Irmelshausen
Encyclopedia
Irmelshausen is a village in the municipality
of Höchheim
in the district of Rhön-Grabfeld
in Bavaria
in Germany
.
Irmelshausen is best known for the castle and related church. Irmelshausen, on the old German - German border (East & West Germany), is one of the most appealing castles in this region of Germany (Franconia
). The location of Irmelshausen is first mentioned in the year 800 when Emhild, the Abbess of Milz and a relative of Charlemagne
, gave the village to the Counts of Henneberg
. In 1354 upon the marriage of Countess Elisabeth with the Count Eberhard von Württemberg, the village was sold to the Bishopric of Würzburg
. Twenty-two years later the bishopric transferred it to Berthold von Bibra. Since that time it has been greatly enlarged and been one the main seats of the Bibra family. Parts of the castle were previously taller but during a remodeling in 1854 the half timbered sections were lowered to the present height.
Until recently it was the site of the Bibra family archives which were fortunately moved to Irmelshausen from Bibra prior to the German Peasants' War
in 1524-25. The second seat of the von Bibra family, through diplomacy it avoided being attacked and destroyed in both the Peasants War of 1525 and the Thirty Year War of 1618-48 when almost all of the surrounding castles were taken and sacked.
It is said that the first enemy soldier to enter the castle was on April 8, 1945 during World War II. American Col. Vennard Wilson was served tea, noted the contents of the castle and ordered it off limits to troops.
Besides the five sided castle, the late gothic church with it numerous and beautiful Bibra gravestones from the 16th and 17th centuries is worth visiting.
Municipalities of Germany
Municipalities are the lowest level of territorial division in Germany. This may be the fourth level of territorial division in Germany, apart from those states which include Regierungsbezirke , where municipalities then become the fifth level.-Overview:With more than 3,400,000 inhabitants, the...
of Höchheim
Höchheim
Höchheim is a municipality in the district of Rhön-Grabfeld in Bavaria in Germany. Höchheim consists of the following villages: Gollmuthhausen, Höchheim, Irmelshausen, Rothausen....
in the district of Rhön-Grabfeld
Rhön-Grabfeld
Rhön-Grabfeld is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Hassberge, Schweinfurt and Bad Kissingen, and the states of Hesse and Thuringia .-History:In medieval times the region was a part of the Bishopric of Würzburg...
in 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 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...
.
Franconia
Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken...
). The location of Irmelshausen is first mentioned in the year 800 when Emhild, the Abbess of Milz and a relative 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...
, gave the village to the Counts of Henneberg
Henneberg
Henneberg may refer to:*the House of Henneberg, German nobility*County of Henneberg, a mediæval state in the Holy Roman Empire*Henneberg, Thuringia, a municipality in Thuringia, Germany*Mary Jane Henneberg, b. 1973, TV reporter...
. In 1354 upon the marriage of Countess Elisabeth with the Count Eberhard von Württemberg, the village was sold to the Bishopric of Würzburg
Bishopric of Würzburg
The Bishopric of Würzburg was a prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire, located in Lower Franconia, around the city of Würzburg, Germany. Würzburg was a diocese from 743. In the 18th century, its bishop was often also Bishop of Bamberg...
. Twenty-two years later the bishopric transferred it to Berthold von Bibra. Since that time it has been greatly enlarged and been one the main seats of the Bibra family. Parts of the castle were previously taller but during a remodeling in 1854 the half timbered sections were lowered to the present height.
Until recently it was the site of the Bibra family archives which were fortunately moved to Irmelshausen from Bibra prior to the German Peasants' War
German Peasants' War
The German Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt was a widespread popular revolt in the German-speaking areas of Central Europe, 1524–1526. At its height in the spring and summer of 1525, the conflict involved an estimated 300,000 peasants: contemporary estimates put the dead at 100,000...
in 1524-25. The second seat of the von Bibra family, through diplomacy it avoided being attacked and destroyed in both the Peasants War of 1525 and the Thirty Year War of 1618-48 when almost all of the surrounding castles were taken and sacked.
It is said that the first enemy soldier to enter the castle was on April 8, 1945 during World War II. American Col. Vennard Wilson was served tea, noted the contents of the castle and ordered it off limits to troops.
Besides the five sided castle, the late gothic church with it numerous and beautiful Bibra gravestones from the 16th and 17th centuries is worth visiting.
External links
- http://www.vonbibra.net/Irmelshausen.html Irmelshausen Page on vonbibra.net