Its highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1, metres 4, ft above sea level. Roughly oblong in shape, with a length of kilometres miles and breadth of up to 50 km 30 mi , [ 2 ] it has an area of about 6, km 2 2, sq mi. Historically, the area was known for forestry and the mining of ore deposits, but tourism has now become the primary industry, accounting for around , jobs.
They, in turn, were part of the Germanic tribe of Suebi , who subsequently gave their name to the historic state of Swabia. With the exception of Roman settlements on the perimeter e. They settled and first colonized the valleys, crossing the old settlement boundary, the so-called "red sandstone border", for example, from the region of Baar. Soon afterwards, increasingly higher areas and adjacent forests were colonized, so that by the end of the 10th century, the first settlements could be found in the red bunter sandstone region.
Some of the uprisings including the Bundschuh movement that preceded the 16th century German Peasants' War , originated in the Black Forest. Further peasant unrest, in the shape of the saltpetre uprisings, took place over the next two centuries in Hotzenwald. Remnants of military fortifications dating from the 17th and 18th centuries can be found in the Black Forest, especially on the mountain passes.
Originally, the Black Forest was a mixed forest of deciduous trees and firs. At the higher elevations spruce also grew. In the middle of the 19th century, the Black Forest was almost completely deforested by intensive forestry and was subsequently replanted, mostly with spruce monocultures.
In , extensive damage to the forest was caused by a series of windstorms. As had happened following the storms, large quantities of fallen logs were kept in provisional wet-storage areas for years. The effects of the storm are demonstrated by the Lothar Path , a forest educational and adventure trail at the nature centre in Ruhestein on a highland timber forest of about 10 hectares that was destroyed by a hurricane.
