5a The Raftsman’s Museum

We find another small gem between the tracks of the Black Forest railway and the Kinzig. The raftsmen’s guild of Schwaibach set up a museum in the former railway overseer’s house. This museum details the history of the raftsmen in the Kinzig Valley. Until the 19th Century, this occupation was a key bread-winning job throughout the Black Forest. It was in 1894 that the last raft set sail for the Rhine River. The raftsmen sent a final prayer to God in the Raftsman’s Chapel for a safe voyage before they went on down the river. The chapel no longer stands in its original position. It is said that the raftsmen were rough men with soft hearts.

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