Partenstein

Partenstein is a community in the Main-Spessart district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia (Unterfranken) in Bavaria, Germany and the seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft (Administrative Community) of Partenstein. Through the community runs Bundesstraße 276.

Geography

Location

Partenstein lies in the Main Spessart Region in the middle of the Spessart (range) on the left bank of the river Lohr, some 7 km northwest of the town of Lohr am Main.

The community has the following Gemarkungen (traditional rural cadastral areas): Partenstein, Partensteiner Forst.

History

Erichstollen (ancient baryte mining facilities)

The beginnings of Partenstein go back into the mists of time before the Middle Ages. The Burg Bartenstein (castle) built about 1180 by the Counts of Rieneck for hunting and to protect the road through the Lohr valley, was what led to the village of Partenstein springing up here. The Rienecks had vast landholdings, and, during the 13th century, began an expansionist policy. From their master seat of Rieneck, in the east of the Spessart, they built castles to settle and incorporate the area.

The first documentary mention of Partenstein is a commentary in 1233 on the disputes that inevitably arose between the Rieneck family and the Archbishops of Mainz, who were rivals for local hegemony. At that time, the Spessart was nearly unpopulated. The Rieneck family bequeathed a one-half share of Partenstein in 1277 to the Lords of Hanau. The other half thereafter belonged to the Archbishopric of Mainz. Both halves were ruled together as a condominium.

The first church was a chapel inside the castle called the Parish of Partenstein, and a Gothic church was built soon afterwards, in 1471. In 1553, the number of inhabitants in the town had reached 450, and, when the last Count of Rieneck died in 1559, the land was bequeathed to the Archbishops of Mainz. A fire burnt down a large part of the village ten years later.

In 1684 there came a territorial exchange between the County of Hanau and the Archbishopric of Mainz: the Hanau half of the Amt of Partenstein was ceded to the Archbishopric for a one-half share of the Amt of Bieber, likewise ruled together with Mainz.

In the Thirty Years' War, with quartering of soldiers in the city, supplies were looted, cattle were slaughtered, and the place became susceptible to epidemics and disease. In December 1631, the castle was pillaged and destroyed by Swedish troops. Twenty-nine houses in Partenstein were burnt down at this time.

In 1639, the village had only 111 inhabitants, whereas in 1601, there had been 577. With 1677 came Partenstein's first Evangelical teacher, Johannes Hopf, and 1695 brought a furnished Catholic school.

In 1796, villagers had to combat French and German troops, who stole and ruined their property.

The former Amt of Partenstein was in favour of the Principality of Aschaffenburg secularized in 1803, passing with that state in 1814 (by this time it had become a department of the Grand Duchy of Frankfurt) to Bavaria.

In the mid-19th century, with the coming of Ludwig's Western Railway, which came into service in the Spessart in 1854, industrialization saw its onset. A second line was built 15 years later. Around this time, the economic situation of the village improved and population increased. Jobs had been created by the railway, and citizens also began working in mines and mills. At this time, around 70 percent of the villagers were Protestant, and about 30 percent were Catholic. Most people made their livings as firemen, farmers, singers, businessmen, and mechanics.

The branch of mining that stood out most strongly was baryte mining, which was not abandoned until 1948.

At the start of World War I, the village's economy went downhill. The longer the war lasted, the greater the Empire's shortfalls and financial need became. Industrial and agricultural products had to be increased with fewer personnel.

To cover the enormous financial requirements, the population was called twice annually for the purpose of war loans. The peace treaty presented heavy burdens on Germany. The economy could not develop. High reparations and the loss of substantial parts of the country were demoralizing.

An economic upswing took place only in the mid 1930s. However, it changed in 1939 at the start of World War II. Since German industrial areas were being destroyed in the war, their civilian population had to be evacuated.

