Kronberg im Taunus is a town 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-Taun ...

district,

Hesse 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 ...

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 betwee ...

and part of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area. Before 1866, it was in the

Duchy of Nassau The Duchy of Nassau (German: ''Herzogtum Nassau'') was an independent state between 1806 and 1866, located in what is now the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. It was a member of the Confederation of the Rhine and later of the G ...

; in that year the whole Duchy was absorbed into Prussia. Kronberg lies at the foot of the Taunus, flanked in the north and southwest by forests. A mineral water spring also rises in the town.

Geography

Neighbouring communities

Kronberg borders in the north and east on the town 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 ...

, in the southeast on the town of Steinbach, in the south on the towns of

Eschborn Eschborn () is a town in the Main-Taunus district, Hesse, Germany. It is part of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area and has a population of 21,488 (2018). Eschborn is home to numerous corporations due to its proximity to Frankfurt and relatively ...

and Schwalbach (both in

Main-Taunus-Kreis Main-Taunus is a Kreis (district) in the middle of Hessen, Germany and is part of the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region as well as the Frankfurt urban area. Neighboring districts are Hochtaunuskreis, district-free Frankfurt, Groß-Gerau, ...

), and in the west on the town of Königstein.

Constituent communities

Kronberg consists of the three centres of Kronberg (8,108 inhabitants), Oberhöchstadt (6,363 inhabitants) and Schönberg (3,761 inhabitants).

History

1220–1704

When

Kronberg Castle Kronberg Castle is a High Middle Ages Rock castle in Kronberg im Taunus, Hochtaunuskreis district, Hesse state, Germany. The castle is beside Altkönig in Taunus The Taunus is a mountain range in Hesse, Germany, located north of Frankfurt. Th ...

was built (about 1220) it was shared by the Knights of Askenburne (

), who owned a towered castle there. The ''Kronenstamm'' (''stamm'' = stem) moved to Kronberg, giving themselves that name at the time, while the ''Flügelstamm'' ("wing stem") followed them there only 30 years later. Town rights were granted the small settlement on 25 April 1330 by

Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV (german: Ludwig; 1 April 1282 – 11 October 1347), called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was King of the Romans from 1314, King of Italy from 1327, and Holy Roman Emperor from 1328. Louis' election as king of Germany ...

. As of 1367, the town also had market rights as well as ''

Blutgericht High, middle and low justices are notions dating from Western feudalism to indicate descending degrees of judicial power to administer justice by the maximal punishment the holders could inflict upon their subjects and other dependents. Low ju ...

sbarkeit'' (meaning that there was an Imperial court authorized to mete out bodily punishment, including death), granted by

Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV ( cs, Karel IV.; german: Karl IV.; la, Carolus IV; 14 May 1316 – 29 November 1378''Karl IV''. In: (1960): ''Geschichte in Gestalten'' (''History in figures''), vol. 2: ''F–K''. 38, Frankfurt 1963, p. 294), also known as Charle ...

. Together with those from Hattstein Castle and Reifenberg Castle, the Knights of Kronberg 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 ...

declared the so-called "Kronberg Feud" in 1389. When on 13 May a great force from Frankfurt swept to

, Hanau (Ulrich von Hanau) and the

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 o ...

(150 of Ruprecht von der Pfalz's cuirassiers) troops rushed to help those being beset, driving the Frankfurt forces off on 14 May in the

Battle of Eschborn A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

and taking 620 prisoners, among them the mayor, a few noble council members and all the town's

baker A baker is a tradesperson who baking, bakes and sometimes Sales, sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient history Si ...

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 an ...

s. The story is told in Kronberg that during the battle one of the knights of Kronberg was unhorsed, and because he lacked a replacement mount, he returned to battle on a donkey. Legend has it that it was the unearthly noise the donkey made in battle that made the Frankfurt army run, and this gave birth to the third "Stem", the Ohrenstam (Earstem) - with a pair of donkeys ears on its coat of arms. Only the huge ransom 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 – negotiated on 22 August, the pain of which Frankfurt would feel for 120 years – ended the fight with Frankfurt and laid the groundwork for the ''Frankfurter Landwehr'' fortifications.

