What are some of the interesting facts about the Rhine River throughout history?
During early historic times, Germanic tribes settled on either side of the lower Rhine and Celts alongside its upper sides. Julius Caesar bridged and crossed it in 53 and 55 BC. The Germanias were formed on the north and the Roman empire to the south and east. When the Western Roman Empire disintegrated around 400 AD, the Rhine was crossed along its entire length by Germanic tribes and formed the central backbone first of the Kingdom of the Franks and then of the Carolingian Empire. In 870, the Rhine again became the central axis of a political unit; the Holy Roman Empire. Over time, fighting and political events disintegrated this empire along the Rhine. Even with the fighting and changing hands of frontiers, a goal to connect the North Sea to the Black Sea had existed. It was first put into action by Charlemagne in 793, but it was never a success. The Thirty Years’ War, 1618 through 1648, ended with the final separation of the Rhine headwaters and delta area from Germany. This territ
Interesting Facts Along the Rhine you will see many large and beautiful castles which were used for protection during the Middle Ages when the surrounding countries were often at was with one another. Today those same castles attract many visitors up and down the Rhine. Discovery Although no “one” person is credited with discovering the Rhine, it is known that Julius Caesar once built a timber bridge across it. How it got it’s name There are two glacier top mountains in the Swiss Alps that primarily feed the river. One is named Hinter Rhine and the other is the Vorder Rhine which were the basis for being named the Rhine River. Sources: http://www.east-buc.k12.ia.us/00_01/BW/ks/ks.
