Altburger Bohnenberger Geschichtsweg

The Altburg - Bohnenberger - History Trail features 22 panels and takes around 1 1/2 hours to complete, showing the eventful history of the town as experienced by father and son Bohnenberger.

Johann Gottlieb Friedrich Bohnenberger came to Altburg to join his father as a vicar in 1789 after completing his theology studies. Here he found the ideal conditions to pursue his career in astronomy, which he had also studied in Tübingen. His father had his back. Initially, he made a wooden device, a quarter circle, to measure the height of the stars. He used this instrument to observe the sky from the observatory. This was the upper floor of a garden house that belonged to the then deer farmer and parish councillor Wagner, who stored his fruit and vegetables in the basement.

With his quarter circle, known as a quadrant, he observed many stars in the sky and carefully noted the readings. From this, he was able to calculate the geographical location of Altburg. The results he found over time fitted together so well that he was able to say that the observatory in Altburg was more accurate than the one at the University of Tübingen. He published some of his results in a book on astronomical positioning, in which he also described the manufacture of his measuring device in detail.

His aim was to help amateur astronomers obtain an inexpensive device. This book made him internationally known and after a few years brought him offers from abroad to manage an observatory.

In addition, he drew a topographical map of the northern Black Forest using the churches and mountain peaks visible from afar as survey points. He presented this to the ruler of the time, Duke Karl Eugen. The extension of the map to the whole country and his book helped him to obtain a position at the University of Tübingen in 1796. Two years later, he was already a professor and was able to marry. His father married him to the forester's daughter Johanna Luz from Naislach in St. Martin's Church in Altburg. The vicar's time in Altburg was a complete success.