Old town (Volkach)
The medieval old town (also Upper and Lower Old Town ) of the Lower Franconian Volkach is a historical settlement core of the city. Today it is synonymous with the Volkach Old Town ensemble , which was placed under protection as a building and ground monument in the walling of the 13th century with the so-called moat gardens . For many centuries the city, together with the suburbs , was restricted to this area and only grew out of the wall in the 19th century.
Geographical location
Volkach is on the right side of the Main Triangle opposite Astheim on the so-called Mainschleife . The old town is oriented to the north-northwest and rises parallel to the course of the Main on a flood-free terrace . Today, newer districts surround the old town, for example the development on Gaibacher Straße to the north, while the residential areas between Sommeracher (south) and Obervolkacher Straße (south-east) are in the south and south-east. Historically, the upper and lower suburbs were in front of the old town in the south and north-west, respectively.
The building ensemble Altstadt Volkach is bounded in the north by the following streets: The odd numbers of Storchgasse 1 to 25. In the east the streets Untere Zwingergasse 8, 6, 4, Sackgasse 8, Weinstraße 21, Mittlere Zwingergasse 18 to 2 (even numbers ), Gänseplatz 3, 5, Obere Zwingergasse 22, 20, 18, Spitalstraße 18, Obere Zwingergasse 14 to 2 (even numbers) the border. To the south runs the former Obere Vorstadt, which is now occupied by the streets Oberer Markt 12 and Bahnhofstraße. The Hindenburgpark forms the western boundary of the old town.
The main road, which runs from south to north-northwest, forms the backbone of the ensemble. Most of the architectural monuments are lined up along this street. In the south-west of the old town is the market square , which is also surrounded by representative monuments. From a geographical point of view, the center of the ensemble is Schelfengasse, which flows into Gänseplatz in the northeast of the city.
history
Development of the old town
The history of Volkach's old town is closely linked to the geographic features of the area. Initially, people settled on a Großmark in the early Middle Ages , which only showed signs of densification at the site of today's Obervolkach , von Ulberg and on the Main. The core of the Volkach at that time was a royal coronation yard on a flood-free elevation near the river. There were already some houses of the unfree ( mancipia ).
The original cell of today's old town was in the southwest of the area. The location was topographically favorable because it was at the same time close to the navigable Main with a ford and far from the annual floods . The area stretched between today's market square and the city wall in the south. The nucleus remained in lordly hands until the end of the Old Kingdom in the early 19th century, today the parish church and the girls' secondary school are located there.
At the same time, traders began to settle in the south-east of the city. Volkach was a ford and resting place between Würzburg and the Steigerwald , so that a central market for cloth, salt and iron quickly emerged. With the advent of viticulture , there was an export product that was grown in the region itself. The first markets, however, were held outside of today's old town on the upper market, because this was at an important intersection.
Up until the year 1200, today's old town area was completely settled. In 1254, for the first time, serfs are attested in Volkach. They settled in the north-eastern part of the city at the cross Höfleins- and Zehentgasse. Smaller plots predominate there to this day. On the other hand, there are large lots on the main road, which runs from northwest to south. It was formed during the Middle Ages and, with its orientation, took account of a shift in trade, because the flow of goods meanwhile ran north ( Schweinfurt ) and south ( Kitzingen and Ansbach ).
Inner differentiation
The church district in the old town developed from the former Fronhof area and included the church of St. George, the churchyard, the rectory, the Latin school and the so-called Hartleinshof. In 1313 there was already a chapel in the old town on the site of today's parish church. However, it was only the expansion of the church into a Volkach parish church with the expansion of the choir in the 15th century that determined the final width of the main street.
In the course of the Middle Ages, this street had replaced the market in the Upper Suburb as the main trading point. The reason for this was the walling , which now visually separated the old town from the suburbs. The main street was in its southern part the market square, further north it turned to the northwest and was a pilgrimage route to the church on the Kirchberg . From the town hall, the steps to the mountain were counted that corresponded to those of the Way of the Cross in Jerusalem.
The city wall closed off the old town ensemble. The city and its fortifications formed an organic unit because the curtain wall with a moat followed the relief. The city was particularly protected in the north because the Volkachbach also followed the moat there. The remaining remains of the wall date from the late Middle Ages. Prince-Bishop Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn had the city wall completely renewed by 1605.
In the following centuries the urban area became more densely populated. At first there were several gardens, especially close to the city walls inside the fortification, which were cultivated by the population. Grabengasse was not built on until the end of the 18th century. Since the early modern period , the city was divided into four quarters, which were later renamed districts . These also included the two suburbs.
