Schlierbach - A Bit of Switzerland in the Odenwald?

Schlierbach in the Odenwald

Most people who live in the Odenwald are quite familiar with the town of Lindenfels, with its affinity for dragons, beautiful scenery and iconic castle sitting high above the surrounding countryside. Far fewer, however, have visited the little community of Schlierbach, lying in the valley just below, though it is, quite possibly, the prettiest little village in the Odenwald. Schlierbach, having less than 600 inhabitants, is not a large place, but its historic inns, restaurants, cafes and beer gardens, scattered between the half-timbered houses which line Schlier Creek, make it a charming and scenic addition to the Odenwald community.

History

Schlierbach lies in the center of the valley of the same name and is probably the place called "Richgiesbura" in 795 in the Lorsch Codex. If so, that would be the earliest known mention of the village. The castle on the hill above, at Lindenfels, was called Schlierburg and Slirburc during the 11th century, and that is probably where the town gets its name, though there isn't documented evidence of the town being called Sirbach until 1356, at which time it was already a part of the Palatinate, a situation that would remain until 1803.

Immigration After the Thirty Years War

After the end of the Thirty Years' War (1648) and the plague that followed, Schlierbach, like many towns in the Palatinate, was almost deserted. To encourage immigration to the area, the Electoral Palatinate pursued a resettlement policy based on religious tolerance; however, wars in the troubled period afterward, such as the Palatinate Succession War (1688-1697) and the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), rendered many of the efforts useless as tens of thousands of Palatinate citizens emigrated to North America and Prussia.

Wars did not, however, entirely prevent immigration. and many people from Switzerland found

Schlierbach Reformed Church

their way to the Palatinate. Some of these were Reformed Calvinist Christians who accepted the invitation of the Count Palatine and settled in the Odenwald valleys. Two brothers having the last name "Bitsch" were the first to arrive in the area, where they found many fallow farms. Matthias Bitsch, who came from the area around Chur in Switzerland, settled in Breitenwiesen in 1662, and his brother, Christian, settled in Raidelbach, villages near Schlierbach. Together, the two families had more than 20 children, though a few died in early childhood. Twelve boys, however, reached marriageable age and founded their own families. You can still find families with the last name "Bitsch" in the Odenwald today.

The Schlierbach Cemetery

It is probably from Swiss immigrants such as the Bitsch brothers, that Schlierbach came to have one of its most notable landmarks, the Evangelical cemetery. The village's cemetery is unique in the Odenwald because its markers are painted wooden boards, rather than carved stone. The religious roots of these markers can be found in the strict ideas of John Calvin (1509-1564), who, like his compatriot Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531), insisted on a radical renewal (reformation) of the church. They gave up the traditional process of the mass and celebrated their worship with prayer, Bible reading, preaching and psalm singing. Calvinists did not believe in religious decoration or the cross as a sign of faith; therefore, graves were decorated with white boards, containing only the words "Here rests in peace", the name of the deceased with his or her year of birth and death and a simple painted decoration.

Schlierbach Reformed Cemetery

Today only one person, Friedrich Hartmann, still  produces the "Schlierbacher Totenbrett". In addition  to the standard information, Mr. Hartmann also paints a flower pot containing three flowers to symbolize the trinity on each grave marker. Roots that emanate from the flowers stand for eternal life. The oldest markers in the cemetery of Schlierbach date from the 1930s, as they are made of softwood which deteriorates fairly rapidly. The cemetery has been a listed  monument since the 1950s.

Modern History

Zum Römischen Kaiser - Operated as an Inn in the
18th Century

The population in Schlierbach recovered slowly after the Thirty Years War. In 1784, 39 families with 154 people lived in the town's 20 houses. The district consisted of 251 acres of acres, 70 acres of meadows, 5 acres of gardens, 26 acres of pasture and 10 acres of forest. Furthermore, there was a military customs post in the village at that time.

The late 18th and early 19th centuries brought far-reaching changes to the Palatinate. As a result of the Napoleonic wars, the section of the Rhine Palatinate lying on the left bank of the Rhine was annexed by France, and the Electoral Palatinate itself was dissolved. Hessen-Darmstadt also lost land on the left bank of the river.  As compensation for its losses, Hessen-Darmstadt received Lindenfels and the surrounding territory, thus making Schlierbach "Hessen".

In 1842, it was reported that Schlierbach had 34 houses with 252 inhabitant, all of whom belonged to the reformed church except 13 Lutherens and one Catholic. Among the citizens, were seven farmers, 23 tradesmen and 5 day laborers. There was one church and one grinding mill. 

The Mill in Schlierbach

Schlierbach, like the rest of Germany was affected by both world wars, having lost citizens in the fighting. Just in front of the town cemetery, a memorial has been erected to the fallen. Additionally, population figures for the town show that after World War II, refugees from the former German areas in the east settled in the village. 

Schlierbach Today

Today, Schlierbach remains a fairly relaxed little village, its old town having been supplemented with newer development in the surrounding areas, especially in the direction of Lindenfels. In 1981, Schlierbach won a competition as the most beautiful village. In 2008, the newly-developed Nibelungensteig trail helped increase tourism, as did a nearby holiday, caravan park. In 2009, the village's playground; with its water features and dragon's head tunnel, won a competition hosted by the "Bergsträsser Anzeiger" as best Bergstrasse playground. 

If you visit Schlierbach, you'll find the following facilities:

• Zur Krone (Restaurant and Beer Garden)
• Landhaus Tannenhof (Inn)
• Zum Römischen Kaiser (Inn and Restaurant)
• Hofkaffee Meister (Restaurant and Cafe)
• Terassencamping Schlierbach (Camp Ground)
• The award-winning community playground 

Sources

“Calvinistic Character of the Early German Reformed Church.” RCUS, www.rcus.org/calvinistic-character/.

“Schlierbach Im Odenwald - Home.” Schlierbach Im Odenwald - Home, www.schlierbach-odw.de/.

“Schlierbach (Lindenfels).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 May 2018, de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlierbach_(Lindenfels).