Kraichgau
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The Kraichgau is a hilly region in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Odenwald and the Neckar River to the North, the Black Forest to the South, and the Upper Rhine River Plains to the West. To the east, its boundary is considered to be Stromberg, Hardt, and Heuchelberg.
The largest cities of the Kraichgau are Sinsheim, Eppingen, and Bretten. On the western end of the Kraichgau lies the city of Bruchsal, which is the portal into the Rhineland plains.
[edit] Origins of the name
The word "Kraich" apparently arose from the Celtic word "Creuch," meaning "mud" or "loam." The word "gau" signifies an open area, free from woods, such as farmland or meadows.
The area of Kraichgau was first mentioned in the Early Middle Ages, in the Lorscher Codex, as "Creichgowe" in the year 769. In 773, it was called "Chrehgauui," in 778 "Craichgoia." By 1594, the name was closer to its modern form, being referred to as "Kreuchgau."
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