Bad Berneck im Fichtelgebirge () is a spa town in the
district of Bayreuth, in
Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. It is situated on the
White Main
The White Main ( or ''Weißmain'', not to be confused with the Weismain), is the larger and shorter of the two headstreams of the river Main. It rises in the Fichtel Mountains and merges near Steinenhausen, southwest of Kulmbach, with the left ...
river, in the
Fichtel Mountains
The Fichtel Mountains (, ; ) is a mountain range in Germany and the Czech Republic. They extend from the valley of the Red Main River in northeastern Bavaria to the Karlovy Vary Region in western Czech Republic. The Fichtel Mountains contain an ...
, 13 km northeast of
Bayreuth
Bayreuth ( or ; High Franconian German, Upper Franconian: Bareid, ) is a Town#Germany, town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtel Mountains. The town's roots date back to 11 ...
. It lies in the northern part of the Bavarian province of
Upper Franconia
Upper Franconia (, ) is a (administrative 'Regierungs''region 'bezirk'' of the state of Bavaria, southern Germany. It forms part of the historically significant region of Franconia, the others being Middle Franconia and Lower Franconia, wh ...
. Since 1857 it has been a spa, initially based on its climate and
whey
Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is a byproduct resulting from the manufacture of rennet types of hard c ...
products. In 1930 it became a Kneipp spa and, in 1950, a Kneipp
health spa
Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, pain ...
.
Geography
The town of Bad Berneck lies on the western edge of the
Fichtel Mountains
The Fichtel Mountains (, ; ) is a mountain range in Germany and the Czech Republic. They extend from the valley of the Red Main River in northeastern Bavaria to the Karlovy Vary Region in western Czech Republic. The Fichtel Mountains contain an ...
in the
Ölschnitz valley, which enters the
White Main
The White Main ( or ''Weißmain'', not to be confused with the Weismain), is the larger and shorter of the two headstreams of the river Main. It rises in the Fichtel Mountains and merges near Steinenhausen, southwest of Kulmbach, with the left ...
below the old town or ''Altstadt''. The ''Mainberg'' (624 m above
NN) and ''Wolfenberg'' (598 m above NN) are the highest peaks in the parish.
Neighbouring communities
Bad Berneck's neighbouring parishes (in clockwise order) are:
Gefrees,
Goldkronach
Goldkronach (East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Gronich'') is a Town#Germany, town in the Bayreuth (district), district of Bayreuth, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated near the Fichtel Mountains, 12 km northeast of Bayreuth.
Hist ...
,
Bindlach
Bindlach is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in the district of Bayreuth (district), Bayreuth in Upper Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. The town is adjacent immediately north of the town of Bayreuth. The population count of December 2006 wa ...
,
Harsdorf
Harsdorf is a municipality in the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to ...
,
Himmelkron
Himmelkron is a municipality in the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps ...
and
Marktschorgast. The town of
Bayreuth
Bayreuth ( or ; High Franconian German, Upper Franconian: Bareid, ) is a Town#Germany, town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtel Mountains. The town's roots date back to 11 ...
is about from Bad Berneck.
Sub-divisions
History
The exact date of Bad Berneck's foundation is not known, but up to 1057 the place was under the control of the lords of
Babenberg
The House of Babenberg was a noble dynasty of Austrian Dukes and Margraves. Descending from the Popponids and originally from Bamberg in the Duchy of Franconia (present-day Bavaria), the Babenbergs ruled the imperial Margraviate of Austria fr ...
and later the
counts of Andechs
The House of Andechs was a feudal line of Bavarian princes in the 12th and 13th centuries. The counts of Dießen-Andechs (1100 to 1180) obtained territories in northern Dalmatia on the Adriatic seacoast, where they became Margraves of Istria and ...
. In 1167 Berneck was first mentioned as a castle, built by Ulrich II Walpote of Berneck, without obtaining the approval of the
Bishop of Bamberg
This is a list of bishops and archbishops of the Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg and the modern Archdiocese of Bamberg in Germany.
