“Westward they faced. Why?” Imagine standing here centuries ago. You are surrounded by the silent hills of Freiburg. Before us lies the alamannisches Gräberfeld. It is an ancient burial ground. It whispers tales of a people who once called this land home.
The alamannisches Gräberfeld is more than just a collection of graves. It is a window into the lives and beliefs of the Alemanni. They were a Germanic people who settled here long ago. These fields tell stories of their culture. They reveal their customs and their eventual conversion to Christianity.
These grave fields are prehistoric cemeteries. They typically date back to the Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe. What sets them apart from necropoleis? It is the absence of above-ground structures. There are no buildings or grave markers to be found.
The Alemanni were a confederation of Germanic tribes. They emerged on the east bank of the Rhine River. Roman historians first mentioned them in 213 CE. They inhabited southwestern Germany. Their territory also included parts of modern-day France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria.
Before the mid-5th century, these grave fields were small. They often contained fewer than five graves. These likely belonged to a single homestead or family. The limited number of graves might indicate partial cremation. Around the mid- to late 5th century, burial customs changed. Larger row-grave fields began to appear.
Graves were typically arranged on elevated ground, outside settlements. The bodies were positioned east to west. The head was placed at the western end. The deceased faced east toward the rising sun. Until the early 6th century, prestigious single graves accompanied these row graves. These graves included valuable grave goods.
Men’s graves from this period often contained weapons. A Francisca axe was common in the mid-5th century. Spathas and seaxes were also included. Women’s graves often featured jewelry. Bracelets, earrings, and fibulae were common adornments.
Large Alemannic row grave fields have been found in Swabia. Examples include Lauchheim, Gammertingen, Weingarten, and Ravensburg. The Ravensburg field contains over 1,000 graves. They date from between 500 and 710 AD. The Sasbach field holds over 2,000 graves. Mengen has over 1,000.
From the 6th century, Alemannic graves appeared south of the Rhine. They marked the Swiss Plateau. The Alemannic colonization of the Swiss plateau began in the Basel area. The number of graves there declined simultaneously. A significant influx of Alemannic settlers occurred in the 7th century. One such grave field exists at Elgg-Ettenbühl near Winterthur. It is the largest field south of the High Rhine. It contains 340 graves.
The Christianization of the Alemanni influenced burial practices. This occurred during the 7th century. It brought an end to grave field traditions. The dead were then buried in graveyards near churches. Prestigious graves of local nobility resisted this change. They maintained traditional burial customs into the 8th century. This lasted until Charlemagne’s decree in 786. He outlawed pagan burial practices.
Here at the alamannisches Gräberfeld, you can almost hear the whispers of the past. These graves are a testament to a people’s history. They stand as a reminder of the changes that swept through this region so long ago. The Alemanni may be gone but their story lives on through places like this.