Kleinheubach
Kleinheubach - Princely Splendour
Kleinheubach is literally at the centre of Churfranken, surrounded by several wine towns. It has its very own and unique gems, like the Lutheran Baroque church with the organ made by a master named Dauphin.
The baroque palace of the Prince zu Löwenstein was built in the French style, inspired by Versailles. Being mainly used as a conference hotel it is the venue of high-quality corporate events. The vinoteque of the vinery “Weingut Fürst Löwenstein” is found in the former princely stables.
Sights
The Historic Town Centre, a Street Quadrangle
Nr. on the small map: 1 (Kleinheubach) The historic Town Centre of Kleinheubach is formed by a street quadrangle which at first sight appears to be a standardized and planned
Lutheran Church St. Martin inside the Fortified Church Yard
Nr. on the small map: 2 (Kleinheubach) The area around St. Martin was the origin of Kleinheubach, because this fortified church was located close to the Main-River on higher ground
Fahrgasse
Nr. on the small map: 3 (Kleinheubach) Ferrymen would live in the Fahrgasse because at the end of the road, at the Main-River, the ferry was anchored, crossing over to
Historic Town Hall Kleinheubach
Nr. on the small map: 4 (Kleinheubach) Set on top of a predecessing building, the town hall was built in 1728 with a masoned ground floor supporting a half-timbered upper
DenkOrt Deportationen 1941 – 1944
Kleinheubach is part of the decentralized monument “DenkOrt Deportationen 1941 – 1944”. The municipal administration designed a dignified DenkOrt (“place of commemoration”) for the Jewish citizens, who had been deported
Town Wall and “Hecke” (“Hedge”)
Nr. on the small map: 5 (Kleinheubach) The oldest part of Kleinheubach, alongside the Marktstraße, was surrounded by a high wall where several parts still can be found at the
Mikvah Kleinheubach
Nr. on the small map: 6 (Kleinheubach) In 1837, the ritual bath in the basement of the synagogue was in pitiable condition: no lights, no heating facilities, wet and slippery
Local History Museum “Old Railway Station”
Nr. on the small map: 8 (Kleinheubach) The local museum, run by the History and Local Traditions Association, is located inside the old railway station. You can admire an ancient
Catholic Parish Church “Heiligste Dreifaltigkeit” (Holiest Trinity)
Nr. on the small map: 9 (Kleinheubach) The Palace Chapel provided a sacred place for the princely family and their mostly Catholic servants. The number of Catholics increased after 1945,
Hofgarten
Nr. on the small map: 10 (Kleinheubach) The Hofgarten in Kleinheubach was built in 1812 for the family of the Prince of Löwenstein and was used as a riding arena
Jews in Kleinheubach
Nr. on the small map: 11 (Kleinheubach) A few Jewish citizens lived in Kleinheubach as early as the 14th century. A later congregation was founded in the second half of
Classicistic Kleinheubach
Between 1815 and 1835, Friedrich Karl Streiter (1780–1850), the princely constructional advisor, architect, and master builder created some exemplary monuments in the classicistic style. This stylistic resort to antique, strictly
Princely Palace Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
Nr. on the small map: 12 (Kleinheubach)The palace of the princely family “Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg” in Kleinheubach is more than extraordinary. Laid out in late baroque style by architect Louis Remy de
Palace Gardens
Nr. on the small map: 13 (Kleinheubach) Formerly, a main courtyard with fences, a gate, and a sentry box surrounded the three wings of the palace and both dependences. Throughout
Parkhof / Roman Fort “Altstadtkastell”
Nr. on the small map: 15 (Kleinheubach) Near today’s Kneipp facility, next to the restaurant “Parkhof”, there used to be a Roman fort, hosting a cohort, consisting of 480 men,
Parkhof / Roman Fort “Altstadtkastell”
Nr. on the small map: 15 (Kleinheubach) Near today’s Kneipp facility, next to the restaurant “Parkhof”, there used to be a Roman fort, hosting a cohort, consisting of 480 men,
Jewish Cemetery in Kleinheubach
Nr. on the small map: 7 (Kleinheubach) The Jewish Cemetery is in the forest to the north-west of Kleinheubach in the direction of Laudenbach. You can reach it on foot
History
Kleinheubach first was mentioned in 877 when King Louis III signed a certificate in “Heydebah” (Kleinheubach). Nevertheless, it has been verified by numerous grave findings that the local subdistrict had already been populated during the Neolithic Age.
