The church as colonist: the benedictine abbey of Lorsch and planned Waldhufen colonization in the Odenwald
Hans-Jürgen Nitz
Abstract It is still uncertain whether earlier Waldhufen row settlements with single strip farms in the west of Germany served as models for this type village, so widely diffused east central Europe from twelfth to fourteenth centuries. In Odenwald hills were introduced early late eighth century when imperial monastery Lorsch started colonize a royal forest donated by Charlemagne. At first abbey founded small Waldhufe dependent peasants manorial villicatio system, but later an enlarged version incorporating large portions forest—the classical Waldhufe—was developed economically more independent farmers. Also systematic network places form centres and castle was established within colonization area. From colonies diffusion settlement model can be traced neighbouring Spessart distant Black Forest through personal contacts territorial lords Lorsch. Similar connections one leading colonists Frankenwald may have brought idea even European region century.
Journal of Historical Geography