Unterfranken (Lower Franconia)
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Regional Research > Germany, after 1989 > Bavaria > Unterfranken (Lower Franconia)
![]() Location of Administrative District (Regierungsbezirk) Unterfranken within the Federal State (Bundesland) Bavaria |
Introduction
Unterfranken (Lower Franconia) is one of the 7 administrative districts (Regierungsbezirk) of Bavaria (Bayern).
Coat of Arms
The Lower Franconian coat of arms represents the former territories that made up the main parts of this area. The flag (standard) represents the former Hochstift Würzburg (territory of the Bishopric), the wheel represents the territory formerly owned by the Erzstift Mainz and the third part is the Fränkischen Rechen.
Der Fränkische Rechen (the Franconian rake or saw-tooth) shows three white (silver) spires on a red background. The saw-tooth has become a symbol commonly associated with the whole region of Franconia - consisting of Lower Franconia, Middle Franconia and Upper Franconia. In medieval times there never was a united political entity called Franken (Franconia), only a lot of small formerly sovereign states and numerous ecclesiastical holdings that made up this region. Due to this there had never been an actual historical coat of arms for the whole region of Franconia. Nevertheless the white and red Fränkischer Rechen became the symbol for Franconia; in the so-called great version of Bavarias coat of arms as well as in the coat of arms of the other two Franconian administrative districts.
General Information
Unterfranken (Lower Franconia) is located in the northwest of Bavaria and is the most northern of the seven Bavarian administrative districts, yet its located right in the heart of Germany. It borders on the Bavarian administrative districts Middle Franconia and Upper Franconia and it also borders on these German Federal States: in the northwest on Hesse, in the northeast on Thuringia and in the southwest on Baden-Württemberg. Wine growing is an over 1200 years old documented tradition of Lower Franconia. The Franconian wine (Frankenwein) is considered as one of the top-quality wines of Germany and is an absolute top-quality product in Europe. The three largest and the two oldest wine-growing estates of Germany are located in Lower Franconia. Its also famous for its medical health spas (Heilbäder), three of the five Bavarian "Staatsbäder" (medical spas) are located in Lower Franconia. The largest river in Lower Franconia is the Main, its the back bone and life-line of this region.
Data: 2003 | Area in qkm | Population | Inhabitants /qkm |
Unterfranken (Lower Franconia) | 8,531 | 1,344,740 | 158 |
Middle Franconia | 7,245 | 1,706,615 | 236 |
Upper Franconia | 7,231 | 1,109,674 | 153 |
Franconia total | 23,007 | 4,161,029 | 181 |
Bavaria total | 70,549 | 12,423,386 | 176 |
(Source: Bayerisches Landesamt für Statistik und Datenverarbeitung, Genesis online)
see also:
Political Structure
Lower Franconias administrative Capital is the city of Würzburg.
Counties
- Aschaffenburg
- Bad Kissingen
- Haßberge
- Kitzingen
- Main-Spessart
- Miltenberg
- Rhön-Grabfeld
- Schweinfurt
- Würzburg
Independent Cities
Structure before 1972/78
In 1972/78 Bavaria had a major re-organization of the administrative system - a county-reform (Landkreisreform) and the municipality-reform (Gemeindereform). Aim was to downsize the number of existing administrative counties (Landkreise), independent cities (Kreisfreie Städte) and municipalities (Gemeinden). After these reforms a lot of formerly independent places and communities became part of another municipality (sometimes with this even became part of another county). Also some formerly existing counties were combined and the old county names ceased to exists. In some areas of Bavaria places even changed the administrative district (Regierungsbezirk) they belonged too.
Lower Franconias past administrative structure:(**)
Lower Franconia | since 1972 | before 1972 |
Counties | 9 | 23 |
Independent Cities | 3 | 4 |
Municipalities | 308 | ? |
Counties (before county/municipality reforms in 1972 / 78):
- Alzenau in Ufr.
