page_title: Rhön Mountains
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Rhön Mountains / History
caption_attribution_description: English: A specimen of a Rhönschaf, an old sheep breed of the Rhoen mountains. This picture was taken in the Rhön Biosphere Reserve, on the Weidberg nearby Kaltenwestheim. A overhead powerline was digitally removed. See small second version below. Deutsch: Ein Rhönschaf aus einer Herde, welche am 28.04.2019 auf dem Weidberg im Biosphärenreservat Rhön geweidet wurde. Eine oberhalb der Weide verlaufende Strom-Freileitung wurde als Retusche entfernt. Siehe Zweitversion unten. Français&#160;: Un Rhönschaf, und vielle race de moutons originaire dans la Rhön. Photo prise dans la réserve de biosphère de la Rhön, sur le Weidberg à proximité de Kaltenwestheim.
context_page_description: The Rhön Mountains are a group of low mountains in central Germany, located around the border area where the states of Hesse, Bavaria and Thuringia come together. These mountains, which are at the extreme southeast end of the East Hesse Highlands, are partly a result of ancient volcanic activity. They are separated from the Vogelsberg Mountains by the river Fulda and its valley. The highest mountain in the Rhön is the Wasserkuppe which is in Hesse. The Rhön Mountains are a popular tourist destination and walking area.
context_section_description: The name Rhön is believed to be of Celtic origin. A regional Celtic presence is well established, with an important Celtic town at Milseburg. Furthermore, there are circular embankments that could be both of Celtic and of Germanic origin in the Kuppenrhön on the Stallberg and the Kleinberg mountains. Many names of places, mountains and meadows in the Rhön likely have their origins in Celtic root words.
  Up to the 10th century parts of the Rhön belonged to Altgau Buchonia. This term was coined by the Romans in Late Antiquity and described an ancient beech forest in the Rhön and the neighbouring low mountain ranges of the Spessart and Vogelsberg. Expansive stands of beech still exist today in the area.
  Due to the far reaching view from the Rhön mountains, they became sites for hilltop castles in the Middle Ages. One example is Hauneck Castle (Burg Hauneck) on the Stoppelsberg, the ruins of which can still be seen. It served to oversee and protect traffic on the ancient road, the Antsanvia, as well as protecting the villages in the Haune valley.
  In the Middle Ages the Würzburg Defences (landwehr) were erected on the Hochrhön for the protection of its farmers.
  The Rhön was also home to the Christian Community known as the Bruderhof from 1926 to 1937 when it was dissolved by Nazi persecution.
caption: Rhön sheep
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