Kitzingen
Encyclopedia
Kitzingen is a town in the German
state of Bavaria
, capital of the district Kitzingen
. It is part of Franconia
geographical region and has around 21,000 inhabitants.
Surrounded by vineyards, Kitzingen County is the largest wine producer in Bavaria
. It is said to be Franconia
's wine
trade center.
lost her jeweled scarf while standing on the ramparts of her castle. The castle was located high above the fertile section of the Main River Valley where Kitzingen now lies
The Countess promised to build a cloister
on the spot where the scarf was found. When it was found by a shepherd
named Kitz, she kept her word and built a cloister which she called Kitzingen.
That Benedictine
cloister, founded in the 8th century on the site of the present town of Kitzingen, defended the ford across the Main river.
Kitzingen's history
is closely tied to Würzburg
. Kitzingen became a free imperial city around the year 1000. During the next century the town changed rulers often, mostly being ruled by Würzburg
bishops who sold the town twice to fill their empty treasury.
In 1629 the Bishop of Wuerzburg took up his option to repurchase Kitzingen after the Peasants' Revolt in 1525. He abolished Protestantism
and forced more than 1,000 residents to leave the town. This blow to the town's strength was followed by the Swedish
three-year occupation during the Thirty Years' War
.
Kitzingen's revival is credited to the wisdom of Bishop Johann Philip von Schoenborn of Würzburg
, whose Edict of Toleration in 1650 encouraged the return of the expelled Protestants. This is why both Catholicism
and Protestantism
are present in Kitzingen today.
The resulting prosperity carried Kitzingen through the 18th century as one of the most important ports on the Main River
. Kitzingen's life under the Prince Bishops ended with the coming of French
revolutionary armies and Napoleon.
In 1814 the Congress of Vienna
confirmed Kitzingen's passing, along with the rest of the region, to the Kingdom of Bavaria
.
During the Cold War
, Kitzingen was a staging area for the US European Command's (USAREUR) air defenses against possible Soviet air and nuclear attack. Two US Army Bases, Larson Barracks and Harvey Barracks, were located in the town. For many years it housed the 2nd Brigade of the Third infantry division. One of these battalions, 6-41 Field Artillery, was deployed to Operation Desert Storm in 1990 and served with distinction.
These units were eventually reflagged units of the First infantry division.
On March 29, 2007 Larson Barracks and Harvey Barracks were handed back to the German Government, with the move of the 1st Infantry Division back to the United States.
Marshall Heights Housing Area contained apartment houses for the majority of the American dependents. It included a commissary (later moved to Harvey Barracks), dependent schools for Grades Kindergarten - 8th Grade, and an AYA (American Youth Activities). High School students rode buses to Wurzburg American High School.
Since January 2007 there are no more US Army personnel based in Kitzingen. Facilities are closed down and surveillance is discontinued.
(Fasching) museum.
A local legend is that the golden ball atop the crooked tower contains the heart of Vlad Dracula
of Romania. If you follow the path of the crooked tower, the golden ball leans directly toward a grave in the Kitzingen Old Cemetery located across the street from the tower that is called the Grave of Dracula.
Another local US army legend is the upside down crosses that make up the small windows on the tower, appear right side up when light casts towards the grave yard to ward off vampires. The crosses alternate, such that every other one is upside down - pretty spooky on a dark day. Some, however, believe that the grave that is called "Dracula's Grave" is not actually where Vlad Dracula is buried, but rather a heavely-decorated grave of a very rich family that resided in Kitzingen. To find Dracula's actual grave, try the book "In Search of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires" by Raymond T. McNally (1994).
with: - Montevarchi
, Italy
- Prades
, Pyrénées-Orientales
, France
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...
state of 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...
, capital of the district Kitzingen
Kitzingen (district)
Kitzingen is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Schweinfurt, Bamberg, Neustadt -Bad Windsheim and Würzburg.-History:...
. It is part of Franconia
Franconia
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...
geographical region and has around 21,000 inhabitants.
Surrounded by vineyards, Kitzingen County is the largest wine producer 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...
. It is said to be Franconia
Franconia
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...
's wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
trade center.
History
According to legend, Kitzingen was founded when the Countess of SchwanbergSchwanberg
For the town in Styria, see Schwanberg, Austria.Schwanberg is an elevation in the rural district of Kitzingen, Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany....
lost her jeweled scarf while standing on the ramparts of her castle. The castle was located high above the fertile section of the Main River Valley where Kitzingen now lies
The Countess promised to build a cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
on the spot where the scarf was found. When it was found by a shepherd
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
named Kitz, she kept her word and built a cloister which she called Kitzingen.
That Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
cloister, founded in the 8th century on the site of the present town of Kitzingen, defended the ford across the Main river.
Kitzingen's history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
is closely tied to Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
. Kitzingen became a free imperial city around the year 1000. During the next century the town changed rulers often, mostly being ruled by Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
bishops who sold the town twice to fill their empty treasury.
In 1629 the Bishop of Wuerzburg took up his option to repurchase Kitzingen after the Peasants' Revolt in 1525. He abolished Protestantism
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...
and forced more than 1,000 residents to leave the town. This blow to the town's strength was followed by the 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....
three-year occupation during 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....
.
Kitzingen's revival is credited to the wisdom of Bishop Johann Philip von Schoenborn of Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
, whose Edict of Toleration in 1650 encouraged the return of the expelled Protestants. This is why both Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
and Protestantism
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...
are present in Kitzingen today.
The resulting prosperity carried Kitzingen through the 18th century as one of the most important ports on the Main River
Main river
Main rivers are a statutory type of watercourse in England and Wales, usually larger streams and rivers, but also include some smaller watercourses. A main river is defined as a watercourse marked as such on a main river map, and can include any structure or appliance for controlling or regulating...
. Kitzingen's life under the Prince Bishops ended with the coming of 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...
revolutionary armies and Napoleon.
In 1814 the Congress of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
confirmed Kitzingen's passing, along with the rest of the region, to the Kingdom of 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...
.
During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, Kitzingen was a staging area for the US European Command's (USAREUR) air defenses against possible Soviet air and nuclear attack. Two US Army Bases, Larson Barracks and Harvey Barracks, were located in the town. For many years it housed the 2nd Brigade of the Third infantry division. One of these battalions, 6-41 Field Artillery, was deployed to Operation Desert Storm in 1990 and served with distinction.
These units were eventually reflagged units of the First infantry division.
On March 29, 2007 Larson Barracks and Harvey Barracks were handed back to the German Government, with the move of the 1st Infantry Division back to the United States.
Marshall Heights Housing Area contained apartment houses for the majority of the American dependents. It included a commissary (later moved to Harvey Barracks), dependent schools for Grades Kindergarten - 8th Grade, and an AYA (American Youth Activities). High School students rode buses to Wurzburg American High School.
Since January 2007 there are no more US Army personnel based in Kitzingen. Facilities are closed down and surveillance is discontinued.
Main sights
The city's main landmark is the Leaning Tower, built during the 13th century. It is distinctive for its crooked roof. According to town legend, the tower was being built during a drought, and workers used wine instead of water to make the mortar causing the top of the tower to lean. Today the tower holds a carnivalCarnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
(Fasching) museum.
A local legend is that the golden ball atop the crooked tower contains the heart of Vlad Dracula
Vlad III the Impaler
Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia , also known by his patronymic Dracula , and posthumously dubbed Vlad the Impaler , was a three-time Voivode of Wallachia, ruling mainly from 1456 to 1462, the period of the incipient Ottoman conquest of the Balkans...
of Romania. If you follow the path of the crooked tower, the golden ball leans directly toward a grave in the Kitzingen Old Cemetery located across the street from the tower that is called the Grave of Dracula.
Another local US army legend is the upside down crosses that make up the small windows on the tower, appear right side up when light casts towards the grave yard to ward off vampires. The crosses alternate, such that every other one is upside down - pretty spooky on a dark day. Some, however, believe that the grave that is called "Dracula's Grave" is not actually where Vlad Dracula is buried, but rather a heavely-decorated grave of a very rich family that resided in Kitzingen. To find Dracula's actual grave, try the book "In Search of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires" by Raymond T. McNally (1994).
International relations
Kitzingen is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: - Montevarchi
Montevarchi
Montevarchi is a town and comune in the province of Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy.- History :The town of Montevarchi sprang up around 1100, near to a fortified Benedictine monastery founded by bishop Elempert of Arezzo. At first the castle belonged to the Marquess Bourbon del Monte di Santa Maria, then...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- Prades
Prades, Pyrénées-Orientales
Prades is a commune and a sub-prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. It is the capital of the historical Conflent comarca. Its inhabitants are called Pradéens.-Geography:...
, Pyrénées-Orientales
Pyrénées-Orientales
Pyrénées-Orientales is a department of southern France adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier and the Mediterranean Sea. It also surrounds the tiny Spanish enclave of Llívia, and thus has two distinct borders with Spain.- History :...
, 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...