Historic Roman Fort and Wallhausen
Historically certified, the Roman fort or Castellum “Old Town” was located at the park exit towards Miltenberg, used by a cohort of Roman soldiers, serving as the corner bastion of the Limes (border of the Roman Empire), located at a passage between the so called wet and dry Limes. After the attack of the Alemanni, approximately around 260 AD, the Franconians set out from the Rhine and conquered the Main Valley.
On top of the ruins of the former Roman Castellum “Old Town”, a city named Wallhausen was founded, but vanished again around 1247, during fights between the Archbishop of Mainz, the Count Palatine of the Rhine, and the Counts of Rieneck for supremacy . Most inhabitants moved to Miltenberg seeking shelter behind firm city walls and beneath the castle.
Kleinheubach, being neighbour to Wallhausen, had a controlling situation in the Main Valley, along the historic escort road Nuremberg-Frankfurt and the important Main-River-Ford, securing the crossing of the Main-River towards the so-called Eselsweg (Donkey trail), a trade route mainly for salt.
Kleinheubach was crownland and administered by the Count Palatine of the Rhine who enfeoffed the Counts of Rieneck with this land. Furthermore, it was seat of criminal, political, and disciplinary tribunals. It also was the center for the lower Cents (Cent being a regional term for a judicial district). After the fall of Wallhausen in 1247, all rights of the Mother Church of Wallhausen were transferred to Kleinheubach and, by receiving these privileges, the economic and political ascent commenced.
Rule of the Counts of Erbach
In 1455 the old private Rieneck chapel was replaced by a new church building. Governed by the Counts of Erbach, who later inherited the titles of feudal lords, the population kept growing and a further modification and annex to the church became necessary between 1706 and 1710. In medieval times, Kleinheubach flourished while being ruled by the Counts of Erbach, who set up their residence, the Georgenburg, right there; sadly it only lasted until the 30-years-war which brought misery and death as well as the plague and witch craze, all decimating the population so excessively that partly the village was completely vacant. The worst incident during those years of war was the fire of April 24th, 1627, when the city hall and 40 residences were burnt down by looting soldiers, nearly turning Kleinheubach into wasteland.
Reformation and Building of the Lutheran Church St. Martin
In 1556 the Reformation was introduced to Kleinheubach. The current church, St. Martin, which was being renovated between 1974 and 1976, became the church of the Lutheran congregation.
Building the Baroque Palace
The dynasty of Lowenstein acquired the sovereignty of Kleinheubach from the Counts of Erbach in 1721. Dominikus Marquard, Count of Lowenstein-Wertheim, commissioned the builders Remy de la Fosse, a Versailles architect, and Johann Dientzenhofer, with the construction of a palace at the exact location of former Georgenburg. The building was completed in 1732, and has since then been the main residence of the Counts of Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. Towards the end of WW II, the palace was damaged and plundered severely.
After 1950 the palace was used as a conference center and educational establishment of the German Post. Meanwhile it is a convention center and closed to public. Since 2004, the palace with its dependences and spacious park has been part of the non-profit foundation ‘Count of Lowenstein’. Alongside you can find the vineyard estate ‘Count Lowenstein’ with a high end vine tasting shop.
Population
After the Liberation Wars, the district Kleinheubach first became part of Baden but in 1816 was allocated to Bavaria. By integrating the expellees after 1945, the population doubled and today totals at around 3,700 inhabitants.