Fichtelberg, Bavaria
Encyclopedia
Fichtelberg is a municipality
in the district of Bayreuth
in Bavaria
in Germany
. It is a state-recognised climatic spa.
, the second highest summit of the Fichtelgebirge
mountains, and the most populous place in the Fichtelgebirge Nature Park
. Fichtelberg lies on a major European watershed. Two rivers rise above the suburb of Neubau, the White Main
, one of the two headstreams of the Main, which flows westwards to the Rhine, and the Fichtelnaab
, which flows south and enters the Danube
.
Since 1857 Fichtelberg has belonged to the Bavarian provinces of Upper Franconia
.
.
. The original name later evolved into the word Vichtel or Fichtel and was eventually used for the entire terrain of present-day Fichtelgebirge. The first written record of the Viechtlpergs dates to 1508.
company Erzgrube Gottesgab im Gleißingerfels am Fichtelberg.
In 1600 the uppermost reaches of the Fichtelnaab valley near the present villages of Neubau and Fichtelberg was still covered with a rugged, forest-covered wilderness. Finds, such as a serpentine pendant in 1922 on the Ochsenkopf or a stone axe head excavated in 1935 east of Fichtelberg, suggest that the area around Fichtelberg was already inhabited in the Neolithic period, at least by hunters passing through. The absence of other finds, however, rules out any permanent settlement until the beginning of the 17th century. This was probably due to the steep slopes and significantly higher altitude along with a harsh climate and less fertile soils. Iron ore mining in the upper Fichtelnaab valley began in 1478, but only a small settlement of a few houses extended from the south up to the outskirts of what is now Fichtelberg today.
In 1602, Johann Glaser founded a company of six influential and financially powerful men, in order to work with them to begin mining on Gleißingerfels (about halfway between the modern villages of Hütten und Neubau), to search for suitable iron ore lodes, smelt them in blast furnaces using the most modern and profitable methods of the day and to process them profitably. The wood that was needed in large quantities in the furnaces, forges, hammers and foundries, was available in the extensive forests of the region. There was also enough water at first for the water wheels of the ironworks; when eventually the available water finally becaome insufficient, they promptly drove channels from the highest headstreams of the Main and the Steinach
, and diverted the water. One example was the Bocksgraben. A thriving iron industry rapidly developed. Iron ore was processed in the royal foundry. At first, the mines were open cast, because the ore veins were on the surface. But eventually these pits collected too much water and there were no powerful pumps at hand. So adits were driven to enable the water to drain out. These hand-hewn tunnels were so big, that a large man could easily walk through them.
The mine on the Gleißinger Fels was called Gottesgab am Fichtelberg as was the important mining office established later far up the Fichtelnaab valley. The first accommodation huts appeared, the beginnings of a now growing and thriving mining settlement, and four furnaces smelted the silver iron that was mined in the Fichtelberg area. At this time, the region around Fichtelberg was the most important mining operation in the Electorate of Bavaria
.
Fichtelberg came under the Amberg accounts office (Rentamt) and the Waldeck district court (Landgericht) in the Electorate of Bavaria. The mining office had the legal status of an royal estate (Hofmark). In 1808 the Fichtelberg Mining Office, as a border region, changed hand repeatedly between the Kingdom of Bavaria
and Margrave of Bayreuth. Since 1857, when the district of the then Bayreuth District Court was enlarged, it has been part of the province of Upper Franconia
.
Ore mining and smelting had been the economic factor in Fichtelberg, but with the beginning of industrialization, ore mining became less and less profitable. On 26 March 1859 work ceased and, in 1862, the mining company closed. It was initially followed by an economic decline which could only be partially compensated for by quarrying of granite and 'greenstone' (Proterobas), which had already since been worked on the Ochsenkopf massif since the beginning of the 17th century - and which was used especially for glass production - and by the timber industry. Many residents left the area.
After the Second World War, settlers came, mainly glass blowers from Gablonz, and helped Fichtelberg to renewed prosperity as an industrial site based on the glass and button production.
Since then it has largely lost its industrial importance, but survives because of its scenic location on the southwestern slope of the Ochsenkopf, mainly from tourism, and its function as a winter sports centre.
The Gleißinger Fels mines are the oldest in northern Bavaria and are the only silver iron (Silbereisen) mine in the world, which is still accessible to the public.
(Stand: as at local elections in 2008)
and
not far from the A 9 motorway from Berlin
-Nuremberg
, exit Bad Berneck
or, from Berlin, Gefrees
Municipalities of Germany
Municipalities are the lowest level of territorial division in Germany. This may be the fourth level of territorial division in Germany, apart from those states which include Regierungsbezirke , where municipalities then become the fifth level.-Overview:With more than 3,400,000 inhabitants, the...
in the district of Bayreuth
Bayreuth (district)
Bayreuth is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It surrounds, but does not include the city of Bayreuth. The district is bounded by the districts of Kulmbach, Hof, Wunsiedel, Tirschenreuth, Neustadt/Waldnaab, Amberg-Sulzbach, Nürnberger Land, Forchheim and Bamberg.-History:The district was established...
