Timeline
1102 First mention of Lörrach as Lorach in a document of the St. Alban Monastery 1403 On January 26, 1403, King Rupert of the Palatinate granted Lörrach market rights 1452 Confirmation of market rights by Emperor Frederick III 1678 French troops destroy Rötteln Castle 1682 Margrave Frederick Magnus of Baden-Durlach grants Lörrach city rights on November 18, 1682 1756 Renewal of city rights and occupation of the first town hall on Wallbrunnstraße 1848 Gustav Struve proclaims the German Republic in Lörrach on September 21, 1848 1908 Incorporation of Stetten 1975 Incorporation of Brombach and Hauingen
The history of Lörrach begins with its first documented mention in 1102 as a settlement. Archaeological discoveries, however, confirm human presence in the area as early as the Paleolithic period. Lörrach received market rights in 1403 and was granted city status in 1682 by Frederick VII, Margrave of Baden-Durlach, making its urban history relatively young compared to its constituent districts and neighboring settlements. Its proximity to the dominant city of Basel hindered its development, and Lörrach retained a largely rural character until its second city elevation in 1756, when its city rights were renewed after being forgotten due to various conflicts. Historical records rarely mentioned Lörrach until the Late Middle Ages, so its development often paralleled that of Basel.
In the 19th century, Lörrach played a significant role during the German revolution of 1848–49, particularly during the Second Baden Revolution, when Gustav Struve proclaimed the German Republic in September 1848. The city's growth during the Industrialization was driven by its location along the Wiese River and its strategic position on a key north-south trade route across the Alps. The textile industry brought Lörrach recognition far beyond the region. The town's history is also marked by shifting affiliations with various noble families and territories. Parts of modern Lörrach belonged to Further Austria and later to the Grand Duchy of Baden; since 1952, it has been part of Baden-Württemberg.
Early settlement and roman period
Prehistory The earliest evidence of human settlement in the Lörrach region consists of stone tools found in Wyhlen on the Upper Rhine, dated to the Paleolithic due to loess deposits above them. Finds in the caves of the Isteiner Klotz from the Mesolithic period (ending around 4500 BC) indicate mining activities and reindeer hunters. Archaeological evidence from the Neolithic period, when village-like settlements emerged during the transition to sedentism, includes stone tools found in the Homburger Wald, the Moosmatte in present-day Stetten, and the Dalcher Boden in Tüllingen, suggesting residential sites. From the Iron Age (the Hallstatt period, roughly 800 to 400 BC), numerous fortified hilltop settlements and burial mounds have been preserved at the Grenzacher Horn, Schädelberg, Hünerberg, and in the Homburger Wald.
In the 1st century BC, the Celtic Helvetii tribe settled in the valleys of the Rhine's tributaries. Many geographical names for mountains, rivers, and places originate from the Celtic language, such as the Rhine, derived from the Celtic Rhennos, meaning "the flowing one." Traces of Celtic settlers are also found in Herten, Wyhlen, and Inzlingen. Near the Kreuzeiche east of Lörrach, a Celtic Viereckschanze from the La Tène period, likely used for cultic purposes, has been identified.
Roman period
For several centuries, the region between the Rhine and the Limes was part of the Roman Empire. Under Emperor Augustus, expansion began with the occupation of the left bank of the Rhine. Around 50 AD, under Emperor Claudius, Romanization extended to the right bank of the Upper and High Rhine up to the Limes, marking the end of Celtic independence and the La Tène culture. The southwestern German Roman territory was known as the Agri Decumates. Notably, unlike the Basel area, the southern Upper Rhine, and the High Rhine valley, evidence of Roman presence in Lörrach is scarce. The lower Wiesental and the Dinkelberg were of little interest to Roman conquerors. Roman traces are found only in present-day Stetten and Brombach. The Roman Empire focused on developing and securing the front line (Danube–Kaiserstuhl) with military camps in the hinterland. Centers of Roman culture south of the Rhine included Vindonissa (Windisch near Brugg), Basilea (Basel), and Augusta Raurica (Augst). Founded around 40 BC, Augusta Rauracorum had two bridges over the Rhine. Around 100 AD, Emperor Trajan built a road from Augst through Haltingen and Efringen-Kirchen to Heidelberg and Mogontiacum (Mainz). However, the most significant Roman roads ran on the left bank of the Rhine. By 300 AD, the Rhine and Lake Constance formed a boundary between Romans and Alamanni, with frequent conflicts between the two groups.Lörrach: Landschaft – Geschichte – Kultur. S. 63 ff.
From the first mention to the Late Middle Ages Early Middle Ages Most villages in southwestern Germany with suffixes like -ingen, -heim, -ach, -bach, -weil, and -stetten emerged in the 6th and 7th centuries. A second wave of settlement reached the upper Wiesental as far as Todtnau. Around 500 AD, the Alamanni came under Frankish rule. In 746, all Alamanni leaders were executed on the orders of Pippin the Younger and Charles Martel in the Blood Court of Cannstatt. Evidence of settlement in the Merovingian period abounds in the Lörrach area. The districts of Tumringen, Tüllingen, and Hauingen reflect early foundations through their names. Stetten, formerly Stetiheim, indicates expansion in the 7th century. Around 600, Saint Fridolin proclaimed Christianity. The town of Zell im Wiesental was then a cella of the Fridolin monks. Stetten, founded by the Säckingen Monastery, was first documented in 763, and its church was dedicated to Saint Fridolin in honor of the monks. As a fief under Habsburg protection, Stetten was assigned to Further Austria and remained Catholic after the Reformation. A document from September 7, 751, records the donation by Ebo and his wife Odalsinda to the Abbey of St. Gallen, mentioning a church in Rötteln (ecclesia Raudinleim). The document's author was a priest named Landarius from the Rötteln church. From St. Blasien, priories were established (1100 in Weitenau, 1126 in Bürgeln and Sulzburg) and a nunnery in Sitzenkirch. The extensive expansion of its holdings gave the St. Blasien Abbey political and intellectual influence, making it renowned beyond the region. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the village of Lörrach gained significance.
