Pottenstein is a town in the
district of Bayreuth, in
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. It is situated 23 km southwest of
Bayreuth, and 26 km east of
Forchheim
Forchheim () is a town in Upper Franconia (german: Oberfranken) in northern Bavaria, and also the seat of the administrative district of Forchheim. Forchheim is a former royal city, and is sometimes called the Gateway to the Franconian Switz ...
.
History
During World War II, a subcamp of
Flossenbürg concentration camp
Flossenbürg was a Nazi concentration camp built in May 1938 by the SS Main Economic and Administrative Office. Unlike other concentration camps, it was located in a remote area, in the Fichtel Mountains of Bavaria, adjacent to the town of Flo ...
was located here.
Geography
The city of Pottenstein, altitude 350–614 m AMSL, with its nearly 1,500 inhabitants, is a health-resort in
Franconian Switzerland
Franconian Switzerland (german: Fränkische Schweiz) is an upland in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany and a popular tourist retreat. Located between the River Pegnitz in the east and the south, the River Regnitz in the west and the River Main ...
. It nestles at the convergence of the Püttlach, Weihersbach and Haselbrunn valleys surrounded by high cliffs and at the foot of the 1000-year-old
castle, which has played an important role throughout the city's history.
Mayors
Since 2002 Stefan Frühbeißer (CWU-UWV) has been the mayor of Pottenstein. His predecessor was Dieter Bauernschmitt (CSU), who was in office for 12 years.
Ein Pottensteiner Urgestein feiert seinen 70.
bei nordbayern.de, retrieved 14 December 2015.
From 1935 to 1945 and again from 1953 to 1972 Hans Dippold was the mayor of Pottenstein. The farmer and restaurant keeper joined the Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...
in 1931.
Tourist attractions
Saint Elisabeth
Elizabeth (also spelled Elisabeth; Hebrew: אֱלִישֶׁבַע / אֱלִישָׁבַע "My God has sworn", Standard Hebrew: '' Elišévaʿ'' / ''Elišávaʿ'', Tiberian Hebrew: ''ʾĔlîšéḇaʿ'' / ''ʾĔlîšāḇaʿ''; Greek: Ἐλισ ...
, widow of Ludwig IV, Landgrave of Thuringia, was held hostage within its walls from 1228 to 1229. Many buildings bear her name today. According to legend, while she was being threatened, the eggs and lard in her basket were transformed into beautiful roses — a local adaptation of the famous Miracle of the Roses. Since 2004 there has been a marked walking route through the town, known as the "Elisabeth Route".
The market square, with its statue of Saint Elisabeth, the Catholic Church, shops, restaurants, and hotels form the central area of the city. Guest accommodations are mostly in the residential areas, in the valleys leading out of the centre of town, and in and above the cliffs overlooking the town. Easily reached from all the residential areas is the health centre with its massage department/medical swim therapy department, station for respiratory illnesses in Devil's Cave, the Kneipp facility, the tourist information centre, the park, putting green, tennis courts, Schöngrund Lake with its rowing boats and pedalos, the summer bobsleigh route, the "Felsenbad" (between the rocks), and golf course. There are 450 kilometres of marked paths for walking.
Sons and daughters of the town
* Johann Baptist Reus (1868-1947), Jesuit and mystic
Gallery
File:Pottenstein Bayern Rathaus.jpg, City Hall in Pottenstein
File:Pottenstein Strasse.jpg, Main Street in Pottenstein
File:Pottenstein-gg-03.jpg, Pottenstein Castle
File:Pottenstein-gg-02.jpg, Yearly resolution of the Eternal Adoration (The Festival of Lights)
References
External links
Municipality website
{{Authority control
Bayreuth (district)
Franconian Switzerland