Brenz an der Brenz

Brenz an der Brenz
Borough
Brenz from the south-east
Country	Germany
State	Baden-Württemberg
District	Heidenheim
Village	Sontheim
Population
• Total	1,100

Brenz an der Brenz is a borough of the village of Sontheim in the Heidenheim District of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Brenz an der Brenz was an independent village until it merged with Sontheim. The borough has about 1100 inhabitants.

Brenz an der Brenz is located directly on the Brenz River near the Swabian Alb and the Danube River Valley.

The Brenz region has been settled since at least the Roman Empire. In the 2nd or 3rd century C.E., on the commanding Kirchberg in Brenz, a Villa rustica was built. Additional finds of other monumental buildings dating from the Roman era indicate that a Roman town was located here. Brenz also is located at the crossing of two Roman roads; the road from Günzburg (lat. Guntia) to Heidenheim (lat. Aquileia) and the North Danube road from Urspring (lat. Ad Lunam) to Regensburg (lat. Castra Regina). In 2002 on the ancient road between Sontheim and Bächingen a mile stone with the name of Emperor Caracalla and a reference to Faimingen (lat. Phoebiana) was discovered.

Following the invasion of Germanic tribes and the retreat of the Roman Empire in c. 260 C.E., the local Germanic tribe used the strategic Kirchberg to found a settlement. Archeological digs in the 1960s have identified the remains of an early Christian wooden church and graveyard that would have been built around 650. This church is the oldest church in the Brenz valley, and it is likely that the Christianization of the surrounding communities (Sontheim, Bächingen and Bergenweiler) as well as the rest of the Brenz valley started at Brenz an der Brenz. The wood church was replaced with a stone church around 680.