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The Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

The Black Forest is a sizable forested mountain range in the southwest German state of Baden-Württemberg, which is bordered to the west and south by the Rhine Valley and near the French and Swiss borders.The Neckar and Danube rivers originate there.

The Feldberg, which rises 1,493 meters (4,898 feet) above sea level, is its highest mountain. It is roughly oblong in shape, measuring 160 km (100 miles) in length and up to 50 km (30 miles) in width. Its area is approximately 6,009 km2 (2,320 sq mi).In the past, the region was well-known for its forests and ore riches, but today, tourism is the main business, supporting almost 300,000 employment. A number of 17th-century military fortifications have been abandoned.Many artists were drawn to the Black Forest in the 19th and early 20th centuries by its rustic charm and the sense of tradition among its people, and their creations brought the forest international renown. Hans Thoma from Bernau and Rudolf Epp, a fellow student supported by Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden, were noteworthy. Throughout their lifetimes, both artists painted Black Forest images. Düsseldorf-based painter J. Metzler traversed the Black Forest to create his landscape paintings. The landscape and genre motifs of the Gutach artist colony, which centered on Wilhelm Hasemann, were highly regarded for their ability to capture the essence of the Black Forest. Similar to the local writer Heinrich Hansjakob, they participated in a folk costume movement in Baden.

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