30July2007 TRIP TO BREISACH GERMANY PART 2

Often focus of German and European politics, the history of the 'mother town of Breisgau' dates back over 4000 years.

Since the early stone age people have settled on the plateau which is today the Cathedral hill and during the celts age there used to be the residence of a prince, who held trade connections up to the Mediterranean.

The Romans also discovered the hill's strategic meaning and built a fort on which emperor Valentinian I on the 30. August 369 dismissed an edict, which Breisach owes its first documentary reference to as 'brisiacus' (which means as much as water breaker in celtic).

Around 400 the fort was conquert by the Alemanni and in the following centurys Breisach emerged to one of the most important towns on the Upper Rhine.

In 1273 Breisach became a free imperial town and obtained a new municipal law which was the base for its boom years and political importance. Several convents were established that were beside the St. Stephan's Cathedral -which was built in the 12th to 15th century- the religious and cultural centre of the aspiring community, which belonged since 131 to fore Austria.

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