History of the city of Münchberg

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
To the Himmelspforte as the oldest existing Münchberg church

The story of Münchberg , a town in the Hof district in Bavaria , begins with the establishment of the settlement, which is believed to have been around the year 1000. During the rule of the aristocratic Sparneck family , Münchberg was able to develop into a town and was first mentioned as such in 1298. After a sale, the city went to the burgraves of Nuremberg and in 1397 to the Bayreuth line of the Hohenzollerns . In 1792 the city was occupied by Prussia and in 1806 by the French army. In 1810 she came to the Kingdom of Bavaria.

During the Second World War , in 1940 it was the first town in Bavaria to be targeted by an air raid. Until the regional reform , Münchberg was the district town of the district of the same name . Today Münchberg is the largest town in the district of Hof with 11,170 inhabitants. It is known as the textile city and houses the textile and design faculty of the Hof University of Applied Sciences, the only Bavarian textile university institution.

middle Ages

The first settlement

A settlement is believed to have emerged around the year 1000. It served as a resting place on an old road that led from the Obermaintal to Saxony and Bohemia via the Münchberger Senke in Carolingian times . The first houses are said to have been near Pulschnitzfurt. A much earlier settlement of the Münchberg area is considered impossible due to the dense forests and poor climatic conditions of the low mountain range. The first owners were probably the noble whale pots as representatives of the Counts of Radenzgau . Whether the place was founded by monks, as can be derived from the name Munchiberc , which was documented in 1224 , cannot be proven. To secure the settlement, the Münchberg tower castle was built around the year 1100 . The fortification is said to have been in the Pulschnitz river valley in the corner between Bahnhofstrasse and Kirchenlamitzer Strasse. The side length of the core mound is estimated at seventeen, the width of the surrounding trench at ten and its depth at around two meters.

Karl Dietel suspects a manor house near the tower hill, near the buildings at Bahnhofstrasse 11, 13 and Ottostrasse 1, 3 and 5 . The Münchberg High Court District developed with the village . The court was responsible for the core of the later district of Münchberg . It was first mentioned in a document on December 21, 1315 as a court in Monchberg .

The development from village to city

The village grew through the highways and the seat of the high court. A chapel or church was built, which made Münchberg stand out from the other villages in the area. After the sovereignty of the Radenzgau changed to the von Andechs family , the whale pots lost their function as vice counts. This began their social decline, which led to the loss of their possessions. Between 1220 and 1240 the lords of Sparneck acquired Münchberg. The new owners gave the village market rights . Various handicraft businesses such as bakeries, butchers and breweries settled here.

Münchberg was first referred to as a city on January 7, 1298. The Lords of Sparneck built a city wall with the Lower and Upper Gate. The lower gate was attached to a residential building. It was located at the exit of Torgasse, just before today's pedestrian zone at the rectory. The upper one secured the road to Hof and was located on the lower wall of today's factory owner's villa . In 1308 the parish of Münchberg was first confirmed.

The burgraves and the Nuremberg city charter

The burgraves of Nuremberg expanded their territory on a large scale from around 1300. On April 22, 1328 they were granted the right by Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian to develop Mussen into a city. In order to prevent this close competition and to strengthen Münchberg, the Sparneckers granted the town Nuremberg city ​​rights on July 13, 1364 . The rights, duties and privileges of the imperial city of Nuremberg were thus transferred to Münchberg, such as the extended market law and the help of the Nuremberg City Court in difficult legal cases.

The lords of Sparneck increasingly lost their influence due to the emergence of territorial states. Münchberg himself became the focus of a takeover by the counts. On February 22, 1373 Men sold by Sparneck part of the city on Burggraf Friedrich V . In the same year, the burgraves established an administrative office for the areas around Münchberg and made the city the official seat . Sparnecker's right of repurchase was agreed, but was never redeemed. From 1381 the city belonged entirely to the Burgraves of Nuremberg. In a contract of inheritance dated May 19, 1385, Frederick V stipulated that his property should be divided among his sons after his death. Münchberg belonged to the so-called Oberland from which the Principality of Bayreuth developed. In a document from around 1400, the city council and a mayor of Münchberg were named for the first time. A castle counts register from 1408 shows a change in the higher jurisdiction as a result of the takeover. The Münchberg High Court now had to turn to the court in Hof in difficult disputes and no longer to the Nuremberg City Court.

In 1430 the region was hit by the campaigns of the Hussites and their opponents. According to Karl Dietel, it is unclear to what extent this had an impact on Münchberg. The book by Tim Breuer, published two years earlier, assumes that the town church was destroyed during the Hussite invasion.

On September 6, 1434, a general city and court order came into force in Münchberg, with which, for example, electoral procedures, the granting of civil rights and the obligations of the community were regulated. On March 3, 1448, 78 years after the acquisition, Margrave Johann the Alchemist again granted the town charter, thereby confirming existing rights. The first school, probably a Latin school , was recorded on April 22, 1516.