Peace Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

was, however, quickly concluded (1391) and alliance sought with Kronberg. In 1394, the council appointed Hartmuth von Cronberg to a two-year term as Bailiff of Bonames, and in 1395, Johann von Cronberg concluded a detailed treaty of federation with Frankfurt, which the Kronbergers bound the Frankfurters and their masses to protect. Finally, in 1398, the ''"Schießgesellen zu Cronenberg"'' ("Journeymen shooters of Kronberg") invited the ''"Schießgesellen zue Franckenfurd unsern guten frunden"'' ("Journeymen shooters of Frankfurt, our good friends") to a ''"Schießen umb eyn Cleynod"'' ("shoot for a treasure"). The letter bearing this message is said to be Germany's oldest surviving invitation to a shooting event (this refers to early weapons, since

firearm A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...

s were as yet unknown). Since Hartmut XII of Kronberg, who is said to be the town's Reformer, had earlier stood by his cousin

Franz von Sickingen Franz von Sickingen (2 March 14817 May 1523) was an Imperial Knight who, with Ulrich von Hutten, led the so-called "Knights' Revolt," and was one of the most notable figures of the early period of the Protestant Reformation. Sickingen was nickn ...

in his attack on

Trier Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...

and

Worms Worms may refer to: *Worm, an invertebrate animal with a tube-like body and no limbs Places *Worms, Germany Worms () is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, situated on the Upper Rhine about south-southwest of Frankfurt am Main. It had ...

, Archbishop Richard von Greiffenklau zu Vollrads of Trier, Ludwig V of the

and

Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse (13 November 1504 – 31 March 1567), nicknamed (in English: "the Magnanimous"), was a German nobleman and champion of the Protestant Reformation, notable for being one of the most important of the early Protesta ...

attacked the town and the castle at Kronberg in 1522 and forced an unconditional

surrender Surrender may refer to: * Surrender (law), the early relinquishment of a tenancy * Surrender (military), the relinquishment of territory, combatants, facilities, or armaments to another power Film and television * ''Surrender'' (1927 film), an ...

. Hartmut fled, and Philip introduced the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

throughout Hesse. However, since Kronberg was an Imperial fief, Philip had to give the castle and town back to Hartmut in 1541 under the issuing of property rights for the

Lutheran Church Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

. These rights were affirmed by

Hesse-Darmstadt The Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt (german: Landgrafschaft Hessen-Darmstadt) was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, ruled by a younger branch of the House of Hesse. It was formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse be ...

in the 17th and 18th centuries, ensuring that Mainz's later attempts at a Counterreformation (1626–1649) and the ''Simultanisierung'' (1737–1768) would never enjoy success. In 1704, the last member of the ruling family, Herr Johann Niclas von und zu Cronberg, died childless at Hohlenfels Castle, nowadays in Hahnstätten, across the Aar Valley. Kronberg, along with the communities of Schönberg, Niederhöchstadt and

therefore passed to the Electorate of Mainz.

1704–1866

It was under Mainz's rule that the nowadays so-called "Dispute Church" (''"Streitkirche"'') was built, having been planned as a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

church in 1758 to be built right next to the Evangelical church. This led to great protests by the town's Evangelical majority, whose plight reached the

Eternal Imperial Diet The Perpetual Diet of Regensburg or the Eternal Diet of Regensburg, (german: Immerwährender Reichstag) also commonly called in English the perpetual Diet of Ratisbon,Jean Berenger, C.A. Simpson, ''The Habsburg Empire 1700-1918'' (2014), p. 134 fr ...

(''Immerwährender Reichstag'') in

Regensburg Regensburg or is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the Danube, Naab and Regen rivers. It is capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the state in the south of Germany. With more than 150,000 inhabitants, Regensburg is the ...

, where the Evangelicals were granted their wish, and although the building was built anyway, it was never consecrated as a

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chri ...

. Since 1768, the building has served secular purposes (as a

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...

