"Land reform in Schäftersheim" Schäftersheim by Nemorino

Schäftersheim Travel Guide: 11 reviews and 21 photos

Bicycle route from Weikersheim to Schäftersheim - Schäftersheim

Those houses in the photo are already in Schäftersheim, so it's not very far -- unless you insist on going by car, in which case you have to turn back and drive around some other way.

If you were to turn right at this junction you would immediately come to the Sun at the beginning of the Weikersheim Planetary Trail leading up past the Observatory (Saturn) to the ex-village of Queckbronn (Neptune).

Both Queckbronn and Schäftersheim were incorporated into the city of Weikersheim on January 1, 1972, as part of an administrative reorganization that was going on in most rural areas of western Germany at that time.

Schäftersheim Village Hall

Here, as in other rural areas of western Germany, the 1970s were also the time when an intensive program of land reform was being carried out.

The problem was that land ownership had gotten quite fragmented after numerous generations of family farming, so farmers wasted a lot of time driving from one little plot of land to another all over the valley, and often the plots were too small for them to cultivate effectively with their new tractors.

Wine growing, in particular, had come more or less to a halt in Schäftersheim, though it had previously had a long tradition here.

In contrast to the forced collectivization of agriculture in East Germany, the West German authorities instituted an elaborate system of grass-roots participation in the land reform process, so that all the landowners and other residents could have their say in what was decided. This slowed things down considerably, but also led to a high degree of satisfaction with the results.

The old railroad bridge over the Tauber River

From 1909 to 1974 Schäftersheim was served by passenger trains on a non-electrified single-track railroad line called the Gaubahn that connected Ochsenfurt, Bavaria, with Weikersheim, Baden Württemberg.

The old railroad bridge over the Tauber River has gotten a bit rusty and is fenced off to prevent people from walking or driving on it. All the trees and bushes around the bridge have grown up since 1992, which is when the tracks were removed.

Last visit to Schäftersheim: Jul 2009
Intro Updated Feb 28, 2012
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Reviews (11)

1. The old railroad bridge - Schäftersheim

The train doesn't go there any more Transportation (2)

Photos: 1. The old railroad bridge 2. The Tauber River by the old railroad bridge Don't bother waiting for a train... more travel advice

1. Riding on the Tauber Valley Cycling Route - Schäftersheim

Cycling to Schäftersheim Transportation (2)

Photos: 1. Riding on the Tauber Valley Cycling Route 2. Bicycle route signs 3. The Tauber River by Schäftersheim 4.... more travel advice

Bauernhalle = Farmers' Hall Off The Beaten Path (2)

Photos: 1. Bauernhalle 2. The street called Ostlandweg by the Farmers' Hall This is a pub but also a place where... more travel advice

Get thee to a nunnery! Off The Beaten Path (2)

In Medieval times Schäftersheim was the site of a large convent for aristocratic women, presumably the daughters of... more travel advice

Local Customs (7)
See All The inevitable cigarette machine

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Comments (21)

balhannah Yesterday Report Abuse

Sounds like a delightful place. I love your tip "Get thee to the Nunnery"
nickandchris Feb 28, 2012 at 1:55 AM Report Abuse

Looks a delightfully rural location and so clean. Interesting that Germany still has cigarette machines!
Thanks for looking at Fearby.
MalenaN Nov 30, 2011 at 7:21 AM Report Abuse

Nice photos of the railroad bridge! Looks like a nice area to cycle in!
evaanna Jan 16, 2010 at 4:45 AM Report Abuse

Looks like a lovely rural area where riding a bike must be pure pleasure. It's a pity that a better use has not been found for the building of the convent. Those cigarette machines look out of place there as everywhere else.
kokoryko Dec 22, 2009 at 2:02 PM Report Abuse

You have the skills to turn something insignificant to very interesting, Don! I enjoyed a lot reading this page about deep rural Germany! Of course, statistics about smokers speak for themselves!:)
yumyum Dec 18, 2009 at 9:47 AM Report Abuse

Great read! I think I probably could live in a smaller place but only if a big city is nearby.
toonsarah Dec 9, 2009 at 12:31 PM Report Abuse

Really enjoyed reading this little page, though like you I couldn't live somewhere so quiet and neat. Odd to think of a convent being turned into an electricity station ;-)
HORSCHECK Dec 7, 2009 at 1:19 PM Report Abuse

Don, another hilarious little page of yours. You really write about the little details in Germany. I especially like your "perfect street corner tip". Very well done.
globetrott Nov 29, 2009 at 1:52 AM Report Abuse

an interesting journey off the beaten path, thanks for sharing, Don !
Toshioohsako Nov 26, 2009 at 8:37 AM Report Abuse

interesting nunnery information-I have not been here.