Schmitten im Taunus (until 25 August 2021 ''Schmitten'') is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the

Hochtaunuskreis The Hochtaunuskreis is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the middle of Hesse, Germany and is part of the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Neighbouring districts are Lahn-Dill, Wetteraukreis, district-free Frankfurt, Main-Taunus, Rheingau-Taunus ...

Hessen Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are Darms ...

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 ...

Geography

Schmitten is the highest community in the

Taunus The Taunus is a mountain range in Hesse, Germany, located north of Frankfurt. The tallest peak in the range is '' Großer Feldberg'' at 878 m; other notable peaks are ''Kleiner Feldberg'' (825 m) and '' Altkönig'' (798 m). The Taunus range span ...

, approximately 24km north of

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

, within which is the '' Großer Feldberg'' (881m).

Neighbouring communities

Schmitten borders in the north on the community of Weilrod and the town of Usingen, in the east on the towns of Neu-Anspach and Bad Homburg, in the south on the towns of

Oberursel Oberursel (Taunus) () is a town in Germany and part of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area. It is located to the north west of Frankfurt, in the Hochtaunuskreis county. It is the 13th largest town in Hesse. In 2011, the town hosted the 51st He ...

and Königstein, and in the west on the communities of Glashütten and Waldems (

Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis Rheingau-Taunus is a Kreis (district) in the west of Hesse, Germany. Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis is part of the Darmstadt region; its main administrative seat is Bad Schwalbach. Outposted sections of the local administration are located in Idstein and R ...

Constituent communities

The greater community has nine centres (until municipal reform in 1972, all independent communities) named Arnoldshain, Brombach, Dorfweil, Hunoldstal, Niederreifenberg, Oberreifenberg, Schmitten, Seelenberg and Treisberg.

History

Schmitten had its first documented mention in 1399 as ''Waldschmidt''. The name comes from a nail-making

smith Smith may refer to: People * Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals * Smith (given name) * Smith (surname), a family name originating in England, Scotland and Ireland ** List of people wi ...

in the woods nearby (''Wald'' is German for "forest"; ''Schmidt'' has the same root as ''Schmiede'' – smith) which were attached to Hattstein Castle(mentioned in 1215). The Hattstein Knights ("Hazechenstein") were akin to the Reifenbergers ("Riffinberg"), possibly even the same. These families' origins were either in the

Westerwald The Westerwald (; literally 'Western forest') is a low mountain range on the right bank of the river Rhine in the German federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia. It is a part of the Rhenish Massif ( or Rhenish ...

area north of the

Lahn The Lahn is a , right (or eastern) tributary of the Rhine in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia (23.0 km), Hesse (165.6 km), and Rhineland-Palatinate (57.0 km). It has its source in t ...

or the

Limburg Limburg or Limbourg may refer to: Regions * Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium * Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands * Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...

area. In the ''Walsdorfer Gründungsurkunde'' ("Walsdorf Founding Document") of 1156, a "Guntramus de Hazechenstein" is named. The Hattstein Knights, whose castle was destroyed several times, had property in Bad Camberg, Usingen ("Hattsteiner Weiher"), Stockheim, Weilbach,

Aschaffenburg Aschaffenburg (; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Aschebersch'') is a town in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not part of the Aschaffenburg (district), district of Aschaffenburg, but is its administrative sea ...

Mainaschaff Mainaschaff is a community in the Aschaffenburg district in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Lower Franconia (''Unterfranken'') in Bavaria, Germany. It has a population of around 9,000 (2020). Geography Location The community lies near the boundar ...

, Königstein and

. The Hattsteiners also participated in the founding of Münzenberg Castle in the

Wetterau The Wetterau is a fertile undulating tract, watered by the Wetter, a tributary of the Nidda River, in the western German state of Hesse, between the hilly province Oberhessen and the north-western Taunus mountains. Bettina von Arnim writes of ...

. The noble family von Hattstein was throughout the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

one of Hesse's most influential families. Baron Marquard von Hattstein was Bishop of

Speyer Speyer (, older spelling ''Speier'', French: ''Spire,'' historical English: ''Spires''; pfl, Schbaija) is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the river Rhine, Speyer li ...

(1560–1581). Together with the Knights of Kronberg, the Hattsteiners and Reiffenbergers declared the so-called "Kronberg Feud" in 1389. When on 13 May a great force from

Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...

swept to Kronberg Castle, Hanau and

Electorate of the Palatinate The Electoral Palatinate (german: Kurpfalz) or the Palatinate (), officially the Electorate of the Palatinate (), was a state that was part of the Holy Roman Empire. The electorate had its origins under the rulership of the Counts Palatine of ...

troops rushed to help those being beset, driving the Frankfurt forces off on 14 May in the Battle of Eschborn and taking 620 prisoners, among them the mayor, a few noble council members and all the town's bakers,

butcher A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesale food establishm ...

s, locksmiths and

shoemaker Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or cobblers (also known as '' cordwainers''). In the 18th century, dozens or even hundreds of masters, journeymen ...

s. Only a ransom payment of 73,000 golden

guilder Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch and German ''gulden'', originally shortened from Middle High German ''guldin pfenninc'' " gold penny". This was the term that became current in the southern and western parts of the Holy Roman Emp ...

s ended the fight with Frankfurt and laid the groundwork for the ''Frankfurter

Landwehr ''Landwehr'', or ''Landeswehr'', is a German language term used in referring to certain national armies, or militias found in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Europe. In different context it refers to large-scale, low-strength fortificatio ...