, guesthouse, and today as the Kronberg Painters' Colony's museum). In the

Treaty of Lunéville The Treaty of Lunéville (or Peace of Lunéville) was signed in the Treaty House of Lunéville on 9 February 1801. The signatory parties were the French Republic and Emperor Francis II, who signed on his own behalf as ruler of the hereditary doma ...

in 1801, the Electorate of Mainz lost its worldly territory, including the Imperial fief of Kronberg, which was confiscated by the Prince of Nassau-Usingen in 1802, and formally awarded to him in 1803. In the

Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War, also by many variant names such as Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), (; "German war of brothers") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 186 ...

of 1866, the Duke of Nassau sided with

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, thereby losing his land to

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

1866–1945

Wealthy industrialists, traders and bankers discovered the little Taunus town's idyllic and climatically advantageous setting right near Frankfurt in the middle of the 19th century and built

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became ...

s and summer homes in Kronberg and Schönberg. Even artists, among them

Anton Burger Anton "Toni" Burger (19 November 1911 – 25 December 1991) was a (Captain) in the German Nazi SS, in Greece (1944) and of Theresienstadt concentration camp. Military career Anton Burger was born in Neunkirchen, Austria, the son of a station ...

and Jakob Fürchtegott Dielmann, came to Kronberg and founded the Kronberg Painters' Colony, which lasted into the 20th century. Some of the Kronberg painters' works are on display in the museum at the "Dispute Church". The small town, for so long shaped by smallholders and craftsmen reached in its "Prussian epoch" its first upswing with the building of the Kronberg-Rödelheim

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...

(1874) and the luxurious ''

Schloss Friedrichshof Schlosshotel Kronberg (Castle Hotel Kronberg) in Kronberg im Taunus, Hesse, near Frankfurt am Main, was built between 1889 and 1893 for the dowager German Empress Victoria and originally named Schloss Friedrichshof in honour of her late hu ...

'' (1889–94) often called "Kronberg", the residence of Princess Victoria, eldest daughter of Queen Victoria and German Dowager Empress.

Since 1945

After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, Kronberg belonged to ''Gross-Hessen'' ("Greater Hesse" – a provisional name for the state that was later dropped), and remains in Hesse today. In 1946, the Papal Mission for Displaced Persons in Germany was moved to Kronberg by Pope

Pius XII Pius ( , ) Latin for "pious", is a masculine given name. Its feminine form is Pia. It may refer to: People Popes * Pope Pius (disambiguation) * Antipope Pius XIII (1918-2009), who led the breakaway True Catholic Church sect Given name * Pius ...

. The

apostolic visitor In the Catholic Church, an apostolic visitor (or ''Apostolic Visitator''; Italian: Visitatore apostolico) is a papal representative with a transient mission to perform a canonical visitation of relatively short duration. The visitor is deputed ...

and leader of the institution was the Bishop of Fargo,

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, ...

, USA Aloisius Muench, who was of German heritage. His spiritual guidance mandate included caring for those who had fled or been driven out of

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...

. Until the summer of 1949, he organized from Kronberg the transport of about 950 goods wagons full of Papal aid supplies to Germany. He was also supported by the

US Government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a feder ...

; before taking his position in Kronberg, he received from

US Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

Robert P. Patterson Robert Porter Patterson Sr. (February 12, 1891 – January 22, 1952) was an American judge who served as United States Under Secretary of War, Under Secretary of War under President Franklin D. Roosevelt and US Secretary of War, U.S. Secretary of ...

the document of appointment as liaison commissioner for religious affairs to the US military government in Germany. Through his contacts in the USA Muench arranged a formidable flow of donations into destruction-stricken Germany. After the

Federal Republic of 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 between ...

was founded, the Kronberg Apostolic Mission was dissolved in 1951. Muench afterwards became the first Apostolic

Nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international ...

in the Federal Republic of Germany (

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 ...

). In 1959,

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Roman Catholic Church, Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 28 Oc ...

made Archbishop Muench a

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

. Since 28 June 1966, Kronberg has been a state-recognized

spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath, Somerset, B ...

. As part of Hesse's municipal reforms, on 1 April 1972, Kronberg merged with the formerly independent communities of Oberhöchstadt and Schönberg.