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...
in 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 is a state-recognised climatic spa.
Geography
Fichtelberg lies on the southeastern slopes of the OchsenkopfOchsenkopf
Ochsenkopf is a mountain on the border of Liechtenstein and Austria in the Rätikon range of the Eastern Alps close to the town of Malbun, with a height of ....
, the second highest summit of the Fichtelgebirge
Fichtelgebirge
The Fichtelgebirge is a mountain range in northeastern Bavaria, Germany. It extends from the valley of the Red Main River to the Czech border, a few foothills spilling over into the Czech Republic. It continues in a northeastern direction as the Ore Mountains, and in a southeastern direction as...
mountains, and the most populous place in the Fichtelgebirge Nature Park
Fichtelgebirge Nature Park
The Fichtelgebirge Nature Park lies in the tri-border area of Saxony, the Czech Republic and Bavaria and has an area of . It is maintained by the Naturpark Fichtelgebirge e. V. in Wunsiedel.- Landscape :...
. Fichtelberg lies on a major European watershed. Two rivers rise above the suburb of Neubau, the White Main
White Main
The White Main |Weismain]]), is the larger and shorter of the two headstreams of the River Main. It rises in the Fichtelgebirge and merges near Steinenhausen, southwest of Kulmbach, with the left-hand, southern headstream, the Red Main, to form the Main. The length of the White Main is variously...
, one of the two headstreams of the Main, which flows westwards to the Rhine, and the Fichtelnaab
Fichtelnaab
The Fichtelnaab is a right-hand, western headstream of the Naab in Upper Franconia and the Upper Palatinate. It rises in the Fichtelgebirge and flows into the Waldnaab near Windischeschenbach.- Course :...
, which flows south and enters the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
.
Since 1857 Fichtelberg has belonged to the Bavarian provinces of Upper Franconia
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...
.
Neighbouring parish
The only parish that borders immediately on Fichtelberg is MehlmeiselMehlmeisel
Mehlmeisel is a municipality in the district of Bayreuth in Bavaria in Germany....
.
Etymology
The origin of the name Fichtelberg, as well as the Fichtelgebirge, is probably to be found in mining lore and not, as long suspected, its dense, spruce forests. At the time the name originated, pollen analysis shows that in the North Bavarian region mixed forests of beech, fir and spruce existed. It was only due to the mining and smelting industry, that hardwood species were decimated and faster-growing spruce was planted to supply wood for the mines. At first, only a mountain called Vythenberg where the St. Vitus mine was located, was mentioned in a charter of 1317; this later became the OchsenkopfOchsenkopf (Fichtelgebirge)
The Ochsenkopf is the second-highest mountain in the Fichtelgebirge with a height of . On its summit is an observation tower and a transmission tower for VHF and TV programmes by Bayerischer Rundfunk....
. The original name later evolved into the word Vichtel or Fichtel and was eventually used for the entire terrain of present-day Fichtelgebirge. The first written record of the Viechtlpergs dates to 1508.
History
The history of the site at Fichtelberg is dominated by ore mining of the miningMining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
company Erzgrube Gottesgab im Gleißingerfels am Fichtelberg.
In 1600 the uppermost reaches of the Fichtelnaab valley near the present villages of Neubau and Fichtelberg was still covered with a rugged, forest-covered wilderness. Finds, such as a serpentine pendant in 1922 on the Ochsenkopf or a stone axe head excavated in 1935 east of Fichtelberg, suggest that the area around Fichtelberg was already inhabited in the Neolithic period, at least by hunters passing through. The absence of other finds, however, rules out any permanent settlement until the beginning of the 17th century. This was probably due to the steep slopes and significantly higher altitude along with a harsh climate and less fertile soils. Iron ore mining in the upper Fichtelnaab valley began in 1478, but only a small settlement of a few houses extended from the south up to the outskirts of what is now Fichtelberg today.
In 1602, Johann Glaser founded a company of six influential and financially powerful men, in order to work with them to begin mining on Gleißingerfels (about halfway between the modern villages of Hütten und Neubau), to search for suitable iron ore lodes, smelt them in blast furnaces using the most modern and profitable methods of the day and to process them profitably. The wood that was needed in large quantities in the furnaces, forges, hammers and foundries, was available in the extensive forests of the region. There was also enough water at first for the water wheels of the ironworks; when eventually the available water finally becaome insufficient, they promptly drove channels from the highest headstreams of the Main and the Steinach
Steinach
-Places and rivers:Steinach may refer to several places and streams in German speaking countries:*in Germany:**Steinach, Baden-Württemberg, a municipality in the Ortenaukreis district**Steinach, Bavaria, a municipality in the Straubing-Bogen district...
