23. Ameisenwäldchen

There are two possible explanations for the derivation of the name:

The term „Ameisen“ (ants) indicates the busy little forest dwellers who built their anthills here on the sunny south-facing slope and thus gave the field its name.

A second possibility of derivation arises from the colloquial form „Ämeezewäldche“ which could have emerged from the medieval form „Am Ätzwäldche“. „Etze“ and „Ätze“ are old names for pasture and forage. They go back to the Middle High German verb „atzen, etzen“ for „to graze“. The inhabitants of the Hagische Seit used this wooded area to graze their cattle. After the Thirty Years’ War – so the assumption – because no longer understood, the original „Am Etzewäldchen“ was transformed into the meaning-changing form „Ametzewäldche“ or Ameezewäldche „, from which the clerks finally made the High German name „Ameisenäldchen” (ant forest). However, there is no written evidence for this assumption.

The wood from the „ant forest“ made it possible to build the schoolhouse:
The logging was strictly monitored by the Royal Government for sustainability reasons. Only after a repeated application did the Royal Government allow the residents of the „Hagische Seit“ to fell trees on an area of 3 acres and use the proceeds to make the required contribution of 200 guilders towards the construction of the new schoolhouse in 1821. In this way, the residents were able to save their children the arduous journey to school to Reichenbach.