Main sights

*Old Town with

, or ''Burg Kronberg'', with its

keep A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...

, which is the town's oldest building *the ''Schloss Friedrichshof'' (a stately home built as a widow's residence for "

Empress Frederick Victoria, Princess Royal (Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa; 21 November 1840 – 5 August 1901) was German Empress and Queen of Prussia as the wife of German Emperor Frederick III. She was the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdo ...

" and now home to the ''Schlosshotel Kronberg'') *the ''Recepturhof'', Mainz Electorate's administration building *the town park *Saint John's

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 ...

Church (''Kirche St. Johann'', 1440) *the ''" Streitkirche"'' ("Dispute Church", 1758) *"Hellhof", a noble seat built by the Kronberg Knights (first mentioned in 1424), nowadays partially converted into a gallery. * Opelzoo, a medium-sized animal park between Kronberg and Königstein. The Opelzoo originally came into being from

Opel Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...

Works founder

Georg von Opel Georg von Opel (born 4 May 1966) is a German-born Swiss billionaire and heir, great-grandson of Adam Opel who founded the German car manufacturer Opel AG. Early life and education Von Opel was born on 4 May 1966 in Kronberg im Taunus, West Ge ...

's grandson's private animal reserve. About 1956, the younger Opel brought a pair of endangered Persian fallow deer to Kronberg and through breeding ensured their survival.

Museums and galleries

* Museum at

* Kronberg Painters' Colony Museum at the ''Streitkirche'' * Fritz-Best-Museum * Braun-Museum * Galerie Opper at the ''Streitkirche'' * Galerie Hellhof * Galerie Hana * Galerie Sties * Galerie Satyra * ArtXchange

Politics

Distribution of town council seats

The municipal elections on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results: * CDU 12 seats * SPD 7 seats * UBG 4 seats * KfB 4 seats * Greens 3 seats * FDP 2 seats * independent 1 seat

Culture

Festivals

The biggest street festival in the Old Town (around Steinstraße) is the ''Thäler Kerb''. Since 1967, when the ''Thäler Kerbe'' club was founded, it has been and is still celebrated, always on Tuesday and Wednesday after the first Sunday in July (although in 2006, it was postponed until 11–12 July owing to the World Cup). During the two festival days, the ''Thäler Pärchen'' – the "king" and "queen" of the festival – Miss Bembel and the Thäler Bürgermeister, rule.

Other festivals

* Dallesfest in Oberhöchstadt * Brunnenfest (

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a h ...

festival) in Schönberg (2nd Saturday in August) * Oberhöchstädter Kerb * Kürbis-Festival (

Gourd Gourds include the fruits of some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly ''Cucurbita'' and '' Lagenaria''. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without. One of the ear ...

Festival) at

(October) * Linsenhoff

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to c ...

Foundation Schafhof Festival (irregular, next festival in 2007)

Markets

* Flea market in the Old Town (first Sunday in July) * Bilder- und Weinmarkt (Picture and Wine Market; first weekend in August) * Herbstmarkt ("Autumn Market, federation of independents, 2nd weekend in September) * Apfelmarkt ("Apple Market"; October) * Christmas Markets in Kronberg and Oberhöchstadt

Music festivals

*Internationally known

Kronberg Academy The Kronberg Academy is an academy of chamber music based in Kronberg, Hesse, Germany. It was founded in 1993 by Raimund Trenkler, who has served since then as its chairman and artistic director. The academy's initial focus was on the cello and s ...

Cello Festival
Article in The Local
about the festival

Transport

Kronberg is the terminus of the S-Bahn line S4, successor to the

Kronberg Railway The Kronberg Railway (german: Kronberger Bahn) is now the northern part of Rhine-Main S-Bahn, Frankfurt S-Bahn S4 (Rhine-Main S-Bahn), line S4, which connects Langen, Hesse, Langen, Frankfurt am Main and Kronberg im Taunusin Hesse, Germany. The rou ...

