Bad Orb
Encyclopedia
Bad Orb is a spa town in the Main-Kinzig district, in Hesse
, Germany
. It is situated 32 east km of Hanau
. Bad Orb is between forested hills in the Nature Park Spessart, one of the largest forested areas in Germany. The canyon-side donkey path that runs to Großheubach in Miltenberg Kreis passes Bad Orb. In the past, this trade route was used to transport salt
to the Main River
. The first salt deposits were discovered in 650 BC. Bad Orb is also home to the Frankfurter Schullandheim Wegscheide, a summer camp for children founded in 1920 on the grounds of the former army training camp, and the Spessart Clinic, a children's hospital founded in 1884.
and Bad Soden-Salmünster
; in the east, Spessart region; in the south, Jossgrund
; and in the west, Biebergemünd
.
facility, in which brine dripped over a total length of 2050 meters of blackthorn
twigs in order to raise the salt concentration of the water before boiling. The production of "white gold" reached its high point in the 17th and 18th centuries. The remaining salina today is used for healthcare, especially inhalation and relaxation. During secularization Bad Orb became Bavarian in 1814 when before it belonged to the Electorate of Mainz. During the campaigns of the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, Bad Orb became Prussian. After 1900 brine
began to be used as an alternative medicine and is, thus, the second largest money maker for Bad Orb after tourism. Bad Orb was named a nationally certified spa town in 1909. In 1884 a children's medical facility was founded by the brothers Friedrich and Wilhelm Hufnagel, a pastor and a doctor - today known as the Spessart-Klinik.
This area of Germany is known to hold ancient Germanic tribal standards known as Orbism, ancient Orb ruins were found at an undisclosed area of Leopold Koch Straße.
Bad Orb was the site of a P.O.W. camp during WWII named Stalag IX-B
. The camp held reports of 3000-4500 American Soldiers, though it is unknown the number of French, Italian, Serbian and Russian soldiers also held there. Toward the end of the war the conditions at Stalag IX-B deteriorated precipitously, as a result of poor supply and scarcity of fuel. Based on interviews with former P.O.W.s there it could rank as one of the worst German camps that held American P.O.W.s, most of them captured after the Battle of the Bulge
, though the Russians were treated far worse, based on eye witness accounts, and buried in mass graves. There is a monument to the Russian Dead located at the grave site. The US mission to liberate Stalag IX-B began on April 2, 1945.
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
, 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...
. It is situated 32 east km of Hanau
Hanau
Hanau is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main. Its station is a major railway junction.- Geography :...
. Bad Orb is between forested hills in the Nature Park Spessart, one of the largest forested areas in Germany. The canyon-side donkey path that runs to Großheubach in Miltenberg Kreis passes Bad Orb. In the past, this trade route was used to transport salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
to the Main River
Main river
Main rivers are a statutory type of watercourse in England and Wales, usually larger streams and rivers, but also include some smaller watercourses. A main river is defined as a watercourse marked as such on a main river map, and can include any structure or appliance for controlling or regulating...
. The first salt deposits were discovered in 650 BC. Bad Orb is also home to the Frankfurter Schullandheim Wegscheide, a summer camp for children founded in 1920 on the grounds of the former army training camp, and the Spessart Clinic, a children's hospital founded in 1884.
Neighboring Communities
In the north, Bad Orb borders on the cities WächtersbachWächtersbach
-Location:Wächtersbach lies between the Spessart and the Vogelsberg Mountains in the middle Kinzig valley at the edge of the Büdingen Forest, not far from the towns of Gelnhausen, Birstein, Bad Orb and Bad Soden-Salmünster.-Neighbouring communities:...
and Bad Soden-Salmünster
Bad Soden-Salmünster
Bad Soden-Salmünster is a town in the Main-Kinzig district, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated on the river Kinzig, between Fulda and Hanau.-References:...
; in the east, Spessart region; in the south, Jossgrund
Jossgrund
Jossgrund is a municipality in the Main-Kinzig district, in Hesse, Germany....
; and in the west, Biebergemünd
Biebergemünd
Biebergemünd is a municipality in the Main-Kinzig district, in Hesse, Germany....
.
History
Bad Orb was first documented in 1059 AD and received its town privileges in 1244 AD - which included the minting of a coin, the Orber (one half Pfennig). The remains of the battlements also originate from this time such as the walls and gates. The extraction of salt from several salt springs gives the city the look it has today. There were 11 salinas, one of them was renovated and preserved, sometimes called thorn houses or salt works, belonging in the decoctionDecoction
Decoction is a method of extraction, by boiling, of dissolved chemicals, or herbal or plant material, which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes. Decoction involves first mashing, and then boiling in water to extract oils, volatile organic compounds, and other chemical substances...
facility, in which brine dripped over a total length of 2050 meters of blackthorn
Blackthorn
Prunus spinosa is a species of Prunus native to Europe, western Asia, and locally in northwest Africa. It is also locally naturalised in New Zealand and eastern North America....
twigs in order to raise the salt concentration of the water before boiling. The production of "white gold" reached its high point in the 17th and 18th centuries. The remaining salina today is used for healthcare, especially inhalation and relaxation. During secularization Bad Orb became Bavarian in 1814 when before it belonged to the Electorate of Mainz. During the campaigns of the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, Bad Orb became Prussian. After 1900 brine
Brine
Brine is water, saturated or nearly saturated with salt .Brine is used to preserve vegetables, fruit, fish, and meat, in a process known as brining . Brine is also commonly used to age Halloumi and Feta cheeses, or for pickling foodstuffs, as a means of preserving them...
began to be used as an alternative medicine and is, thus, the second largest money maker for Bad Orb after tourism. Bad Orb was named a nationally certified spa town in 1909. In 1884 a children's medical facility was founded by the brothers Friedrich and Wilhelm Hufnagel, a pastor and a doctor - today known as the Spessart-Klinik.
This area of Germany is known to hold ancient Germanic tribal standards known as Orbism, ancient Orb ruins were found at an undisclosed area of Leopold Koch Straße.
Bad Orb was the site of a P.O.W. camp during WWII named Stalag IX-B
Stalag IX-B
Stalag IX-B also known as Bad Orb was a World War II German Army POW camp at Wegscheide close to Bad Orb in the province of Hesse, Germany...
. The camp held reports of 3000-4500 American Soldiers, though it is unknown the number of French, Italian, Serbian and Russian soldiers also held there. Toward the end of the war the conditions at Stalag IX-B deteriorated precipitously, as a result of poor supply and scarcity of fuel. Based on interviews with former P.O.W.s there it could rank as one of the worst German camps that held American P.O.W.s, most of them captured after the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, though the Russians were treated far worse, based on eye witness accounts, and buried in mass graves. There is a monument to the Russian Dead located at the grave site. The US mission to liberate Stalag IX-B began on April 2, 1945.