- Aschaffenburg
- Bad Brückenau
- Bad Kissingen
- Bad Neustadt an der Saale
- Ebern
- Gemünden
- Gerolzhofen
- Hammelburg
- Haßfurt
- Hofheim in Ufr.
- Karlstadt
- Kitzingen
- Bad Königshofen im Grabfeld
- Lohr am Main
- Marktheidenfeld
- Mellrichstadt
- Miltenberg
- Obernburg am Main
- Ochsenfurt
- Schweinfurt
- Volkach
- Würzburg
Independent Cities (before county/municipality reforms in 1972 / 78):
- Aschaffenburg
- Schweinfurt
- Würzburg
- Kitzingen
(**)
(Source: Handbuch der bayerischen Ämter, Gemeinden und Gerichte 1799-1980, Hrsg. W. Volkert)
Church Structure
Due to historical reasons Lower Franconia population is dominantly more catholic then in the other two Franconian administrative districts. Lower Franconias population is to 75 % Roman-Catholic (römisch-katholisch) and to 20 % protestant (evangelisch-lutherisch), according to data from 1987.
This is due to the fact that the main parts of nowadays Lower Franconian combine the territories of the catholic former Hochstift Würzburg, Hochstift Fulda and Kurfürstentum Mainz - beside other smaller secular and ecclesiastical former holdings (see: Maps - territory development). A Hochstift was a former ecclesiastical principality of a bishopric. In the past in Lower Franconia the people either stayed catholic or reverted back to Catholicism after the so-called Gegenreformation (rigorous reinforcing of Catholicism, Counter-Reformation).
Evangelical-Lutheran
- Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Bavaria
- Church district Ansbach-Würzburg
- Church district Bayreuth
- Church book archives
Evangelical-Reformed
Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche (Evangelical-Reformed Church, Homepage)
Territories and history
Roman-Catholic
- Bistum Würzburg Bishopric of Würzburg
- Karte des Bistums map of parishes in the bishopric Würzburg
- Liste der Dekanate List of Deaneries
- Church book archives
Jewish
Religion of Population (1987)
Religion of population (1987) | Population | Roman Catholic | Evangelical church (**) | Jewish | other Religions | none |
total | % | % | % | % | % | |
Bavaria | 10,902,643 | 67 | 24 | 0.05 | 4 | 5 |
Lower Franconia | 1,202,711 | 75 | 20 | 0.02 | 2 | 3 |
County Aschaffenburg | 152,367 | 83 | 11 | 0.01 | 3 | 3 |
County Bad Kissingen | 99,022 | 81 | 17 | 0.02 | 1 | 2 |
County Rhön-Grabfeld | 77,197 | 77 | 21 | 0.01 | 1 | 2 |
County Haßberge | 80,257 | 71 | 27 | 0.01 | 1 | 1 |
County Kitzingen | 79,304 | 54 | 43 | 0.01 | 1 | 2 |
County Miltenberg | 114,255 | 80 | 12 | 0.01 | 6 | 2 |
County Main-Spessart | 122,047 | 81 | 15 | 0.01 | 2 | 2 |
County Schweinfurt | 103,697 | 78 | 19 | 0.02 | 1 | 2 |
County Würzburg | 138,261 | 77 | 19 | 0.02 | 1 | 3 |
Aschaffenburg (city) | 60,964 | 73 | 17 | 0.09 | 6 | 5 |
Schweinfurt (city) | 51,962 | 56 | 33 | 0.03 | 7 | 4 |
Würzburg (city) | 123,378 | 69 | 24 | 0.06 | 3 | 4 |
(**) incl. Freikirchen
(Data: 1987, Bayerisches Landesamt für Statistik und Datenverarbeitung, Genesis online)
History
See here separate page:
Historical Political Structure
Before 1803/1806/1814 the territory of Lower Franconia consisted of a varied mix of separate sovereign states and holdings (this situation is in German also called Kleinstaaterei).