Dissolution of the fortification
With the Thirty Years War , new types of guns appeared, for which the medieval fortifications were no obstacle. That is why the city wall in Volkach was left to its fate and nothing was invested in maintaining it. As a result, the walls, especially on the east side, slowly disappeared and the trenches dried up. In 1760 the moat in the east was filled in.
The former trenches were distributed to the residents of the city. In the east and south of the city the so-called moat gardens were created, to the west and north the sea gardens were created. The Volkacher received a total of 196 gardens for the cultivation of garden products, in 1835 there were still around 100 gardens. Several moat gardens have only survived on the west side of the former city wall .
The inner closeness of the old town was initially unaffected by the dissolution of the fortifications. At the beginning of the 19th century only two gates led into the city center. It was not until the city fire of 1804, in which a total of 120 buildings in the northeast of the city were destroyed by flames between June 23 and 29, that the townscape was permanently changed. Large parts of the poor population were affected by the fire . The reconstruction took a long time. The north-eastern old town is still dominated by buildings from the 19th century.
The fire was also the decisive factor in opening the city in two other places, because this was the only way to bring extinguishing water into the old town. In the west, immediately north of the town hall , the Weiher Tor was built, in the northeast the Zeilitzheimer Tor was built. In 1875, the development in the so-called Eiergasse, today's Spitalgasse, was demolished in order to connect the old town with the new building areas in the east. After the Second World War , the Weinstrasse was extended to the east out of the wall ring.
The further changes to the old town were based on economic considerations. In 1910, in the course of the construction of the railway, the bridge road at Weiher Tor, which connected the old town with the train station , was widened . Two years later, the neighboring house of the Upper Gate was broken through for the construction of a pedestrian gate and the Josefstor was built. In the 1950s, another pedestrian passage was built on the other side of the gate. The midwifery house at the lower gate was demolished in the 1930s.
In the 20th century, tourism increased, with the Volkach old town as its destination. That is why those responsible in Volkach began to convert larger parts of the old town into traffic-calmed areas or pedestrian zones . The market square is no longer allowed to be driven on, large parts of the main road can only be used in one direction. For this purpose, the designations "Upper" and "Lower Old Town" were attached to street signs . In the course of a comprehensive renovation of the old town, the asphalt surface was removed and new cobblestones laid.
Streets and squares
Volkach's old town is formed by over twelve streets, mostly arranged at right angles. The main axis is the main street, which divides the old town into a smaller western and a larger eastern part. The town hall and the parish church, which for centuries formed the stately centers of the area, are located in the south-western part of the old town. Today's street names mostly come from the 20th century, originally only the most important streets were named. They were:
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Main street and market square
The main street, formerly Marktstrasse, still forms the urban backbone of Volkach's old town today. The street market of the Middle Ages was originally located here . For the first time in 1406, Volkach was granted the right to a fair on the name day of St. Jacob by King Ruprecht . Later this right was supplemented by two more annual fairs. At the same time, a simple weekly market has been held in the settlement since the early Middle Ages.
The main street is still characterized today by the most impressive arable houses in the city. Structures made entirely of stone predominate here, and half-timbered houses have rarely been built. Important administrative buildings also settled along the main street. This is how the prince-bishop's winery emerged in the south as one of the most magnificent baroque houses in Volkach. The Zehnthof was also to be found here. In the southern part of the street sat the bailiff who administered the Volkach office.
On the west side of the main street, the urban area opens up to the market square not far north of the parish church. The town hall , which was and is an expression of the city's self-government, still exists here today . Initially, this administration building stood on the so-called “lower” or “Burgerplatz”. This now forgotten square refers to the floor plan changes that Volkach experienced in the late Middle Ages . Today's town hall was built after 1540.
Northeast
The fire of 1804 created the “youngest” quarter in the northeast of Volkach's old town. Before the fire there were mostly single-storey hackers ' houses because this area was traditionally inhabited by the poorer classes of the population. Around 120 buildings were destroyed in the fire and it was not until 1833 that this part of the city presented itself again as a closed ensemble. During the reconstruction, the city implemented a strict development plan .
So one straightened existing, medieval street fronts. At the same time, building over the Zwinger began in this part of the city , in the west this had already been done in the 18th century. At the same time, some buildings were also completely removed. As a result, the Gänseplatz in particular gained in space. For centuries, the markets for small cattle took place here. After the fire, a well was built on the square , which was filled in for a long time. The so-called dead end was built from scratch. In addition, Höfleinsgasse, which was previously only 1.50 m wide, was also widened.
