Hansjakobweg (Way of Hansjakob)
The Hansjakobweg, which we are currently walking, takes its name from Heinrich Hansjakob (1837-1916), a pastor and writer from Baden who left us interesting descriptions of everyday rural and middle-class life. In his book ‘Im Paradies’ (In Paradise), we find a reference to the pilgrims of St. James in a poem:
We want to set off on a journey,
far, far away,
to an unknown place,
we want to travel to St. James,
as it will be called.
In Wolfach, on the footbridge over the Kinzig river, stands a beautifully restored (November 2019) statue of Nepomuk dating from 1756.
A fool's fountain on the other side of the footbridge
The Fürstenberg Castle in the town of Wolfach in the Black Forest.
We walk along the cycle path towards Hausach.
The manor house in Hausach, a Baroque building dating from 1760, now houses the municipal museum.
Jacob's Well near the village church
Village church
The village church in Hausach was founded towards the end of the 11th century by the Lords of Wolfach. Few parts of the original Romanesque church remain today. The interior of the church was decorated with frescoes. On the west wall, for example, you can see remnants of a depiction of the Last Judgement. In 1515, the church was rebuilt in the Gothic style. From then on, a Gothic winged altar under a net vault adorned the choir room. In the 18th century, two Baroque side altars were added to the church: on the left, the Rosary Altar, and on the right, the altar in honour of St. Anne, patron saint of the Black Forest silver miners. In a wall niche next to the pulpit is a Holy Sepulchre.
The village church seen from the cemetery.
Now it's uphill to the Jakobuskreuz. Here you can lay down a stone.
Out and about in the hilly countryside
It's downhill in the forest.
Mühlenbach comes into view.
First houses in Mühlenbach
The church in the centre of Mühlenbach is dedicated to Saint Afra. According to legend, Afra was the daughter of the King of Cyprus and came to Augsburg with her mother Hilaria in the middle of the 3rd century, where she lived as a prostitute, earning money from her clients. When the persecution of Christians began under Emperor Diocletian, Bishop Narcissus sought refuge in her house. He converted Afra to Christianity and baptised her. Because she courageously professed her faith during the persecution of Christians, she was sentenced to death by fire around the year 304 and burned. The saint is therefore invoked for help against fire. On the right side altar, we find a statue of James.
Haslach
One of the oldest baptismal registers in the parish of Haslach records that on 11 March 1610, the sons of the ‘Hosenstrickler’ (trouser knitters), Laux Schierer and Hanβ Dolden, set off on a pilgrimage to Santiago. As there are no further entries on this, we can assume that the two pilgrims returned safely. Further along the way, we pass the mill chapel, which was completely rebuilt in 1990. Inside the chapel, we find a statue of St James.
(Photo: Wikipedia)
Schenkenzell - Wolfach
Haslach - Zell am Harmersbach