Historical predecessor entities on Lower Franconian territory before 1803/1806/1814:
- Hochstift Würzburg (also called Fürstbistum, a former ecclesiastical principality of the archbishopric)
- Territories of the Kurfürstentum Mainz (ecclesiastical holdings)
- Territories of the Hochstift Fulda
- Territory of the Imperial Free City of Schweinfurt
- Ecclesiastical territories owned by the former Hochstift Bamberg
- Territories of the Deutschorden
- Territories of other Franconia monasteries and abbeys (ecclesiastical holdings)
- Territories of Franconian Counts and noble lords (Reichsritterschaft)
See here also:
Development of the past administrative structure of Lower Franconia after 1814:
Within the organizational structure of the Kingdom of Bavaria, all the separate predecessor entities of current day Lower Franconia were combined and in:
- 1817: the new Untermainkreis (with capital: Würzburg) was formed
After a re-organization of the royal administration, the administrative region was renamed in:
- 1837: Kreis Unterfranken und Aschaffenburg, the territory stayed the same.
The main area of this administrative region called Kreis Unterfranken und Aschaffenburg is more or less identical to the Lower Franconia as we know it today. In the following centuries there were only a few changes: e.g. in 1866: county office Bezirksamt Gersfeld was handed over to Prussia, in 1938: administrative region Kreis Unterfranken und Aschaffenburg was renamed into Kreis Mainfranken, in 1946: Kreis Mainfranken was renamed into Regierungsbezirk Unterfranken (administrative district Lower Franonica), in 1972: there were only minor changes in the bordering areas to other Bavarian administrative districts but some major re-organization of the administrative structure within Lower Franconia. See here:
- Political Structure - now and before 1972
- Maps - past administrative organization
- Names of old Bavarian administrative regions
Abbreviation:
LG ä.O. = Landgericht älterer Ordnung / Landgericht ä.O. (Regional court area of the old Order)
Genealogical and Historical Societies
Genealogical Societies
- Gesellschaft für Familienforschung in Franken e.V. Society for family research in Franconia, in English and German
- Arbeitskreis Personen- und Familienforschung im Geschichts- und Kunstverein Aschaffenburg e. V. (Family research group of the History and Art Society of Aschaffenburg)
Historical Societies
- Historischer Verein von Unterfranken und Aschaffenburg
Genealogical and Historical Documents
Bibliography
Genealogical Literature
Historical Literature
- Franken (Franconia) Literature#Historical Literature
- Archiv des Historischen Vereins von Unterfranken und Aschaffenburg (1838-1938)
- Mainfränkisches Jahrbuch für Geschichte und Kunst (1949-)
Gazetteers and Maps
Gazetteers
- Bavaria Places Search How to find a place in Bavaria ?
Maps
- Bavaria Maps Overview of helpful Links to maps for genealogist.