Spitalstrasse
After the main street, the so-called Eiergasse (today Spitalstraße) was for a long time the second most important inner-city street. It branches off from the main street or the market square in an easterly direction and was extended with the breakthrough through the fortifications to the so-called old building of the citizens' hospital outside the old town. The original name Eiergasse refers to the function of the street in the Middle Ages and early modern times. Here were chicken products traded.
The name Spitalstrasse also gives an indication of the historical location of the so-called Julius Hospital . It was set up at the beginning of the 17th century by Prince-Bishop Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn in today's house at Hauptstraße 20 on the corner of Spitalstraße and Hauptstraße and served as a health care facility . A historical and an existing hospital still form the endpoints of Spitalstrasse today.
Important architectural monuments
In the Volkach old town, buildings from almost every century since the Middle Ages have been preserved. Many older buildings are now classified as architectural monuments , but only a fraction of the buildings in the old town were placed under protection. A particularly large number of monuments can be found along the main road. Other traditional islands can be found in Badgasse, Weinstrasse, Schelfengasse and on the market square.
The Volkach story is closely related to viticulture, which has shaped the landscape on the Mainschleife for many centuries. That is why Volkach emerged in the arable town , the inhabitants lived mainly from viticulture and the trade in drinks, so-called hacker's houses. They were mostly built on two floors and have deep cellars to store the grape juice. They were also equipped with a passage to be able to deliver the wine in large quantities.
The parish church of St. Bartholomew and St. Georg can be seen as an important monument on the main street . From 1413 work began on the new church, which had previously become a parish church. The innovations dragged on until 1597 and were completed with the construction of the church tower . Overall, the church is surrounded by houses on three sides and opens onto the main street in the east. This means that the choir side is also the front side of the church and stands out thanks to its rich structure. → see also: St. Bartholomäus and St. Georg (Volkach)
Not far from the church, also on the west side of the old town, is the Volkach town hall. It was built here in the 16th century in the Renaissance style . The town hall has three floors and ends in a steep gable roof . There is a double flight of stairs above the ogival gate entrance . A half-timbered bay crowns the building. At the back there is a stair tower. In the second half of the 20th century, the town hall was adapted to the needs of modern administration. → see also: Town Hall (Volkach)
For centuries further south, in the lower part of the main street, was the administrative center of the places belonging to Volkach. Today's court was built by the bailiff Valentin Echter von Mespelbrunn after 1605. The administration of the Volkach department was housed in the buildings. The office building presents itself as a typical representative of the real Gothic. The Volkach District Court last sat here , and today there is a hotel in the premises. → see also: Fürstbischöfliches Amtshaus (Volkach)
Similar to the two administrative houses, the walling also had an important political function in addition to its protective function. The city wall also stood out visually from its legally less well-off surrounding area. The gates are therefore particularly splendid. The Obere or Sommeracher gate tower is 18 m high and ends with the volute gable so typical of the Renaissance . On the other hand, the Lower or Gaibacher Tor with its Welschen hood is smaller . → see also: Volkacher city fortifications
Economy and Infrastructure
The Volkach old town is the main destination of the tourists who come to the Mainstadt every year. That is why one of the centers of retail and service industries in Volkach was established in the old town . Unlike in the Upper Suburb, today's Upper Market, and in the shopping park, mainly tourist offers with souvenir shops and cafes opened in the old town. A special feature is the concentration on the subject of wine, which is expressed in vinotheques , wineries and other gastronomic offers.
The service companies are concentrated along the main street, with the northern part of the main street far less frequented and thus dominated by shops. Another focal point is the market square, where restaurants in particular can be found. Until the 1990s, Spitalstrasse was an important shopping street as a connecting road to the residential areas. Today this area is characterized by frequent fluctuations in business.
In Volkach's old town there is also the girls' secondary school in the St. Maria monastery . The Dillinger Franciscan Sisters' establishment was established in 1856. In 1858, the former forestry office south of the Bartholomäuskirche was moved into. The private school now occupies the southwest of the old town around Kellereigasse, and sports facilities were built in the former trenches of the city fortifications. In the Schelfenhaus in Schelfengasse there is also the German Academy for Children's and Young Adult Literature .
See also
literature
ensemble
- Denis André Chevalley: Monuments in Bavaria. Volume VI Lower Franconia. Ensembles, architectural monuments, archaeological site monuments . Munich 1985.
- Georg Dehio : Handbook of the German art monuments. Bavaria I: Franconia . Munich and Berlin 1999.
