Zeil am Main is a town in the
Haßberge district in
Lower Franconia, an area in the federal state of
Bavaria,
Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the
Main, 7 km east of
Haßfurt, 24 km northwest of
Bamberg
Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castle. C ...
, and 25 km east of
Schweinfurt. Zeil is a historic Franconian town known for its old churches, romantic houses, medieval walls and towers, the hill church of "Zeiler Käpelle", and the castle ruins of the Schmachtenburg.
History
Zeil am Main is located in an area of the River Main valley where, since the 11th century, the
dioceses of
Würzburg and
Bamberg
Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castle. C ...
overlapped and vied for domain of the region. Zeil's strategic location between the dioceses, situated on the River Main trade route and military road between
Nuremberg and
Schweinfurt, ensured that Zeil was worthy of possession by regional powers.
The earliest evidence of Zeil am Main as a city is in a 1018 AD deed of donation signed by
Henry II, King of the Romans.
Bishop Lamprecht of Prun granted municipal law to the city in 1379 and allowed citizens of Zeil to build protective fortifications. As a result, the city wall was constructed with numerous towers, and Schmachtenberg castle was built. King Wenceslaus of
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
entitled the community with special laws to use the river Main commercially in 1397. The prince bishops of Bamberg used Zeil's strategic location as a northern enclave to provide a buffer against their Würzburg rivals, and 1695 saw the construction of a hunting lodge for the prince bishop. In the early 19th century, church lands were secularized, and Zei