Vogtsburg im Kaiserstuhl (Low Alemannic: Vogtsburg im Kaiserstuehl), often referred to as simply Vogtsburg (), is a town in the Kaiserstuhl, a volcanic region in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg. It has a population of about 5,700 and was created on January 1, 1975 through the unification of six former municipalities, initially under the name Oberrotweil, and was renamed to Vogtsburg im Kaiserstuhl in April 1977. With its of vineyards, Vogtsburg is the biggest wine producing town in Germany.
Geography
Geographic position
The individual villages of Vogtsburg are embedded in the valleys of the inner Kaiserstuhl (except Burkheim). The horseshoe-shaped mountain range of the Kaiserstuhl opens to the west and forms the border of the area of Vogtsburg. To the west Vogtsburg borders the Rhine and the French region of Alsace.
Climate
The relatively low height above sea level and the protected position between the Vosges Mountains and the Schwarzwald (the Black Forest) create a nearly Mediterranean microclimate.
Geology
The mountains of the Kaiserstuhl are a later result of the creation of a great rift (the Rhine Rift) followed by some smaller volcanic activity. The Kaiserstuhl consists of thick layers of loess (), which, together with the special climate, is the main reason for the extraordinary fertility of this area.
Neighboring towns
Artzenheim (Alsace) Bahlingen Baltzenheim (Alsace) Bötzingen Breisach Eichstetten Endingen Ihringen Sasbach
Divisions
The town Vogtsburg consists of the following Stadtteile or municipal divisions:
Achkarren
Bickensohl
Bischoffingen
Burkheim
Oberbergen
Oberrotweil
Schelingen
Vogtsburg is composed of nine individual villages. Prior to unification in 1975 the villages of Oberrotweil and Niederrotweil were one political entity. The small hamlet with the original name Vogtsburg belonged to Oberbergen. For this reason the city of Vogtsburg has nine different villages but only seven political districts. Town privileges for the city of Vogtsburg came from Burkheim, which since the Middle Ages was a town despite its small size.
History
Although the city of Vogtsburg is one of the youngest in Germany, the individual villages making it up are mostly more than 1000 years old. The earliest archaeological finds in the village Oberbergen date to the times of the Linear Pottery culture during the Paleolithic era between 4000 and 2500 BC.
Archaeological finds in Bischoffingen give evidence of neolithic settlers of the Corded Ware culture. Other archeological excavations found flexed burials, which could be dated to the Bronze Age between 1700 and 1200 BC. In more recent history, from 800 BC onwards, there is extensive evidence of Celtic occupation. With the arrival of the Alemanni around 200 AD the Celts seem to have disappeared from the region. The area of Oberbergen is considered to be the most important settlement in South Baden during the era of the Hallstatt culture.
Because of the horseshoe-shaped mountain range of the Kaiserstuhl, which opens only to the west, Vogtsburg was not easily accessible before the introduction of modern roads. This led to a stagnation of development and of the population due to significant emigration until 1870. For about 100 years between 1880 and 1980 the population had been about constant at 5000 inhabitants. From 1980 on the population has increased due to development.
Gallery
Policy
Municipal Council
The results of the local elections from June 13 of 2004:
Economy and infrastructure
The city economy is based primarily on the production of wine grapes. In addition the production of cherries, zwetschgen, and apples contribute significantly to the economy. In recent years tourism has grown to be an important economic contributor.
Court
Vogtsburg is in the jurisdiction of the district court of Breisach.
Education
There is one general-education secondary school, two primary schools, and six kindergartens plus one nursery school. Nearby in Breisach there is a secondary school and a 'Gymnasium' (high school, grammar school).
Streets
The L113 - a country road without cross-town links runs through the western part of the city. This street goes from Breisach - Riegel to Freiamt, and then meets the L115 near Niederrotweil. The L115 goes on to Bötzingen and Umkirch. The different districts are connected with a net of district roads.
Vogtsburg is one of the rare towns without speed limit zones of 30 km/h (20 mph).