, which connects Kronberg with Frankfurt city center, the main train station and the neighboring city of Eschborn. The S-Bahn is part of the

Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund The Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV) is a transport association that covers the public transport network of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main area in Germany. Its head office is located in Hofheim im Taunus. Organisation and area covered The RMV ...

. For this purpose exists in Kronberg since 2001, a city bus network of three routes. Like the S-Bahn, it is integrated into the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund and carries around 380,000 people a year. The offer is complemented by a call-collecting taxi, which covers some geographical gaps of the city bus and serves for operating hour extension. In addition, regional bus lines connect Kronberg with the neighboring cities and the nearby Frankfurt Northwest Center. The first years of operation of the Kronberg city bus were characterized by controversial political discussions, not only in the city council, but also within the population. This was due to initial planning errors that initially reduced the acceptance of the offer, as well as changing political majorities. Although the city bus has meanwhile (2011) established itself in a positive sense, are now due to the poor budgetary situation again cuts in urban transport offer in the middle. Since early 2013, the Frankfurt Department of Transportation has a possible extension of the subway line 6 to Eschborn examine, which ends at the Heerstraße in Frankfurt-Praunheim. The Frankfurt Department of Transportation has commissioned a correspondingly concrete study of the project. A stop in the industrial park Helfmann-Park is possible. This would, according to the mayor of Eschborn "further enhance the location Eschborn". An exact timetable for the project does not exist yet. In the foreseeable future, there will be a meeting with representatives from Eschborn, Frankfurt and Oberursel on the subway theme. The Greens in the Hochtaunuskreis have recently advocated upgrading the U6 via Eschborn with stops in Steinbach and Kronberg. The city of Oberursel in the high tunnel circle was long ago connected via the U3 to the Frankfurt subway network.

Economy and infrastructure

Kronberg is home to the national headquarters of a number of international firms, such as

Accenture Accenture plc is an Irish-American professional services company based in Dublin, specializing in information technology (IT) services and consulting. A ''Fortune'' Global 500 company, it reported revenues of $61.6 billion in 2022. Accentu ...

, Braun GmbH (

Gillette Gillette is an American brand of safety razors and other personal care products including shaving supplies, owned by the multi-national corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G). Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was owned by The Gill ...

Celanese Celanese Corporation, formerly known as Hoechst Celanese, is an American technology and specialty materials company headquartered in Irving, Texas. A Fortune 500 corporation, the company is the world’s leading producer of acetic acid, produ ...

and

Fidelity International Fidelity International Ltd, or FIL for short, is a company that provides investment management services including mutual funds, pension management and fund platforms to private and institutional investors. Fidelity International was originally e ...

. Agriculturally, Kronberg is known best of all for its

sweet chestnut ''Castanea sativa'', the sweet chestnut, Spanish chestnut or just chestnut, is a species of tree in the family Fagaceae, native to Southern Europe and Asia Minor, and widely cultivated throughout the temperate world. A substantial, long-lived ...

s and

strawberry The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus '' Fragaria'', collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely ap ...

fields; there are also a few ''Streuobstwiesen'', meadows that also support a variety of different fruit trees. There are Mineral springs in the Kronthal.

Education

* Kronthal-Schule (

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 ...

) Kronberg, formerly Grundschule Kronberg, in the former building of the Altkönigschule * Viktoria-Schule (primary school) Schönberg * Schöne Aussicht (primary school) Oberhöchstadt * Altkönigschule (secondary school, comprehensive school with gymnasial upper level) in Kronberg's main town, until 1973/74 in the Villa Winter * Montessori School (Schönberg) * Religionspädagogisches Studienzentrum der Evangelischen Kirche in Hessen und Nassau (Schönberg) * DRK School of Elderly Care (Kronberg)
Waldkindergarten Kronberg
- Relate
article in The Local

Notable people

* Eberwin II (died 1308), from 1300 Bishop of Worms * Johannes von Cronberg (?-?) about 1300, Choir Bishop at

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label= Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label= Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the ...

Walter von Cronberg Walter von Cronberg (1477 or 1479 – 4 April 1543) was the 38th Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, serving from 1527 to 1543. Biography Von Cronberg hailed from a rather poor family of knights from Kronberg Castle near Frankfurt. He joined t ...

