Bindlach

History

The name Bindlach is derived from the Slavic Pnetluky containing the verb tlouki which means "to chop". Thus Bindlach can be translated with "Village of the people chopping trunks" as the village is situated in an area rich with woods and a clearance had to be created prior to settlement. More recent research traces the name back to the Old Saxon word Binutlaka meaning "Small, standing lake overgrown with juncus". Charlemagne supposedly resettled deported Saxons in the area. Archaeological excavations have produced Celtic leftovers as well as remains from the Urnfield culture and the Bronze Age giving proof of settlement as early as 1300 BC. The first official mentioning in modern times occurred in a private charter on April 6, 1178 as bintlvke. Being part of the Prussian Principality of Bayreuth, Bindlach was ceded to France in 1807 following the Treaties of Tilsit. In 1810 it became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. The town as it is known today was formed in 1818.