According to data from the Society for Leprology a medieval in Münchberg from 1451 Leprosorium detectable, which was on the road to court; In 1790 the building was demolished.

Modern times

The Reformation

On September 26, 1524, a state parliament under Margrave Casimir decided with representatives of the nobility, the cities and Protestant and Catholic clergy to allow Martin Luther's teaching . The first Protestant pastor in Münchberg was Johann Schmidt, who first celebrated a German-speaking mass around 1529. In October of the same year, the Bamberg Bishop Weigand von Redwitz accused Margrave Georg of having withdrawn his spiritual jurisdiction over the Münchberg parish. Georg replied that the bishop in Münchberg had no rights to jurisdiction, except for those that he and his clergy had asserted themselves. The margrave ordered that on January 8, 1530 all valuables of the parish were to be handed over. The following Margrave Albrecht Alcibiades tried several times to push back the evangelical faith, but failed because of the resistance of the nobles in the principality. The parish of Münchberg was assigned to the superintendent of Hof in 1558 . From about 1565 the city was evangelical according to the decision of the sovereign.

On July 6, 1534, Münchberg was almost completely destroyed by a large fire triggered at the Upper City Gate. Reconstruction progressed very slowly and took several years. In 1547 Münchberg had about 800 inhabitants. During the reign of Albrecht Alcibiades, the Principality of Bayreuth was divided into the four main teams Bayreuth, Kulmbach, Neustadt an der Aisch and Hof. Münchberg came to the Hauptmannschaft Hof. In the Second Margrave War initiated by Albrecht Alcibiades , the city suffered no destruction, but Hof went up in flames in 1553. It is not known whether there was looting or monetary payments around Münchberg. On November 28, 1553, the takeover conditions of the besieged city of Hof were signed in the city .

The Thirty-Year War

Shortly before the start of the Thirty Years' War , a major fire broke out on March 8, 1617, in which 48 houses, the rectory and both diaconate buildings were completely destroyed. The Principality of Bayreuth and Münchberg were spared acts of war during the first years of the war thanks to a declaration of neutrality by Margrave Christian . However, foreign troops soon passed through the area, disregarding neutrality and having to be quartered in the city several times. To protect the population from attacks, a military association ( committee ) was formed from 200 residents. On April 1, 1631 there was another fire disaster in which the church, rectory, school, town hall, 96 private houses and 17 barns burned down.

In the same year, Margrave Christian abolished neutrality; the principality of Bayreuth entered the war on the side of the Swedes. As a result, various conflicting parties moved through the heavily destroyed Münchberg. The place suffered from opponents and allies alike. Robbery, murder and billeting were reported again and again. The year 1633, when large parts of the principality were controlled by imperial troops, is considered a particularly terrible year. Just because of the plague that was brought in, 330 people died in the church district.

In 1635 there was a short period of calm. Margrave Christian joined the Peace of Prague . The alliance with the Swedes was terminated and on June 24th a treaty was concluded with imperial ambassadors. In the special extract of the Hauptmannschaft Hof from September 1635, 40 widows with 61 children, 56 orphans, 98 burned-down houses and 72 abandoned farms, houses and homesteads are listed for Münchberg. In 1636 the war flared up again. There were further billeting, looting and atrocities.

In 1648 the Thirty Years War ended with the Peace of Westphalia . The terms of the treaty obliged the Principality of Bayreuth to pay 37,000 thalers to the Swedes. For Münchberg this meant that five Reichstaler had to be paid for every 100 guilders of taxable assets. Because of the fires, large parts of the city were still in ruins. It took the city decades to recover from the destruction of the war, city fires and the plague. The government therefore issued an edict on October 27, 1679 and tried to push ahead with the reconstruction with tax breaks and cheaper building materials.

The age of absolutism

In 1680, Margrave Christian simplified the administration by establishing higher offices for neighboring administrative districts. This is how the Oberamt Münchberg-Stockenroth was created with the districts of Münchberg, Stockenroth and Hallerstein. In 1769 the Bayreuth margrave line went out and the Principality of Bayreuth passed to the Ansbach branch of the family. The new margrave was Karl Alexander von Brandenburg-Ansbach , who administered both principalities. Karl Alexander dissolved the upper offices and assigned them to the superordinate main teams. Münchberg came to the Hauptmannschaft Hof.

In 1660 the church districts were reorganized and the superintendent offices Hof and Kulmbach were reduced in size. The Münchberg parish between the two was raised to its own superintendentage. It included the parishes of Schwarzenbach (Saale), Ahornberg, Zell, Leupoldsgrün, Konradsreuth, Sparneck, Hallerstein, Weißdorf, Stammbach, Helmbrechts and Schauenstein. The first known superintendent was Johann Friedrich Pertsch.

A post office was set up in January 1693 on the heavily frequented trade route Nuremberg-Leipzig leading through Münchberg. The first postmaster was Pöhlmann. The first post office from 1696 was the Schwarzer Adler restaurant, which later became the Hotel Adler . At the end of the century, most of the fire sites had been rebuilt.

