Achalm (Mountain) Explained

Achalm
Elevation M:707
Map:Germany Baden-Württemberg
Map Relief:1
Location:Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Coordinates:48.5°N 24°W

Achalm is a mountain in Reutlingen, Germany. On its top, the ruins of Achalm Castle can be found, ancestral seat of the counts of Achalm, a 13th-century Swabian noble family related to the counts of Urach.

The toponym is probably from the Indo-European root *ak-/*ok „sharp, cliff“.[1] A popular etymology connects it to the supposed last words of count Egino, which is attributed to the balladist Ludwig Uhland in his "Schlacht bei Reutlingen". It is said he wanted to say "Ach Allmächtiger!" (German for "O Almighty!"), but was only able to say "Ach Allm...".[2]

Notes and References

  1. Lutz Reichardt: Ortsnamenbuch des Kreises Reutlingen (= Veröffentlichungen der Kommission für geschichtliche Landeskunde in Baden-Württemberg. Band 102). Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1983, pp. 9–11.
  2. Web site: Stadt Reutlingen Achalm . 3 August 2023 . 18 July 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120718173543/http://www.reutlingen.de/ceasy/modules/cms/main.php5?cPageId=1608 . 2012-07-18 . german.