Erlenbach am Main
Encyclopedia
Erlenbach am Main is the biggest town in the Miltenberg district
in the Regierungsbezirk
of Lower Franconia
(Unterfranken) in Bavaria
, Germany
. It harbours one of the Miltenberg district’s two hospitals, and is well known for its good wine. Erlenbach was until 25 years ago Bavaria’s newest town.
.
from the Bronze Age
(roughly 1550–1250 BC) were discovered. In 1981, two typical Urnfield culture
graves from the time about 1000–800 BC were found.
In the first century AD, the Roman Empire
reached all the way to the Main. This watery stretch of the Limes Germanicus
was enforced with castra
. To avoid the Romans
, the Germanic peoples
moved their settlements to the other side of the Main, the east side, or right bank. After the Roman Empire fell, it would still be many years before the Franks
thrust into the Main region in 531 and founded settlements of their own. In 451 invaded by Huns.
The first farms in Erlenbach were likely only built sometime between 800 and 950.
About 1183, Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa
granted Erlenbach market rights. The Imperial
award was given visible expression with a market and freedom sign. It shows a great cross on whose top stands a cock. On the crossbeam a hand rises up on one side and on the other a sword. The upheld hand made clear that the Erlenbach dwellers stood under the Emperor’s special protection, and that any who set himself against it would have to reckon with the Sovereign’s upraised sword.
, Saint Joseph
’s (main town), Saint Joseph’s (outlying centre of Mechenhard) and Saint Charles Borromeo
’s there is also the Evangelical
Martin Luther Church.
Since January 2007 there has also been the Evangelical Free Church Erlenbach Congregation, which in April 2009 counted 61 steady members.
, Val-de-Marne
, France
Erlenbach
, Canton of Zürich
, Switzerland
might be described thus: Or an eagle with two heads displayed sable crowned on each head gules with studs of the field, armed and beaked of the field holding in his talon dexter an orb of the third banded and ensigned with a cross of the field and in his talon sinister a sword of the third, in chief an Elector’s crown proper.
This coat of arms, newly conferred upon the market community of Erlenbach am Main in 1953 is based on two seals known to have been borne by the Erlenbach court in the time from 1722 to 1810 and whose images matched each other. Both seals showed a crowned two-headed eagle holding a monarch’s orb
in the right talon and a sword in the left. Floating above the eagle’s heads was an Elector’s crown, and underneath their heads were the letters E and B (Erlenbach).
Miltenberg (district)
Miltenberg is an administrative district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the city of Aschaffenburg, the districts of Aschaffenburg and Main-Spessart, and the states of Baden-Württemberg and Hesse .-History:During the Middle Ages there was continuous...
in the Regierungsbezirk
Regierungsbezirk
In Germany, a Government District, in German: Regierungsbezirk – is a subdivision of certain federal states .They are above the Kreise, Landkreise, and kreisfreie Städte...
of Lower Franconia
Lower Franconia
Lower Franconia is one of the three administrative regions of Franconia in Bavaria , Germany ....
(Unterfranken) in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It harbours one of the Miltenberg district’s two hospitals, and is well known for its good wine. Erlenbach was until 25 years ago Bavaria’s newest town.
Location
Erlenbach lies in Lower Franconia in Bavaria’s northwest, at the Mainviereck (“Main Square”), near AschaffenburgAschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg is a city in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not considered part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is the administrative seat.Aschaffenburg is known as the Tor zum Spessart or "gate to the Spessart"...
.
Constituent communities
The formerly self-administering neighbouring communities of Mechenhard and Streit wer amalgamated with Erlenbach in 1976 and 1978 respectively.History
When human beings first took ownership of the region is a matter shrouded in the mists of time. In 1876, four barrowsTumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
from the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
(roughly 1550–1250 BC) were discovered. In 1981, two typical Urnfield culture
Urnfield culture
The Urnfield culture was a late Bronze Age culture of central Europe. The name comes from the custom of cremating the dead and placing their ashes in urns which were then buried in fields...
graves from the time about 1000–800 BC were found.
In the first century AD, the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
reached all the way to the Main. This watery stretch of the Limes Germanicus
Limes Germanicus
The Limes Germanicus was a line of frontier fortifications that bounded the ancient Roman provinces of Germania Inferior, Germania Superior and Raetia, dividing the Roman Empire and the unsubdued Germanic tribes from the years 83 to about 260 AD...
was enforced with castra
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
. To avoid the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, the Germanic peoples
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
moved their settlements to the other side of the Main, the east side, or right bank. After the Roman Empire fell, it would still be many years before the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
thrust into the Main region in 531 and founded settlements of their own. In 451 invaded by Huns.