On September 26, 1701 another major fire destroyed 82 houses and stables, the town church, both schools and the rectory. The same happened a few years later, on August 4th, 1729, when large parts of the city went up in flames again. This time, too, the government supported the reconstruction and made structural improvements that reduced the risk of fire.

The textile industry was the most important economic factor at that time. Weaving and dyeing mills were run properly by masters with journeymen and apprentices, while the spinning mills were open to everyone. The trade received a new boom when snuffers, simple cotton cloths that were used to sniff tobacco, became fashionable. The patterns of these cloths changed almost every year. Well-funded middlemen intervened to support the local master craftsmen. By an ordinance of November 28, 1780, the craft regulations were changed to the effect that the companies could operate any number of looms and employ journeymen and apprentices. The masters were allowed to band together; the textile market was liberalized. These measures provided an economic boost and essentially paved the way for industrialization. In 1791, three cotton cloth dealers with 150 weavers in Münchberg and the surrounding area were trading on a large scale.

The transition to Prussia

Karl August Freiherr von Hardenberg

In 1791, Margrave Karl Alexander signed a secret treaty with Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia in which he waived his two Frankish principalities for an annual pension of 300,000 guilders . Both fell to Prussia. Karl August von Hardenberg was appointed as administrator , who rearranged the Franconian principalities according to the Prussian model. Six districts, each with six chamber offices, were formed from the Franconian principality of Bayreuth. The Münchberg Chamber of Commerce belonged to the Hof district. The seat of the office was the city of Münchberg.

A historical table of the state of the city of Münchberg for the year 1793 gives detailed information about the city at that time. It lists 246 houses, 53 with solid construction, 103 semi-solid and 90 half-timbered or terraced houses. 39 houses were covered with clapboard or brick, 206 with straw or clapboard. There were also 190 barns. There were two churches, two state and seven city buildings. From the previous fires, 20 desolate areas had not yet been built on. 65 wells supplied the 1803 residents with drinking water. 721 residents lived in the city, 491 in the upper, 581 in the lower suburb and 10 in the upper mill.

During the time of Prussian rule, cotton weaving was of great importance in Münchberg. Hardenberg reported in 1794 that 1647 workers were employed in the Münchberg manufactories, including the foreign spinners and weavers who delivered to Münchberg. The value of the products was 60,380 guilders, of which 57,480 were exported. In addition to the domestic market, customers were Saxony, southern Germany, Bohemia, Italy and Switzerland.

The Napoleonic occupation

The rise of Napoléon to the French emperor and his military campaigns ended immediately the membership in Prussia. During the Fourth Coalition War , Napoléon's troops penetrated the Münchberg area on October 8, 1806, on their advance to the northeast, after the Prussians had withdrawn from Tauentzien under General Bogislav . According to a contemporary witness report by Karl Zapf , who was eleven at the time , the first parts of the army reached Münchberg around eleven o'clock. The following night, Marshal Soult camped with around 40,000 men in and around Münchberg. There was looting, the cattle and all tangible food from the surrounding villages were stolen and brought into the city to feed the soldiers. Münchberg also had to pay 1,100 guilders contribution to avoid harder benefits in kind. The French collected the money from the rich citizens of the city. After the main part of the army had withdrawn, further billeting took place between October 12 and December 31, 1806 due to the location of Münchberg on an important advance route. During this time, the city had to provide food and accommodation for a further 12,207 soldiers.

City view of Münchberg, watercolor around 1800

On November 8, 1806, the occupiers appointed Baron Camille de Tournon as administrator of the Principality of Bayreuth alongside the military governor Le Grand de Mercy. Both stuck to the Prussian administrative structure. The French demanded high contributions, with the Münchberg caste office accounting for 10,000 guilders. After the devastating defeat of Prussia, the Principality of Bayreuth had to be finally ceded to the French Empire in the Peace of Tilsit in 1807 . On December 12 of the same year, serfdom was formally revoked. This had no effect on Münchberg or the Principality, since, according to a contemporary report, there had been no serfdom there since the middle of the 13th century.

The textile industry was heavily influenced by Napoleon's continental barrier. The linen weaving mill found it difficult to sell its products and achieved low proceeds. Cotton weaving fared differently. It lost its competition with the elimination of cheap English machine products. Domestic products could be sold better again.

In the Fifth Coalition War that followed , Austria briefly occupied the former principality of Bayreuth. After the fighting broke out, the French cleared the area. In Münchberg, parts of a company of the 108th French Line Infantry Regiment were affected. The Austrian invasion corps crossed the border on June 10, 1809. From June 12th the principality was under Austrian military administration. During this time the city had to cater for smaller troop units several times. After the defeat of Austria and the Treaty of Schönbrunn , the French regained control of the area.

The existence of the Principality of Bayreuth ended through sale on June 30, 1810 and Münchberg became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria .

