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90-411: The east border of Zons is the river Rhine . The river can be crossed by ferry. On the opposite bank a 3-kilometre-long (1.9-mile) road leads to Düsseldorf-Urdenbach northeast of Zons. South of Zons is fields and a few Populus trees. The southern road passes two farms and leads to another part of Dormagen, Rheinfeld. West of Zons is extensive meadows with the willows here and there. At some distance

180-676: A barbacane built – almost certainly a reference to the Zwinger . This source enables the second Zwinger of the Crac to be dated to around 1250. The Zwinger of the Krak des Chevaliers was extended in around 1270. Despite this reinforcement, the Muslims under Sultan Baibars I succeeded in capturing the fort in 1271, after just a four-week siege. Other large crusader castles were also surrounded by great Zwinger systems. The outer ring wall of

270-515: A canton argent a cross sable. “ As town coat of arms it is oftén depicted with a silver three-towered battlement coping including a black gate in the middle placed on the top (chief) of the escutcheon . Coat of arms explanation: The saint is Martin of Tours , the black cross on a silver background is the coat of arms of the Electorate of Cologne . Up to the modern era the people of Zons earned their living in farming . In addition to that

360-471: A certain flourishing in economic terms due to trading. Yet the 17th century turned out to be a painful one for Zons. Economic and demographic decline ensue after that great fire, an (unsuccessful) siege and heavy bombardment at the end of the Thirty Years' War , several disastrous plagues and frequent occupations by Cologne and French troops. 1648 Zons had a population of 172, Stürzelberg of 49. After

450-413: A domestication that served goals such as reducing stagnant bogs that fostered waterborne diseases, making regions more habitable for human settlement, and reduce high frequency of floods. Not long before Tulla went to work on widening and straightening the river, heavy floods caused significant loss of life. Four diplomatic treaties were signed among German state governments and French regions dealing with

540-546: A few Jewish families lived in Zons increasing in numbers to almost 50 people by 1806. During the course of 19th century up to the beginning of the 20th century the population grew relatively slowly yet almost steadily in comparison to the overall demographic development. In 1849 Zons together with Stürzelberg counted for 2,012 people, in 1928 1,306 people lived in Zons and 1,428 in Stürzelberg, thus 2,734 in total. On 30 June 1964

630-488: A gradual increase in population in the parish Zons 255 people died due to the plague in 1666. From about 1700 there was a noticeable increase in population: in 1692 the parish had a population of 308, in 1738 there were already 831 people who had received the First Communion and eventually in 1799 there was a population of 1,054. In the 18th century the population was almost entirely Catholic . During that time only

720-432: A moat in front of them, the Zwinger wall also acting as the revetment of the moat. On hillside castles the Zwinger wall was a supporting wall and often very high to provide static stability of the whole site. Frequently, small, hidden sally ports or posterns enabled direct combat with an enemy in the moat area. The actual Zwinger area was also often accessible through sally ports. The Krak des Chevaliers of

810-412: A second, lower wall, known as the Zwinger wall ( Zwingermauer ). If attackers succeed in getting past the Zwinger wall, they would be trapped in the Zwinger and were an easy target for the defenders on the main wall ( Hauptmauer ). Further progress was thus seriously impeded. In central Europe most Zwingers were built in front of older castle walls as a later addition and reinforcement of

900-648: A small group of castles in the Franconian Haßberge date to the Hussite period. As elsewhere the territorial lords were reacting to the serious threat of rebels from nearby Bohemia . These Zwingers at the castles of Altenstein , Rauheneck and Schmachtenberg have been well preserved. At Rauheneck Castle the defences are further strengthened by two bretèches . These features and hoardings ( Kampfhäuser ) may also be seen as part of other Zwingers . The Hussite period additions of many castles in

990-529: A succession of defensive walls can be seen. Especially during the time of the Hungarian invasions , defensive castles were protected by berms and outer ramparts to guard against the cavalry attacks of the Magyars . These were not Zwingers in the true sense of the word; often an intermediate moat separated the lines of defence. Such a moat is also frequently part of late medieval Zwingers . Occasionally

