Kandern is a town in southwestern Germany in the state of Baden-Württemberg, in the Kreis (district) of Lörrach. During the Battle of Schliengen, in which the French Revolutionary army fought the forces of Austria, the battle lines of both armies ended in Kandern. It is not far from a tripoint where the three countries Germany, France and Switzerland meet and is one of the smallest cities in Germany. To many in North America, Kandern is best known as the birthplace of John Sutter, who owned the land that gold was discovered in 1848, which sparked the California gold rush, and the beginning of intensive settlement in California. Today, Kandern has a large community of English-speaking residents as a result of the presence of Black Forest Academy. This is an English-language institution founded in 1956. Most of the students are children of international business professionals from around the world, mainly from the United States, Canada, and South Korea. The coat of arms of Kandern is a pitcher on a yellow background. The blazon is Or a covered Jug Gules. Geography Kandern lies in southwestern Germany, at the foot of the Black Forest. North of Kandern is the Blauen or Hochblauen, one of the highest mountains in the Southern Black Forest. The Hochblauen lies at the end of the Kander Valley and is the source of the Kander. Through Kandern runs the well-known Westweg, a hiking trail through the Black Forest from Pforzheim to Basel. Nearby is the Sausenberg and its castle. Neighboring Communities Subdivisions (Ortsteile) The borough of Kandern consists of the town of Kandern itself, and the following villages: History Archaeological finds show that the area that is today Kandern was already inhabited in prehistoric times, by the Celts, and during the Roman period. It was probably the local clay deposits that made the site attractive to the early settlers. The name Kandern is of Germanic origin, meaning on the Kander. Kander is the name of the stream that flows through the town. Its name comes from the Celtic kandera for clear flowing. Kandern is first mentioned in a document from the Abbey of Saint Martin in Tours, France. The document states that one Gundoson bought iron in loco municipalitum Chantra super fluvium Hantra ("in the area of the town of Kandern on the river Kander"). The next record of Kandern was in 776 A.D. when Lorsch Abbey obtained the