'' fortifications and Frankfurt's four

watchtower A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to ...

s. The noble family of the Hattstein Knights, which was inseparably bound with Schmitten's history, came to an end with Johann Constantin Philipp von Hattstein's death in 1767.

Arnoldshain

Saint Lawrence's Church (''Laurentiuskirche'') at Arnoldshain was first mentioned early in the 13th century in the ''Rotulus omnium iurium'' (Directory of all rights). A few expansions to the once eight-sided chapel notwithstanding, the old part is preserved to this day. The ''Laurentiuskirche'' is thereby one of the oldest buildings still in use in the Hochtaunus. In a glass window from 1480 one can still clearly see the Reifenberg family's coat of arms. Politically Arnoldshain belonged to the Lords of Hattstein, but later partly under Reifenberg (Bassenheim) rule.

Dorfweil

Dorfweil had its first documentary mention in 772. Lying 410 m above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...

in the Weil Valley, the community has many

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

trails. With an area of 367ha and 684 inhabitants (as of the end of 2004), Dorfweil is one of Schmitten's smallest constituent communities.

Sightseeing

Großer Feldberg

The Taunus's highest mountain attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, especially from the

Frankfurt Rhein-Main Region The Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region, often simply referred to as Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Frankfurt Rhine-Main area or Rhine-Main area (German: ''Rhein-Main-Gebiet'' or ''Frankfurt/Rhein-Main'', abbreviated FRM), is the second-largest metropolitan re ...

. In Oberreifenberg lifts for

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...

and

sledding Sledding, sledging or sleighing is a winter sport typically carried out in a prone or seated position on a vehicle generically known as a sled (North American), a sledge (British), or a sleigh. It is the basis of three Olympic sports: luge, sk ...

are abundant. The main attraction, however, is the Taunus's nature and many kilometres of hiking trails.

Treisberg

The lookout tower on the 663-m-high Pferdskopf ("Horse's Head") near Treisberg affords a fantastic view of the Taunus landscape and is the object of many outings. In the winter, skiers and tobogganers are drawn to the Taunus's most attractive skilifts.

Weiltal

Rising on the Feldberg, the little brook Weil snakes its way through the Hochtaunus Nature Park through to Weilburg. Alongside the Weil runs the ''Weiltalwanderweg'' (Weil Valley Hiking Trail). A Weil Valley visit is popular among families and nature lovers, but also for

cyclists Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of Bicycle, cycles for transport, recreation, Physical exercise, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", ...

and

motorcyclists Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. For some people, motorcycling may be the only affordable form of individual motorized transportation, and small- displacement motorcycles are the most common motor vehicle in the most populous c ...

. Besides the yearly Weiltal-Marathon, the traditional "Rund um den Henninger-Turm" bicycle race also runs through the Weil Valley.

Limes

The

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

's old

border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...

runs above Niederreifenberg and Oberreifenberg across the crest of the Taunus. Within Schmitten's municipal limits lies the ''Limeskastell Kleiner Feldberg'', a Roman fort. The preserved foundation walls offer a glimpse into Roman history.

Reifenberg Castle ruins

The castle's keep and tower are preserved and loom over Oberreifenberg and the Weil Valley.

Politics

Municipal council

The municipal elections on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results: * CDU 10 seats (2001: 9 seats) * SPD 3 seats (2001: 5 seats) * Greens 3 seats (2001: 3 seats) * FDP 4 seats (2001: 4 seats) * UBB 4 seats (2001: 5 seats) * FWG 7 seats (2001: 5 seats) Note: FWG is a citizens' coalition.

Partnerships

Schmitten maintains partnerships with the following places, all in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

Public institutions

Educational institutions

The community of Schmitten has two

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...

s. * Jürgen-Schuhmann-Schule in Arnoldshain * Grundschule Reifenberg in Niederreifenberg Furthermore, there exists in Arnoldshain an

Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...

Academy called the ''"

Martin Niemöller Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemöller (; 14 January 18926 March 1984) was a German theologian and Lutheran pastor. He is best known for his opposition to the Nazi regime during the late 1930s and for his widely quoted 1946 poem " First they ca ...

" Haus''.

Sports and leisure

* Schmitten (the main town) offers Hesse's highest outdoor swimming pool. * In Niederreifenberg,

quad bikes An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike, or simply a quad, as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is stra ...

may be hired. * In Oberreifenberg the Taunatours company offers rock climbing.

Personalities

Notable residents

* Oil-drilling pioneer Anton Raky was born in Seelenberg in 1868. *

Theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

Anton Abt was born in Seelenberg in 1841. * German singer

Ivan Rebroff Ivan Rebroff (31 July 193127 February 2008) was a German-born vocalist, allegedly of Russian ancestry, who rose to prominence for his distinct and extensive vocal range of four and a half octaves, ranging from the soprano to bass registers. ...

lived at the edge of the Hunodstal Valley. * The German writer Gerhard Zwerenz lived in Arnoldshain.

References

External links

Official websiteUnofficial Seelenberg website
* {{Authority control Hochtaunuskreis