Only in the years between 1960 and 1970 did the village develop again. The village no longer had a rural character, especially after the roads were removed and the houses grew in size. Not only were homes built in the centre of the area, but they were also built on the low mountains and hills. Among other things built were a school building, a Gymnasium, a deep well and an elevated tank for the water pipeline, a fire brigade equipment house, a town hall and a purification plant shared with the neighbouring municipality of Frammersbach

The community’s history is displayed on the Europäischer Kulturweg Partenstein (“Partenstein European Cultural Way”).

Religion

Owing to the influence of the at first Lutheran and later Calvinist County of Hanau, Partenstein is even today one of the few mainly Protestant communities in the Bavarian Spessart.

Population development

Within town limits, 2,516 inhabitants were counted in 1970; 2,683 in 1987; and 2,881 in 2000.

Politics

Community council

First Mayor: Stephan Amend, Freie Wähler
Second Mayor: Günter Amend, CSU
Third Mayor: Heiko Steigerwald, Social Democratic Party of Germany
Further members of community council:
Arno Bernard, Dominik Brühl, Siegmar Eyrich, Annika Neuf, Konrad Schreier (Freie Wähler)
Klaus Breitenbach, Johann Seewald, Ute Schawerna-Pedrosa (CSU)
Berthold Gillner, Erich Imhof, Dirk Mehrlich, Heinz Mehrlich (SPD)

Town partnerships

Thise, Doubs, France

Coat of arms

The community’s arms might be described thus: Gules two poleaxes argent in saltire, in base a mount of ten bricks Or.

Poleaxes were once known in German as Parten (they are more commonly called Hellebarden now), while bricks are Bausteine, or simply Steine if the context makes it needless to specify what kind of “stones” they are. These charges make the arms canting for the name Partenstein. The tinctures gules and Or (red and gold) are taken from the arms formerly borne by both the Counts of Rieneck and the Counts of Hanau, who were of great import to the community’s history. The tinctures gules and argent (silver) recall the Electorate of Mainz's hegemony. The arms have been borne since 1969.^[2]

Sightseeing

Bartenstein Castle

Evangelical parish church, built 1830-1831
Catholic parish church of Saint John the Baptist, built 1836
Ruins of the castle that once belonged to the Counts of Rieneck, destroyed 1633, only the tower now preserved, digs by the Archäologische Spessartprojekt are ongoing.
The restored Warriors’ Monument and the likewise restored Fountain Garden

Photos

Economy and infrastructure

According to official statistics, there were 167 workers on the social welfare contribution rolls working in producing businesses in 1998. In trade and transport this was 0. In other areas, 90 workers on the social welfare contribution rolls were employed, and 1,090 such workers worked from home. There were 12 processing businesses. Four businesses were in construction, and furthermore, in 1999, there were 12 agricultural operations with a working area of 81 ha, of which 3 ha was cropland and 79 ha was meadowland.

Education

As of 1999 the following institutions existed in Partenstein:

Kindergartens: 100 places with 90 children
Primary schools: 1 with 8 teachers and 153 pupils

Clubs

At this time there are 32 clubs in Partenstein.

References

↑ "Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes". Bayerisches Landesamt für Statistik und Datenverarbeitung (in German). 31 December 2012.
↑ Description and explanation of Partenstein’s arms, along with an image of them in colour

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Partenstein.

Community’s official webpage (German)
Verwaltungsgemeinschaft (Administrative Community) of Partenstein (German)
Partenstein Historical Workshop (German)

This article incorporates information from the German Wikipedia.

v t e Towns and municipalities in Main-Spessart

Arnstein Aura im Sinngrund Birkenfeld Bischbrunn Burgsinn Erlenbach bei Marktheidenfeld Esselbach Eußenheim Fellen Frammersbach Gemünden am Main Gössenheim Gräfendorf Hafenlohr Hasloch Himmelstadt Karbach Karlstadt am Main Karsbach Kreuzwertheim Lohr Marktheidenfeld Mittelsinn Neuendorf Neuhütten Neustadt am Main Obersinn Partenstein Rechtenbach Retzstadt Rieneck Roden Rothenfels Schollbrunn Steinfeld Thüngen Triefenstein Urspringen Wiesthal Zellingen

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