(1477–1543) High Master of the

Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians o ...

* Hartmut XII (1488–1549) early companion of

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...

, editor of many "Reformational" writings * Johann Schweikhard von Kronberg (1553–1626) from 1604

Elector Elector may refer to: * Prince-elector or elector, a member of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Holy Roman Emperors * Elector, a member of an electoral college ** Confederate elector, a member of ...

and

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdio ...

Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...

, builder of the ''Schloss Johannisburg'' in

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 ...

* Johann Daniel von Cronberg (c. 1616-1668) member of the "

Fruitbearing Society The Fruitbearing Society (German Die Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft, lat. ''societas fructifera'') was a German literary society founded in 1617 in Weimar by German scholars and nobility. Its aim was to standardize vernacular German and promote it a ...

" *

Alwara Höfels Alwara Höfels (born 6 April 1982) is a German actress who works both in front of the camera and on the theater stage. Biography Alwara Höfels was born 6 April 1982 in Kronberg im Taunus. She is the daughter of actors Klara Höfels and Michael ...

(born 6 April 1982) German stage and screen actress was born there.

Residents

* Hermann Abs (1901–1994) German banker *

Josef Ackermann Josef Meinrad Ackermann (born 7 February 1948) is a Swiss banker, former Chairman of the Bank of Cyprus, and former chief executive officer of Deutsche Bank. He has also been a member of the influential Washington-based financial advisory body, th ...

(1948- ),

Deutsche Bank Deutsche Bank AG (), sometimes referred to simply as Deutsche, is a German multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, and dual-listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the New York St ...

Chairman of the Board. * Fritz Best (1894–1980) painter and sculptor *

Johann Ludwig Christ Johann Ludwig Christ (18 October 1739, in Öhringen – 19 November 1813, in Kronberg im Taunus)pomologist Pomology (from Latin , “fruit,” + ) is a branch of botany that studies fruit and its cultivation. The term fruticulture—introduced from Romance languages (all of whose incarnations of the term descend from Latin and )—is also used. Pomo ...

* Jakob Fürchtegott Dielmann (1809–1885) founder of the Kronberg Painters' colony *

Joachim Fest Joachim Clemens Fest (8 December 1926 – 11 September 2006) was a German historian, journalist, critic and editor who was best known for his writings and public commentary on Nazi Germany, including a biography of Adolf Hitler and books about ...

(1926–2006) German historian *

(1840–1901) Frederick III's widow,

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

's eldest daughter *

Carl-Hans Graf von Hardenberg Carl-Hans Graf von Hardenberg (October 22, 1891 – October 24, 1958) was a German politician and landowner. Early life and ancestry Carl-Has was born was born in Glogau Silesia, Germany (now Głogów, Lower Silesian Voivodeship), as the sec ...

(1891–1958) politician and participant in the

20 July Plot On 20 July 1944, Claus von Stauffenberg and other conspirators attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of Nazi Germany, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia, now Kętrzyn, in present-day Poland. The ...

, lived from 1945 until his death in 1958 in Kronberg *

Max Horkheimer Max Horkheimer (; ; 14 February 1895 – 7 July 1973) was a German philosopher and sociologist who was famous for his work in critical theory as a member of the Frankfurt School of social research. Horkheimer addressed authoritarianism, militari ...

(1895–1973) lived for a time, until Hitler seized power, on Minnholzweg *

Walther Leisler Kiep Walther Gottlieb Louis Leisler Kiep (5 January 1926 – 9 May 2016) was a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). He was a member of the Bundestag between 1965 and 1976 and again from 1980 to 1982. After switching to state-le ...

(1926-2016) CDU politician * Ann-Kathrin Linsenhoff (1960- ) German dressage rider, founder of the Linsenhoff UNICEF foundation *

Liselott Linsenhoff Liselott Linsenhoff (27 August 1927 – 4 August 1999) was a German equestrian and Olympic champion. Competing in the mixed dressage on the famous Swedish stallion Piaff, she won a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics with the West German te ...

