Partenstein
Encyclopedia
Partenstein is a community in the Main-Spessart district
in the Regierungsbezirk
of Lower Franconia
(Unterfranken) in Bavaria
, Germany
and the seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft (Administrative Community) of Partenstein. Through the community runs Bundesstraße
276.
(range) on the left bank of the river Lohr, some 7 km northwest of the town of Lohr am Main
.
The community has the following Gemarkungen (traditional rural cadastral areas): Partenstein, Partensteiner Forst.
. The Burg Bartenstein (castle) built about 1180 by the Counts of Rieneck
for hunting and to protect the road through the Lohr valley
, was what led to the village of Partenstein springing up here. The Rienecks had vast landholdings, and, during the 13th century, began an expansionist policy. From their master seat of Rieneck
, in the east of the Spessart
, they built castles to settle and incorporate the area.
The first documentary mention of Partenstein is a commentary in 1233 on the disputes that inevitably arose between the Rieneck family and the Archbishops of Mainz, who were rivals for local hegemony. At that time, the Spessart was nearly unpopulated. The Rieneck family bequeathed a one-half share of Partenstein in 1277 to the Lords of Hanau. The other half thereafter belonged to the Archbishopric of Mainz
. Both halves were ruled together as a condominium
.
The first church was a chapel
inside the castle called the Parish of Partenstein, and a Gothic
church was built soon afterwards, in 1471. In 1553, the number of inhabitants in the town had reached 450, and, when the last Count of Rieneck died in 1559, the land was bequeathed to the Archbishops of Mainz. A fire burnt down a large part of the village ten years later.
In 1684 there came a territorial exchange between the County of Hanau and the Archbishopric of Mainz: the Hanau half of the Amt of Partenstein was ceded to the Archbishopric for a one-half share of the Amt of Bieber, likewise ruled together with Mainz.
In the Thirty Years' War
, with quartering of soldiers in the city, supplies were looted, cattle were slaughtered, and the place became susceptible to epidemic
s and disease
. In December 1631, the castle was pillaged and destroyed by Swedish
troops. Twenty-nine houses in Partenstein were burnt down at this time.
In 1639, the village had only 111 inhabitants, whereas in 1601, there had been 577. With 1677 came Partenstein's first Evangelical
teacher, Johannes Hopf, and 1695 brought a furnished Catholic school.
In 1796, villagers had to combat French
and German
troops, who stole and ruined their property.
The former Amt of Partenstein was in favour of the Principality of Aschaffenburg
secularized
in 1803, passing with that state in 1814 (by this time it had become a department of the Grand Duchy of Frankfurt) to Bavaria.
In the mid 19th century, with the coming of Ludwig's Western Railway
, which came into service in the Spessart in 1854, industrialization saw its onset. A second line was built 15 years later. Around this time, the economic situation of the village improved and population increased. Jobs had been created by the railway, and citizens also began working in mines and mills. At this time, around 70 percent of the villagers were Protestant, and about 30 percent were Catholic. Most people made their livings as firemen, farmers, singers, businessmen, and mechanics.
The branch of mining that stood out most strongly was baryte mining, which was not abandoned until 1948.
At the start of World War I
, the village's economy went downhill. The longer the war lasted, the greater the Empire's shortfalls and financial need became. Industrial and agricultural products had to be increased with fewer personnel.
To cover the enormous financial requirements, the population was called twice annually for the purpose of war loans. The peace treaty presented heavy burdens on Germany. The economy could not develop. High reparations
and the loss of substantial parts of the country were demoralizing.
An economic upswing took place only in the mid 1930s
. However, it changed in 1939 at the start of World War II
. Since German industrial areas were being destroyed in the war, their civilian population had to be evacuated.
Only in the years between 1960 and 1970 did the village develop again. The village no longer had a rural
character, especially after the roads were removed and the houses grew in size. Not only were homes built in the centre of the area, but they were also built on the low mountain
s and hills. Among other things built were a school building, a Gymnasium
, a deep well and an elevated tank for the water pipeline, a fire brigade equipment house, a town hall and a purification plant shared with the neighbouring municipality of Frammersbach
The community’s history is displayed on the Europäischer Kulturweg Partenstein (“Partenstein European Cultural Way”).
and later Calvinist
County of Hanau, Partenstein is even today one of the few mainly Protestant
communities in the Bavarian Spessart.
might be described thus: Gules two poleaxes argent in saltire, in base a mount of ten bricks Or.
Poleaxes were once known in German
as Parten (they are more commonly called Hellebarden now), while bricks are Bausteine, or simply Steine if the context makes it needless to specify what kind of “stones” they are. These charge
s make the arms canting
for the name Partenstein. The tinctures gules and Or (red and gold) are taken from the arms formerly borne by both the Counts of Rieneck and the Counts of Hanau, who were of great import to the community’s history. The tinctures gules and argent (silver) recall Electoral Mainz’s
hegemony. The arms have been borne since 1969.
this was 0. In other areas, 90 workers on the social welfare contribution rolls were employed, and 1,090 such workers worked from home. There were 12 processing businesses. Four businesses were in construction, and furthermore, in 1999, there were 12 agricultural operations with a working area of 81 ha, of which 3 ha was cropland and 79 ha was meadowland.