The Kingdom of Bavaria

After the transfer to Bavaria , the administration was restructured and the area of ​​the former principality was allocated to the Bavarian Mainkreis on September 26, 1810 . The Münchberg Chamber of Commerce was dissolved. From October 1, 1811, it was replaced by a tax office , which was primarily responsible for financial management. A few years later it was named the Finanzamt . The judiciary was reorganized with effect from January 6, 1812. The former judicial office was dissolved and replaced by a class I district court. Its tasks were the administration of justice and general administration. This change meant a step backwards in the organization of the authorities, as the previous separation of administration and justice was abolished. During the territorial reform initiated by King Ludwig I on November 29, 1837, the Main District was renamed Upper Franconia. In the same year there was the last major fire disaster in Münchberg, in which parts of the upper town burned down.

In 1861, several administrative ordinances removed the judiciary from the administration. A few years later, the name of the district court was uniformly established. On July 1, 1862, the regional courts were dissolved and replaced by district offices. The Münchberg district office comprised all cities and municipalities of the later district with the exception of the areas of the Berneck district office . These were assigned to the Münchberg Office between 1929 and 1931.

The Kreuzberghohlweg around 1893

Until the end of the 19th century, the city remained predominantly Protestant. Over time, however, Catholics came back to the city, who were assigned to the Catholic parish Marienweiher in 1830 . On March 12, 1898, the local Catholic community founded the workers' association, which as a curate performed essentially the same functions as a parish. The area to be looked after was determined by the government of Upper Franconia on March 8, 1904 and included the district of Münchberg with the exception of Gefrees and Stammbach .

With the lifting of the continental barrier , most of the domestic textile industry could no longer compete with British imports. At first, Bavaria also stopped promoting the textile industry. Many of the factories had to close. As a result, attempts were made to introduce jacquard weaving and its loom . The local industry was not able to implement this technology due to a lack of knowledge. Granting a loan for a modern loom only made sense if the recipients had the appropriate training. To remedy this, local textile manufacturers planned to build a weaving school with government support in 1854 . When the project threatened to fail due to lack of funds, the government helped out and on June 23, 1854 approved all the necessary funds. Münchberg became the central school location. Branch schools were set up in Helmbrechts , Stammbach , Wüstenselbitz , Sparneck and Zell . The textile faculty of the Hof University of Applied Sciences in Münchberg emerged from this institution .

During the construction of the Ludwig-Süd-Nord-Bahn , the section for the inclined plane was based in Münchberg. In this context, the railway company called for better medical care for the workers involved in building the line. The city therefore decided on October 26, 1844 to set up a hospital on Dr.-Martin-Luther-Strasse. A few years later, on June 5, 1896, the city decided to rebuild the hospital. The Münchberg district office suggested a hospital for the entire district, which the city rejected. It was assured, however, that every patient from the district would also be admitted. On November 17, 1898, they moved into the new building on Schlegler Weg, where 32 beds were available. When the construction work on the railway line was completed, Münchberg was connected to the German rail network on November 1, 1848 with the section Neuenmarkt – Hof and the Münchberg station was built. The railway connection was of vital importance to the local industry. The inexpensive transportation of bulk goods became possible. Coal and cotton could be obtained much more easily.

The First World War and the Weimar Republic

The First World War

The hospital in the gym of the sports home

At the beginning of the First World War there was great enthusiasm for the war. After the German declaration of war, 170 underage boys volunteered for the Münchberg Armed Forces Troop, an organization whose task it was to prepare them for war. At the end of December 1914, after reports of German successes in Poland, gunfire was fired. All the bells in the churches were rung. Two hospitals for war wounded were set up in the city, one in the gymnasium, the other in the weaving school boarding school. Agriculture had to hand over horses to the army several times when they were raised. The textile industry switched its production to armaments such as woolen blankets, tent cloths and uniform fabrics. The station was passed several times by large troop transports. In mid-April 1915, 3,000 men were called up from the Münchberg district office and 3,500 in May. Food became scarce in the course of the war.

Towards the end of the war, the German Empire plunged into a profound economic, social and political crisis that ultimately led to the November Revolution. On November 9, 1918, the last German Kaiser, Wilhelm II , abdicated in Berlin . Friedrich Ebert became chancellor, Philipp Scheidemann proclaimed the republic, while Karl Liebknecht proclaimed the "Free Socialist Republic of Germany".

The Weimar Republic

The workers and peasants council
Münchberger emergency money: five pfennigs from 1918

After the establishment of workers 'and peasants' councils in Bavaria, on November 14, 1918 Hofer's Max Blumtritt gave his speech on people and peace at a people's assembly in Münchberg . The number of participants exceeded expectations, so the event was moved outdoors. The Münchberg Workers 'and Soldiers' Council was formed with Max Ebly as its first chairman. On the same day, the council tried to gain control of the district office and the city of Münchberg. Mayor Durst said he and his officials were faced with a fait accompli and that the new era was going to live up to them. The district office reacted similarly. The red flag was hoisted on the building. A few days later, on November 25, 1918, the workers 'and soldiers' council was renamed the workers 'and peasants' council. Since the administration, the mayor and the district administrator remained in office, there was no drastic change. After the council's influence fell sharply, it disbanded in 1919.

