At 12 places along the Waldensian Trail, 24 illustrated panels tell the
the history of the Waldensians and the historical sites of our village.
sites of our village.
Waldensian Trail commemorates flight and expulsion
We invite you to discover the history of flight and expulsion along the
approximately 1,100-meter-long Waldenser Trail through the town center. Twenty-four
information panels, located at 12 sites, tell the story of the historical sites of
Palmbach, as well as the history of the Waldensians. The
new Waldensian monument, “Gate of Arrival,” symbolizes the expulsion
and the faith of the Waldensians. It was designed by the artists Barbara Jäger
and OMI Riesterer and is located at the new
Waldenserplatz on Palmbacher Talstraße. The focal point of the
Waldenserweg is the Waldensian Church.
Who were the Waldensians?
The Waldensians go back to the wealthy merchant Petrus Valdesaus
Lyon, who, at the end of the 12th century, had the Bible translated into the vernacular
and, after renouncing his fortune, preached the gospel as a layman.
preached the gospel as a layman. As a result, the Waldensians were condemned as heretics by the Catholic
condemned and persecuted as heretics by the Catholic Church.
In 1698, approximately 3,000 French Waldensians and
Huguenots were expelled from what is now Piedmont
because of their Reformed faith. The Waldensians were settled in southern Hesse and Württemberg.
450 of them were taken in by Landgrave Ernst Ludwig of
Hesse-Darmstadt and settled near Mörfelden; among them
were also the future Palmbach Waldensians. Since there were too few
fields to cultivate, the Waldensians requested
admission to the Duchy of Württemberg. Fourteen years before the founding of
Karlsruhe, the Waldensians received permission from Duke Eberhard Ludwig of
Württemberg—the brother-in-law of the future founder of Karlsruhe, Margrave
Carl Wilhelm—to settle on his fallow land in
the Grünwettersbach district. At first, the new
settlers did not build permanent houses, but only barracks, because they hoped to
return to their old homeland. This hope was
not fulfilled.
To Palmbach
Public transportation: You can reach Palmbach within 20 minutes from
Karlsruhe main station forecourt by bus 47, destination Stupferich.
Get off at the Palmbach Kirche stop.
Barrier-free visit:
All areas of the Waldensian Trail
Waldensian Trail, the locations of the steles and the Waldensian Square with the
monument are barrier-free. If you are traveling by public transport,
use the barrier-free bus stop "Palmbach Winterrot".
Guided tours for visitor groups are offered by appointment. We
invite you to explore the history of Palmbach on the Waldensian Trail through the
through the town center. The Waldensian village of Palmbach, today a hilltop district and the eastern gateway to Karlsruhe , is looking forward to your visit.
TIP
When visiting Palmbach, the Baden School Museum in the former Waldensian School is also well worth a visit. See www.badisches-schulmuseum.de. The Waldensian Church is also open to visitors on Sundays. (For visitor groups on weekdays by appointment)
