Litzendorf
Encyclopedia
Litzendorf is a community in the Upper Franconia
n district of Bamberg
. Owing to administrative reform it has been a unified community since 1 May 1978.
word lyko ("bast
") or from the Germanic
word litzel ("little").
In Merovingian and Carolingian
times, when the villages, which were likely of Frankish
and Slavic
origin, arose, the Ellern Valley was still heavily wooded.
The name Litzendorf first cropped up in 1129 in a document from Bishop of Bamberg Otto, which mentions an Otgoz von Licindorf. Otgoz belonged to the lower subservient nobility and was a court and administrative official to Saint Otto
.
Litzendorf later belonged to the High Monastery
at Bamberg, but since the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss of 1803, the community has belonged to Bavaria
.
s, amounted to €2,279,000 of which business taxes (net) amounted to €206,000.
(as of election on 3 March 2002)
The Bamberg lion stands for the High Monastery's former overlordship in Litzendorf. The helmet stands for the ministeriales
of Litzendorf, who were active in the 12th century, at a time when they bore no arms.
exhibit in the middle of the Ellern Valley countryside.
n Sängerbund ("Singers’ League") was built in 1963 on a plot of higher ground above Melkendorf. The memorial consists of twelve limestone
columns set in a circle and an altar
like sarcophagus
. In the memorial stone are memorial books with the names of the dead from the originally 12, now 13, singing circles. The wrought iron
altar wing bears the Latin
inscription Mortui vivimus – "We, the dead, live".
site. Digs here brought to light use of the cave by four cultures in the New Stone Age and by almost all subsequent ones. The name Jungfernhöhle refers to the human remains found here, which were overwhelmingly female.
. The group of mounds is completely surrounded by forest. The barrows’ diameters range from 8 to 25 metres. During digs in the 19th century, material from the Bronze Age
and the early Iron Age
was unearthed.
Pfarrkirche St. Wenzeslaus in Litzendorf was built between 1715 and 1718 by master builder Johann Dientzenhofer
. It is built from shiny, gold-coloured iron-bearing sandstone
blocks and can be seen far from the community.
The choice of the Bohemia
n duke and national Saint Wenceslas
as the church's patron likely goes back to Prince-Bishop Lambrecht von Brun, who was a close adviser to Emperor Karl IV
, who lived in Prague
, and also chancellor to his son Wenceslas (Wenzel). After Litzendorf was raised to parish in 1406, there arose a new building whose four-storey choir tower still stands today.
When damage to the building began to show in the late 17th century, there was hesitation about repairing it. Only in 1702, after Johann Christoph Reinhard had been made the parish priest and set himself to the business at hand was something done about it. He wanted something special, and therefore he had the Bamberg court master builder Johann Dientzenhofer add a suitable nave onto the choir tower.
Upper Franconia
Upper Franconia is a Regierungsbezirk of the state of Bavaria, southern Germany. It forms part of the historically significant region of Franconia , all now part of the German Federal State of Bayern .With more than 200 independent breweries which brew...
n district of Bamberg
Bamberg (district)
Bamberg Land is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It surrounds but does not include the town of Bamberg. The district is bounded by the districts of Lichtenfels, Bayreuth, Forchheim, Erlangen-Höchstadt, Neustadt -Bad Windsheim, Kitzingen, Schweinfurt and Haßberge.- History :The history of the...
. Owing to administrative reform it has been a unified community since 1 May 1978.
Geography
Litzendorf and most of its outlying centres lie in the Ellern Valley, which is surrounded by wooded heights with the Bamberg district's two highest elevations, the Geisberg (585 m) and the Stammberg (560 m).Constituent communities
Litzendorf's namesake centre is not the biggest of its Ortsteile. Pödeldorf is somewhat bigger. The community has these centres, each given here with its own population figure:| Kunigundenruh | 2 inhabitants | ||
 |
Litzendorf | 1,492 inhabitants | |
| Lohndorf | 385 inhabitants | ||
 |
Melkendorf | 757 inhabitants | |
| Naisa | 747 inhabitants | ||
| Pödeldorf | 1,753 inhabitants | ||
| Schammelsdorf | 784 inhabitants | ||
| Tiefenellern | 210 inhabitants |
Neighbouring communities
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Memmelsdorf Memmelsdorf Memmelsdorf is a community in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg bordering in the west directly on the city of Bamberg.- History :As with most places in the Bamberg district, this community’s exact founding time cannot be established. However, looking back through the properties of the royal... |
Scheßlitz Scheßlitz Scheßlitz is a town in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg and lies on the rise to the Franconian Switzerland on the A 70 between Bamberg and Bayreuth, lying 14 km northeast of the former.-Geography:... |
Königsfeld Königsfeld Königsfeld may refer to several places:In Germany:* Königsfeld, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the Nordwestmecklenburg district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern* Königsfeld, Saxony in the Mittweida district in Saxony... |
Heiligenstadt Heiligenstadt Heiligenstadt may refer to several places:*Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Thuringia, Germany*Heiligenstadt i.OFr. , Bamberg , Bavaria, Germany*Heiligenstadt, Vienna, Austria*Heiligenstadt, part of Neuhaus in Kärnten, Carinthia, Austria... |
Strullendorf Strullendorf Strullendorf is a community in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg.-Location:Strullendorf lies in a valley and is partly surrounded by the Hauptsmoorwald , near which lies the Hauptsmoorhalle... |
Hauptsmoorwald |
History
The derivation of the name Litzendorf is unclear. It could have come from the SlavicSlavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
word lyko ("bast
Bast
Bast may refer to:* Bast a slang term used as reference to the word Bastard* Bast, or Bastet, a goddess in Ancient Egyptian mythology* Bast fibre, a type of plant fiber* Bast, Afghanistan...