Inflation and its consequences
Münchberger Notgeld: Voucher for 500,000 marks

The textile industry in particular soon reacted to the difficult economic situation with layoffs. Hyperinflation caused prices to rise enormously. In October 1922 a bread cost 14 Reichsmarks , in February 1923 it was 1,400, in August 200,000 and in October 680 million. The Münchberg district office warned farmers not to sell their food on the black market. The city placed unemployed people in agriculture as harvest workers. Several companies turned to self-help by trying to compensate for the lack of money with their own vouchers or paychecks. These companies included the stock dyeing company, a little later the Friedrich Schödel company, the Braunsberg & Co stock corporation and the Mönchsbräu. This moved the city of Münchberg to print their own emergency money . After approval by the Reich Ministry of Finance, 20 billion Reichsmarks were issued on August 29, 1923 in bills worth 100,000, 200,000, 500,000, 1.2 and 5 million Reichsmarks. The Ministry of Finance banned the issuance and circulation of unauthorized emergency money at the same time, including the bills of the companies mentioned, vouchers from the municipal savings bank and checks from the Bayerische Vereinsbank Münchberg. The inflation was far from over: At a city council meeting on October 25, 1923, it was decided to print higher values. The highest value reached the amount of 200 billion. The introduction of the Rentenmark stopped this development.

From 1924 the general situation improved significantly in the course of the Roaring Twenties . All in all, these years were a phase of relative stabilization and economic upturn. Crucial for policy radicalization finally was the Great Depression . The onset of mass unemployment worsened the social and economic situation dramatically. This went hand in hand with a permanent government crisis . There were new elections and cabinet crises in quick succession, in which the NSDAP finally gained more and more support.

The city of Münchberg under National Socialism

The NSDAP in power

NSDAP parade in Bahnhofstrasse

Even before Hitler was appointed Reich Chancellor, there was an advertising march by the SA and SS in Münchberg on January 29, 1933 and a rally by the local NSDAP group . In preparation for the Reichstag elections of March 5, 1933, attempts were made to mobilize voters through propaganda. Due to the Reichstag Fire Ordinance, the Münchberg district office banned all demonstrations by dissidents. This step was justified with the alleged danger to public safety. On March 1, 1933, there were house searches of members of the KPD local group.

On election day, the NSDAP was able to reach its destination in Münchberg. With a turnout of 93.5 percent, she received 53.2 percent of the vote (Bavaria-wide 43.1 percent). The other parties suffered a loss of votes. Only the SPD was able to hold on to 28.8 percent of the vote despite the massive hindrance to its activities. The Münchberg protection team subsequently arrested several communist officials. The end of the KPD was sealed by the nationwide ban at the end of March.

The elimination of democracy

According to § 12 of the Gleichschaltungsgesetz of March 31, 1933, the Münchberg City Council was dissolved and re-formed on April 22nd. Fritz Höhn ( SPD ), until then the second mayor, was prohibited from continuing to exercise this honorary position. The number of seats on the city council was reduced from 20 to 15. Civil parties were no longer represented. The coordinated city council met for the first time on April 27, 1933. The NSDAP local chairman Wagner was elected second, Robert Zink (NSDAP) third mayor. The SPD parliamentary group abstained from voting.

In the period that followed, the NS city council tried to completely oust the SPD from community work. On May 1, 1933, three city councilors of the SPD parliamentary group submitted their resignation on the grounds that the majority in the city council did not want to work. After the SPD had been banned from any political activity at the Reich level on June 22, 1933, the mandates of the SPD city councils became invalid. The vacated seats were taken over by members of the NSDAP. Based on an instruction from the Bavarian political police, all former Münchberg SPD functionaries were to be arrested on June 30, 1933 and taken to the Dachau concentration camp . Nine were actually arrested. It cannot be determined whether they came to Dachau.

On the morning of May 2, 1933, the sales outlets of the consumer association and the offices of the free trade unions were occupied by the SA and SS. The union members were forcibly incorporated into the DAF . Most of the Münchberger clubs were either banned or had to hold new elections and fill their previous board members with loyalists.

The persecution of the Jews

In 1933 there were eight Jews in Münchberg. That corresponded to 0.1 percent of the population. As part of the NSDAP's call for a boycott, the SA and SS blocked two Jewish shops on April 1, 1933. Attempts were made to prevent the population from entering, but this did not bring the desired result. The boycott was lifted two days later and on July 7, 1933 the owner of one of the two shops was taken into “ protective custody ”. The business was then continued by the wife. Nothing is known about the further fate of this family.

The war years

The impact in the city

During the first years of the Second World War , the local party organization propagated the war and later appealed to the people's perseverance. The number of party events was increased. The forced rationing of food and clothing was gradually introduced. These were only available on food stamps and vouchers.