Main-Spessart
Main-Spessart is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Bad Kissingen, Schweinfurt and Würzburg, the state of Baden-Württemberg , the districts of Miltenberg and Aschaffenburg, and the state of Hesse .-History:The district was established in 1972 by merging the former...
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...
and the seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft (Administrative Community) of Partenstein. Through the community runs Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
276.
Location
Partenstein lies in the Main Spessart Region in the middle of the SpessartSpessart
The Spessart is a low mountain range in northwestern Bavaria and southern Hesse, Germany. It is bordered on three sides by the Main River. The two most important towns located at the foot of the Spessart are Aschaffenburg and Würzburg....
(range) on the left bank of the river Lohr, some 7 km northwest of the town of Lohr am Main
Lohr
Lohr am Main is a town in the Main-Spessart district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany and the seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Lohr am Main.- Location :The town lies on the Main in the Spessart about halfway between Würzburg and...
.
The community has the following Gemarkungen (traditional rural cadastral areas): Partenstein, Partensteiner Forst.
History
The beginnings of Partenstein go back into the mists of time before the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. The Burg Bartenstein (castle) built about 1180 by the Counts of Rieneck
County of Rieneck
The County of Rieneck was a comital domain within the Holy Roman Empire that lay in what is now northwestern Bavaria...
for hunting and to protect the road through the Lohr valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
, was what led to the village of Partenstein springing up here. The Rienecks had vast landholdings, and, during the 13th century, began an expansionist policy. From their master seat of Rieneck
Rieneck
Rieneck is a town in the Main-Spessart district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :...
, in the east of the Spessart
Spessart
The Spessart is a low mountain range in northwestern Bavaria and southern Hesse, Germany. It is bordered on three sides by the Main River. The two most important towns located at the foot of the Spessart are Aschaffenburg and Würzburg....
, they built castles to settle and incorporate the area.
The first documentary mention of Partenstein is a commentary in 1233 on the disputes that inevitably arose between the Rieneck family and the Archbishops of Mainz, who were rivals for local hegemony. At that time, the Spessart was nearly unpopulated. The Rieneck family bequeathed a one-half share of Partenstein in 1277 to the Lords of Hanau. The other half thereafter belonged to the Archbishopric of Mainz
Archbishopric of Mainz
The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780–82 and 1802. In the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, the Archbishop of Mainz was the primas Germaniae, the substitute of the Pope north of the Alps...
. Both halves were ruled together as a condominium
Condominium (international law)
In international law, a condominium is a political territory in or over which two or more sovereign powers formally agree to share equally dominium and exercise their rights jointly, without dividing it up into 'national' zones.Although a condominium has always been...
.
The first church was a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
inside the castle called the Parish of Partenstein, and a Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
church was built soon afterwards, in 1471. In 1553, the number of inhabitants in the town had reached 450, and, when the last Count of Rieneck died in 1559, the land was bequeathed to the Archbishops of Mainz. A fire burnt down a large part of the village ten years later.
In 1684 there came a territorial exchange between the County of Hanau and the Archbishopric of Mainz: the Hanau half of the Amt of Partenstein was ceded to the Archbishopric for a one-half share of the Amt of Bieber, likewise ruled together with Mainz.
In the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, with quartering of soldiers in the city, supplies were looted, cattle were slaughtered, and the place became susceptible to epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
s and disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
. In December 1631, the castle was pillaged and destroyed by Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
troops. Twenty-nine houses in Partenstein were burnt down at this time.
In 1639, the village had only 111 inhabitants, whereas in 1601, there had been 577. With 1677 came Partenstein's first 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...
teacher, Johannes Hopf, and 1695 brought a furnished Catholic school.
In 1796, villagers had to combat French
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...
and German
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...
troops, who stole and ruined their property.
The former Amt of Partenstein was in favour of the Principality of Aschaffenburg
Principality of Aschaffenburg
The Principality of Aschaffenburg was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire and the Confederation of the Rhine from 1803–10. Its capital was Aschaffenburg....
secularized
Secularization
Secularization is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions...
in 1803, passing with that state in 1814 (by this time it had become a department of the Grand Duchy of Frankfurt) to Bavaria.
In the mid 19th century, with the coming of Ludwig's Western Railway
Ludwig's Western Railway
Ludwig's Western Railway is a German railway line that was originally funded by the Kingdom of Bavaria. It runs from Bamberg via Würzburg to Aschaffenburg and on into the former 'Kurhessian' Hanau.- History :...
, which came into service in the Spessart in 1854, industrialization saw its onset. A second line was built 15 years later. Around this time, the economic situation of the village improved and population increased. Jobs had been created by the railway, and citizens also began working in mines and mills. At this time, around 70 percent of the villagers were Protestant, and about 30 percent were Catholic. Most people made their livings as firemen, farmers, singers, businessmen, and mechanics.
The branch of mining that stood out most strongly was baryte mining, which was not abandoned until 1948.