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1080-640: A waterway in the Holy Roman Empire . Among the largest and most important cities on the Rhine are Cologne , Rotterdam , Düsseldorf , Duisburg , Strasbourg , Arnhem , and Basel . The variants of the name of the Rhine (Latin Rhenus; French Rhin, Italian Reno, Romansh Rain or Rein, Dutch Rijn, Alemannic Ry, Ripuarian Rhing) in modern languages are all derived from the Gaulish name Rēnos , which

1170-747: Is a Central German development of the early modern period , with the Alemannic name R(n) keeping the older vocalism. In Alemannic, the deletion of the ending -n in pausa is a recent development; the form Rn is largely preserved in Lucernese dialects. Rhing in Ripuarian is diphthongized, as is Rhei, Rhoi in Palatine . While Spanish has adopted the Germanic vocalism Rin- , Italian, Occitan, and Portuguese have retained

1260-418: Is an open kill zone area between two defensive walls that is used for defensive purposes. Zwinger s were built in the post-classical and early modern periods to improve the defence of castles and town walls . The term is usually left untranslated, but is sometimes rendered as "outer courtyard", presumably referring to the subsequent role of a Zwinger as a castle's defences became redundant and it

1350-503: Is found in front of the main wall but separated from it by an additional moat . In the Hussite period (around 1420/30) impressive examples were built that were mainly intended as protection against early firearms . The open area of the Zwinger was mainly used in peacetime to keep animals or as a garden . As their defensive function became superfluous, in many cases barns , stables and storage buildings were erected in Zwinger s. The Zwinger at Dresden inherited its name from

1440-597: Is significantly shortened from its natural course due to a number of canal projects completed in the 19th and 20th century. The "total length of the Rhine", to the inclusion of Lake Constance and the Alpine Rhine is more difficult to measure objectively; it was cited as 1,232 kilometers (766 miles) by the Dutch Rijkswaterstaat in 2010. Its course is conventionally divided as follows: The Rhine carries its name without distinctive accessories only from

1530-784: Is sometimes called Rhinesee ("Lake Rhine"). Besides the Seerhein , the Radolfzeller Aach is the main tributary of Untersee . It adds large amounts of water from the Danube system to the Untersee via the Danube Sinkhole . Reichenau Island was formed at the same time as the Seerhein, when the water level fell to its current level. Lake Untersee is part of the border between Switzerland and Germany , with Germany on

1620-643: Is the second-longest river in Central and Western Europe (after the Danube ), at about 1,230 km (760 mi), with an average discharge of about 2,900 m /s (100,000 cu ft/s). The Rhine and the Danube comprised much of the Roman Empire 's northern inland boundary , and the Rhine has been a vital navigable waterway bringing trade and goods deep inland since those days. The various castles and defenses built along it attest to its prominence as

1710-526: The Aare . The Aare more than doubles the Rhine's water discharge, to an average of slightly more than 1,000 m /s (35,000 cu ft/s), and provides more than a fifth of the discharge at the Dutch border. The Aare also contains the waters from the 4,274 m (14,022 ft) summit of Finsteraarhorn , the highest point of the Rhine basin . Between Eglisau and Basel , the vast majority of its length,

1800-665: The Anterior Rhine and the Posterior Rhine join and form the Alpine Rhine. The river makes a distinctive turn to the north near Chur . This section is nearly 86 km long, and descends from a height of 599 meters to 396 meters. It flows through a wide glacial Alpine valley known as the Rhine Valley ( German : Rheintal ). Near Sargan a natural dam, only a few meters high, prevents it from flowing into

1890-1009: The Franco-German border , after which it flows in a mostly northerly direction through the German Rhineland . Finally in Germany, the Rhine turns into a predominantly westerly direction and flows into the Netherlands where it eventually empties into the North Sea . It drains an area of 9,973 km . Its name derives from the Celtic Rēnos . There are two German states named after the river, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate , in addition to several districts (e.g. Rhein-Sieg ). The departments of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin in Alsace (France) are also named after

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1980-460: The Knights of St. John is generally classified as a crusader castle . Just before 1170 the first small Zwinger was built here around the inner ward. This surprisingly early Zwinger was replaced in the mid-13th century by the present outer fortification. This Zwinger is also one of the oldest examples of its type. A building inscription records that the castle governor, Nicolas Lorgne , had

