Kirchenhöfen

Kirchenhöfen is a toponym used for several small settlements in German-speaking regions. It does not denote a single place but denotes multiple localities that historically shared a connection to a parish church and surrounding farmyards.

The name combines Kirchen (church) and Höfe (courtyards, farms), indicating landholdings or farm settlements associated with a church.

In Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland, there are villages and hamlets bearing the name Kirchenhöfen. They are typically administratively part of larger municipalities as Ortsteile or Gemarkungen and are usually rural in character.

Historically, such places developed around a church and its landed estates; the courtyard or farm complex served as economic center for a parish, with fields radiating outward. The toponym preserves this pattern in local memory and land records.

In contemporary administration, Kirchenhöfen locales retain their name as part of municipal geography. They often feature traditional rural architecture and may host a church, a cemetery, and small-scale community facilities tied to parish life.