Philipp Witt
According to legend, Philipp Witt was a famous highwayman in the Spessart .
Legend
Witt is said to have originally been a forester who was plundered by French soldiers during the occupation by French revolutionary troops , but followed them with his hunter boys, killing them and taking the booty. He then went underground, gathered supporters and rose to become the leader of the partisans . One village after another took his side.
When the French troops occupied Würzburg , Witt's men cut off connections to the rear. Ultimately, 1000 Spessart partisans attacked General Jourdan's French soldiers as they retreated through the Main Valley . A slaughter broke out near Neustadt.
Philipp Witt was never caught.
Historical person
There are engravings from 1796 that show him in a general pose or in the midst of battle. These engravings show a strong resemblance to pictures of the Tyrolean freedom fighter Andreas Hofer .
In fact, Philipp Witt probably never existed. Rather, he is likely to stand as a symbol of several anonymous or well-known resistance fighters against the French troops. The figure of Philipp Witt was probably created to arouse resistance against the French occupation. The Heigenbrücker Oberforster Sternheimer and the Waldaschaffer forester Albert are historically documented.
swell
- ↑ The Spessart Project - Cultural Routes ( Memento from October 25, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 773 kB)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Witt, Philipp |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Highwayman in the Spessart |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 18th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | 18th century or 19th century |