Rhön-Grabfeld

Rhön-Grabfeld
—  District  —
Country  Germany
State Bavaria
Adm. region Unterfranken
Capital Bad Neustadt
Area
 • Total 1,022 km2 (394.6 sq mi)
Population (31 December 2010)[1]
 • Total 82,916
 • Density 81.1/km2 (210.1/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Vehicle registration NES
Website 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

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.

Geography

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

Grabfeld is a fertile region south of 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 Fränkische Saale is located in the district. The river runs through the district from north to south.

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

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

References

External links