Lower Franconia

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Lower Franconia
Unterfranken
Regierungsbezirk
Map of Bavaria highlighting the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia
Country Germany
State Bavaria
Region seat Würzburg
Area
 • Total 8,531.59 km2 (3,294.07 sq mi)
Population (31 December 2012)[1]
 • Total 1,297,727
 • Density 150/km2 (390/sq mi)
Website regierung.unterfranken.bayern.de

Lower Franconia (German: Unterfranken) is one of the three administrative regions of Franconia in Bavaria (seven regions), Germany (22 regions in five Federal States, 11 Federal States are not subdivided into regions).

The district was formed in 1817 under the name of Untermainkreis (Lower Main District) and renamed in 1837 as Unterfranken und Aschaffenburg (Lower Franconia and Aschaffenburg). In 1933 the regional Nazi Gauleiter Otto Hellmuth insisted on renaming the district Mainfranken, but after 1945 the name Unterfranken was resurrected.

Unterfranken is the north-west part of Franconia and consists of three district-free cities ("Kreisfreie Städte") and nine country districts ("Landkreise").

The major portion of the Franconian wine region is situated in Lower Franconia.

Coat of arms

Coat of arms of Lower Franconia

The Coat of Arms includes the Arms of Duchy of Franconia in the upper portion, the “Rennfähnlein,” a banner, quarterly argent (silver) and gules (red), on a lance or (gold), in bend, on an azure (blue) field, associated with Würzburg in the lower left quadrant, and a white/silver wheel on a red field symbolizing the clerical state of Mainz, in the lower right quadrant.

Area and population

City or District Population (2011) Area (km²) Communities
City of Aschaffenburg 68,838 5.23% 62 0.7% 1 0.3%
City of Schweinfurt 53,390 4.06% 36 0.4% 1 0.3%
City of Würzburg 132,981 10.11% 88 1.0% 1 0.3%
Aschaffenburg 172,439 13.10% 699 8.2% 32 10.4%
Bad Kissingen 103,969 7.90% 1,137 13.3% 26 8.4%
Haßberge 84,924 6.45% 956 11.2% 26 8.4%
Kitzingen 88,459 6.72% 684 8.0% 31 10.1%
Main-Spessart 127,409 9.68% 1,322 15.5% 40 13.0%
Miltenberg 128,045 9.73% 716 8.4% 32 10.4%
Rhön-Grabfeld 82,566 6.27% 1,022 12.0% 37 12.0%
Schweinfurt 112,942 8.58% 842 9.9% 29 9.4%
Würzburg 159,920 12.15% 968 11.3% 52 16.9%
Total 1,315,882 100.0% 8,531 100.0% 308 100.0%
Historical population
1910 710,943
1939 844,732
1950 1,038,930
1961 1,089,983
1970 1,181,309
1987 1,202,711
2002 1,344,300
2004 1,344,629
2005 1,341,481
2006 1,337,876
2008 1,331,500
2009 1,323,273
2010 1,318,695
2011 1,315,882

Historical country districts

Until the municipal reform ( "Kreisreform" ) in June 1972 Lower Franconia had 22 country districts, 16 of them were attached to the other six existing country districts Aschaffenburg, Bad Kissingen, Kitzingen, Miltenberg, Schweinfurt, Würzburg or united to one of the three new country districts Haßberge, Main-Spessart, Rhön-Grabfeld.

Old country district Current district(s)
Alzenau Aschaffenburg
Bad Brückenau Bad Kissingen
Bad Neustadt/SaaleRhön-Grabfeld
Ebern Haßberge
Gemünden Main-Spessart
Gerolzhofen Schweinfurt, Kitzingen,
Hassberge, Würzburg
Hammelburg Bad Kissingen
Haßfurt Haßberge
Hofheim/Unterfranken Haßberge
Karlstadt Main-Spessart
Königshofen Rhön-Grabfeld
Lohr Main-Spessart
Marktheidenfeld Main-Spessart, Miltenberg,
Würzburg
Mellrichstadt Rhön-Grabfeld
Obernburg Miltenberg
Ochsenfurt Würzburg

Well known people

Institutes of Higher Education

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes". Bayerisches Landesamt für Statistik und Datenverarbeitung (in German). 31 December 2012. 

External links

Administrative regions (Regierungsbezirk) of Bavaria
Bavaria
Germany
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