800 years of Kappel in Rhymes

800 years ago in Strasbourg the city,

Bishop Henry the Second still worked there.

He had a lot of assets and contained in it,

there were also many villages that he had managed.

From a Vogt, because that's how it's written

and the document on this has been preserved for us.

So we can still read all this

And learn how it was then.

Many villages, then, were the bishop's own

And whatever happened in the village,

had to be shown to the bishop.

And because of the smallest things, the bishop had to be asked

And hope he would say "yes" to that.

And one of these villages, of course still small,

called Capell - today' Kappel - and was very close' to the Rhine.

As a village, Capell was not mentioned anywhere before,

although it probably existed earlier.

In the 800 years, a lot has happened there.

Most of the time, Kappel was ruled by Strasbourg.

And the inhabitants had to deal with the ruler in many

emergency services and huge levies In the year 1266 you can also read,

had been an important meeting in Kappel.

Two warring parties met,

to talk about peace instead of fighting and screaming.

The peace agreement of Kappel was later the meeting

Called

the war opponents were known as two Strasbourg groups.

One was the Church and with it fought mostly noble warriors,

the other were the citizens

and they were also the victors in the fight.

They got off Kappel and that wasn't bad,

more freedom, more prosperity and, above all, more justice.

And even in the 30th war Kappel suffered,

it was destroyed and looted from several sides.

The Battle of Wittenweier entered the history books

And also brought Kappel as a neighbor much sorrow and torment.

On the one hand, the Swedes and the Protestants,

and faced them

the imperial soldiers,

they, too, caused enormous damage.

Man versus man was the motto,

of blood was soon red field and meadow.

And even today, as many people know,

a parcel is still called "a ditch of blood".

Even today you can find ploughing in the field

war objects or coins and money.

Knives, daggers, swords were already found

and also other weapons,

also mugs, crockery or old carafes.

That this area is interesting for people

Always been,

is also clear to all of us when looking back:

because at Kappel you have in the earth, far below

a grave with much, much content found.

Weapons, mugs, noble rings were found,

beautiful jewelry and other things.

It was a princely tomb of the Celts a long time ago,

more than 2000 years ago- an eternity for us.

There was also a time, it was a long time ago,

the people of Kappel had a very hard time.

No work, hardly any food, only poverty and hardship,

only concern and struggle for the daily bread.

Many could no longer bear the condition

And therefore wanted to tell the homeland on revival.

", Kappel ade, we are migrating to the Promised Land,"

that's what America was called at the time.

Many families sought prosperity and happiness there

And never returned to us in Kappel.

Their descendants have been living there for a long time now,

in the super-next generation.

And they will be real Americans,

Americans with roots in Kappel am Rhein.

Surely there is still in New York that someone is called:

Bührle, Kirner, Giedemann or Faißt.

Or with an American-colored accent

Instead of Junele maybe Junly, instead of Fliehler maybe flyer, you

Now in America called.. Almost a hundred years ago'as a happy customer,

Kappel was once on everyone's mouth.

In Kappel there were folk spectacles,

There were many visitors,

from far away they came hurriedly,

have stayed in Kappel at the theater.

One played in the theatre forest

There you had a stage.

As an actor, it is still said today,

first of all, they asked Kappler citizens.

And all, whether they are old or young,

they played with enthusiasm.

And helped with these theatrical things,

to make Kappel's name known.

Even from the last war, which the elders still know,

is the first thing to call Kappel.

Because of all places in our circle

Had Kappel, as some people still know today,

most damage, most shelling.

And towards the end of the war, it was soon over, the inhabitants of Kappel had to flee for the third time,

with sack and pack to pull out,

the Kappler residents, mostly children, old and women,

flee again and look for another accommodation.

After Sulz, many were evacuated

Until the home village no longer bombs by the enemy.

When the war with us was finally over,

also began in Kappel the clean-up.

And with a lot, a lot of hard work and with a lot of vigour

Then the reconstruction began.

The houses, the church everything was restored

And this with hard work and without a lot of money.

And at some point it was said: wherever you look,

everything is now rebuilt.

Nature, too, it seems,

kappel didn't mean it well for a long time.

Today we are talking about the Father Rhine

This father can 'be very vicious at the time.

The Rhine, a wild, dangerous river,

he also brought Kappel a lot of hardship and dismay.

And what the inhabitants often laboriously built

And where she also trusts her progress at that time,

the Rhine has cursed, cursed by men,

destroyed when a new bed he was looking for.

But the people of Kappel have not lost the courage to

here we remain, they said, because here we were born.

And the people of Kappel have looked forward

And later also Gottfried Tulla trusts,

who gave the Rhine a new bed

and a better life for the people of the Rhine.

There is only one thing we must not forget:

The Rhine also gave people food and food.

Not for nothing - and everyone can understand that,

can be seen in the Kappler coat of arms fish and rudder.

And a fishing guild to guide coexistence,

has been around in Kappel since time immemorial. 800 years have passed,

the Rhine has long since been captured.

He no longer brings mischief to all of us,

as Father Rhine he now pleases us.

On the Rhine there is still Kappel as a place

But you don't write it with a single word anymore.

The name Kappel is no longer alone,

with Grafenhausen, the marriage covenant was entered into.

The village is now called Kappel-Grafenhausen.

In the beginning, people were very excited,

how the spouses get along

because - this must be said honestly,

it wasn't a love marriage.

Marriage was almost obligatory,

for only when the marriage was formally concluded,

the grant from the state has also been enjoyed.

Two old-fashioned people would say in the vernacular,

had to learn to endure.

But behold, after a long time

Came bit by bit more unity.

Together, plans have now been made to

one celebrated together and laughed together,

one had soon become accustomed to each other,

where there was controversy, there was reconciliation.

The marriage is now more than 40 years old,

the golden wedding will soon be available.

There, the speeches will be channeled into the past

How we now commemorate the 800 years of Kappel.

We hope that the two places will continue to get along well

And the inhabitants still in many years to each other then say:

All respect, this was once thought with foresight,

when one made a community from Kappel and Grafenhausen.

Walter Batt , 2019