The area around Gengenbach is known to have been settled in Roman times but the first recorded details of inhabitants date from the early Middle Ages.
Gengenbach became a Free Imperial City in the middle of the 14th century and the town towers which remain on the edge of the old town date from this era and the following two centuries.
The strategic position of the town and its geographic location near the border with France led to large-scale damage to the town at several points in its history. Many of the older buildings which can still be seen in the centre date from the 17th and 18th centuries during an economic boom period.
The relative independence of Gengenbach as a Free Imperial City ended at the start of the 19th century when it was absorbed by the province of Baden.
The increasing industrialisation of the valley and the building of the rail links along the Kinzig river led to economic prosperity but also to the end of the historic rafting trade.
The centre of the town with its timbered houses was declared a conservation area at the start of the 20th century and is now part of the Deutsche Fachwerkstrasse, a German tourist route which links towns with timbered houses and traditional town centres,