At the beginning of May 1942, all bronze and copper monuments had to be surrendered for armament purposes. In Münchberg, the war memorial with the lion statue on the monastery square was affected. The same fate met the three church bells of the town church in 1943. After the war, the bells were rediscovered in the Hamburg bell camp and returned to the city on September 20, 1947.

For the Münchberg students, everyday life was less and less determined by school. In most cases, regular school operations were not possible as there were not enough teachers and the students were often used as harvest workers. Lessons at the Luther school could only be continued in alternation with the then Hans Schemm school due to the scarce heating material . At times the Wehrmacht used the schools as reserve hospitals. Until 1945, many civilians came from the endangered areas to the previously unharmed Münchberg. 641 people from Hamburg alone had to be admitted. The housing situation worsened drastically.

Forced labor and outside concentration camps

The local companies, administrations and associations had to accept a severe loss of workers and members early on, as most of the men from Münchberg were called up for military service. The missing workers were replaced by the female population or the workload for those who remained was drastically increased. The textile industry has employed 25 French prisoners of war since 1941 .

There are indications that there was a satellite camp subordinate to the Flossenbürg concentration camp in Münchberg . As with many sub-camps, which often only existed for a short time or were very small, references to this were also destroyed. This camp is not mentioned in the documentation of the Flossenbürg Concentration Camp Memorial. Other sources describe a camp in which forced laborers who were employed in the "Metall- Guss- und Presswerk Heinrich Diehl GmbH" were imprisoned. The camp was closed before April 1945. The exact location and appearance is not known.

The air raid in August 1940

On the night of August 16-17, 1940, four Royal Air Force aircraft bombed Münchberg. It was the first aerial bomb to fall in Bavaria. When the air raid sounded, many citizens suspected a test alarm and only a few went into a shelter. The factory building of the threading mill belonging to the stock dyeing mill and the building of the silk winding mill were completely destroyed. A farm near Georg-Meister-Strasse was damaged. Two people were injured and one horse died. Until 1945 Münchberg was often overflown by bombers, but not bombed. Low-flying attacks prepared the invasion of US troops on April 15, 1945.

The end of the war

On March 26, 1945 the 3rd American Army reached Bavaria. On April 13, 1945, anti- tank barriers were erected at various points in Münchberg . A day later, tank units of the 3rd Battalion and the 104th Infantry Regiment reached the city from the west and north. In the afternoon, German soldiers blew up three bridges. The bridge on Bayreuther Straße was spared because of the supply lines below. Many residents had fled because of the anticipated fighting or sought refuge in the Bischoffbräu ice cellar, which served as a bunker. A few German soldiers had taken up positions between Kulmbacher Strasse and the railway embankment and in the depression in front of the motorway. Around 10 p.m. Mayor Otto tried to convince the city commandant of the pointlessness of a defense, but was unsuccessful.

The shelling of Münchberg began around midnight. This lasted until the early hours of the morning. The areas of Gartenstrasse, Kreuzberg, Wilhelmstrasse and the train station in particular were hit. On the morning of April 15, the last German soldiers withdrew. American infantry advanced into the city center without a fight that same day. There the soldiers broke into the NSDAP district leadership, threw pictures of Hitler on the street and searched various houses for weapons. Mayor Otto had to go from house to house and ask the citizens to hoist white flags. On that day the city was under American occupation.

The occupation and the post-war period

The Mayor of Münchberg, Max Specht

After the American invasion, Upper and Middle Franconia were subordinated to Detachment E1B3 under Colonel Edward M. Haight. On April 18, the occupying and administrative troops planned for the Münchberg, Rehau and Wunsiedel district offices arrived. After Germany's unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945, Bavaria and thus Münchberg became part of the American occupation zone . The occupiers issued strict orders for the everyday life of the population. A daily curfew was imposed from 9:30 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Anyone who was found outside despite the lock had to spend the night in the rifle house as a punishment. Citizens were not allowed to move more than twelve kilometers from the city. The designation "Führer" and the Hitler salute were banned. A list of the residents had to be attached to each house. Max Specht was appointed the first mayor of the post-war period . In June 1946 the Hans-Schemm-Schule was renamed the Parkschule, the Hindenburgpark was renamed the Stadtpark and the Adolf-Hitler-Strasse was renamed Hofer Strasse. The city's population rose from around 7,400 to 11,400 as a result of the reception of refugees. The Protestant deanery provided the displaced persons, many of whom were Catholic, with the churches and chapels for worship. In 1958 the village of Schlegel was incorporated into Münchberg from the Meierhof community .

The recent past

As part of the regional reform in Bavaria , the communities Poppenreuth, Sauerhof and Straas followed in 1972 . On July 1, 1972, the Münchberg district was dissolved and integrated into the Hof and Bayreuth districts. Münchberg lost its status as a district town and the district court was dissolved. At the same time, the communities of Markersreuth , Meierhof and Mechlenreuth came to the city, which had its highest population at the time with 12,144 inhabitants.