") or from the Germanic
Germanic languages
The Germanic languages constitute a sub-branch of the Indo-European language family. The common ancestor of all of the languages in this branch is called Proto-Germanic , which was spoken in approximately the mid-1st millennium BC in Iron Age northern Europe...
word litzel ("little").
In Merovingian and Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
times, when the villages, which were likely of Frankish
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...
and Slavic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
origin, arose, the Ellern Valley was still heavily wooded.
The name Litzendorf first cropped up in 1129 in a document from Bishop of Bamberg Otto, which mentions an Otgoz von Licindorf. Otgoz belonged to the lower subservient nobility and was a court and administrative official to Saint Otto
Otto of Bamberg
Saint Otto of Bamberg was a medieval German bishop and missionary who, as papal legate, converted much of Pomerania to Christianity.-Life:Otto was born into a noble family in Mistelbach, Franconia...
.
Litzendorf later belonged to the High Monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
at Bamberg, but since the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss of 1803, the community has belonged to 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...
.
Population development
Within municipal limits, 3,507 inhabitants were counted in 1970, 4,825 in 1987 and 5,907 in 2000. In 2005 it was 6,179, and in 2007 6,106.Politics
In 1999, municipal tax revenue, converted to euroEuro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s, amounted to €2,279,000 of which business taxes (net) amounted to €206,000.
Municipal council
The community council is made up of 21 members, listed here by party or voter community affiliation, and also with the number of seats that each holds:| CSU | SPD | GRÜNE | Christliche Wählervereinigung | Total | |
| 2002 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
(as of election on 3 March 2002)
Coat of arms
Litzendorf's arms might heraldically be described thus: Party per pale Or and azure, Or a lion rampant sable armed and langued gules, thereover a bendlet argent, azure a helm argent with nasal dexter.The Bamberg lion stands for the High Monastery's former overlordship in Litzendorf. The helmet stands for the ministeriales
Ministerialis
Ministerialis ; a post-classical Latin word, used in English, meaning originally servitor, agent, in a broad range of senses...
of Litzendorf, who were active in the 12th century, at a time when they bore no arms.
Fränkische Straße der Skulpturen
The "Franconian Road of Sculptures" between the villages of Tiefenellern, Lohndorf and Litzendorf came into being in 1994 and is a sculptureSculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
exhibit in the middle of the Ellern Valley countryside.
Singers’ memorial near Melkendorf
The Sängerehrenmal for the dead and fallen of the FranconiaFranconia
Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken...
n Sängerbund ("Singers’ League") was built in 1963 on a plot of higher ground above Melkendorf. The memorial consists of twelve limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
columns set in a circle and an altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
like sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
. In the memorial stone are memorial books with the names of the dead from the originally 12, now 13, singing circles. The wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
altar wing bears the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
inscription Mortui vivimus – "We, the dead, live".
Jungfernhöhle near Tiefenellern
The Jungfernhöhle ("Maids’ Cave") near Tiefenellern is a Neolithic archaeologicalArchaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
site. Digs here brought to light use of the cave by four cultures in the New Stone Age and by almost all subsequent ones. The name Jungfernhöhle refers to the human remains found here, which were overwhelmingly female.
Barrows near Litzendorf
On the road from Litzendorf to Geisfeld are found early Celtic 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...
. The group of mounds is completely surrounded by forest. The barrows’ diameters range from 8 to 25 metres. During digs in the 19th century, material 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...
and the early Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
was unearthed.
Parish church of St. Wenceslas
The BaroqueBaroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
Pfarrkirche St. Wenzeslaus in Litzendorf was built between 1715 and 1718 by master builder Johann Dientzenhofer
Johann Dientzenhofer
Johann Dientzenhofer was a builder and architect during the Baroque period in Germany.Johann was born in St. Margarethen near Rosenheim, Bavaria, a member of the famous Dientzenhofer family of German architects, who were among the leading builders in the Bohemian and German Baroque which included...
. It is built from shiny, gold-coloured iron-bearing sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
blocks and can be seen far from the community.
The choice of the Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
n duke and national Saint Wenceslas
Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia
Wenceslaus I , or Wenceslas I, was the duke of Bohemia from 921 until his assassination in 935, purportedly in a plot by his own brother, Boleslav the Cruel....
as the church's patron likely goes back to Prince-Bishop Lambrecht von Brun, who was a close adviser to Emperor Karl IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
, who lived in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, and also chancellor to his son Wenceslas (Wenzel). After Litzendorf was raised to parish in 1406, there arose a new building whose four-storey choir tower still stands today.
When damage to the building began to show in the late 17th century, there was hesitation about repairing it. Only in 1702, after Johann Christoph Reinhard had been made the parish priest and set himself to the business at hand was something done about it. He wanted something special, and therefore he had the Bamberg court master builder Johann Dientzenhofer add a suitable nave onto the choir tower.