2070-815: The Neckar in Mannheim and the Main across from Mainz. In Mainz, the Rhine leaves the Upper Rhine Valley and flows through the Mainz Basin. The southern half of the Upper Rhine forms the border between France ( Alsace ) and Germany (Baden-Württemberg). The northern part forms the border between the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate in the west on the one hand, and Baden-Württemberg and Hesse on

2160-721: The Nuremberg Chronicle . By connecting the inner and the outer ring – to be more exactly, the respective inner and outer (= lower) watch towers – with numerous party walls, a succession of zwinger segments soon encircled the place as a whole. The first Zwinger walls of the High Middle Ages were usually not protected by towers. The artillery fortifications of the Late Middle Ages , by contrast, were defended by numerous flanking and, sometimes also, battery towers or roundels . The Zwingers of

2250-509: The Obersee with the 30 cm lower Untersee . Distance markers along the Rhine measure the distance from the bridge in the old city center of Konstanz. For most of its length, the Seerhein forms the border between Germany and Switzerland. The exception is the old city center of Konstanz, on the Swiss side of the river. The Seerhein emerged in the last thousands of years, when erosion caused

2340-561: The Old Town could reference to this settlement with the crossing paths at this spot being a possible additional indicator. In 1372 the Archbishop of Cologne Friedrich III von Saarwerden  [ de ] moved the Rhine toll castle from Neuss upstream to Zons protecting it with walls and moats and granting Zons the town privileges in 1373. At the centre of the fortress was the thick fortified Friedestrom Castle which served

2430-711: The Prussian State in 1815. The following year the district Neuss was set up with the Bürgermeisterei Zons (an administrative level similar to an Amt ) which comprised the municipalities of Zons, Nachtigall, St. Peter and Stürzelberg. In 1882 the district Neuss became part of the Regierungsbezirk Düsseldorf in the Rhine Province . Since about 1900 Zons has been a popular destination for pleasure trips. In 1904

2520-701: The Rhine knee , a major bend, where the overall direction of the Rhine changes from west to north. Here the High Rhine ends. Legally, the Central Bridge is the boundary between High and Upper Rhine. The river now flows north as Upper Rhine through the Upper Rhine Plain , which is about 300 km long and up to 40 km wide. The most important tributaries in this area are the Ill below of Strasbourg,

2610-400: The Rhine knee , the river turns north and leaves Switzerland altogether. The High Rhine is characterized by numerous dams. On the few remaining natural sections, there are still several rapids . Over its entire course from Lake Constance to the Swiss border at Basel the river descends from 395 m to 252 m. In the center of Basel, the first major city in the course of the stream, is

2700-750: The canton of Ticino is drained by the Reno di Medel , which crosses the geomorphologic Alpine main ridge from the south. All streams in the source area are partially, sometimes completely, captured and sent to storage reservoirs for the local hydro-electric power plants. The culminating point of the Anterior Rhine's drainage basin is the Piz Russein of the Tödi massif of the Glarus Alps at 3,613 meters (11,854 ft) above sea level. It starts with

2790-680: The confluence of the Rein Anteriur/Vorderrhein and Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein next to Reichenau in Tamins . Above this point is the extensive catchment area of the headwaters of the Rhine. This area belongs almost exclusively to the Swiss canton of Grisons ( Graubünden ), ranging from Saint-Gotthard Massif in the west via one valley lying in the canton of Ticino and Sondrio ( Lombardy , Italy) in

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2880-516: The 19th century. While it was slightly modified during the Roman occupation, it was not until the emergence of engineers such as Johann Gottfried Tulla that significant modernization efforts changed the shape of the river. Earlier work under Frederick the Great surrounded efforts to ease shipping and construct dams to serve coal transportation. Tulla is considered to have domesticated the Upper Rhine,

2970-418: The 20th century an industrial plant was established near Stürzelberg and St. Peter. In Zons itself industrial activities didn't happen. Housing in Zons town expanded relatively late beyond the town walls . The first residential buildings "extra muros" were erected at the beginning of the 19th century. First housing estates can be found only at the end of the 19th century. At first buildings were concentrated at

3060-614: The Anterior Rhine and the Rhine as a whole. The Posterior Rhine rises in the Rheinwald below the Rheinwaldhorn . The source of the river is generally considered north of Lai da Tuma/Tomasee on Rein Anteriur/Vorderrhein , although its southern tributary Rein da Medel is actually longer before its confluence with the Anterior Rhine near Disentis . The Anterior Rhine arises from numerous source streams in

