Reichswald
A Reichswald or Imperial forest, designates any of several historic woodlands under imperial protection in the lands of the former Holy Roman Empire.
The Nürnberger Reichswald is near Nuremberg.[1]
The better-known Reichswald Forest, near the Dutch/German border, lies in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, to the east of Nijmegen, in the Netherlands, and between the Rivers Rhine and Maas. The area is wooded and liable to flooding.
Main towns in the area are Kleve, Goch, Kevelaer, Geldern and Xanten.
In the Second World War it was the location of the Battle of the Reichswald in February and March, 1945, a quite protracted battle against Anglo-Canadian forces on Germany's Western Front. German troops under Gen. Alfred Schlemm (of the Luftwaffe) were well prepared and in an area where the lie of the land greatly nullified the Anglo-Canadians' advantages in equipment, armament and munitions, and manpower.
Notes
51°44′52″N 6°00′55″E / 51.74778°N 6.01528°E
As the Reichswald is on a glacial ridge it is not subjected to flooding.The glacial gravel contains a lot of loam from the northern German plain and this causes the surface to become extremely muddy when using the unmetalled roads during a rainy period.