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| Zwingenberg |
Like other villages lining the Bergstrasse, Zwingenberg lies between the flat plains of the Hessian Ried to the west and the mid-range mountains of the Vorderer Odenwald to the east. The town's position, sandwiched between the tallest elevation on the Bergstrasse, the Melibokus range, and the swampy marshes and lowland forests of the Ried, gave it its name, Zwingenberg. The infinitive zwingen means "to force", denoting the fact that travelers were forced to pass through the town in order to avoid the mountains to the east and the lowlands to the west.
History of Zwingenberg
The first documentary mention of the town was in 1015 when the Holy Roman Emperor, Heinrich II, donated his hunting rights there to Lorsch Abbey, in which the area was referred to as locum getwinc. After this, no mention can be found of Zwingenberg until 1135 when the marriage of Hildegard von Hennenberg brought the town, along with other territory along the Bergstrasse, into the possession of Count Heinrich II von Katzenelnbogen.
The Katzenelnbogens were a noble family whose origins were in the Rhine Gorge at Rheinfels Castle at St. Goar. From there, the Katzenelnbogens enlarged their territory to include areas south of the Main River, along the Bergstrasse and in the northern Odenwald.
In order to secure the Katzenelnbogen territory along the Bergstrasse, in the 13th century, Diether IV
built Auerbach Castle in the hills above the town and a lower castle at Zwingenberg. These two castles not only provided a means of defense against invasion but also secured the family's position as toll collectors along their section of the important north-south trade route, which included the Bergstrasse.
In 1258, Diether V petitioned to have a church built in Zwingenberg to relieve the town's occupants from the need "to reach their mother church in Bensheim to hear God’s word and receive the Sacraments...". The archbishop of Mainz approved Diether's petition, and a church was then built in Zwingenberg. Two years later, the Katzenelnbogen territory on the Bergstrasse was divided between Diether V and his brother, Eberhard I, with Diether remaining in possession of Zwingenberg. It was also under Diether that Zwingenberg was granted town and market rights in 1274.
The reign of Diether V's son, Count Wilhelm I, was not so beneficial for Zwingenberg. In 1301, he aligned himself with a faction of Rhenish electors, including the Archbishop of Mainz, who sought to overthrow King Albrecht I. This resulted in a declaration of war by the king, in which Zwingenberg and its lower castle were set on fire and destroyed. It is worth noting that nearby Auerbach did not suffer the same fate, as it belonged to the Eberhard Katzenelnbogen line, and that side of the family had remained loyal to the king.
In February of 1403, Count Johann IV pledged Zwingenberg and its castle, along with Pfungstadt, Eschollbrücken and Nieder-Ramstadt to Count Henna Weisskreis von Lindenfels as collateral against 6,000 gulden. According to the agreement between the two nobles, "burghers, citizens, tower keepers, guards and gatekeepers in Zwingenberg and the men in Eschollbrücken, Pfungstadt and Nieder-Ramstadt must pay homage to Henne and praise obedience to him as long as he holds these places." Fortunately, Count Johann was able to later redeem his property.
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| The Katzenelnbogen Coat of Arms |
In 1479, Count Johann IV's son, Count Philipp I, died without a male heir. As a result of the marriage of Philipp's daughter, Anna, the Katzenelnbogen territories, including Zwingenberg, then passed to the Landgraviate of Hessen. The town later passed to the Landgraviate of Hessen-Darmstadt in 1567, which in 1806 was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hessen.
As with so many communities. Zwingenberg was devastated during the 30 Years War and by a plague which occurred shortly thereafter. Communities along major thoroughfares, including the Bergstrasse, were hit particularly hard by both disease and war, and it was estimated that southern Hessen lost about 80 percent of its population during this time. Zwingenberg itself was, for the most part, abandoned. To add to the town's misery, most of its houses were then burned by the French during the Nine Years War in 1693. Only 11 houses and the church withstood the fire. The town did not really begin to recover for another century.
During the 20th century, Zwingenberg was also witness to wars and political events affecting the wider area. Just like other communities along the Bergstrasse, Zwingenberg was involved in the action taking place during World War II, and the sight of soldiers in the streets, bombers flying overhead and tanks rolling along the motorway were common occurrences. It wasn't until the Americans occupied the area in March of 1945 did war for the citizens of Zwingenberg come to an end. There were those among the population who were happy to see the last of the fighting, as evidenced by the fact that some residents of the town removed tank barriers before hoisting white flags of surrender.
The history of the Jewish community in Zwingenberg
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| Synagogue in Zwingenberg |
Jewish families were counted in the population, though there may have been Jews living in the town as far back as the 15th century. A document from 1401 states that three "Jews are named to Twinginburg". In 1647, five Jews named Gumpel, David, Joseph, Baruch and Eysig are mentioned. In 1648, Abraham Mooysen is mentioned in a document. In 1700, the city council protested against the admission of "Hertz, the Jew's son".