3150-521: The Austrian state of Vorarlberg , and the Swiss cantons of Thurgau and St. Gallen . The Rhine flows into it from the south following the Swiss-Austrian border. It is located at approximately 47°39′N 9°19′E  /  47.650°N 9.317°E  / 47.650; 9.317 . The flow of cold, grey mountain water continues for some distance into the lake. The cold water flows near

3240-655: The Electorate of Cologne. On the opposite banks of the Rhine were Urdenbach and Baumberg, Honschaften (lowest level administrative units similar to hundreds in England and Wales ) within the Duchy of Berg . In 1463 Archbishop of Cologne Dietrich II. of Moers mortgaged town and parish Zons to the cathedral chapter of Cologne. Its reign lasted until 1794, when the French Revolutionary Army occupied

3330-480: The High Rhine forms the border between Germany and Switzerland . Only for brief distances at its extremities does the river run entirely within Switzerland; at the eastern end it separates the bulk of the canton of Schaffhausen and the German exclave of Büsingen am Hochrhein on the northern bank from cantons of Zürich and Thurgau , while at the western end it bisects the canton of Basel-Stadt . Here, at

3420-663: The Latin Ren- . The Gaulish name Rēnos ( Proto-Celtic or pre-Celtic *Reinos ) belongs to a class of river names built from the PIE root *rei- "to move, flow, run", also found in other names such as the Reno in Italy. The grammatical gender of the Celtic name (as well as of its Greek and Latin adaptation) is masculine, and the name remains masculine in German, Dutch, French, Spanish and Italian. The Old English river name

3510-875: The Posterior Rhine is joined by the Albula , from the east, from the Albula Pass region. The Albula draws its water mainly from the Landwasser with the Dischmabach as the largest source stream, but almost as much from the Gelgia , which comes down from the Julier Pass . Numerous larger and smaller tributary rivers bear the name of the Rhine or equivalent in various Romansh idioms, including Rein or Ragn , including: Next to Reichenau in Tamins

3600-453: The Rhine into Lake Constance forms an inland delta . The delta is delimited in the west by the Alter Rhein and in the east by the modern canalized section of the Alpine Rhine ( Fußacher Durchstich ). Most of the delta is a nature reserve and bird sanctuary . It includes the Austrian towns of Gaißau , Höchst and Fußach . The natural Rhine originally branched into at least two arms and formed small islands by precipitating sediments. In

3690-456: The administration and protection of the toll and housed the administration of the new parish Zons. The obviously planned building of the toll fortress with town walls was finished probably in the 15th century. The rectangular to trapeziform town layout is surrounded by a wall strengthened with basalt stones. The wall stretches in north–south direction over about 300 metres (330 yd) and in west–east direction over 250 metres (270 yd). At

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3780-442: The area around the river was made more habitable for humans on flood plains as the rate of flooding decreased sharply. On the French side, the Grand Canal d'Alsace was dug, which carries a significant part of the river water, and all of the traffic. In some places, there are large compensation pools, for example, the huge Bassin de compensation de Plobsheim in Alsace. The Upper Rhine has undergone significant human change since

3870-445: The at that time “town” Zons (comprising also the villages of Stürzelberg, St. Peter und Nachtigall) had a population of 6,310 which increased to 9,715 on 30 June 1974. Population Development in Quarter Zons: From 1904 until the incorporation into the town of Dormagen Zons had its own coat of arms. Blazon : “Gules a saint argent on a horse cutting his cloak with a sword to share it with a scantily clad man standing in front of him, on

3960-433: The best preserved Lower Rhine planned towns of the Late Middle Ages. Until 1794 the parish Zons belonged to the Electorate of Cologne and was bordered in the south by Dormagen, an enclave ruled by the Duchy of Jülich ; in the south-west by Hackenbroich, a lordship within the Electorate of Cologne; in the west by Nievenheim, a parish within the Electorate of Cologne; in the north-west by Uedesheim, another lordship within

4050-404: The canalized Rhine into the lake. Its water has a darker color than the Rhine; the latter's lighter suspended load comes from higher up the mountains. It is expected that the continuous input of sediment into the lake will silt up the lake. This has already happened to the former Lake Tuggenersee . The cut-off Old Rhine at first formed a swamp landscape. Later an artificial ditch of about two km