, and diverted the water. One example was the Bocksgraben. A thriving iron industry rapidly developed. Iron ore was processed in the royal foundry. At first, the mines were open cast, because the ore veins were on the surface. But eventually these pits collected too much water and there were no powerful pumps at hand. So adits were driven to enable the water to drain out. These hand-hewn tunnels were so big, that a large man could easily walk through them.
The mine on the Gleißinger Fels was called Gottesgab am Fichtelberg as was the important mining office established later far up the Fichtelnaab valley. The first accommodation huts appeared, the beginnings of a now growing and thriving mining settlement, and four furnaces smelted the silver iron that was mined in the Fichtelberg area. At this time, the region around Fichtelberg was the most important mining operation in the Electorate of Bavaria
Electorate of Bavaria
The Electorate of Bavaria was an independent hereditary electorate of the Holy Roman Empire from 1623 to 1806, when it was succeeded by the Kingdom of Bavaria....
.
Fichtelberg came under the Amberg accounts office (Rentamt) and the Waldeck district court (Landgericht) in the Electorate of Bavaria. The mining office had the legal status of an royal estate (Hofmark). In 1808 the Fichtelberg Mining Office, as a border region, changed hand repeatedly between the Kingdom of Bavaria
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
and Margrave of Bayreuth. Since 1857, when the district of the then Bayreuth District Court was enlarged, it has been part of the province of Upper Franconia
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...
.
Ore mining and smelting had been the economic factor in Fichtelberg, but with the beginning of industrialization, ore mining became less and less profitable. On 26 March 1859 work ceased and, in 1862, the mining company closed. It was initially followed by an economic decline which could only be partially compensated for by quarrying of granite and 'greenstone' (Proterobas), which had already since been worked on the Ochsenkopf massif since the beginning of the 17th century - and which was used especially for glass production - and by the timber industry. Many residents left the area.
After the Second World War, settlers came, mainly glass blowers from Gablonz, and helped Fichtelberg to renewed prosperity as an industrial site based on the glass and button production.
Since then it has largely lost its industrial importance, but survives because of its scenic location on the southwestern slope of the Ochsenkopf, mainly from tourism, and its function as a winter sports centre.
The Gleißinger Fels mines are the oldest in northern Bavaria and are the only silver iron (Silbereisen) mine in the world, which is still accessible to the public.
Tourism
- 1,100 beds in the hotels, inns, guest houses, holiday homes and private homes
- Highest campsite in northern Bavaria
Parish council
The council has 14 members:- 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...
5 seats - Christlich Sozialer Förderkreis 5 seats
- Freie Wähler (independents) 4 seats
(Stand: as at local elections in 2008)
Culture and points of interest
- BaroqueBaroqueThe 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...
mining office church (Roman Catholice) 1708 to 1711, with altar from 1730 and wood carvings. The baroque glass windows in the altar room have mining motifs. Currently they are fully restored. - Baroque Marian column in 1680
- Historic greenstone glassworks on the southern slope of the Ochsenkopf (archaeological excavations)
Sports
- Fichtelsee recreation centre with nature reserve
- Crystal radon brine spa with health centre
- Guided walks
- Curling
- Ice skating
- Minigolf
- Mountain biking
- Kegeln
- Skilift
- Night langlauf trail
Transport
Fichtelberg lies about 3 kilometres south of the B 303Bundesstraße 303
The Bundesstraße 303 is a German federal highway that runs from west to east, beginning at the A 7 autobahn west of Schweinfurt and ending at the border with the Czech Republic east of Schirnding...
and
not far from the A 9 motorway from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
-Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, exit Bad Berneck
Bad Berneck
Bad Berneck is a spa town in the district of Bayreuth, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the White Main river, in the Fichtelgebirge mountains, 13 km northeast of Bayreuth. Its official title is Bad Berneck im Fichtelgebirge. It lies in the northern part of the Bavarian province of Upper...
or, from Berlin, Gefrees
Gefrees
Gefrees is a town in the district of Bayreuth, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Fichtelgebirge, 21 km northeast of Bayreuth. It was the site a of battle during the Napoleonic Wars....
External links
- http://www.fichtelberg.de
- http://www.bergwerk-fichtelberg.de/
- http://www.geopark-bayern.de/Public/Geosites/Bayreuth/GlashuetteOchsenkopf.htm
- http://www.bayern-fichtelgebirge.de