In the early part of the 19th century, the Jewish population of Zwingenberg joined with those in Alsbach, Bickenbach, Hähnlein and Jugenheim to form a common community; however, by November 1858, the Jews of Zwingenberg were populous enough to form an independent community. In 1861, the town's Jewish community had built a synagogue in the old town hall square, and by 1880, there were 77 Jewish inhabitants in Zwingenberg, mostly living in modest economic conditions. The community also had a religious school and a ritual bath; however, their dead were buried in the Jewish cemetery in Alsbach. On Yom Kippur in 1902, a fire destroyed the original synagogue; therefore, a new one was built at Wiesenstraße 5, which opened in 1903.
In 1933, 40 people still belonged to the Jewish community in Zwingenberg; however, between 1933 and 1939, they all moved away due to an increasing deprivation of rights and repressions. Some moved nearby to cities such as Darmstadt, Frankfurt and Mannheim where they felt safer from attacks by the SA and SS; however, others emigrated. Seven went to Palestine, while others moved to the United States and Mexico. Some of those who moved away were later deported and murdered. Of the Jews either born or having been long-time resident in Zwingenberg, 20 were listed as having been killed by the Nazis.
Though the Zwingenberg Jewish community did not survive the pogroms of the Nazi era, the synagogue was not destroyed. During the November Pogrom in 1938 (previously referred to as Kristallnacht), the neighboring inhabitants feared for their own houses and urged the SA raiders not to set the building on fire. Nevertheless, the windows of the synagogue were broken, and engravings and the stars of David were all largely destroyed. It was later decided that the synagogue should be blown up, however, this was avoided when the building was sold by the last Jew remaining in Zwingenberg, Moritz Schack, for 6,000 RM.
Things to See in Zwingenberg
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| Bergkirche By Tilman2007 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) |
The Protestant Bergkirche (Mountain Church), located on Auf dem Berg street, is one of the oldest preserved buildings in the city. It was built in 1258 as a small chapel and was expanded and altered
throughout the following centuries. In 1830 the church was completely renovated, at which time it received its current appearance.
The remains of the Wasserburg (moated castle) belong to one of the oldest buildings in the town and were once part of Zwingenberg's fortifications. The castle was located at the southwestern end of the city wall and probably had a defensive function and administrative function (toll collection) on the Bergstrasse trade route. It was also the residence of the Katzenelnbogen family. The castle was destroyed by King Albrecht's forces in his war against the Rhenish electors.
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| The Aul |
The old Amtsgericht (“Amt court”), at Obertor 1, was built between 1561 and 1563 and restored in 1989. It originally served the Hessian Landgraves as a hunting palace.
The Schlößchen (“Little Palace”), located at Untergasse 16, was built about 1520 and has served as the Town Hall since 1969.
The former guesthouse, Bunten Löwen, at Löwenplatz 6, was the first building built outside the city walls, having been constructed in 1595.
Across the street from the Bunten Löwen, you will find the Scheuergasse (lane), which was formed by two rows of side-gabled barns. These were built outside the old town wall because of the danger from fire. Today they are used mainly as houses, offices and guesthouses, though you will also find the town museum here.
Across the street from the Bunten Löwen, you will find the Scheuergasse (lane), which was formed by two rows of side-gabled barns. These were built outside the old town wall because of the danger from fire. Today they are used mainly as houses, offices and guesthouses, though you will also find the town museum here.
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| The Scheuergasse |
Sources
Die Synagoge in Zwingenberg (Kreis Bergstrae), www.alemannia-judaica.de/zwingenberg_hp_synagoge.htm.
Dreißigjähriger Krieg, www.darmstadt-stadtlexikon.de/d/dreissigjaehriger-krieg.html.
“Geschichtliches Über Zwingenberg.” Zwingenberg - Modernes Leben in Historischen Mauern: Stadtgeschichte, www.zwingenberg.de/de/kultur-tourismus/stadtgeschichte.php
“Graf Johann v. Katzenelnbogen Verkauft an Henne Weißkreis Von Lindenfels Burg Und Stadt Zwingenberg Mit Den Dörfern Eschollbrücken, Das Gräflichen... - Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek.” Hessisches Staatsarchiv Darmstadt, www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/item/RHUMTIOCV4V55M4VIQRIM5XSXKEBEKFO.
Rheinland-Pfalz, Landesarchivverwaltung. “13.08.1301.” Landesarchivverwaltung, www.landeshauptarchiv.de/service/landesgeschichte-im-archiv/blick-in-die-geschichte/archiv-nach-jahrgang/13081301/.
“Zwingenberg, Hesse.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 May 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwingenberg,_Hesse
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