The first farms in Erlenbach were likely only built sometime between 800 and 950.
About 1183, Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa
Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick I Barbarossa was a German Holy Roman Emperor. He was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1155, and finally crowned Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV, on 18 June 1155, and two years later in 1157 the term...
granted Erlenbach market rights. The Imperial
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
award was given visible expression with a market and freedom sign. It shows a great cross on whose top stands a cock. On the crossbeam a hand rises up on one side and on the other a sword. The upheld hand made clear that the Erlenbach dwellers stood under the Emperor’s special protection, and that any who set himself against it would have to reckon with the Sovereign’s upraised sword.
Religion
Besides the Catholic churches Saint Peter’s and Saint Paul’sFeast of Saints Peter and Paul
The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, or the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, is a liturgical feast in honour of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which is observed on 29 June...
, Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
’s (main town), Saint Joseph’s (outlying centre of Mechenhard) and Saint Charles Borromeo
Charles Borromeo
Charles Borromeo was the cardinal archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Milan from 1564 to 1584. He was a leading figure during the Counter-Reformation and was responsible for significant reforms in the Catholic Church, including the founding of seminaries for the education of priests...
’s there is also the Evangelical
Evangelical Church in Germany
The Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
Martin Luther Church.
Since January 2007 there has also been the Evangelical Free Church Erlenbach Congregation, which in April 2009 counted 61 steady members.
Town council
The council is made up of 24 council members, with seats apportioned thus:- CSUChristian Social Union of BavariaThe Christian Social Union in Bavaria is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It operates only in the state of Bavaria, while its sister party, the Christian Democratic Union , operates in the other 15 states of Germany...
11 - SPDSocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
7 - Bündnis 90/Die Grünen 2
- Freie Wähler 4
Mayors
The Chief Mayor is Michael Berninger (CSU), and the deputies are Anne Tulke (SPD; “Second Mayor”) and Wolfgang Großmann (Freie Wähler; “Third Mayor”).Town partnerships
Saint-MauriceSaint-Maurice, Val-de-Marne
Saint-Maurice is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The insane asylum Charenton was located in Saint-Maurice; it is now a psychiatric hospital.-History:...
, Val-de-Marne
Val-de-Marne
Val-de-Marne is a French department, named after the Marne River, located in the Île-de-France region. The department is situated to the southeast of the city of Paris.- Geography :...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Erlenbach
Erlenbach, Switzerland
Erlenbach is a municipality in the district of Meilen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-History:Erlenbach is first mentioned in 981 as Liber Heremi though this identification is questionable. Between 1173-90 it was mentioned as Erlibach....
, Canton of Zürich
Canton of Zürich
The Canton of Zurich has a population of . The canton is located in the northeast of Switzerland and the city of Zurich is its capital. The official language is German, but people speak the local Swiss German dialect called Züritüütsch...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
Coat of arms
The town’s armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
might be described thus: Or an eagle with two heads displayed sable crowned on each head gules with studs of the field, armed and beaked of the field holding in his talon dexter an orb of the third banded and ensigned with a cross of the field and in his talon sinister a sword of the third, in chief an Elector’s crown proper.
This coat of arms, newly conferred upon the market community of Erlenbach am Main in 1953 is based on two seals known to have been borne by the Erlenbach court in the time from 1722 to 1810 and whose images matched each other. Both seals showed a crowned two-headed eagle holding a monarch’s orb
Globus cruciger
The globus cruciger is an orb topped with a cross , a Christian symbol of authority used throughout the Middle Ages and even today on coins, iconography and royal regalia...
in the right talon and a sword in the left. Floating above the eagle’s heads was an Elector’s crown, and underneath their heads were the letters E and B (Erlenbach).
Theatre
Erlenbach cultural life has many faces. The renovated Frankenhalle offers its stage for theatre, musicals and concerts. Another place that enriches local culture is the Kino-Passage cinema, which since 1979 has been established as a repertory cinema. Lastly, not to be overlooked are the many festivals and markets that also belong to Erlenbach cultural life.Culinary specialities
Even if, as is likely so, the Romans had already brought grapes to the Main valley, winegrowing is only confirmed to have begun in Erlenbach one thousand years later by a document from 2 January 1261. Since 1990, Erlenbach has lain on the Fränkischer Rotwein Wanderweg (“Franconian Red Wine Hiking Trail”)Sons and daughters of the town
- Marliese Arold, children’s and youth book author
- Aloys SchmittAloys SchmittAloys Schmitt was a German composer, pianist and music teacher. In 1824 he was appointed court composer in Munich. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Giessen....
, German composer, pianist and musical educator - Kurt Klühspieß, German handball world champion
- Dirk Hartmann, contemporary psychologist and philosopher