4140-462: The castle area uncovered foundations of buildings which are regarded as remains of the proprietary church of the lord of the manor which was part of the building complex of the Fronhof . At about the middle of the thirteenth century Zons castrum ( castle ) was fortified. The location of the older rural settlement of Zons can only be presumed based on field-names and topography . The field-name „Im Hofstädtchen“ at today's Aldenhovenstraße near

4230-440: The castle of Tartus (Syria) could have been built at the same time as the Zwinger at Krak, i.e. in the middle of the 13th century. By shortly before 1168 the Knights of St. John began remodelling Belvoir Castle in present-day Israel. The outer fortification with its corner towers acts like "a large Zwinger to the structure" (U. Großmann). The Welsh castles of Harlech and Beaumaris (started 1295 but never completed) have

4320-406: The castle wall the circular Juddeturm (Judde Tower: 35 metres (115 ft) high, roof starts at 24 metres (79 ft) height, baroque roof 11 metres (36 ft)). The name Juddeturm probably refers to the patrician family Jude in Cologne. Two public gates gave access to the town: in the north the Rheintor (Rhine Gate), in the west the Feldtor (Field Gate). During the 19th century the first

4410-420: The centers Basel, Strasbourg and Mannheim-Ludwigshafen. Strasbourg is the seat of the European Parliament , and so one of the three European capitals is located on the Upper Rhine. The Upper Rhine region was changed significantly by a Rhine straightening program in the 19th century. The rate of flow was increased and the ground water level fell significantly. Dead branches were removed by construction workers and

4500-603: The changes proposed along the Rhine, one was "the Treaty for the Rectification of the Rhine flow from Neuberg to Dettenheim"(1817), which surrounded states such as Bourbon France and the Bavarian Palatinate . Loops, oxbows , branches and islands were removed along the Upper Rhine so that there would be uniformity to the river. The engineering of the Rhine was not without protest, farmers and fishermen had grave concerns about valuable fishing areas and farmland being lost. While some areas lost ground, other areas saw swamps and bogs be drained and turned into arable land. Johann Tulla had

4590-422: The corners are towers built in different shapes: to the northeast the rectangular Rhein-, Zoll- or Peters-Turm (Rhine, Toll or Peters Tower); to the northwest the circular Krötschenturm (Krötschen Tower); to the southwest the circular Mühlenturm (Mill Tower), which was converted from a defensive tower to a tower mill as late as the Late Middle Ages ; to the southeast the Schlossturm (Palace Tower) and in town at

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4680-412: The country alongside the industrial revolution. For the German state, making the river more predictable was to ensure development projects could easily commence. The section of the Upper Rhine downstream from Mainz is also known as the "Island Rhine". Here a number of river islands occur, locally known as "Rheinauen". Zwinger A Zwinger ( German pronunciation: [ˈt͡svɪŋɐ] )

4770-415: The creek Aua da Russein (lit.: "Water of the Russein"). In its lower course, the Anterior Rhine flows through a gorge named Ruinaulta (Flims Rockslide). The whole stretch of the Anterior Rhine to the Alpine Rhine confluence next to Reichenau in Tamins is accompanied by a long-distance hiking trail called Senda Sursilvana . The Posterior Rhine flows first east-northeast, then north. It flows through

4860-416: The defences. The Zwinger in front of a town gate is a fortified area between the main gate and the outer gate of a medieval town gateway system. Town gates were often built in the shape of a gate tower , with a second, and sometimes even a third, gate in front of it (so-called double or triple gate systems). In front of the town walls in the area of the town gates there was usually a second wall in which

4950-401: The defensive capability of castles was being enhanced in this way far more frequently, for example at Gnandstein Castle in Saxony ; Château du Landsberg and Château d'Andlau in Alsace . In southern France the heavily restored Zwinger in the town fortifications of Carcassonne appears to have been built. Initially Zwinger walls were very close to the main wall. In the 14th century,

5040-412: The endangered regions often went back to innovations that had been developed by the Hussites themselves. A prime example is the town fortification of the south Bohemian Hussite town of Tábor . Parts of the Zwinger in front of the main gate have survived even today. In general the Zwinger walls were markedly lower and less thick that the actual ring walls. Often only a parapet wall was erected around

