Kitzingen

Infobox Ort in Deutschland
Art = Stadt
Wappen = Wappen von Kitzingen.pnglat_deg = 49 |lat_min = 44
lon_deg = 10 |lon_min = 10
Lageplan =
Bundesland = Bayern
Regierungsbezirk = Unterfranken
Landkreis = Kitzingen
Höhe = 186-230
Fläche = 46.99
Einwohner = 20860
Stand = 2006-12-31
PLZ = 97301–97318
PLZ-alt = 8710
Vorwahl = 09321
Kfz = KT
Gemeindeschlüssel = 09 6 75 141
Adresse = Kaiserstraße 13/15
97318 Kitzingen
Website = [http://www.kitzingen.info/ www.kitzingen.info]
Bürgermeister = Siegfried Müller
Partei = "Unabhängige soziale Wählergruppe"
Bürgermeistertitel = Oberbürgermeister

Kitzingen is a town in the German state of Bavaria, capital of the district Kitzingen. It is part of Franconia geographical region and has around 21,000 inhabitants.

Surrounded by vineyards, Kitzingen County is the largest wine producer in Bavaria. It is said to be Franconia's wine trade center.

History

According to legend, Kitzingen was founded when the Countess of Schwanberg lost her jeweled scarf while standing on the ramparts of her castle. The castle was located high above the fertile section of the Main River Valley where Kitzingen now lies

The Countess promised to build a cloister on the spot where the scarf was found. When it was found by a shepherd named Kitz, she kept her word and built a cloister which she called Kitzingen.

That Benedictine cloister, founded in the eighth century on the site of the present town of Kitzingen, defended the ford across the Main river.Kitzingen's history is closely tied to Würzburg. Kitzingen became a free imperial city around the year 1000. During the next century the town changed rulers often, mostly being ruled by Würzburg bishops who sold the town twice to fill their empty treasury.

In 1629 the Bishop of Wuerzburg took up his option to repurchase Kitzingen after the Peasants' Revolt in 1525. He abolished Protestantism and forced more than 1,000 residents to leave the town. This blow to the town's strength was followed by the Swedish three-year occupation during the Thirty Years' War.

Kitzingen's revival is credited to the wisdom of Bishop Johann Philip von Schoenborn of Würzburg, whose Edict of Toleration in 1650 encouraged the return of the expelled Protestants. This is why both Catholicism and Protestantism are present in Kitzingen today.

The resulting prosperity carried Kitzingen through the 18th century as one of the most important ports on the Main River. Kitzingen's life under the Prince Bishops ended with the coming of French revolutionary armies and Napoleon.

In 1814 the Congress of Vienna confirmed Kitzingen's passing, along with the rest of the region, to the Kingdom of Bavaria.

During the Cold War, Kitzingen was a staging area for the US European Command's (USAREUR) air defenses against possible Soviet air and nuclear attack. Two US Army Bases, Larson Barracks and Harvey Barracks, were located in the town. On March 29, 2007 Larson Barracks and Harvey Barracks were handed back to the German Government, with the move of the 1st Infantry Division (also known as the Victory Division) back to the United States. Since January 2007 there are no more US Army personnel based in Kitzingen. Facilities are closed down and surveillance is discontinued.

Main sights

The city's main landmark is the Crooked Tower, built during the 1200s. It is distinctive for its crooked roof. According to town legend, the tower was being built during wine fest and workers used wine instead of water to make the mortar causing the top of the tower to lean. Today the tower holds a carnival ("Fasching") museum.

A local legend is that the golden ball atop the crooked tower contains the heart of Vlad Dracula of Romania. If you follow the path of the crooked tower, the golden ball leans directly toward a grave in the Kitzingen Old Cemetery located across the street from the tower that is called the Grave of Dracula. Another local US army legend is the upside down crosses that make up the small windows on the tower, appear right side up when light casts towards the grave yard to ward off vampires. However I have been told the grave that is called "Dracula's Grave" is not, but a heavely decorated grave of a very rich family that resided in Kitzingen. To find Dracula's real grave try the book In Search of Dracula by Raymond T. McNally.l

ister cities

* - Montevarchi, Italy
* - Prades, Pyrénées-Orientales, France

External links

* [http://www.kitzingen.info Official website]