The place has a remarkable historical and cultural history. The corresponding architectural monuments and special features in the surrounding landscape still bear witness to this today. Some time ago, a group of citizens interested in history, led by Claudia Koch from Wernfeld, took the initiative to commemorate this past and to document it for strangers and make it tangible. With the support of the Archaeological Spessart Project in Aschaffenburg, one of the European cultural routes is also to be created in Wernfeld.
At the second regulars’ table of the interest group, the more than 30 participants discussed the special features of the place at the mouth of the Wern and the implementation of the project. The future cultural trail should therefore consist of two connected circular routes and be realized within the next one to three years. As a first draft, historian Gerrit Himmelsbach (Archaeological Spessart Project) brought along the course of the village tour and the hiking tour outside of town.
Views of Wernfeld, the Homburg ruins and the Main valley
At historically significant points, the aim is to convey the cultural peculiarities of the place and landscape to interested visitors on six large and eight DIN A3 information boards. Their locations were determined together at the regulars’ table.
The village tour includes both the old Julius Echter church and the new church, as well as the plague chapel and shrine, Wernfeld’s mills, the Gasthof Hofmann, and the Töpfergasse and the mouth of the Wern. An information board with information about the town and the Main ferry is also to be built in Klein-Wernfeld. In a second attempt, another cultural trail with Harrbach, Massenbuch and Hofstetten could possibly be created there, it was said during the exchange of views.
The hiking tour is about views of Wernfeld, the Homburg ruins and the Main Valley. One would also like to include the Seerosensee, which has already been opened up with an information board, but also the quarry, the former horse cemetery, the clay pits and the Wernfeld grotto.
Viticulture was of great importance
“Wernfeld used to be known as a broom-making and tire-cutting village for barrels,” recalled Gerrit Himmelsbach and district home caretaker Bruno Schneider in brief excerpts of the eventful history of the town on Wern and Main. Viticulture was also very important in this region.
The place was first mentioned in the 11th century when the bishop of Würzburg established the wild ban border and in 1158 in connection with the Schönrain monastery and the Rienecker counts. In 1376, Counts Gerhard and Gottfried von Rieneck sold feudal estates and proprietors for 4,000 pounds Heller to Würzburg, including estates in Wernfeld and Harrbach. Wernfeld and Gemünden also include the Zwing (“Gezwenckh”), which was of great importance in 1398/1408 as a customs post for the Bickenbach (royal customs from Homburg heritage) and later as a Würzburg customs post. In the years 1723 to 1725 the stately inn was built in the style of Balthasar Neumann by the customs officer Holzmann vom Zwing (today Gasthof Hofmann). In the 18th century there was a brewery, paper mill and plaster mill in the village.
At the next round table, the initiators want to walk the two circular routes together with all interested citizens and check the planned stations on site. The local tour is scheduled for March 24th and the out-of-town hike for April 29th. The financial cost of the project is estimated at 17,000 euros.