5130-402: The first firearms caused a further growth in the number of Zwingers . Countless examples were built, especially during the 15th and 16th centuries. In Franconia the fortification of late medieval city has largely survived. In Nuremberg a low Zwinger was built in front of the older ring-wall. In the early 15th century, Munich was fitted with a new double ring of town walls, as depicted in

5220-444: The flow is diverted off the island of Mainau into Lake Überlingen. Most of the water flows via the Constance hopper into the Rheinrinne ("Rhine Gutter") and Seerhein. Depending on the water level, this flow of the Rhine water is clearly visible along the entire length of the lake. The Rhine carries very large amounts of debris into the lake – over three million cubic meters (110,000,000 cu ft) annually. In

5310-416: The goal of shortening and straightening the Upper Rhine. Early engineering projects the Upper Rhine also had issues, with Tulla's project at one part of the river creating rapids, after the Rhine cut down from erosion to sheer rock. Engineering along the Rhine eased flooding and made transportation along the river less cumbersome. These state projects were part of the advanced and technical progress going on in

5400-404: The intended killing ground of the Zwinger . Occasionally a covered or open wall walk was built on the inside of the wall, as at Trausnitz Castle in Landshut . Even underground wall walks with embrasures for hand guns may be seen, for example, at Hochhaus Castle near Nördlingen . Zwinger walls could fully surround a fortification or just a particularly vulnerable section. There is often

5490-418: The lake level to be lowered by about 10 meters. Previously, the two lakes formed a single lake, as the name still suggests. Like in the Obersee, the flow the Rhine can be traced in the Untersee. Here, too, the river water is hardly mixed with the lake water. The northern parts of the Untersee (Lake Zell and Gnadensee) remain virtually unaffected by the flow. The river traverses the southern, which, in isolation,

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5580-482: The local Alemannic dialect, the singular is pronounced "Isel" and this is also the local pronunciation of Esel (" Donkey "). Many local fields have an official name containing this element. A regulation of the Rhine was called for, with an upper canal near Diepoldsau and a lower canal at Fußach, in order to counteract the constant flooding and strong sedimentation in the western Rhine Delta. The Dornbirner Ach had to be diverted, too, and it now flows parallel to

5670-414: The lower, outer wall; also that two ranks of archers, behind and above one another, could fire upon the approaching enemy". In the territories of the Teutonic Order the terms Parkam or Parcham were used instead of Zwinger. These were related to the words Park ("park") and Pferch ("pen"). The Zwinger of a castle is sited in front of the main curtain wall and is enclosed on the outer side by

5760-444: The mouth region, it is therefore necessary to permanently remove gravel by dredging. The large sediment loads are partly due to the extensive land improvements upstream. Three countries border the Obersee, namely Switzerland in the south, Austria in the southeast and the German states of Bavaria in the northeast and Baden-Württemberg in the north and northwest. The Seerhein is only 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) long. It connects

5850-443: The municipality Zons was granted its own coat of arms. Since then Zons was called again „Town”, despite the fact that it still belonged to the Prussian rural municipalities regarding administrative law . With the incorporation into the town limits of Dormagen with effect of 1 Januar 1975 Zons called itself „Feste“ (Fortress). In 1992 Zons again gained the description „Town”, though only as Titularstadt (titular town). Already in 1972

5940-422: The narrow outworks of the Habsburg (Aargau) or of Alt-Bolanden (Rhineland-Palatinate), which date to the late 10th and early 11th centuries, are seen as early Zwingers . These fortification elements do not have any direct successors, however. In central Europe Zwingers first reappeared in the first half of the 13th century in front of the ring-walls of small fortifications. Towards the end of that century,

6030-459: The north bank and Switzerland on the south, except both sides are Swiss in Stein am Rhein , where the High Rhine flows out of the lake. The High Rhine ( Hochrhein ) begins in Stein am Rhein at the western end of the Untersee. Now flowing generally westwards, it passes over the Rhine Falls ( Rheinfall ) below Schaffhausen before being joined – near Koblenz in the canton of Aargau  – by its major tributary,