At the start of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the village's economy went downhill. The longer the war lasted, the greater the Empire's shortfalls and financial need became. Industrial and agricultural products had to be increased with fewer personnel.
To cover the enormous financial requirements, the population was called twice annually for the purpose of war loans. The peace treaty presented heavy burdens on Germany. The economy could not develop. High reparations
World War I reparations
World War I reparations refers to the payments and transfers of property and equipment that Germany was forced to make under the Treaty of Versailles following its defeat during World War I...
and the loss of substantial parts of the country were demoralizing.
An economic upswing took place only in the mid 1930s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
. However, it changed in 1939 at the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Since German industrial areas were being destroyed in the war, their civilian population had to be evacuated.
Only in the years between 1960 and 1970 did the village develop again. The village no longer had a rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
character, especially after the roads were removed and the houses grew in size. Not only were homes built in the centre of the area, but they were also built on the low mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s and hills. Among other things built were a school building, a Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
, a deep well and an elevated tank for the water pipeline, a fire brigade equipment house, a town hall and a purification plant shared with the neighbouring municipality of Frammersbach
Frammersbach
Frammersbach is a market community in the Main-Spessart district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :...
The community’s history is displayed on the Europäischer Kulturweg Partenstein (“Partenstein European Cultural Way”).
Religion
Owing to the influence of the at first LutheranLutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
and later Calvinist
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
County of Hanau, Partenstein is even today one of the few mainly Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
communities in the Bavarian Spessart.
Population development
Within town limits, 2,516 inhabitants were counted in 1970, 2,683 in 1987 and in 2000 2,881.Community council
- First Mayor: Stephan Amend, Freie Wähler
- Second Mayor: Günter Amend, 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...
- Third Mayor: Heiko Steigerwald, Social Democratic Party of GermanySocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
- Further members of community council:
- Arno Bernard, Dominik Brühl, Siegmar Eyrich, Annika Neuf, Konrad Schreier (Freie Wähler)
- Klaus Breitenbach, Johann Seewald, Ute Schawerna-Pedrosa (CSU)
- Berthold Gillner, Erich Imhof, Dirk Mehrlich, Heinz Mehrlich (SPD)
Coat of arms
The community’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: Gules two poleaxes argent in saltire, in base a mount of ten bricks Or.
Poleaxes were once known in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
as Parten (they are more commonly called Hellebarden now), while bricks are Bausteine, or simply Steine if the context makes it needless to specify what kind of “stones” they are. These charge
Charge (heraldry)
In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
s make the arms canting
Canting arms
Canting arms are heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name in a visual pun or rebus. The term cant came into the English language from Anglo-Norman cant, meaning song or singing, from Latin cantāre, and English cognates include canticle, chant, accent, incantation and recant.Canting arms –...
for the name Partenstein. The tinctures gules and Or (red and gold) are taken from the arms formerly borne by both the Counts of Rieneck and the Counts of Hanau, who were of great import to the community’s history. The tinctures gules and argent (silver) recall Electoral Mainz’s
Archbishopric of Mainz
The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780–82 and 1802. In the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, the Archbishop of Mainz was the primas Germaniae, the substitute of the Pope north of the Alps...
hegemony. The arms have been borne since 1969.
Sightseeing
- EvangelicalEvangelical Church in GermanyThe 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...
parish church, built 1830-1831 - Catholic parish church of Saint John the Baptist, built 1836
- Ruins of the castle that once belonged to the Counts of Rieneck, destroyed 1633, only the tower now preserved, digs by the Archäologische Spessartprojekt are ongoing.
- The restored Warriors’ Monument and the likewise restored Fountain Garden
Economy and infrastructure
According to official statistics, there were 167 workers on the social welfare contribution rolls working in producing businesses in 1998. In trade and transportTransport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
this was 0. In other areas, 90 workers on the social welfare contribution rolls were employed, and 1,090 such workers worked from home. There were 12 processing businesses. Four businesses were in construction, and furthermore, in 1999, there were 12 agricultural operations with a working area of 81 ha, of which 3 ha was cropland and 79 ha was meadowland.
Education
As of 1999 the following institutions existed in Partenstein:- KindergartenKindergartenA kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
s: 100 places with 90 children - Primary schools: 1 with 8 teachers and 153 pupils
Further reading
- Dommerich, Urkundliche Geschichte der allmählichen Vergrößerung der Grafschaft Hanau von der Mitte des 13. Jahrhunderts bis zum Aussterben des Hauses 1736, in: Mitt. d. Hanauer BezV 1/2 (1860), S. 114f, 128, 195.
- Engelhard, Regenerus, Erdbeschreibung der Hessischen Lande Casselischen Antheiles mit Anmerkungen aus der Geschichte und aus Urkunden erläutert, Teil 2, Cassel 1778, ND 2004, S. 791
- Haase, Franziska, Ulrich I., Herr von Hanau 1281-1306, masch. Diss. Münster 1924, S. 11, 19.
- Archäologisches Spessartprojekt e.V.: Partenstein. Schwerspat und Eisenbahn. Führungsblatt zum Europäischen Kulturweg Partenstein. o.J.