Zapfendorf
Encyclopedia
Zapfendorf is a community with market rights in the Upper Franconia
n district of Bamberg
in Bavaria
, Germany
with roughly 5,000 inhabitants.
to Bavaria
, Zapfendorf in the Main Valley was always a way station. On the Main itself, log drivers floated wood from the Frankenwald (forest) down to the Rhine and even as far as Rotterdam
.
. Zapfendorf had its first documentary mention in 904. The name stems from “Zapfo” (Dorf means “village” in German
), and may well refer to an innkeeper who tapped beer (zapfen means “draw”, as from a beer keg, in German). The original overlords were the Meranians, who were followed by the Truhendingens, who in turn sold the community in 1390 to the High Monastery at Bamberg. Since the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss of 1803, the community has belonged to Bavaria
.
On 1 April 1945, a munitions train on a siding in Zapfendorf was struck by low-level bombers. Burning parts of this train rained down on the village and destroyed it utterly, leaving only a few houses unscathed.
In 1955, Zapfendorf was designated a market. In 1972, the communities of Lauf, Oberleiterbach, Kirchschletten, Sassendorf, Reuthlos, Roth and Oberoberndorf were amalgamated with Zapfendorf, as was Unterleiterbach in 1978. Until 1972, Zapfendorf belonged to the Staffelstein district before it passed to the Bamberg district. Today, it is classed as a small centre in the Upper Franconia-West region.
/ VU (Wählergruppe Vereintes Umland).
The community council is made up of 16 members, listed here by party or voter community affiliation, and also with the number of seats that each holds:
might heraldically be described thus: Party per fess gules and Or, gules two cloakpins Or per saltire, Or a lion rampant sable armed and langued gules, thereover a bendlet argent.
Industry”), which was founded in 1952 with the goal of processing and marketing the excess low-fat milk yield.
Within Zapfendorf’s municipal limits, one brewery
may still be found, the Brauerei Hennemann in the outlying centre of Unterleiterbach. Until a few years ago, the Drei Kronen brewery had also been brewing in Zapfendorf. In Unterleiterbach, there was until the mid-1990s another brewery, the Brauerei Mahkorn.
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...
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...
with roughly 5,000 inhabitants.
Geography
Lying as it did on a transport corridor along the Main running east-west as well as from ThuringiaThuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
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...
, Zapfendorf in the Main Valley was always a way station. On the Main itself, log drivers floated wood from the Frankenwald (forest) down to the Rhine and even as far as Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
.
Population development
On 30 June 2006, Zapfendorf had 5,063 inhabitants, and on 31 December 2006, 5,083. In the next half year, the figure fell to 5,016 by 30 June 2007.Constituent communities
Zapfendorf’s main and namesake centre is by far the biggest of its Gemeindeteile with a population of 2,796. The community furthermore has these outlying centres, each given here with its own population figure:- Kirchschletten 113
- Lauf 689
- Oberleiterbach 254
- Oberoberndorf 97
- Reuthlos 93
- Roth 68
- Sassendorf 269
- Unterleiterbach 630
- Weihersmühle 7
- (as of 30 June 2005)
History
The place was already settled quite early on, as witnessed by finds from the Bronze AgeBronze 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...
. Zapfendorf had its first documentary mention in 904. The name stems from “Zapfo” (Dorf means “village” 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....
), and may well refer to an innkeeper who tapped beer (zapfen means “draw”, as from a beer keg, in German). The original overlords were the Meranians, who were followed by the Truhendingens, who in turn sold the community in 1390 to the High Monastery at Bamberg. 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...
.
On 1 April 1945, a munitions train on a siding in Zapfendorf was struck by low-level bombers. Burning parts of this train rained down on the village and destroyed it utterly, leaving only a few houses unscathed.
In 1955, Zapfendorf was designated a market. In 1972, the communities of Lauf, Oberleiterbach, Kirchschletten, Sassendorf, Reuthlos, Roth and Oberoberndorf were amalgamated with Zapfendorf, as was Unterleiterbach in 1978. Until 1972, Zapfendorf belonged to the Staffelstein district before it passed to the Bamberg district. Today, it is classed as a small centre in the Upper Franconia-West region.
Politics
The first mayor is Josef Martin from the CSUChristian Social Union of Bavaria
The 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...
/ VU (Wählergruppe Vereintes Umland).
The community council is made up of 16 members, listed here by party or voter community affiliation, and also with the number of seats that each holds:
- 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...
7 - VU (Wählergruppe Vereintes Umland) 5
- SPDSocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
2 - WS (Wählergruppe Sassendorf) 1
- independent 1
Coat of arms
Zapfendorf’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 heraldically be described thus: Party per fess gules and Or, gules two cloakpins Or per saltire, Or a lion rampant sable armed and langued gules, thereover a bendlet argent.
Established businesses
In Zapfendorf is found Werk IV of the Bayerische Milchindustrie eGmbH (BMI for short, the “Bavarian MilkMilk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
Industry”), which was founded in 1952 with the goal of processing and marketing the excess low-fat milk yield.
Within Zapfendorf’s municipal limits, one brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
may still be found, the Brauerei Hennemann in the outlying centre of Unterleiterbach. Until a few years ago, the Drei Kronen brewery had also been brewing in Zapfendorf. In Unterleiterbach, there was until the mid-1990s another brewery, the Brauerei Mahkorn.
Sightseeing
In the market community of Zapfendorf stand the following points of interest:- Valentinskapelle (chapel) by Johann Jakob Michael Küchel
- Schloss Unterleiterbach (castle) in Unterleiterbach
- St.-Laurentius-Kirche (church) in Oberleiterbach with settler Ivo Hennemann’s grave, from 1859 to 1897 he was a hermit on the Staffelberg (Lichtenfels district), and the poet Joseph Victor von Scheffel’s friend
- Abtei Maria-Frieden (abbey) in Kirchschletten
- Oberleiterbach with its lovely timber-frameTimber framingTimber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
houses won the gold medal in 1977 in the contest Unser Dorf soll schöner werden (“Our village ought to become lovelier”)