6120-448: The old Zwinger in front of the Crown Gate ( Kronentor ) on the outer wall of the fortress. It was never intended as a fortification, however, but was conceived as the outer courtyard of a new palace. The development of the Zwinger has not been well researched to date. By the fifth century A.D. a fully developed Zwinger had been built in front of the Byzantine walls of Constantinople . In early medieval fortifications, too,

6210-506: The open Sztal valley and then through Lake Walen and Lake Zurich into the Aare . The Alpine Rhine begins in the westernmost part of the Swiss canton of Graubünden , and later forms the border between Switzerland to the west and Liechtenstein and later Austria to the east. As an effect of human work, it empties into Lake Constance on Austrian territory and not on the border that follows its old natural river bed called Alter Rhein ( lit.   ' Old Rhine ' ). The mouth of

6300-416: The opposite banks of the river Rhine. Regarding church and court of justice matters Haus Bürgel and Zons originally belonged together. The canon law for the parish Bürgel/Zons was governed by Brauweiler Abbey . Already in 1374 Bürgel was moved from the west banks to east banks of the Rhine, probably due to a shift of the river. Zons, the Rhine toll town of the Prince-elector of Cologne is regarded as one of

6390-424: The other hand, in the east and north. A curiosity of this border line is that the parts of the city of Mainz on the right bank of the Rhine were given to Hesse by the occupying forces in 1945. The Upper Rhine was a significant cultural landscape in Central Europe already in antiquity and during the Middle Ages . Today, the Upper Rhine area hosts many important manufacturing and service industries, particularly in

6480-416: The outer gate was located. An enemy who had breached the outer gate and penetrated the Zwinger would find himself in an enclosed area with very little scope to exploit his initial success. By contrast, the defenders retreating behind the main town walls could easily engage the enemy below them in the killing ground of the Zwinger . The barbican is based on a similar concept to the gateway Zwinger and

6570-635: The paths immediate to the fortress. Later, especially after World War II , housing spread out to the north and the west of the Old Town. Zons is located 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) east of Bundesstraße 9. The distance from Zons to junction „Dormagen, Nievenheim, Zons“ of the Bundes autobahn 57 is 4 kilometres (2.5 miles). A car ferry runs frequently between Zons und Düsseldorf-Urdenbach. The river cruise operator Köln-Düsseldorfer offers day excursions to Zons from Cologne and Düsseldorf on selected days during

6660-523: The river. Some adjacent towns are named after it, such as Rheinau , Rheineck , Rheinfelden (CH) and Rheinfelden (D). The International Commission for the Hydrology of the Rhine Basin (CHR) and EUWID contend that the river could experience a massive decrease in volume, or even dry up completely in case of drought, within the next 30 to 80 years, as a result of the climate crisis . The Rhine

6750-412: The ruins of a Roman settlement. Archaeological finds indicate that there was a Merovingian settlement in Zons in the seventh century, yet its exact location is not determined. Documents verify a Fronhof of the archbishop of Cologne (Fronhof = estate of a feudal lord receiving socage ) existing in Zons at least since the beginning of the twelfth century . In the 1980s archaeological excavations in

6840-530: The small hamlet Nachtigall lies at the Bundesstraße 9. Northwest of Zons is the Zons Heath . The northern road leads to Stürzelberg, another part of Dormagen. North of ferry slip and ship pier begins the nature reserve Zonser Grind on the western bank of the Rhine. The first time Zons was mentioned in a document is in the so-called last will and testament of Cunibert , Bishop of Cologne , which

6930-673: The south to the Flüela Pass in the east. The Rhine is one of four major rivers taking their source in the Gotthard region, along with the Ticino (drainage basin of the Po ), Rhône and Reuss (Rhine basin). The Witenwasserenstock is the triple watershed between the Rhine, Rhône and Po. Traditionally, Lake Toma near the Oberalp Pass in the Gotthard region is seen as the source of

7020-582: The summer. The following lines within the VRR run through Zons: Rhine The Rhine ( / r aɪ n / RYNE ) is one of the major European rivers . The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps . It forms the Swiss-Liechtenstein border and partly the Swiss-Austrian and Swiss-German borders. After that the Rhine defines much of

7110-412: The surface and at first does not mix with the warmer, green waters of Upper Lake. But then, at the so-called Rheinbrech , the Rhine water abruptly falls into the depths because of the greater density of cold water. The flow reappears on the surface at the northern (German) shore of the lake, off the island of Lindau . The water then follows the northern shore until Hagnau am Bodensee . A small fraction of

