Mömlingen
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| Mömlingen | |
| Coat of arms | Location |
 |
  |
| Administration | |
| Country |  Germany |
|---|---|
| State | Bavaria |
| Admin. region | Lower Franconia |
| District | Miltenberg |
| Mayor | Siegfried Scholtka (CSU) |
| Governing party | CSU |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 18.45 km² (7.1 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 148 m (486 ft) |
| Population | 5,035 (31/12/2006) |
| - Density | 273 /km² (707 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | MIL |
| Postal code | 63853 |
| Area code | 06022 |
| Website | www.moemlingen.de |
Mömlingen is a municipality in the district of Miltenberg, Bavaria, Germany.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
The town is situated at the border to the federal state of Hesse with the two hill chains of Spessart to its east and Odenwald to its west. Mömlingen is therefore also called the "Gate to the Odenwald". Going north from Mömlingen one enters the Bavarian district of Aschaffenburg through the neighbouring village of Pflaumheim; in the west there are the Hessian districts of Darmstadt-Dieburg starting with the city of Groß-Umstadt, and Odenwaldkreis starting with the city of Breuberg.
[edit] History
[edit] Celtic and Roman settlement
Celtic settlement of the area can be traced back to as early as the stoneage, with several prehistoric cairns and other findings in the boundaries of today's Mömlingen serving as evidence.
Parts of columns in honour of the Roman God Jupiter along with other god stones and traces of Roman country houses (villa rustica) on the highs around Mömlingen show the large dimensions of the Roman Empire, which had its border (the so-called "Wet Limes") at the nearby river Main only a few kilometres to the east of Mömlingen.
[edit] Franconian settlement
Archeologists have found a large burial ground west of the village, indicating Franconian settlements as early as the 6th century. Many of the graves found had no or only sparse burial objects; however, there were also some with extraordinary rich decorations (including a gold coin of Mainz and some silk remains), thus allowing the conclusion that there had been an aristocratic upper class among the citizens. It is assumed that this upper class controlled the Franconian colonization by royal order.
[edit] First documented mentionning
The settlement was mentioned as "Miminingen" for the first time in an official document of the monastery of Fulda, which was issued between 802 and 812 a.D. (during the tenure of Ratgar, abbot of Fulda). In comparison to many neighbouring municipalities, this is a quite early first mentionning. It is assumed that the construction of the first church in Mömlingen also dates back to this time, since Martin, the patron saint of the old church, was frequently used for this purpose in Franconia in those times.
[edit] Church and Aristocracy - Mainz and Breuberg
It is a known fact that during the Middle Ages the church operated many institutions in Mömlingen. Furthermore, many people of upper and lower nobility owned estate in the boundaries of Mömlingen, received taxes and had other rights. In 1024, Emperor Heinrich II. gave the principality of Stockstadt, along with Mömlingen, which was part of same at that time, to the monastery of Fulda. The town was later given to the monastery of Mainz, together with the principality of Bachgau. The fact that Mömlingen, until 1803, politically belonged to the hundred of Bachgau (and thus to the monastery of Mainz), whereas the jurisdiction, vast amounts of estate, and other traditional rights belonged to the lords of the nearby Castle of Breuburg, lead to permanent struggles between the two territorial powers of Mainz and Breuberg.
[edit] The Lords of Mimling - Hans Memling
Members of a family of presumeably lower aristocracy by the name of "von Mimling" (and similar spellings) appeared in written documents in the late Middle Ages, mostly as members of the clergy or the aristocracy. Historians have no doubt that the ancestors of the famous painter Hans Memling, who was born around 1435 in Seligenstadt, are also from Mömlingen. His works can today be seen in many museums and galleries around the world.
[edit] Hausen behind the sun
"Hausen behind the sun" (German: Hausen hinter der Sonne) was a village at the southern hills of Mömlingen, which belonged to the monastery of Bamberg. After the plague had spread all over Germany in 1348, the population of the village decreased considerably. The last inhabitants of Hausen moved to Mömlingen in the early 16th century. Mömlingen, along with the neighbouring village of Hainstadt (today part of the city of Breuberg), grew in terms of area after the small village of Hausen hinter der Sonne had become abandoned.
[edit] Consequences of the Thirty Years' War
An interest register of 1426 gives information about the size of Mömlingen in the late Middle Ages. At that time, the Counts of Wertheim, then owners of the territory of Breuberg, received taxes from 62 houses; Mömlingen was thus a settlement of considerable size and population. However, the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) had immense consequences for the development of Mömlingen. The plague, plunderings, and pillage decreased the population strongly, with only few survivors recorded as of 1650. Many old and long-established families were annihilated. Plenty of new names can be found in the archives from the time just after the war. Immigrants came into the village, many of them from Italy (Bolzano-Bozen), France, and the Netherlands.
The Thirty Years' War also made the construction of a new church impossible. It wasn't until 1774/1777 that the plan could be realized. Today, the baroque-styled church is one of the landmarks of the village.
[edit] Mömlingen becomes Bavarian
The early 19th century marked the end of an era of more than 600 years, in which Mömlingen was politically part of the principality of Mainz. In 1803, Mömlingen became part of the newly-established principality of Aschaffenburg. Aschaffenburg (along with Mömlingen) then became part of the short-lived grand duchy of Frankfurt, and eventually, in 1814, of Bavaria.
With a considerable increase in terms of size and new buildings after the Second World War, Mömlingen has become a small commercial center. Its scenic landscape is appreciated by many visitors.
[edit] Politics
[edit] Municipal council
The municipal council is made up of 20 members (excluding the mayor) from 3 political parties:
(as of the local elections of March 2, 2008)
[edit] Twin town
The French village of La Rochette (Savoie) has been the twin town of Mömlingen since 1992.
[edit] Coat of Arms
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[edit] External links
- History Portal of Mömlingen (in German)
- Official Website (in German)
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