Marktheidenfeld

Marktheidenfeld
Marktheidenfeld river front
Coat of arms
Marktheidenfeld
Location of Marktheidenfeld within Main-Spessart district
Coordinates: 49°51′N 9°36′E / 49.850°N 9.600°E / 49.850; 9.600Coordinates: 49°51′N 9°36′E / 49.850°N 9.600°E / 49.850; 9.600
Country	Germany
State	Bavaria
Admin. region	Unterfranken
District	Main-Spessart
Government
• Mayor	Helga Schmidt-Neder (FWG)
Area
• Total	37.54 km2 (14.49 sq mi)
Population (2015-12-31)
• Total	10,967
• Density	290/km2 (760/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	97828
Dialling codes	0 93 91
Vehicle registration	MSP
Website	www.marktheidenfeld.de

Marktheidenfeld is a town in the Main-Spessart district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia (Unterfranken) in Bavaria, Germany and the seat (but not a member) of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft (municipal association) of Marktheidenfeld. The town has around 11,000 inhabitants.

The town lies 24 km west of Würzburg at the Mainviereck (Main Square) on the eastern side of the Spessart (range), geologically on the seam between the Spessart red sandstone area and the Muschelkalk area of the Fränkische Platte (a flat, mostly agricultural region), which between the Main Square and the Maindreieck (Main Triangle) is known as the Marktheidenfelder Platte.

Marktheidenfeld’s Stadtteile are Glasofen (amalgamated in 1972), Zimmern (1974), Marienbrunn (1975), Altfeld, Michelrieth and Oberwittbach (all in 1978).

The town has the following Gemarkungen (traditional rural cadastral areas): Altfeld, Glasofen, Marienbrunn, Marktheidenfeld, Michelrieth, Oberwittbach and Zimmern.

Heidenfeld may have arisen during the Frankish taking of the land in the early 8th century. Already by 855 a place by that name was mentioned as belonging to the Holzkirchen Monastery, which from this time belonged to the Fulda Abbey. The Counts of Wertheim, who were the monastery’s Vögte also managed in the late 13th century to secure the same office over Heidenfeld.

In 1397, Marktheidenfeld was first described as a town (oppidum). Between 1522 and 1530, the Reformation was introduced by Georg II into the County of Wertheim, and thereby also into Marktheidenfeld. After a period in which Catholic and Protestant worship co-existed, the majority turned to Protestantism. The town also experienced an economic boom at that time. However, due to a bad harvest in 1524, a peasant uprising erupted in 1525. Although hesitant at first, the Count of Wertheim supported the local peasants for a while before their army was defeated at Würzburg. In 1556, the line of the Counts of Wertheim died out. Following extended inheritance disputes, Heidenfeld was taken over by the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg in 1612.