On November 10, 1989, the day after the fall of the Berlin Wall , millions of GDR citizens visited the cities near the border, including Münchberg. The city had the biggest rush on Monday, November 20th. The cars were directed to the rifle house and swimming pool parking lot. The retail industry almost collapsed under the onslaught. Around noon the situation had worsened so that the police had to cordon off the city center. By 2 p.m. the city administration paid out 200,000 marks as welcome money to the visitors. After Hof , Münchberg was the second busiest city in Bavaria. Within eight weeks, almost twelve million marks in welcome money were paid out to 180,831 visitors.

The Münchberger Senke today

On October 19, 1990, one of the worst disasters in German road traffic occurred on the A 9 in the Münchberger Senke . Around 8:32 a.m., 170 vehicles, including six buses and eight trucks, collided with each other in thick fog. Ten people died, 123 were injured, 34 of them seriously. After the disaster, the speed in the valley was limited and in 2000 a 500 meter long viaduct was completed.

In the local elections on March 2, 2008, Thomas Fein was confirmed as mayor. The results of the city council's election confirmed the distribution of seats in the 2002 election. In connection with increasing globalization and the economic crisis , local textile companies began to outsource or close down their production areas. Some companies completely stopped doing business. On October 31, 2008, Schoedel AG, one of the most traditional Münchberg textile companies, closed.

In early 2009 there were disagreements within the city council over the sale of city apartments. The SPD parliamentary group voted for complete retention, while the CSU and the Münchberger voter community voted for a partial sale. As a result, two referendums were initiated for the first time in the city's history. On March 29, 2009, 1895 of 8,522 eligible voters decided to keep the city apartments. The second decision for the sale failed, it received 671 of the votes and did not reach the necessary quorum of 20%. The city council is bound by this decision for one year.

literature

  • Karl Dietel : Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city . with 43 ills., 20 plates, 1 cover picture. tape 1 . Münchberg city administration, Münchberg 1963 (until the transition to Bavaria in 1810).
  • Daniela Schlegel: Münchberg - A small town under National Socialism (1933-1945) . Ed .: University of Bayreuth. Bayreuth, S. 120 (written term paper on the first state examination for teaching at high schools in Bavaria, winter semester 2005/2006).
  • Karl Dietel: Tower hill in the heart of the Münchberger valley . tape 41 . Archive for the history of Upper Franconia, Bayreuth 1963.
  • Karl Dietel: Between Waldstein and Döbraberg - The historical development of the Münchberg district . Münchberger Berzirksschulamt, Münchberg 1964, p. 87 .
  • Gernot Dietel, Roland Fraas: Railway in Münchberg 1848 - 1998 . tape 1 . Urban History Working Group , Münchberg 1998, ISBN 3-938463-01-5 , p. 224 .
  • Norbert Goßler: The health system of the city of Münchberg from the beginning until 1972 . tape 3 . Urban History Working Group , Münchberg 1999, ISBN 3-938463-03-1 , p. 240 .
  • Richard Schleußinger: The Münchberg district in the world war . Münchberg City Council, Münchberg 1963, p. 30 (Notes from the Royal District Administrator).
  • Berthold Flessa, Helmut Goller: The history of the autobahn 1934 to 2000 . tape 5 . Urban History Working Group , Münchberg 2000, ISBN 3-938463-05-8 , p. 128 .
  • Martina Wurzbacher: Münchberg - city of the textile industry: Development and importance of the textile industry in the 19th and 20th centuries . tape 7 . Urban History Working Group , Münchberg 2002, ISBN 3-938463-07-4 , p. 198 .
  • Siegfried Geisler: Münchberg's Schools from the 16th Century to the Present . tape 8 . Urban History Working Group , Münchberg 2005, ISBN 3-938463-08-2 , p. 192 .
  • Johann Gebauer: 700 years of the church in Münchberg . tape 10 . Urban History Working Group, Münchberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-938463-10-9 , p. 144 .
  • Anja Schlegel: The crisis year 1923 - Effects on Münchberg. In: Local supplement to the Upper Franconian School Gazette. Bayreuth 2004.

Web links

Commons : Münchberg  - album with pictures, videos and audio files
Wikisource: Münchberg  - Sources and full texts

