Lohr

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For the French commune, see Lohr, Bas-Rhin.

Lohr


Country	Germany
State	Bavaria
Population	16,182 (2004)
Area	90.44 km²
Population density	179 /km²
Elevation	160-350 m
Coordinates	50°0′ N 9°35′ E
Postal code	97816
Area code	09352
Licence plate code	MSP
Mayor	Siegfried Selinger (SPD)
Website	lohr.de

Lohr (also: Lohr am Main) is a town in the Main-Spessart county, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Main, 19 miles (30 KM) east of Aschaffenburg, and 20 miles (34 KM) northwest of Würzburg.

[edit] History

It is assumed that the original settlement was located on the church hill, which is the foothill of the Valentinus Mountain. The foothill slopes into the Main valley creating a rise between two tributary creeks Lohrbach and Rechtenbach, and the river Main. The hill provided safety from frequent floods that still occur from time to time in the narrow river valley.

The name Lohr is thought to have evolved from the alt German word ‘Lare’ meaning pasture. Although concrete archeological evidence is lacking it is believed that due to these exceptional conditions, water, pasture, and shelter, this area was populated long before the first written documentation of 1295 CE.

By 1295 CE the town had grown in size and importance. The town had become center of the County Rieneck. The town was developed and fortified into a frontier to the duchy of Franconia.