__TOC__ Bishops, 1007–1245
* Eberhard I 1007-1040
* Pope Clement II, Suidger von Morsleben 1040-1046 (Later Pope Clemen ...
.
Until 1202 Berneck was under Bamberg rule. From 1203 to 1248 it belonged again to the counts of Andechs-Merania. In 1248, following the extinction of
House of Merania, it fell to the
counts of Orlamünde and in 1341 to the
burgraves of Nuremberg (and, later, the
margraves of Brandenburg-Bayreuth). It is first recorded as a town on 18 November 1357. In 1375 Berneck was almost completely burned down and it was destroyed by fire again in 1431 and 1462 during the
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, a ...
. Plague and
famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food caused by several possible factors, including, but not limited to war, natural disasters, crop failure, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenom ...
also struck the town.
In 1478 the Marquis gave Berneck to Veit von
Wallenroth with the stipulation that the fortifications were to be rebuilt. The castle of Hohenberneck was built. In 1495 the town had 204 residents in 76 households. After the death of Veit von Wallenroth the place went to Albert of
Wirsberg, the ''
Amtmann
__NOTOC__
The ''Amtmann'' or ''Ammann'' (in Switzerland) was an official in German-speaking countries of Europe and in some of the Nordic countries from the time of the Middle Ages whose office was akin to that of a bailiff
A bailiff is a ...
'' of
Stein
Stein may refer to:
Places Austria
* Stein, a neighbourhood of Krems an der Donau, Lower Austria
* Stein, Styria, a municipality in the district of Fürstenfeld, Styria
* Stein (Lassing), a village in the district of Liezen, Styria
* Stein a ...
. He further fortified the now ruined stronghold and the family acted as
robber barons against Nuremberg. The latter had the castle bombarded into ruins in 1533.
In 1632, in the middle of the
Thirty Years War
The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine, or disease, whil ...
the place was razed. This happened again on 13 May 1692 - only five houses and a mill were spared.
In 1724, 15
gypsy
{{Infobox ethnic group
, group = Romani people
, image =
, image_caption =
, flag = Roma flag.svg
, flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress
, po ...
women were hanged and buried under the Gypsy Oak (''Zigeunereiche''). The men had fled. The survivors were driven across the border.
In 1732 Margrave
George Frederick Charles of Brandenburg-Bayreuth had pearl oysters introduced into the
Ölschnitz, probably to supplement the state's finances
In the wars of 1796-1815 the small town had to pay several contributions and provide billeting. In 1806
Blücher visited Berneck and the ''Blüchersruh'' was named after him. The former office (''
Amt'') of the Prussian principality of
Bayreuth
Bayreuth ( or ; High Franconian German, Upper Franconian: Bareid, ) is a Town#Germany, town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtel Mountains. The town's roots date back to 11 ...
, established since 1792, fell to
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
in 1807 as a result of the
Treaty of Tilsit
The Treaties of Tilsit (), also collectively known as the Peace of Tilsit (; ), were two peace treaties signed by French Emperor Napoleon in the town of Tilsit in July 1807 in the aftermath of his victory at Friedland, at the end of the War o ...
and, in 1810, went to Bavaria. Around 1830 the first spa business was established (based on
whey
Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is a byproduct resulting from the manufacture of rennet types of hard c ...
products). Within Bavaria, Berneck was initially the seat of a regional court (''Landgericht''), later a district office (''Bezirksamt''). The territory of the district was affiliated to the neighbouring district offices of Bayreuth,
Kulmbach
Kulmbach () is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The town, once a stronghold of the Principality of Bayreuth, is renowned for its University of Life Sciences, a branch of the University of Bayreuth, the massive Plasse ...
and
Münchberg. The majority of the ''Amt'' territory was controlled by the district office at Bayreuth. In 1896 it was connected to the railway network.
On 1 October 1929 the district of Berneck was dissolved. In the 1930s,
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
spent the night in the then fashionable Bube Hotel on several occasions during the festival in Bayreuth.
