Gäu (Baden-Württemberg)

The name Gäu (derived from the Roman pagus - a territory ruled by a lord - or from the Alemannic gou for Gau - a region) is used primarily today for a sparsely wooded cultural landscape type, that has evolved on the South German Scarplands between the Black Forest, the Stromberg and Heuchelberg in the west and the Swabian Jura and Swabian Keuperwald Hills in the east. Because the region is further subdivided into the Oberes Gäu or Korngäu, Heckengäu, Strohgäu and Zabergäu it is also referred to as die Gäue (pl).