Birkenau had its first documentary mention in 795 in the Lorsch Codex as a cell of the Lorsch Abbey. As one of the Abbey's holdings, it passed into the ownership of the Archbishopric of Mainz in 1232.
In 795, Birkenau was first noted in the Lorsch Codex as part of the Lorsch Abbey; subsequently, it became an asset of the Archbishopric of Mainz by 1232.