History of the community of Kampfelbach
Bilfingen was first mentioned in a document in 1193 and Ersingen in 1197. This happened in papal bulls (a decree of the Pope), in which Celestine III. confirmed his freedoms and possessions in Ersingen and Bilfingen to the Frauenalb monastery. The names of the villages of Ersingen and Bilfingen are of Alemannic origin. Around 260 AD the Alemanni settled in this area. They gave the settlements the names of their elders, adding the syllable "-ingen". Bilfingen is probably named after a Binolf and Ersingen after an Ergeso.
As part of the municipal reform in Baden-Württemberg, the municipalities of Bilfingen and Ersingen merged on July 1, 1974 to form the new Kampfelbach municipality.
The ancient village of Bilfingen probably goes back to the clan settlement of a "Binolf". Already in Roman times there was a site at a crossroads on the foundations of which the Bilfinger pilgrimage church was built. The founders of this church were Scottish monks in the 7th century. It was first mentioned in a document in 1193. Through various purchases and barter transactions, the village gradually came to the Frauenalb monastery. Until 1803 the monastery was the sole landowner in the village. Ersingen and Bilfingen formed a double village with a common mayor, municipal council and court.
Only four years later, in 1197, "Ergensingen" (Ergeso or Argizo clan) was first mentioned. Before Ersingen belonged entirely to the monastery, the Lords of Enzberg, the Counts of Eberstein and von Vaihingen, the Dominicans and the Cistercians of Pforzheim were wealthy here. Then the strong connection between the two places began. Ersingen used to be twice the size of Bilfingen, so the offices were filled two to one for Ersingen.
Ersingen and Bilfingen still have an old tradition of original carnival customs with parades, royal couples and disc beating. Both places also celebrate the "vow day" with fasting and communion on September 7th, which goes back to a vow made in the year of the plague in 1357.
