Wertheim Am Main - History

History

Wertheim was founded between the 7th and 8th century, however the first settlement was a town called Kreuzwertheim on the right of the river Main. From the early 12th century onwards, a branch of the noble family of the Reginbodons called themselves after the town. After the family of the earls of Wertheim had built a castle on the left bank of the river Main, a settlement developed at the foot of this dominating structure that was called Wertheim. It was mentioned for the first time in 779. In 1192, it was referred to as "Suburbium castri Wertheim" and in 1200 the town is called “oppidium” and 1244 “civitas”.

Count Eberhard of Wertheim reigned from the year 1355 to 1373. 1363 Emperor Karl IV granted him by degree the right to mint coins. The last count of Wertheim was Michael III. He married the oldest daughter of the count Ludwig of Stolberg, Katharina. Michael died without producing a male heir and consequently the county passed on to Ludwig of Stolberg. 1574, after the death of Ludwig, the county was passed on to his son-in-law count Ludwig of Löwenstein.

The town Wertheim developed into the center of the county of Wertheim. The county was governed by the house of Löwenstein-Wertheim. In 1630 the house split into two lines: the older Protestant line Löwenstein-Wertheim-Virneburg and the catholic line Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort.The county existed until 1806 when it was divided as a consequence of the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss ("Principal Conclusion of the Extraordinary Imperial Delegation"). The area left of the Main river was given to the Grand Duchy of Baden, while the territories right of the Main, were given to the Kingdom of Bavaria.

In 1938 Wertheim was merged with Tauberbischofsheim into the new Landkreis Tauberbischofsheim. From 1972 onwards 15 communities were incorporated with Wertheim. The 15 communities are Bettingen, Dertingen, Dietenhan, Dörlesberg, Grünenwört, Höhefeld, Kembach, Lindelbach, Mondfeld, Nassig, Reicholzheim, Sachsenhausen, Sonderriet, Urphar and Waldenhausen. As of January 1, 1973 the Landkreis Tauberbischofsheim was merged into the new Main-Tauber-Kreis. Due to the incorporation of surrounding communities, Wertheim reached the 20,000 population mark in 1975. Wertheim became a Große Kreisstadt (district town) on January 1, 1976.

Established in 1406, the cemetery of the former Jewish community is one of the oldest in Germany. In use up until the 20th century, it is the oldest existing Jewish cemetery in Baden-Württemberg.