Wittelshofen

Infobox German Location
Wappen =Wappen_Wittelshofen.pnglat_deg = 49 |lat_min = 4
lon_deg = 10 |lon_min = 28
Lageplan =
Bundesland = Bayern
Regierungsbezirk = Mittelfranken
Landkreis = Ansbach
Verwaltungsgemeinschaft = Hesselberg
Höhe = 434
Fläche = 24.23
Einwohner = 1279
Stand = 2006-12-31
PLZ = 91749
Vorwahl = 09854
Kfz = AN
Gemeindeschlüssel = 09 5 71 227
Gliederung = 10 Ortsteile
Straße = Schulstr. 15
Website = [http://www.wittelshofen.de/ www.wittelshofen.de]
Bürgermeister = Hermann Reichert
Partei =

Wittelshofen is a municipality in the district of Ansbach in Bavaria in Germany.

Geography

The municipality is located near the delta of the Sulzach into the Wörnitz at the foot of the Hesselberg mountains. The municipality is divided into the following parts:
*Wittelshofen
*Grüb
*Dühren
*Gelshofen
*Illenschwang
*Neumühle
*Obermichelbach
*Untermichelbach

The neighbour municipalities are (starting in the north clockwise):
*Langfurth
*Ehingen
*Gerolfingen
*Weiltingen
*Wilburgstetten
*Dinkelsbühl

History

The place is mentioned for the first time in 1274 as "Witelshoven".

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Wittelshofen shows a lily on a blue background. Over it is a black-silver quartering. The lily was the coat of arms symbol of Gumbert in Ansbach. The blue background in represents the confluence of the Sulzach and the Wörnitz.

Religious denominations

Jewish municipality

In 1716, there were already 30 Jewish families in Wittelshofen. The Jewish population reached its peak about 1809/10 with 282 persons. Afterwards the number went through out and drift constantly back (1910 42, 1933 17 Jewish inhabitants). At least 18 Jews from Wittelshofen were killed in concetration camps between 1941 and 1945.

Museums

* Roman park Ruffenhofen
* Local history museum Heinrich Zoller

Buildings

In the old centre of Wittelshofen stands the Martinskirche. At the edge of the settlement area, which is because of the mountain-slope, kath. the holy cross church stands. Illenschwang with its former military church, Obermichelbach with its Michaelskirche and Untermichelbach with its pc. Leonard geweihten church invite to staying. A Kleinod is the Dühren lying in a pictorial side valley of the Sulzach. Its pc. Michaelskirchlein saves Fresken from that 14. and 15. Century, which only 1985 were discovered and partly opened.