long before the guild lost the character of a trade association altogether and even people could be admitted to it who had never thought of practising the relevant trade, who only attached importance to enjoying the benefits of the welfare organisation that the guild also still represented. In the end, this meant that even workers from the hammer mill or a municipal official became a member of the guild and thus had the guarantee that his family would not have to go hungry after his death or in the event of impending poverty.

The cradle and centrepiece of Hausach's industry

For centuries, the Kinzig valley has been a centre of the search for mineral resources. In addition to silver and cobalt, iron ore was also mined. As a result, smelting works were built on various occasions in order to smelt the ores produced not too far from the mining sites, but still close to available water power. It was not uncommon for these smelting plants to also include hammer mills so that the iron produced could be refined straight away. For a long time, there was even a strict regulation that iron could only be obtained from the manorial forges. Hans Glück from Hausach had already built a smelting works on his stone field in 1656. In the first half of the 18th century, there was already a hammer mill near the Wolfach "Schmelzbrücke", which was run by Josef and Johann Litschgi and Johann Buckeisen. However, they leased the plant to the former mining clerk Joseph Hummel, the Sonnenwirt Johannes Müller and one Anthoni Seeholzer. An invoice from 1740 states that "they are able to carry out their entire work both here (in Wolfach) and in Hausach". A similar document from the following year refers once again to the construction of a hammer mill by the Litschgi and Buckeisen brothers in Hausach. Various references confirm the construction of the hammer mill with a blast furnace. In 1741, Mrs Katharina Glück ceded a plot of land from the Rosenäckern for the construction of a canal. Around the same time, the pan smith Michael Speckle (father of the last Abbot of St Peter's, Ignaz Speckle, who was born in Hausach in 1754) travelled from Wangen in the Allgäu and a little later in 1743 Jakob Haselwander - an ancestor of the inventor of the three-phase motor - travelled from Tyrol to Hausach as a "master charcoal burner at the mine". However, the main witness to this construction period is hidden on the ground floor of the manor house. It is the foundation of the hammer mill's residential and administrative building, built in 1741 and featuring a magnificent barrel vault.

When Litschgi died in 1753, his widow asked the Prince to take back the business prematurely or to hand it over to the salt master Georg Oschwald and the cavalry captain Ott von Schaffhausen on the previous terms. This request was granted and the two gentlemen took over the business. Under the new management, the factory flourished and grew in size as the cradle of industry in Hausach.

The previous residential and administration building from 1741 was torn down to the foundation walls and the cellar vaults in order to build the much larger "manor house" above it. The exact date of completion of this palatial Baroque building is not known. It dates from around 1770.

For over 100 years, the fortunes of the hammer mill varied. It was not until 1899, when the company was run as a rolling mill by "Wolf Netter and Jacobi", that it began to flourish. The two factory owners Wolf Netter and Salomon Jacobi not only provided work, but also promoted social housing for their employees by building the "Colony".

The people of Hausach thanked them with "Netterstraße" and "Jacobistraße".

Under political pressure, the plant was transferred to "Mannesmann-Stahlblechbau" in 1938, which was given a difficult new start, especially after the war. In 1970, the company merged with the Thyssen Group, whereupon the Hausach plant continued to exist under the new name "Thyssen Industrie Umformtechnik". Today the company trades under the name "UCON" and manufactures containers.

Straw hat factory

One year after the German Unification War of 1870/71, the straw hat factory of Messrs Wolber and Pfaff was established in Hausach. For the founders of the factory, it was essential that the wearing of straw hats gradually became fashionable in the towns. The straw hat factory, which had of course started from very small beginnings, grew into a considerable business under favourable economic conditions. Much of the work was done at home. What characterised the production was the variety of products and the almost unparalleled flexibility with which the straw hat factory responded to the demands of fashion. For a long time, headgear was produced for the Wehrmacht, men's and women's hats of every size and shape and for every purpose, fancy hats for carnival and headgear for sport and work.

Braces factory

In 1892, a skilled Hausach saddler, Johann Schmider, started industrial production in his craft business. He began by producing rows of cartridge bags for the Strasbourg garrison, but soon moved on to the mass production of braces. The company did an excellent job in this sector. However, when wearing braces gradually went out of fashion and many a company in the same sector had to cease production before they could even take advantage of the good post-war economy,

In true Hausach style, the braces factory quickly and thoroughly switched to a new production method. For a short time, bicycle pennants were cut, but then, from the 1950s onwards, the production of traditional costume dolls began. Pretty much all of Germany's traditional costumes, especially of course the Black Forest costume, were the inspiration for the doll costumes.

