Kitzingen Facts for Kids

Kitzingen is a town in Germany, located in the state of Bavaria. It is the main town of the Kitzingen district and is part of the Franconia region. About 21,000 people live here. Kitzingen is famous for its many vineyards. It is the biggest wine producer in Bavaria and is often called the center for wine trade in Franconia.

Kitzingen's Past: A Look at History
Kitzingen's Mayors
Famous Places to See in Kitzingen
- The Leaning Tower
- The Legend of Dracula's Heart
Kitzingen's Sister Cities
Famous People from Kitzingen
Images for kids
See also

Kitzingen's Past: A Look at History

How Kitzingen Began

According to an old story, Kitzingen was founded by a Countess from Schwanberg. She was standing on her castle walls, high above the Main River valley, when she lost her special jeweled scarf. The Countess promised to build a cloister (a place where monks or nuns live) exactly where the scarf was found.

A shepherd named Kitz found the scarf. So, the Countess kept her promise and built a cloister, naming it Kitzingen after him. This Benedictine cloister was started in the 8th century. It was built near a ford, which was a shallow place to cross the Main River.

Changing Rulers and Tough Times

Kitzingen's story is closely linked to the city of Würzburg. Around the year 1000, Kitzingen became a free imperial city, meaning it was independent. However, over the next century, the town often changed rulers. Most of the time, it was ruled by the prince-bishops of Würzburg. They even sold the town twice when they needed money!

In 1629, a prince-bishop named Philipp Adolf von Ehrenberg bought Kitzingen back. This happened after the Peasants' Revolt in 1525. He made Protestantism illegal and forced over 1,000 people to leave the town. This was a big blow to Kitzingen. Then, during the Thirty Years' War, the Swedish army occupied the town for three years.

A New Beginning and Prosperity

Kitzingen started to recover thanks to Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp von Schönborn of Würzburg. In 1650, he issued an "Edict of Toleration," which allowed the expelled Protestants to return. This is why both Catholicism and Protestantism are still present in Kitzingen today.

This new freedom brought good times to Kitzingen. Throughout the 18th century, it became one of the most important ports on the Main River. Kitzingen's time under the prince-bishops ended when French revolutionary armies and Napoleon arrived. In 1814, the Congress of Vienna confirmed that Kitzingen, along with the rest of its region, would become part of the Kingdom of Bavaria.

Kitzingen in Modern Times

World War II and the Cold War

During World War II, two places in Kitzingen, Harvey and Larson Barracks, were German military bases. The German Air Force used Harvey Barracks as an airport. They would even flood the landing strip to make it harder for Allied planes to land. There were also many levels of underground hangars said to contain German World War II aircraft. These hangars were booby-trapped by the Germans as they retreated.

During the Cold War, Kitzingen was an important area for the U.S. Army. It helped protect against possible Soviet air attacks. For many years, the 2nd Brigade of the Third Infantry Division was based there. Some of these units were sent to Operation Desert Storm in 1990. On March 29, 2007, Larson Barracks and Harvey Barracks were given back to the German government. This happened when the 1st Infantry Division moved back to the United States.

American Life in Kitzingen

The Marshall Heights Housing Area had apartments for most of the American families. It included a grocery store (commissary), schools for students from Kindergarten to 8th grade, and a youth center. High school students took buses to a high school in Wurzburg. Since January 2007, there have been no more U.S. Army personnel based in Kitzingen.

Kitzingen's Mayors

Kitzingen has had several mayors over the years, leading the town. Here are some of them:

Konrad Döppert (1946–1948)
Richard Wildhagen (1948–1952)
Siegfried Wilke (1952–1958)
Dr. Oskar Klemmert (1958–1967)
Rudolf Schardt (1967–1991)
Dr. Erwin Rumpel (1991–1997)
Bernd Moser (1997–2008)
Siegfried Müller (2008–2020)
Stefan Güntner (since 2020)

Famous Places to See in Kitzingen

The Leaning Tower

The most famous landmark in Kitzingen is the Leaning Tower, also known as the Falterturm. It was built in the 13th century and is special because of its crooked roof. A local story says that when the tower was being built, there was a drought. Workers supposedly used wine instead of water to mix the mortar, which made the top of the tower lean! Today, the tower has a carnival (Fasching) museum inside.

The Legend of Dracula's Heart

There's a local legend that the golden ball at the very top of the Leaning Tower holds the heart of Vlad Dracula from Romania. The golden ball points directly towards a grave in the Kitzingen Old Cemetery, which is called the Grave of Dracula.

Another story, popular with U.S. Army soldiers who were stationed here, says that the small windows on the tower look like upside-down crosses. They appear right-side up when light shines towards the graveyard, supposedly to ward off vampires. However, some people believe that the "Dracula's Grave" is not actually where Vlad Dracula is buried. They think it's just a very fancy grave of a rich family who lived in Kitzingen.

Kitzingen's Sister Cities

Kitzingen has special connections with other towns around the world. These are called sister cities:

Montevarchi, Italy
Prades, France
Trzebnica, Poland
Nalžovské Hory, Czechia

Famous People from Kitzingen

Many notable people have come from Kitzingen:

Johann Michael Fehr (1610–1688), a doctor and scientist
Bella Fromm (1890–1972), a journalist and writer
Max Hamburger (1897–1970), a lawyer
Ulf Hoelscher (born 1942), a violinist and music teacher
Fridel Meyer (1904–1982), a long-distance kayaker
Friedrich Spiegel (1820–1905), an expert in Eastern languages and cultures
Konrad Stürtzel (c. 1435–1509), a court chancellor for the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation

Images for kids

The Old Synagogue
50 Pfennig Notgeld banknote from Kitzingen, 1921
50 Pfennig Notgeld coin made of brown stoneware

Kitzingen facts for kids

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