Rhön-Grabfeld

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Rhön-Grabfeld

Map of Bavaria highlighting the district of Rhön-Grabfeld
State Bavaria
Adm. region Unterfranken
Region Main-Rhön
District seat Bad Neustadt
Area 1022 km²
Population 85,313 (2006-12-31)
Pop. density 84.24 /km²
Licence plate code NES
Web page http://www.rhoen-grabfeld.de

Rhön-Grabfeld is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by (from the southeast and clockwise) the districts of Hassberge, Schweinfurt and Bad Kissingen, and the states of Hesse (district Fulda) and Thuringia (districts Schmalkalden-Meiningen and Hildburghausen).

Contents

[edit] History

In medieval times the region was a part of the Bishopric of Würzburg. When the clerical states of Germany were dissolved in 1803, it fell to Bavaria. The district of Rhön-Grabfeld was established in 1972, when the former districts of Bad Neustadt, Königshofen and Mellrichstadt were merged.

[edit] Geography

The district consists of two distinct areas: The eastern parts of the Rhön mountains and the Barvarian portion of Grabfeld.

Grabfeld is a fertile region below the Rhön mountains. Literally it means "digfield". According to local legend a queen once lost her beloved ring in the Grabfeld. She ordered her servants to dig up the whole area. When the ring was found, she was relieved and ordered a royal estate to be built where it was found. Later this estate became the city of Königshofen.

The source of the Frankish Saale is located in the district. The river runs through the district from north to south.

[edit] Coat of arms

The coat of arms displays:
  • a crown representing the Grabfeld legend
  • a wavy line representing the Saale River
  • three summit crosses representing the mountains of the Rhön

[edit] Towns and municipalities

Towns Municipalities
  1. Bad Königshofen
  2. Bad Neustadt
  3. Bischofsheim an der Rhön
  4. Fladungen
  5. Mellrichstadt
  6. Ostheim
  1. Aubstadt
  2. Bastheim
  3. Burglauer
  4. Großbardorf
  5. Großeibstadt
  6. Hausen
  7. Hendungen
  8. Herbstadt
  9. Heustreu
  10. Höchheim
  11. Hohenroth
  12. Hollstadt
  13. Niederlauer
  14. Nordheim vor der Rhön
  15. Oberelsbach
  1. Oberstreu
  2. Rödelmaier
  3. Saal an der Saale
  4. Salz
  5. Sandberg
  6. Schönau an der Brend
  7. Sondheim
  8. Stockheim
  9. Strahlungen
  10. Sulzdorf
  11. Sulzfeld
  12. Trappstadt
  13. Unsleben
  14. Willmars
  15. Wollbach
  16. Wülfershausen

[edit] External links