Staffort

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Staffort is a historic village in southwest Germany, between Karlsruhe and Bruchsal. Since 1975 it has been part of the town of Stutensee, which also includes Blankenloch, Friedrichstal and Spöck. About 2,000 people lived there in 2011.

The name Staffort means "constant trudge ford," because it was the only good crossing of the Pfinz River, making it an important location for many centuries. Archaeological finds show a settlement near the Pfinz around 25 AD. The village is first mentioned in 1110 in a document by Emperor Henry V, where it is called Stafphort.

In 1599 the Staffort Book was printed in the Staffort Castle printing house. It was an effort by Margrave Ernst Friedrich von Baden-Durlach to reconcile Lutheran and Calvinist beliefs; there is an English translation available.

Until about 1950, farming was the main income for most families. Farms were small: many under 2 hectares, with 135 farms at 0.5–2 ha, 95 at 2–5 ha, and only three at 5–10 ha. The village was known for hemp and flax production, tobacco from 1860 onwards, and for making wooden clogs—the tradition is remembered in the annual Staffort clog race. In the 18th and 19th centuries about 100 residents left Staffort to start new lives in America and other parts of Europe.