The road linked the two major north-south routes, the Rhine Road on the eastern side of the Rhine valley and the Wine Road, which ran along the western slopes of the Wetterau hills from Frankfurt northwards. Even in prehistory and early history it could have been of importance. As a ridgeway the route avoided boggy valleys and river crossings and the bridge tolls raised at that time. Outside the cities, the road largely away from settlements along the longer east-western watershed on its ridge or parallel to the slope. Except in the cities and on bridges it was unpaved, it was a "natural road" and its condition was accordingly rudimentary. If the way was damaged by traffic, it was bypassed. This resulted in fan-like and meandering paths. Bad, unpaved roads were also a source of income for the respective lord of the manor, since, in accordance with customary law, all goods that touched the ground in the event of a broken wheel/axle, when a train animal fell or because of a bad route belonged to him. With the foundation of the Hanseatic League, the merchants tried to counteract this claim. As early as 1255 it was called a strata publica. In 1265, Landgravine Sophie expressly charged the castellans of her castle at Blankenstein with the protection of this public road within their area of influence. The road connected the former Duchy of Brabant in today's Belgium with Leipzig, running via Cologne, Siegen, Angelburg, Marburg, Eisenach, Erfurt and Naumburg. This medieval street, which connected important trade fair sites, carried a large proportion of east-west trade, especially grain, textile products from Flemish and [Lower German textile centres, woad from Thuringia, eastern European furs as well as ironware from the northwestern Lahn-Dill region., the Siegerland, the Thuringian Forest. At times, the livestock trade was significant. A transport network for herrings and salted cod had already been established in the Hanseatic era. Hops and beer were also valued as profitable commodities. The procurement of special building blocks from the Eifel region is documented for the Wartburg in the 12th century. Armies, pilgrims and travellers used the road all year round. Today, the Brabant Road is part of the "European Cultural Route VIA REGIA", which brings together the historic streets of the Brabant Raad, the Way of St James and the actual Via Regia.
Remarks
Literature
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