Altendorf, Upper Franconia
Encyclopedia
Altendorf is a community in the Upper Franconia
n district of Bamberg
, Bavaria
, Germany
.
The community also has two traditional rural land units, known in German
as Gemarkungen, also named Altendorf and Seußling (it is traditional for a Gemarkung to be named after a town or village lying nearby).
, Altendorf belonged to the High Monastery at Bamberg. Since the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss of 1803, the community has belonged to Bavaria
. In the course of administrative reform in Bavaria, today’s community came into being under the Gemeindeedikt (“Community Edict”) of 1818.
Many finds from Celtic times point to early settlement. While Altendorf was first mentioned as a Slavic
round village in 1096, the outlying centre of Seußling had already been mentioned as a church village by 800. Here stood one of Charlemagne
’s 14 Slavic churches (Slavenkirchen). Seußling’s parochial area reached well into the Steigerwald (forest).
church in Altendorf is affiliated with Sankt Bartholomäus, Buttenheim
. Also within the community is the Catholic parish of Sankt-Sigismund Seußling.
The parish church of St. Sigismund received its patronage when Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
had the saint’s bones transferred from Saint-Maurice
in the Swiss
canton
of Valais
to Prague
. The shrine
was also set down in Seußling, holding one of the dead king’s arms as a relic
in the parish church.
Denominational breakdown of the inhabitants:
The population growth between 1961 and 1971 amounted to 80% owing to the community’s favourable location for transport links and widespread building development.
The community council is made up of 14 members, listed here by party or voter community affiliation, and also with the number of seats that each holds:
In 1999, municipal tax revenue, converted to euro
s, amounted to €1,002,000 of which business taxes (net) amounted to €316,000.
The German blazon
, however, does not mention that the horse is trippant (standing with one forefoot raised), nor does it mention that the key’s bit is downturned, but the arms are usually so executed.
The black horse is already seen on a silver
coin
found in the lands settled by the Celts and believed to have been struck about 80 BC. The silver key in the chief (band at the top of a coat of arms) refers to the connection to the old noble family of Schlüsselberg (“Schlüssel” literally means “key” in German
).
or forestry
in 1998. In producing businesses there were 616, and in trade and transport
19. In other areas, 17 workers on the social welfare contribution rolls are employed, and 689 such workers work from home. Seven employed in processing businesses (as well as mining and quarrying). Four businesses are in construction, and furthermore, in 1999, there were 19 agricultural operations with a working area of 393 ha, of which 329 ha was cropland and 64 ha was meadowland.
Upper Franconia
Upper Franconia is a Regierungsbezirk of the state of Bavaria, southern Germany. It forms part of the historically significant region of Franconia , all now part of the German Federal State of Bayern .With more than 200 independent breweries which brew...
n district of Bamberg
Bamberg (district)
Bamberg Land is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It surrounds but does not include the town of Bamberg. The district is bounded by the districts of Lichtenfels, Bayreuth, Forchheim, Erlangen-Höchstadt, Neustadt -Bad Windsheim, Kitzingen, Schweinfurt and Haßberge.- History :The history of the...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Constituent communities
The namesake centre of Altendorf has 1,544 inhabitants while the outlying amalgamated centre of Seußling (or Seussling) has 542 (as of 1 January 2003).The community also has two traditional rural land units, known in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
as Gemarkungen, also named Altendorf and Seußling (it is traditional for a Gemarkung to be named after a town or village lying nearby).
History
Before SecularizationSecularization
Secularization is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions...
, Altendorf belonged to the High Monastery at Bamberg. Since the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss of 1803, the community has belonged to Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. In the course of administrative reform in Bavaria, today’s community came into being under the Gemeindeedikt (“Community Edict”) of 1818.
Many finds from Celtic times point to early settlement. While Altendorf was first mentioned as a Slavic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
round village in 1096, the outlying centre of Seußling had already been mentioned as a church village by 800. Here stood one of Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
’s 14 Slavic churches (Slavenkirchen). Seußling’s parochial area reached well into the Steigerwald (forest).
Religion
The CatholicCatholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
church in Altendorf is affiliated with Sankt Bartholomäus, Buttenheim
Buttenheim
Buttenheim is a market town in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg and lies in the Regnitz Valley between Bamberg and Nuremberg.Buttenheim is Levi Strauss’s birthplace; the future inventor of blue jeans emigrated from here to the United States in 1847....
. Also within the community is the Catholic parish of Sankt-Sigismund Seußling.
The parish church of St. Sigismund received its patronage when Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
had the saint’s bones transferred from Saint-Maurice
Saint-Maurice, Valais
Saint-Maurice, or Saint-Maurice-en-Valais, is a municipality and district capital of the district of Saint-Maurice in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.It is the site of the Roman outpost of Agaunum and the mediaeval St...
in the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
to Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. The shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
was also set down in Seußling, holding one of the dead king’s arms as a relic
Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
in the parish church.
Denominational breakdown of the inhabitants:
- Roman Catholic: 1,555
- Evangelical: 287
- other: 240
Population development
Within community limits, 1,274 inhabitants were counted in 1970, 1,542 in 1987 and 2,006 in 2000. In June 2007, 1,963 people lived in Altendorf.The population growth between 1961 and 1971 amounted to 80% owing to the community’s favourable location for transport links and widespread building development.
Politics
The mayor is Wolfgang Rössler of the Unabhängiger Bürgerblock (UBB).The community council is made up of 14 members, listed here by party or voter community affiliation, and also with the number of seats that each holds:
- CSUChristian Social Union of BavariaThe Christian Social Union in Bavaria is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It operates only in the state of Bavaria, while its sister party, the Christian Democratic Union , operates in the other 15 states of Germany...
: 4 - Unabhängiger Bürgerblock (UBB): 3
- Zum Wohle der Bürger (ZWdB): 3
- Freie Wähler Seußling (FWS): 3
- Aktive Bürger (AKB): 1
In 1999, municipal tax revenue, converted to euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s, amounted to €1,002,000 of which business taxes (net) amounted to €316,000.
Coat of arms
Altendorf’s arms might heraldically be described thus: Under the chief gules, therein a key argent per fess the bit downturned, in Or a horse trippant sable.The German blazon
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
, however, does not mention that the horse is trippant (standing with one forefoot raised), nor does it mention that the key’s bit is downturned, but the arms are usually so executed.
The black horse is already seen on a silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
coin
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
found in the lands settled by the Celts and believed to have been struck about 80 BC. The silver key in the chief (band at the top of a coat of arms) refers to the connection to the old noble family of Schlüsselberg (“Schlüssel” literally means “key” in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
).
Economy and infrastructure
According to official statistics, there were no workers on the social welfare contribution rolls working in agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
or forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
in 1998. In producing businesses there were 616, and in trade and transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
19. In other areas, 17 workers on the social welfare contribution rolls are employed, and 689 such workers work from home. Seven employed in processing businesses (as well as mining and quarrying). Four businesses are in construction, and furthermore, in 1999, there were 19 agricultural operations with a working area of 393 ha, of which 329 ha was cropland and 64 ha was meadowland.
Education
In 1999, the following institutions existed in Altendorf:- KindergartenKindergartenA kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
s with 75 places for 59 children - Schools: primary school with first and second grades