Fortha

The district of Förtha is located in the western part of the Thuringian Forest in the valley of the Elte, about three kilometers north of the locality of Marksuhl and about 14 kilometers from the district town of Bad Salzungen. The locality of Förtha also includes the eastern adjacent district of Epichnellen. The total area of the Förtha district with Eppichnellen is 8.20 km².

According to local tradition, the place Förtha originated at a ford over the Elte. The route of the old road running from Frankfurt through Vacha and Marksuhl to Eisenach is still evidenced in the terrain by numerous hollow ways. Above the locality, an artificial hill marks the site of a small motte-and-bailey castle at Burghahn. According to Köhler, a small medieval fortification stood at the site of the Förtha churchyard in the western part of the village. The church tower still has narrow slit-like windows, indicating its defensive features. The route referred to locally as the Old Frankfurt Road passed by the Gasthaus Grüner Jäger and crossed the Rennsteig at Vachaer Stein. In this area north of the locality Förtha, numerous shafts for the extraction of copper ore were established since the 15th century. The smelting of the ores initially took place at the smelters in Stedtfeld and Neuenhof as well as Attchenbach near Eckardtshausen. Mining was still carried out in the district of Epichnellen until the 1950s.

Wikipedia