Butzbach Travel Guide

 Weissdorn Says:  This is the oldest half-timbered church in the State of Hesse (built around 1440 on top of the foundation of an older building, probably dating back to the 13th century). Before the year 1375 the city hospital was located at St. Wendelin's (home for the sick, poor and the... 

 Weissdorn Says:  Built in 1803 as the first private home outside of the city walls, by Johann Jakob Sarasin, a rich Frankfurt restaurant owner and wine dealer, who opened this building as a guesthouse. Friedrich Ludwig Weidig was held prisoner here in 1833 for seven weeks. 

 Weissdorn Says:  An interesting building that was built at the height of the late Gothic stone-building period, in 1481, and served as a royal steward’s headquarters. The building was built directly on the city walls. Later it became the city castle for the Dukes of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich.... 

 Weissdorn Says:  This was once the city residence of the Lords of Falkenstein (approx. 1321-1418), then it became the home of the House of Eppstein-Königstein, the Archbishop of Mainz, and finally a Hessian Landgrave castle. Landgrave Philipp of Hesse-Butzbach (1609-1643) transformed the... 

 Weissdorn Says:  Built in 1725 by the city physics doctor, Dr. Fabricius in Baroque style, a half-timbered house with plastering and numerous plaster figures, and a lovely entry way. This was once the home of Weidig’s student, Christoph Rumpf (1815-1899). 

 Weissdorn Says:  This is an example of the few late Gothic, half stone Patrician homes in the city. Portions of the half-timbered construction were altered in the 18th/19th centuries. This was the ancestral home of the Buff Family, who became famous because of Goethe’s acquaintance, Lotte... 

 Weissdorn Says:  This is the late Gothic former relics (bones) house, with the St. Michael's and St. Catherine's Chapels next to it (built around 1433/35). This is an important stone building with late Gothic frescos (around 1475) of St. Michael. After the reformation, it served as a fire... 

 Weissdorn Says:  Their famous dean, Gabriel Biel (approx. 1410-1495) was the founder and rector of the University of Tübingen and the last great theologist before the reformation. Landgrave Philipp of Hesse-Butzbach built this royal crypt (in 1622) and donated the organ (in 1614) and the... 

 Weissdorn Says:  In 1818 Butzbach became a garnison city and the Landgrave castle became a calvery post for Napoleon's Garde-Chevauxlegers, and the stall building was built. The calvery was replaced by the 1st Bataillon of the Grand Duke of Hessen's Regiment No. 168. From 1920 to 1934 the... 

 Weissdorn Says:  The city’s image was substantially shaped in the early 19th century by Dr. Friedrich Ludwig Weidig (1791 - 1837), who lived in Butzbach from 1803 to 1834, and who worked here as a teacher from 1812 up until his disciplinary banishment. Around 1813/14 he introduced gymnastics... 

 Weissdorn Says:  In 1418 the Falkenstein Dynasty died out. During the inheritance distribution in 1419, a third of Butzbach was obtained by the two brothers of Eppstein by chance. One half of Butzbach went to the family Solms-Braunfels in 1478, a quarter went into the hands of the family... 

 Weissdorn Says:  The rising city attracted humans of all kinds and occupations. In the 15th century 181 different occupations existed, along with six guilds. In the guilds strict practice code prevailed, and each member had to follow them to the letter. In addition to bakers, butchers,... 

 Weissdorn Says:  But the presence of fortifications, a market place and a substantial building of churches does not constitute the quality of a medieval city in the full sense. Important during the development of the municipality was the attainment of the administrative independence, which... 

 Weissdorn Says:  Around 1368 the settlement was surround by a 1320 m a long and over 9 m high elliptical wall system. The vulnerable places were fortified with towers. Along the more important traffic routes gates were erected, which were particularly fortified: here, at the Weisel, Griedel... 

 Weissdorn Says:  On 10 August 1321 the later Emperor, Ludwig the Bavarian, granted same liberties of the city Frankfurt/Main to Philipp von Falkenstein’s little village of Butzbach; Butzbach was elevated to city status. Soon afterwards, they must have been begun with the administration... 

 Weissdorn Says:  Probably only a few generations after the departure of the Romans, a Germanic settlement, which can be called “Urzelle” in the village Butzbach sprang up. An archaeological excavated settlement suggest this. This settlement probably already had the name of Butzbach, which... 

 Weissdorn Says:  Conditions became clearer, apparently due to the favorable traffic paths (close of the Wine Road and the “Wagon Road”) at the beginning of the 13th century. In the meantime, the Lords of Hagen and Arnsburg had taken the Northern Wetterau into their possession. The family... 

 Weissdorn Says:  The historical beginnings of Butzbach and its neighboring areas go far back into the past. The Northwest Wetterau Area was settled repeatedly by humans since the beginning of the stone ages. Many cultures left their traces here. This municipal area became particularly...