First mention of Lörrach to the end of the Lords of Rötteln The first written mention of Lörrach dates to 1102, commemorated during anniversary celebrations. The foundation document of the St. Alban Monastery states that Bishop Burkhard appointed Baron Dietrich of Rötteln as the protector of the right-bank possessions. The document reads:
Lorach cum ecclesia omnibusque suis appenditiis [...], meaning: Lörrach with its church and all its appurtenances, such as fields, meadows, and vineyards.
The list also includes churches in Hauingen, Biesheim, and the Martinskirche in Basel. It remains unclear why Lörrach's mention came so late, as neighboring settlements appear in Carolingian documents of the Lorsch and St. Gallen monasteries much earlier. The most plausible theory is that the possessions in Kleinbasel and Lörrach were transferred to the Bishop of Basel by Henry IV only in the 11th century, explaining why this ancient, likely pre-medieval-named settlement does not appear in earlier records. Documents are preserved only where donations were made.Lörrach: Landschaft – Geschichte – Kultur. S. 116 ff.
The history of the free Lords of Rötteln is closely tied to that of Lörrach. Their exact origins are unknown. They were first mentioned in 1102/1103 when Dietrich of Rötteln was entrusted with the stewardship of the St. Alban Monastery's holdings in Basel. Through inheritance, the Lords of Rötteln acquired significant portions of the Waldeck family's possessions. It is assumed they already owned the Rötteln castle and church.Heinz Heimgartner: Burgruine Rötteln. Verlag Röttelnbund e. V. 1964, S. 5. Their holdings provided a strong foundation, granting them significant influence in the Dioceses of Basel and partly Constance. The Lords of Rötteln primarily held ecclesiastical offices, sometimes as canons or bishops. Due to the lack of early donation records, reconstructing Dietrich of Rötteln's possessions, who likely lived until 1123, is challenging
In 1259, Rötteln Castle was first documented under Konrad of Rötteln, who also elevated Schopfheim to city status. The castle likely existed since the 11th century. The Rötteln lineage died out during this period. Lüthold II of Rötteln (died May 19, 1316), who was to become Bishop of Basel, was the last male heir and transferred the Rötteln lordship rights to Margrave Heinrich of Hachberg-Sausenberg, his niece Agnes's son, in 1315. After Heinrich's early death in 1318, brothers Rudolf II and Otto jointly governed the combined lordships of Rötteln and Sausenberg, moving the seat from the small Sausenburg to Rötteln Castle. From then, they were known as Margraves of Hachberg, Lords of Rötteln and Sausenberg or simply Margraves of Rötteln.
Late Middle Ages Reconstructions suggest that Lörrach's settlement structure was shaped by its road network. The old Wiesentalstraße, running from Basel via Riehen to Schopfheim, aligns with today's Basler Straße in the city center, continuing with a slight curve past the Lörrach marketplace into Turmstraße. At the marketplace, it meets Wallbrunnstraße at a right angle, leading toward the Dinkelberg. Modern streets largely follow these ancient routes. South of today's Herrenstraße stood a castle complex, named after the Lords of Lörrach. This moated castle, similar to those in Inzlingen, Grenzach, and other places, was located on the eastern edge of the Wiese River and existed since the early 14th century. It was a simple residence with a double wall and a moat, with a pond south of the castle drained after 1595. The village of Lörrach was bounded to the north by today's Teichstraße. The oldest village core was likely at the foot of the Hünerberg in the Ufhabi, along Wallbrunnstraße east of the market, where the livestock market (now Engelplatz) was located. The area in between was not continuously built up.A. Baumhauer: Ursprung und Bedeutung der Lörracher „Ufhabi". In: Badische Heimat. 35, 1955, S. 275. This situation likely persisted throughout the Middle Ages, as few structural expansions occurred during this period.
In the late 14th century, the Lords of Lörrach disappeared from the town. Some remained in Basel as officials, while others took over the Biberstein lordship in the Bernese region. After the Lords of Lörrach, the castle and its lands passed to various owners. On March 28, 1638, the castle burned down, and its remains were cleared in 1720. The former castle site saw the construction of a large manorial granary and cellar, the Hofküferei (now the Dreiländermuseum), and the castle bailiff's building (now the main customs office).
On January 26, 1403, King Rupert of the Palatinate granted Margrave Rudolf III of Hachberg-Sausenberg the right to hold an annual market in Lörrach on the Wednesday before St. Michael's Day (September 29) and a weekly market every Wednesday. Given Lörrach's location at the intersection of major trade routes, these market rights, confirmed by Emperor Frederick III in 1452, were significant.