DEUTSCHLAND | GERMANY |
Bundesland: Freistaat Bayern | Bavaria |
Regierungsbezirk: Unterfranken | |
Landkreis: Miltenberg |
Miltenberg is situated at an elevation of 127 m on the river Main in northwest Bavaria (Lower Franconia). Miltenberg is the administrative seat of the Miltenberg district and has a population of about 9,700 (2003).
The Limes, the Roman border towards Germania, crossed the Main river in this area. The remains of two Roman forts are located between Miltenberg and Bürgstadt ("Kastell Miltenberg-Ost") and between Miltenberg and Kleinheubach ("Alstadtkastell"), respectively. Miltenberg began to develop underneath the castle Mildenburg, which had been founded around 1200 and was first mentioned in a document of 1237. During the Middle Ages, the popular brownstone was quarried in the woods near Miltenberg. The town was in possession of the archdiocese and Electorate of Mainz until the secularisation of 1803. At first the town was awarded to the Princes of Leiningen as compensation for loss of their estates which had been lost to France. The principality was incorporated in 1806 into the Grand Duchy of Baden before it passed to Hesse-Darmstadt in 1810. After the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Miltenberg became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1816.
The historic old town of Miltenberg is located on the left bank of the river, on the narrow strip between river and the Odenwald mountains. This part of the town was frequently hit by floodings throughout the past centuries. In order to provide room for the extension of the urban area, the municipality purchased land on the right bank of the river in 1912 and 1955. The municipality of Miltenberg was extended in 1971 by the incorporation of neighbouring community of Breitendiehl. Mainbullau, Schippach with Berndiel, and Wenschdorf with Monbrunn followed in 1976.
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