(1927–1999) German dressage rider, multiple Olympic champion, VDO founder Adolf Schindling's daughter. *

Hans Matthöfer Hans Hermann Matthöfer (25 September 1925 – 14 November 2009) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Between 1974 and 1978 Matthöfer served as secretary of research and technology. In 1978 he took over as secretary of ...

(1925-2009) SPD politician *

Wolfgang Mischnick Wolfgang Mischnick (29 September 1921 – 6 October 2002) was a German liberal politician ( FDP). From 1961 to 1963 he was Federal Minister for Expellees, Refugees and War Victims and from 1968 to 1991 Chairman of the FDP parliamentary group and ...

(1921–2002) FDP politician * Maria Mucke (1919-2018) singer and television entertainer *

Karl Otto Pöhl Karl Otto Pöhl (1 December 1929 – 9 December 2014) was a German economist and a President of the Bundesbank and Chairman of its Central Bank Council from 1980 to 1991. Born in Hanover, Lower Saxony, Pöhl worked as a sports reporter to help p ...

(1929-2014) president of the

Deutsche Bundesbank The Deutsche Bundesbank (), literally "German Federal Bank", is the central bank of the Federal Republic of Germany and as such part of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). Due to its strength and former size, the Bundesbank is the most ...

1980-1991 *

Fritz Schilgen Fritz Schilgen (8 September 1906 – 12 September 2005) was a German athlete and the final torchbearer of the first Olympic torch relay at the 1936 Summer Games. Biography Schilgen was born in 1906 in Kronberg im Taunus, near Frankfurt, the s ...

(1906–2005) last torchbearer in the relay to the Summer Olympics in Berlin in 1936. *

Werner Sollors Werner Max Sollors (born June 6, 1943) is Henry B. and Anne M. Cabot Professor of English and of African American Studies at Harvard University. He is also Global Professor of Literature at New York University Abu Dhabi. Background Sollors rec ...

(1943- ), U.S. scholar of English literature and African-American studies

Honorary citizens

* 1895

Adolf Schreyer Adolf Schreyer (9 July 1828, Frankfurt-am-Main29 July 1899, Kronberg im Taunus) was a German painter, associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. Biography He studied art first at the Städel Institute in his native town, and then at ...

(1828–1899) * 1902 Karl Wilhelm von Meister (1863–1935) * 1933

Paul von Hindenburg Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (; abbreviated ; 2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German field marshal and statesman who led the Imperial German Army during World War I and later became President of Germany fr ...

(1847–1934)

Twin cities

Le Lavandou Le Lavandou (; oc, Lo Lavandor) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It derives its name either from the flower lavender (''lavanda'' in Provençal) that is prevalent in the area ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, since September 2, 1972 *

Ballenstedt Ballenstedt is a town in the Harz district, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Geography It is situated at the northern rim of the Harz mountain range, about 10 km (6 mi) southeast of Quedlinburg. The municipal area comprises the vil ...

, since October 6, 1988 *

Porto Recanati Porto Recanati () is a town with some 12,500 inhabitants in the province of Macerata, in the Marche region. of central Italy. It is the northeast coastal town of the province. It was made an independent town on 15 January 1893, when, due to a D ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, since September 5, 1993 *

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location i ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

, since November 1, 1997 *

Zaventem Zaventem () is a Belgian municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant. It is located in the Dijleland area, one of the three large recreational areas which together form the '' Groene Gordel'' ("Green Belt") around the Brussels-Capital Region ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

Esquel Esquel is a town in the northwest of Chubut Province in Argentine Patagonia. It is located in Futaleufú Department, of which it is the government seat. The town's name derives from one of two Tehuelche words: one meaning "marsh" and the other ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

Marchena ''Marchena'' is a genus of jumping spiders only found in the United States. Its only described species, ''M. minuta'', dwells on the barks of conifers along the west coast, especially California, Washington and Nevada.Maddison, Wayne. 1995. ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

Kronberg im Taunus has also a friendship with: *

Guldental Guldental is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Langenlonsheim-St ...

, Germany