Ostdorf

Ostdorf
Stadtteil of Balingen
The Ostdorf Town Center
Coat of arms
Ostdorf
Coordinates: 48°18′N 08°51′E / 48.300°N 8.850°E / 48.300; 8.850Coordinates: 48°18′N 08°51′E / 48.300°N 8.850°E / 48.300; 8.850
Country	Germany
State	Baden-Württemberg
Admin. region	Tübingen
District	Zollernalbkreis
Town	Balingen
Area
• Total	6.55 km2 (2.53 sq mi)
Elevation	535 m (1,755 ft)
Population ({{{Stand}}})
• Total	1,599
• Density	240/km2 (630/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	72336
Dialling codes	07433
Website	www.balingen.de

Ostdorf is a Swabian village within the city limits of Balingen, Germany. Originally a village of its own, Ostdorf and Balingen have grown towards each other since the close of World War II. Finally, in 1971 Ostdorf was included to Balingen as a suburb. It is located 75 kilometers in the south of Stuttgart.

Ostdorf lies in the west of Balingen, near the Black Forest, on a plateau above the Eyach River, a tributary of the Neckar river.

The nearest high point is the Warren, 606 meters above sea level. Ostdorf affords spectacular views of the Burg Hohenzollern castle, and the Swabian Alb mountains to the east. The surrounding area is covered with coniferous forest.

Nearby cities and villages include: Owingen (District of Haigerloch), Engstlatt, Balingen, Geislingen.

The first settlement in the area was probably around the 7th or 8th Century. The first official mention of Ostdorf was in the 11th century when Albert von Ostdorf sold a fief of the area to the Salem Abbey. By 1287 Ostdorf belonged to the Duke of Teck.

After several pledges, in 1317 the village finally became the property of Eberhard I, Count of Württemberg. This is the oldest known connection of Ostdorf with the Württemberg kingdom. During the late Middle Ages, Ostdorf was already known for its rural prosperity, and had been known as a farming community. Not until 1949 did it gradually begin to attract industries. In 1971 it was included into the city limits of Balingen. Ostdorf remains, to this day, mostly a farming community.

A common misconception is that the name Ostdorf means the East-Village (in German Osten-Dorf) and that the village is east of Balingen. The town is actually north-west of Balingen, and the name means "Aust Village."

Since the time of the Protestant Reformation, Ostdorf has remained predominantly Protestant Lutheran, and since 1547 has reported to the Dekanat Balingen (Office of the Dean, Balingen). The patron saint of Ostdorf is St. Medardus, a frequently honored saint within farming communities.