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963, pp. 8–26.
  2. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963, pp. 45–77.
  3. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963, pp. 83–85.
  4. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963, pp. 85–102.
  5. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963, pp. 105–110.
  6. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963, pp. 118–138.
  7. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963, pp. 158–160.
  8. ↑ Tim Breuer: District of Münchberg : 1961 p. 25.
  9. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963, pp. 145–147.
  10. ^ Siegfried Geisler: Münchberg's schools from the 16th century to the present : 2005 pp. 7–9.
  11. ↑ see Medieval Leprosories in Today's Bavaria, accessed January 14, 2018 ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.muenster.org
  12. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963 pp. 261–273.
  13. ↑ cf. Johann Gebauer: 700 Years of the Church in Münchberg , 2008, pp. 13-18.
  14. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963 pp. 176–229.
  15. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963 pp. 287–301.
  16. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963 pp. 305–320.
  17. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963 pp. 320–332.
  18. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963 pp. 332–333.
  19. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963 pp. 344–347.
  20. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963 pp. 339–343.
  21. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963 pp. 441–442.
  22. ↑ cf. Johann Gebauer: 700 Years of the Church in Münchberg , 2008, pp. 18-20.
  23. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963 pp. 397–399.
  24. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963 pp. 380–405.
  25. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963 pp. 465–469.
  26. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963 pp. 474–475.
  27. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963 pp. 485–487.
  28. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963 pp. 495–508.
  29. ↑ Martina Wurzbacher: Münchberg - City of the textile industry : 2002, pp. 21-22.
  30. ^ Karl Dietel: Münchberg. History of an official and industrial city : 1963 pp. 510–519.
  31. ^ Karl Dietel: Between Waldstein and Döbraberg - The historical development of the district of Münchberg: 1964 pp. 54–61.
  32. ^ Karl Dietel: Between Waldstein and Döbraberg - The historical development of the district of Münchberg: 1964 pp. 61–62.
  33. ^ Johann Gebauer: 700 Years of the Church in Münchberg , 2008, pp. 81–84.
  34. ↑ Martina Wurzbacher: Münchberg - City of the Textile Industry : 2002, pp. 44–48.
  35. ^ Norbert Goßler: The health system of the city of Münchberg from its beginnings to 1972 : 1999, pp. 182-202
  36. ↑ Martina Wurzbacher: Münchberg - City of the Textile Industry : 2002, pp. 47–53.
  37. ↑ Peter Seuss: War enthusiasm 1914 using the example of Münchberg , 2005 pp. 5–13.
  38. ^ Richard Schleußinger: The Münchberg District in World War I , 1963, pp. 8-14.
  39. ↑ Maximilian Mai: The History of the Workers 'and Soldiers' Council Münchberg , 2005 pp. 4–12.
  40. ^ Anja Schlegel: The crisis year 1923 - Effects on Münchberg : 2003, pp. 26–38.
  41. ^ Daniela Schlegel: Münchberg - A small town under National Socialism (1933–1945) : 2006, pp. 23–34.
  42. ^ Daniela Schlegel: Münchberg - A small town under National Socialism (1933–1945) : 2006, pp. 29–36.
  43. ^ Daniela Schlegel: Münchberg - A small town under National Socialism (1933–1945) : 2006, pp. 37–41.
  44. ^ Daniela Schlegel: Münchberg - A small town under National Socialism (1933–1945) : 2006, pp. 42–43.
  45. ↑ Daniela Schlegel: Münchberg - A small town under National Socialism (1933-1945) : 2006, pp. 97-102.
  46. ↑ Daniela Schlegel: Münchberg - A small town under National Socialism (1933–1945) : 2006, pp. 103–115.
  47. ↑ Geoffrey P. Megargee: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933-1945: Early Camps, Youth Camps, and Concentration Camps and Subcamps under the SS-Business Administration Main Office (WVHA) : 2009, p. 596 .
  48. ^ Winfried Nerdinger: Building under National Socialism. Bavaria 1933 - 1945 : 2000, p. 533
  49. ↑ a b www.bavariathek.bayern
  50. ^ Daniela Schlegel: Münchberg - A small town under National Socialism (1933–1945) : 2006, pp. 115–116.
  51. ↑ Süddeutsche Zeitung August 20, 2020: The mysterious bombing of Münchberg
  52. ^ Daniela Schlegel: Münchberg - A small town under National Socialism (1933-1945) : 2006, p. 118.
  53. ↑ Daniela Schlegel: Münchberg - A Small Town in National Socialism (1933–1945) : 2006, pp. 118–119.
  54. ↑ Thorsten Hainke: The denazification in Münchberg , 2000, pp. 6-16.
  55. ^ Johann Gebauer: 700 Years of the Church in Münchberg , 2008, pp. 85–86.
  56. ↑ City of Münchberg: Chronicle ( Memento of the original from May 17, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.muenchberg.de archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed January 18, 2009.
  57. ^ Münchberg Helmbrechtser Zeitung: City administration needs volunteers : November 21, 1989, p. 13.
  58. ↑ Frankenpost: Admittedly I was very ambitious , May 1, 2009, accessed on May 4, 2009.
  59. ↑ R. Dietel: The end comes after 123 years. In: Frankenpost. November 3, 2008, accessed April 5, 2009 .
  60. ^ Matthias Vieweger: Citizens' decision on urban apartments. In: Frankenpost . March 30, 2009, accessed March 18, 2014 .
  61. ↑ Citizens' decisions on March 29, 2009. City of Münchberg, archived from the original on May 18, 2009 ; Retrieved April 4, 2009 .
This version was added to the list of articles worth reading on July 1, 2009 .