In 1930, Kneipp cures were introduced and its recognition as a spa came in 1950. However, since the 1970s, its role as a spa has tailed off considerably.
Politics
Town council
The town council has 16 members. The allocation of seats (as of August 2023) is:
*
CSU
CSU may refer to:
Universities and university systems
United States
* Columbia Southern University, in Orange Beach, Alabama
* California State University system
* Colorado State University, in Fort Collins, Colorado
* Connecticut State Univers ...
7
*
SPD 5
*
FWG 3
*
Grüne 1
The mayor (''Bürgermeister'') is Jürgen Zinnert (SPD), and the deputy mayor is Alexander Popp from the FWG.
Culture and points of interest

* Ruins of the Walpote castle of Wallenrode, Hohenberneck Castle, the Old Castle and St. Mary's chapel, and the
water castle
A water castle, sometimes water-castle, is a castle which incorporates a natural or artificial body of water into its defences.Forde-Johnston (1979), p. 163. It can be entirely surrounded by water-filled moats (moated castle) or natural waterbo ...
of Alt-Berneck.
*
Dendrological Gardens in the Rother Park with trees from all over the world.
* Market place with historic
timber-framed
Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy Beam (structure), timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and Woodworking joints, joined timbers with joints secure ...
houses.
* Spa park with colonnades.
* The
open air stage by the Castle Tower is used from June to September by the Free Theatre of Bayreuth.
*
Protestant church of the Holy Trinity (''Zur Heiligen Dreifaltigkeit'').
Economy and infrastructure
The largest employer in the town is the Frenzelit-Werke, with approximately 450 employees worldwide. The company is owned by the Wagner family and manufactures seals. The second largest employer was Reitz group, with about 200 employees in Bad Berneck (about 500 total). The Reitz Group with its brands Popp, düwi and Schwaiger manufactures electrical products. On 18 February 2009 the Reitz group filed for bankruptcy.
Transport
Bad Berneck lies at the intersection of
B 2 (
Hof - Bayreuth) and
B 303 (
Kronach
Kronach (; ) is a Town#Germany, town in Upper Franconia, Germany, located in the Franconian Forest area. It is the capital of the Kronach (district), district Kronach.
The town is equipped with a nearly complete city wall and Germany's biggest an ...
-
Eger
Eger ( , ; ; also known by other #Names and etymology, alternative names) is the county seat of Heves County, and the second largest city in Northern Hungary (after Miskolc). A city with county rights, Eger is best known for Castle of Eger, its ...
) federal highways. Bad Berneck is connected to the motorway network via the junction of Berneck/Himmelkron (5 km distant on the
A 9 and
A 70 motorways. The nearest railway stations are located in
Marktschorgast,
Neuenmarkt and
Bayreuth
Bayreuth ( or ; High Franconian German, Upper Franconian: Bareid, ) is a Town#Germany, town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtel Mountains. The town's roots date back to 11 ...
.
Education
Bad Berneck has the Sebastian-Kneipp Volkschule (primary and secondary school) and two kindergartens.
Notable people
*
Adolf Köberle (1898–1990), Protestant theologian
*
Carl Heidenreich
Carl Heidenreich (1901-1965) was a German American artist and an important contributor to the Abstract Expressionist movement in New York.
Life in Germany
Heidenreich was born on October 4, 1901, in Bad Berneck and studied art in the National A ...
(1901–1964), German-American painter
*
Ulrike Meinhof
Ulrike Marie Meinhof (7 October 1934 – 9 May 1976) was a German left-wing militant, journalist and founding member of the Red Army Faction (RAF) in West Germany, commonly referred to in the press as the "Baader-Meinhof gang". She is the repute ...
(1934–1976) journalist and RAF terrorist; lived in Bad Berneck in 1945–1946
References
External links
Kur und Tourismus GmbH in Bad Berneck
{{Authority control
Bayreuth (district)
Fichtel Mountains
Spa towns in Germany