- Gerhard Egert: Formation of borders and areas in the city of Volkach . In: Ute Feuerbach (Ed.): Volkach. 906-2006 . Volkach 2006. pp. 87-90.
- Gerhard Egert: Great fires in Volkach in the 19th century . In: Ute Feuerbach (Ed.): Our Main Loop. 1978-1992 . Pp. 157-164.
- Gerhard Egert: City and Parish Volkach am Main (A contribution to the city history of Franconia). Part I. The urban territory from the beginnings to the end of the Old Kingdom in 1803 . Würzburg and Volkach 1964.
- Ute Feuerbach: The Volkach cadastral plan from 1833 . In: Ute Feuerbach (Ed.): Our Main Loop. 1993-2007 . Volkach 2008. pp. 293-301.
- Hans-Eckhard Lindemann: Historic town centers in Main Franconia. History - structure - development . Munich 1989.
- Herbert Meyer: The city fire of 1804 . In: Ute Feuerbach (Ed.): Our Main Loop. 2008-2017 . Volkach 2018. pp. 261–263.
- Günther Schmitt: House chronicle of the city of Volkach as a mirror of the bourgeoisie. From the end of the 17th century until today (= Volkacher Hefte vol. 19) . Volkach 2017.
- Karl Treutwein : Lower Franconia . Heroldsberg 1978.
Individual monuments (selection)
More literature on the individual monuments can be found in their articles on Wikipedia.
- Hermann Buschmann: The town hall in Volkach . In: Ute Feuerbach (Ed.): Volkach. 906-2006 . Volkach 2006. pp. 103-112.
- Ute Feuerbach: First attempt at a house chronicle for Volkach: Badgasse, HSNR. 48, 49 and 50 (1833) . In: Herbert Meyer (Red.): Our Main Loop. 07/2010, 08/2010, 10/2010 . Volkach 2010.
- Ute Feuerbach: Where the name Badgasse in Volkach comes from . In: Herbert Meyer (Red.): Our Main Loop. 11/2010, 12/2010, 01/2011, 02/2011 . Volkach 2010/2011.
- Markus Josef Maier: The shelf house in Volkach. Its architecture and its stucco ceilings. A contribution to Franconian baroque research . Volkach 2001.
- Herbert Meyer: Heimatverein and Museum . In: Ute Feuerbach (Ed.): Our Main Loop. 1993-2007 . Volkach 2008. pp. 112-115.
- Herbert Meyer: Towers and gates in the old Volkach . In: Ute Feuerbach (Ed.): Volkach. 906-2006 . Volkach 2006. pp. 112-119.
- Jutta Müller: 125 years of St. Maria monastery in Volkach . In: Ute Feuerbach (Ed.): Volkach. 906-2006 . Volkach 2006. pp. 233-236.
- Günther Schmitt: From Balbus to Belle Epoque. A town house and its history . In: Herbert Meyer (Red.): Our Main Loop. 02/2015, 03/2015 . Volkach 2015.
- Günther Schmitt: From the butcher's to the “Das Leipolds” inn. Old town house in Hauptstrasse 19 . In: Herbert Meyer (Red.): Our Main Loop. 04/2015 . Volkach 2015.
- Hendrik Weingärtner (Ed.): 600 years of laying the foundation stone. 1413-2013. Catholic parish church St. Bartholomäus Volkach . Volkach 2013.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Chevalley, Denis André: Monuments in Bavaria . P. 152 f.
- ^ Egert, Gerhard: City and parish Volkach am Main . P. 59.
- ↑ Egert, Gerhard: Boundary and surface formation of the city of Volkach . P. 88.
- ^ Egert, Gerhard: City and parish Volkach am Main . P. 64.
- ↑ Schmitt, Günther: House chronicle of the city of Volkach . P. 37.
- ↑ Schmitt, Günther: Old Volkacher Gardens in and in front of the city . Pp. 175-179.
- ↑ Schmitt, Günther: House chronicle of the city of Volkach . P. 37.
- ↑ Schmitt, Günther: House chronicle of the city of Volkach . P. 123 and 131.
- ↑ Buschmann, Hermann: The town hall in Volkach . P. 103.
- ↑ Schmitt, Günther: House chronicle of the city of Volkach . P. 162.
- ↑ Schmitt, Günther: House chronicle of the city of Volkach . P. 234.
- ↑ Maier, Markus Josef: The shelf house in Volkach . P. 53.
Coordinates: 49 ° 51 '57.6 " N , 10 ° 13' 34.4" E