- Franconia Maps - 850 until today
- Written background information for below mentioned maps, see parts:
Maps showing the territory development of Lower Franconia from 1789-1819:
- Former sovereign states on the territory of nowadays Lower Franconia, 1792
- Former sovereign states on the territory of nowadays Lower Franconia, 1789, (very good and detailed map, showing many of the former separate entities, e.g. Hochstift Würzburg (Fürstbistum), Kurfürstentum Main, Hochstift Fulda (Fürstbistum) and other small secular and ecclesiastical holdings etc. )
- Former sovereign states on the territory of nowadays Lower Franconia, 1789, (very good and detailed map, showing many of the former smaller separate entities, e.g. Freie Reichsstadt Schweinfurt, Grafschaft Wertheim and other small secular and ecclesiastical holdings etc. )
- Electorate of Bavaria, 1803
- Kingdom of Bavaria, 1808
- Kingdom of Bavaria, 1819 see here: Untermainkreis, area of nowadays Lower Franconia
Maps showing the past administrative organization of Lower Franconia, 1814 until today:
- Former old administrative regions in the Kingdom of Bavaria, 1819, see here: Untermainkreis
- Former old administrative regions in the Kingdom of Bavaria, 1838, see here: Kreis Unterfranken und Aschaffenburg
- Former old administrative regions in the Kingdom of Bavaria, 1862, see here: Kreis Unterfranken und Aschaffenburg
- Former old administrative county offices (Bezirksamt) in the Kingdom of Bavaria, 1862
- Former old administrative regions in the Free state of Bavaria, 1932, see here: Regierungsbezirk Unterfranken und Aschaffenburg
- Map Lower Franconia today - BLZ from Bay. Landeszentrale für pol. Bildungsarbeit
- Map of Bavaria today (incl. Lower Franconia) with administrative details (7 administrative districts, all counties, county borders), as pdf.file (246 KB), see: http://www.geodaten.bayern.de/bvv_web/downloads/bay_v.pdf
- Map of Bavaria today (incl. Lower Franconia), with major cities, rivers, highways, as pdf.file (400 KB), see: http://www.geodaten.bayern.de/bvv_web/downloads/bay_n.pdf
see also:
Archives and Libraries
Archives
- Staatsarchiv Würzburg State archive Würzburg
- Stadt- und Stiftsarchiv Aschaffenburg City archive Aschaffenburg
- Bavaria Archives#Archives in Franconia How to find an archive in Franconia or Bavaria ?
Church Book Archives:
- Evangelical-Lutheran
- Landeskirchliches Archiv, Kirchenbucharchiv Regensburg Holdings of Ev.-Luth. church book archive Regensburg
- Landeskirchliches Archiv, Kirchenbucharchiv Regensburg Holding list, provided at the GFF webpage
- Roman-Catholic
- Diözesanarchiv Würzburg - List of available parish records in English
- Diözesanarchiv Würzburg Holding list, provided at the GFF webpage
- Diözesanarchiv Würzburg - Matrikelbestände in German
Libraries
- Bay. Landesgeschichtliche Zeitschriftenschau Bay. Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library),
- Bayerische Bibliographie, BVB - BibliotheksVerbund Bayern Library association of Bavaria, in German
- Virtual Library Geschichte: Landes- und Regionalgeschichte
- The History Journals Guide, navigation in English
- WWWVL The World Wide Virtual Library: History Index
- Virtual Library: History: German History
Miscellaneous
Emigration
Regional Food
Regional Landscapes
Internet Links
Official Websites
- Regierung von Unterfranken in German, Government of administrative district Lower Franconia
- Regierung von Unterfranken, short introduction in English
- Bezirk Unterfranken homepage of the Bezirk Lower Franconia, (the third communal administration level)
Genealogical Websites
Gesellschaft f ür Familienforschung in Franken e.V. Society for family research in Franconia, in English and German
Miscellaneous Websites
- Lower Franconia of the English Wikipedia
- Franconia of the English Wikipedia
- Franken (Land) of the German Wikipedia
- Regierungsbezirk Unterfranken of the German Wikipedia
- Bezirk Unterfranken of the German Wikipedia
- Franks - a Germanic tribe of the English Wikipedia
Data from the Genealogical Place Database (GOV)
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TK25: 6026 |
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Superordinate objects |
Bavaria, Bayern, Bavière, Beieren, Бавария (1946 -) ( federal state ) Bavaria, Baiern, Churpfalz-Baiern, Kurpfalz-Bayern, Pfalz-Baiern, Bayern (1817-04-01 - 1946) ( duchy kingdom free state ) Source 1817 Spalte 118 |
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Subordinate objects |
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Counties and Independent Cities in Administrative District Unterfranken (Lower Franconia) |
Aschaffenburg (City) |
Schweinfurt (City) |
Würzburg (City) | |
Administrative Districts in the Federal State Bavaria |
Mittelfranken (Middle Franconia) |
Niederbayern (Lower Bavaria) |
Oberbayern (Upper Bavaria) |
Oberfranken (Upper Franconia) | |