Rhine

Lorelei (German: Loreley), German legend of a beautiful maiden who threw herself into the Rhine River in despair over a faithless lover and was transformed into a siren who lured fishermen to destruction. The myth is associated with a large rock named Lorelei, which stands on the bank of the Rhine River near Sankt Goarshausen, Germany, and is known for producing an echo. The essentials of the legend were created by German writer Clemens Brentano in his ballad “Zu Bacharach am Rheine” (“To Bacharach on the Rhine”), which first appeared in his novel Godwi (1800–02). Lorelei became the subject of a number of literary works and songs; the poem “Die Loreley” (1824) by Heinrich Heine was set to music by more than 25 composers.

The Rhine (German: Rhein) is one of the longest and the most important river in Europe at 1,320 kilometres (820 miles), with an average discharge of more than 2,000 cubic meters per second. The name of the Rhine comes from the archaic German Rhine, which in turn comes from Middle High German: Rin, from the Proto-Indo-European root *reie- ("to flow"). The Reno River in Italy, once in the area of ​​influence of the Germanic Lombards, shares the same etymology.

History

The Battle between Germanics and Romans on the Rhine (Die Schlacht zwischen Germanen und Römern am Rhein) is a painting by Friedrich Tüshaus from 1876. Here the German artist shows Ariovist (with a winged helmet), prince of the Suebians, and his warriors on the Wahlstatt (battle field) against the legions of Julius Caesar during the last battle of the fight for freedom on the great German river in 58 BC.

Deutsches Eck (Koblenz)

The Rhine and the Danube formed most of the northern inland frontier of the Roman Empire to Germania Magna (Greater Germania), and since those days the Rhine has been a vital navigable waterway, carrying trade and goods deep inland. It has also served as a defensive feature of the Rhineland, and been the basis for regional and international borders. The many castles and prehistoric fortifications along the Rhine testify to its importance as a waterway. River traffic could be stopped at these locations, usually for the purpose of collecting tolls, by the state controlling that portion of the river.

Father Rhine

Father Rhine (German: Vater Rhein) is the personification or river god of the Rhine. The allegory was taken up again as a motive in the German Baroque period, and again in 19th-century German Romanticism (Rheinromantik).

Deutsches Eck

Deutsches Eck is where Father Rhine meets Mother Moselle. The settlement of the Teutonic Order at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers in 1216 gave this historically significant place its name "Deutsches Eck". Koblenz also owes its name to the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle. Over the course of time, "Castellum apud Confluentes", Latin for "the fort at the confluence", transformed into the present-day name of Koblenz. Shortly after the death of Kaiser Wilhelm I, the idea arose to erect a monument to the emperor who had brought about the completed unification of Germany after three wars. Three years later, in 1891, Kaiser Wilhelm II, the grandson of the deceased, chose the Deutsches Eck in Koblenz as a suitable location. To make room for the memorial, a port of refuge was filled in, which at that time was located at the mouth of the Moselle. The Deutsches Eck in its present form was created. On 31 August 1897, the copper monument of Kaiser Wilhelm I was ceremoniously inaugurated in the presence of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Rheinsteig

Walk one of the most beautiful paths in Germany, along the first river among rivers – Father Rhine. The RheinSteig is a 320 km trail along the right bank of the Rhine connecting Bonn, Koblenz and Wiesbaden, mainly on narrow paths with steep climbs and descents through forests and vineyards to spectacular views. Meticulously signposted and closely cross-linked, the route is suitable for ambitious long-distance hikes or highly varied shorter walks, easily accessible by rail, boat or car. Yellow-marked access routes guide hikers safely to the blue-marked main trail and then back into towns and villages again, making it easy to plan out the route in stages. The RheinSteig makes for memorable experiences among nature. Narrow paths on springy forest floors lead through the shady valleys and quiet woods of the Siebengebirge, past craggy cliffs in the Middle Rhine Valley and wind through vineyards in the Rheingau. As they crest the many summits they reveal spectacular views of the busy Rhine Valley and the gently hilly landscape of the Eifel, Taunus, Hunsrück and Westerwald uplands that lie nearby. The RheinSteig offers surely the most beautiful mode of access to the cultural riches of the Rhine Valley. Mediaeval cultural history, Rhine Romanticism and landscapes steeped in the past can here be found in close proximity. There are 40 castles, palaces and fortifications in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley between Bingen and Koblenz alone. This density is unique in the world and the area was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2002. The Limes near Bendorf-Sayn and Bad Hönningen has also been a World Heritage Site since July 2005.

See also

• Rheinwiesenlager

External links

• “Father” Rhine
• The Rhine and its tributaries
• Upper Middle Rhine Valley, Germany (Archive)

Encyclopedias

• Encyclopedia Britannica: Rhine River
• Encyclopedia Britannica 1911 Edition: Rheine
• Encyclopedia.com: Rhine