A recreation centre for railway workers

In May 1904, you could read in the daily newspaper: "The Association of Baden Railway Officials finally has the long-awaited recreation home for its members: The Grand Ducal Domain Directorate has bought the Hechtsberg estate in the Kinzig Valley for the association and let it to them for a moderate rent." The purchase contract for all the land and buildings with accessories amounting to 420,000 marks was concluded between the "Grand Ducal Domain Secretary" and the "Privy Councillor of Commerce Ferdinand Reiß" on 8 May 1904 in Karlsruhe. Actually, they wanted to prioritise a home in a restful forest. Therefore, the search initially led to the Markgräflerland, the Elz Valley, Gengenbach and several other places, until the decision was made in favour of the Hechtsberger Hofgut, which was not located in the forest, but directly on the country road between Hausach and Haslach. However, at the inauguration ceremony on 11 June 1904, the distinguished guests were "full of praise for the new and modern home, which had 25 guest beds and was surrounded by a beautiful park". The newspaper article at the time also revealed that at the beginning of the 19th century, a man from Wolfach had an inn called the Hecht built, which he sold to Mr von Dahmen around 1850. "The latter set up a manor house, which he lived in for ten years. Then it took the fancy of the Kommerzienrat Ferdinand Reiß, now living in Karlsruhe, who enlarged it considerably by purchasing farms and turned the estate into the stately building it is today". According to a report by Altratsschreiber Wilhelm Kienzle, this stately, castle-like house - today the Landhaus Hechtsberg - was built by Baron Otto von Dahmen in 1852. He sold the property to Ferdinand Reiß's father according to a contract dated 18 March 1860 between "Mr Mayor Otto Dahmen of Sulzbach and Mr Isaak Reiß Banquier in Frankfurt".

Even Hansjakob reports in his book "In der Residenz" how the Haslach boys marvelled at "the beautiful horses with which the new landowner drove in and out of the town". Reiß greatly expanded the estate and became a capable, experienced farmer. Until 1931, railway workers seeking relaxation were drawn to the Hechtsberg.

Hausach and the railway

Construction of the then single-track Offenburg - Hausach line began on 1 April 1865.

On 2 July 1866, the time had already come: the first train from Offenburg arrived at Hausach station, steaming and pounding.

The arrival of the railway and the expansion of the road marked the beginning of Hausach's economic development.

Hausach was the terminus of the railway for several years, which led to the construction of the former station hotel and railway inn, the building of the Blume inn in 1870 and a sharp increase in freight traffic.

Construction of the actual Black Forest Railway towards Villingen began on 22 June 1867 and operations commenced on 10 November 1873. The railway was already double-tracked by 1888.

Initial discussions on the construction of the Kinzigtal line began as early as 1868, as the area around Schiltach and Schramberg, which was later connected by a branch line, was particularly keen on this connection. The first train travelled to Wolfach in 1878. However, the line was not completed as far as Freudenstadt until 1886 - the final section was in the Swabian "foreign country".

The railway became Hausach's largest employer, mainly due to the handling of goods - goods trains were assembled in Hausach. All locomotives were stationed in Hausach for pushing freight, express and long passenger trains up the Black Forest. A large coal depot was set up for the company's own needs, as well as two signal boxes and water tanks for the steam locomotives so that they could manage the difference in altitude.

Around 1900, industry allowed the railway business in Hausach to flourish. At the beginning, five passenger trains travelled every day. The establishment of commercial enterprises combined with the final cessation of rafting in 1894 led to a rapid development of activity at Hausach railway station. The rolling mill, the largest customer of the railway in Hausach, played a major role. At the entrance, there were entire goods trains with coal to operate the rolling mills and with blanks that were processed into sheet metal in the factory. This then left the Hausach railway station to supply customers in southern Germany.

After the war, it was once again the rolling mill, Mannesmann since 1938, that breathed life into the railway. In the 1960s there was even a railway school in Hausach. However, the days when up to 200 people were employed at Hausach railway station are long gone. What remains is a modern Black Forest railway with connections all over the world.

Guided tours outside opening hours:

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Tel. 07831 / 7975

Interactive museum map: http://www.bo.de/lokales/kinzigtal/kinzigtaeler-museen-ein-ueberblick