Elztal is a municipality in the Neckar-Odenwald district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is named after the valley of the river Elz.
Geography
The municipality Elztal is located in the southern part of the Odenwald, close to Mosbach at the B 27, B 292 and L 615. The next district cities are Heilbronn in the South and Heidelberg in the North. The local river Elz or sometimes called Elzbach is flowing through Rittersbach, Dallau and Neckarburken and ends at Neckarelz into the Neckar river. The highest point of Elztal is located in Dallau at the Urnberg. At the moment there's a part of a former NATO base (Nike-Stellung D 1/67; later: A 3/71); today a cattle farm (Cattle-Horse-Ranch). The former living complex in the valley was demolished in 2007.
Municipality structure
The municipality contains the five districts of Auerbach, Dallau, Muckental, Neckarburken and Ritterbach. The combined population amounted to 6100.
Auerbach district (Au) => Auerbach bei Mosbach, Dännigsiedlung
Dallau district (Dal) => Dallau, Mariental
Muckental district (Muc) => Muckental, Gehöft Rineck
Neckarburken district (Nbu) => Neckarburken
Rittersbach district (Ri) => Rittersbach, Heidersbacher Mühle, Zinken-Hütte
In all five districts are local governments in the sense of the Baden-Württembergs municipality order (Gemeindeordnung), each with its own town council (Ortschaftsrat) and mayor (Ortsvorsteher) as its chairman.
From 1788 to 1850 there was an older village between Dallau and Muckental with the name Rineck. Today the only certificate and remaining of this time is the Rineck far. Since 1850 the Rineck farm is known for its strawberry plantation.
Coats of arms
The crest of Dallau and the municipality of Elztal contains on a white or silver background Saint Michael with blue wings. In his right hand he raises a golden sword and in his lefts he holds a Libra to illustrate the balance of good and evil. Bottom right, there's an oval escutcheon/shield with the Teutonic Cross on a white background on the right side. On the left side there's the Palatinate-Wittelsbach rhombus flag of the Free State of Bavaria (Freistaat Bayern). Saint Michael was the former patron of the former catholic Monastery on the Urnberg in Dallau.
The Auerbach crest symbolizes the former status of Auerbach as wine region. Muckental and Neckarburken's crest are symbolizing only their toponyms. The Rittersbach's crest shows their patron Saint George (hl. Georg) in a battle with a dragon.
History
Colonization
The current area of the Elztal was populated by Germanic peoples in its prehistoric time. Today there are 14 burial mounds which witnesses it. The emergence of this burial mounds are dated on the middle of the 1st Millennium BC. At the time of the Romans ran the limes through the Elz Village. The limes was strengthened from the Romans with a fort (today known as: Fort of Neckarburken). The Germanic settlers in Elztal were shocked from this changes and relied into the security of the forests and woods of their home area. In addition, the Romans strengthened their fort with nearby inns (Villa rustica) and a separated Vicus (camp village) for its military troops. The Romans in the Elztal were eliminated in 260 AD by the Alemannic Germans. In 497 AD, the Franken conquered the territorium and founded the villages Aue amnis (Auerbach), Dallau, Neckar Castellum (Neckarburken) and Miles Militis Flumen (Rittersbach). On the occasion of foundations of Frankish noblemen to the monastery Lorsch are the first written references of the four settlements in the Franconian Lorsch Codex (Lorscher Codex). In this Codex, the villages are named:
Dallau (772 AD) => Dalaheim (Talheim) Neckarburken (774 AD) => Borocheim (Burgheim) Rittersbach (783 AD) => Rodinsburon (Ruodis Bure) Auerbach (791 AD) => Urbach
In the 9th century AD, the villages has connections to the catholic Cyriak Monastery (Cyriaksstift) in Worms-Neuhausen and the Diocese of Worms which enlarged it influence after a gift of Emperor Otto II. So the Diocese of Worms possessed the Mosbach Abbey with possession in 23 cities and villages.