7200-653: The territory west of the Rhine. Zons became a French municipality and canton . From 1798 to 1814 it was part of the canton Dormagen within the Arrondissement de Cologne which belonged to the Département de la Roer . With the Treaty of Lunéville in 1801 the occupied territory on the left bank of the Rhine came to France under public international law. As result of the Congress of Vienna Zons became part of

7290-567: The three valleys named Rheinwald , Schams and Domleschg - Heinzenberg . The valleys are separated by the Rofla Gorge and Viamala Gorge. Its sources are located in the Adula Alps ( Rheinwaldhorn , Rheinquellhorn , and Güferhorn ). The Avers Rhine joins from the south. One of its headwaters, the Reno di Lei (stowed in the Lago di Lei ), is partially located in Italy. Near Sils

7380-409: The trade of grain, beer and wine as well as some crafts like brick -making had partly an importance beyond the parish borders. The people of the village Stürzelberg worked mostly as fishermen or day labourers . A privileged group by wealth and social background were the toll collectors until around 1800. They had no civil rights , therefore they were freed from serving civil duties. At the beginning of

7470-499: The upper Surselva and flows in an easterly direction. One source is Lai da Tuma (2,345 m (7,694 ft)) with the Rein da Tuma , which is usually indicated as source of the Rhine, flowing through it. Into it flow tributaries from the south, some longer, some equal in length, such as the Rein da Medel , the Rein da Maighels , and the Rein da Curnera . The Cadlimo Valley in

7560-432: The whole Old Town underwent an extensive renovation in an exemplary project sponsored by Federal State and Federated State . Since the 14th century Zons didn't change much regarding town area and population, probably due to its disadvantageous access to road traffic. During the course of the centuries the town was stricken three times by great fires: 1464, 1547 and 1620. Before the last great fire there were reports about

7650-1038: Was adapted in Roman-era geography (1st century BC) as Latin Rhenus , and as Greek Ῥῆνος ( Rhēnos ). The spelling with Rh- in English Rhine as well as in German Rhein and French Rhin is due to the influence of Greek orthography, while the vocalization -i- is due to the Proto-Germanic adoption of the Gaulish name as * Rīnaz , via Old Frankish giving Old English Rín , Old High German Rīn , early Middle Dutch ( c.  1200 ) Rijn (then also spelled Ryn or Rin ). The modern German diphthong Rhein (also used in Romansh ) Rein, Rain

7740-481: Was converted into a palace or schloss ; however, this belies its original purpose as a form of killing ground for the defence. The word is linked with zwingen , "to force", perhaps because the Zwinger forced an enemy to negotiate it before assaulting the main defensive line. Essenwein states that the "main purpose of this feature was so that the besieging force could not reach the actual castle wall very easily with battering rams or belfries , but had to stop at

7830-468: Was dug. It was made navigable to the Swiss town of Rheineck . Lake Constance consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee ("upper lake"), the Untersee ("lower lake"), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein ("Lake Rhine"). The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps. Specifically, its shorelines lie in the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg ,

7920-515: Was partly, the latter almost entirely dismantled. A third outer gate, the Südtor (South Gate), which is preserved best, is the entrance from the zwinger (enclosed killing ground) to the Vorburg (lower ward). The small town had only 124 plots for houses. The parish Zons comprised also the village Stürzelberg, part of the village Horrem and the village of Haus Bürgel, which is nowadays located on

8010-465: Was variously inflected as masculine or feminine; and its Old Icelandic adoption was inflected as feminine. The length of the Rhine is conventionally measured in "Rhine-kilometers" ( Rheinkilometer ), a scale introduced in 1939 which runs from the 0 km datum at Old Rhine Bridge in the city of Konstanz , at the western end of Lake Constance , to the Hook of Holland at 1,036.20 km. The river

8100-454: Was written in the middle of the seventh century but is only known in a version of the late eleventh century. In the document the names of Zuonizo or Zuonize are mentioned with their origin still unclear until today. In a deed of gift of Archbishop Heribert of Cologne the name of Zons appears in a location reference, „Burgula bei Zünce “ (Burgula near Zünce)., Burgula being the site of today's Haus Bürgel , an old mansion built on

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