The Rulers of Heusenstamm
In the oldest document known to us today from the year 1211 we can read: The “Reich” granted me, Godfried of Epstein, the castle of Husenstam in fief as well as the village with the same name in front of it, and we handed both castle and village over to Gebawre (Eberhard) of Husenstam.
According to this document Heusenstamm was a castle of the Reich and free property of the lords of Epstein which they transferred as second fief to the lords of Heusenstamm. The document is proof that castle and village existed in 1211 and perhaps were built around 1180, the time of Friedrich I (Barbarossa). The exact date, however, lies in the mist of time. For this reason this first mentioning is considered as its date of birth.
It was around 1200 that Patershausen arose from the darkness of the past and, under the Cistercian nuns, became a flourishing convent.
The village of Bellingen, twice mentioned in documents, had been abandoned. The foundations of a water mill on the Bieber are evidence of Patershausen and Renigishausen
The lordship of the rulers of Heusenstamm lasted almost 500 years. Only two of them gained recognition in the spotlight of history: The Knight Martin (1456?-1540) extended the castle and in 1495 accompanied as vassal the Archbishop of Mainz, Berthold of Mainz, to the Reichstag of Worms (Reform of the Reich, ban of feuds, jurisdiction in the Reich). He deputized as Vice Governor for the Kurfürsten (electors of the Emperor) of Mainz. As successor of Albrecht of Brandenburg his son Sebastian of Heusenstamm became Archbishop and Kurfürst of Mainz himself and so was Chancellor of the German Reich. In 1550 he attended the Reichstag (Imperial Diet) and the ecclesiastical council of Trent. He died in 1552, the year of the Augsburg treaty for religious peace, which was to a large degree his work. He was buried in Mainz Cathedral where an epitaph was erected in his honour. The elaborate tombstone at the entry to the manor of Patershausen reminds us however of his mother:
“Anno 1508, on the twelfth of June, the well respected Elizabeth Brendel of Homburg, wife of Martin, Knight of Heusenstamm, died and God have mercy upon her.”
God`s grace be also with those who had to suffer in the 30 Years` War. At first the imperial troops under Tilly broke into Heusenstamm. They were allowed to loot at will. They were told to leave behind only millstones and hot iron. Later, castle and village suffered heavy destruction during the fights between Swedes and Tilly´s troops. Hunger caused by failing crops, the cold and the plague killed almost everybody.
At that time the lords of Heusenstamm settled Austrian families in the deserted Heusenstamm, because they themselves had lived in Austria since the beginning of the 17th century. As the administration from a distance was difficult they rented the lordship to the Frankfurt patrician Stefan von Cronstetten.
At this time the magnificent presbytery of today, St. Cecilia, was built which was planned originally as a residence for widows.
In the meantime the lords of Heusenstamm were raised to become Counts of the Reich and, in the year 1661, sold “the free (only subordinate to the Reich) castle and village of Heusenstamm together with Patershausen, half the village of Espa ( today part of Langgöns), and the mine in that place along with law courts, the dispensation of justice etc.” They sold it for 27800 guilders to the Knight Philipp Erwein of Schönborn, senior civil servant of Mainz in Steinheim.
From Village to Small Residence
The Knight Philipp Erwein planned a new 4-winged castle, but already in the first year of its construction he complained: ''I have completely overdrawn my means with that Heusenstamm building...'' So all that was built was one wing. He bought Obertshausen and Hausen (then called “Hausen behind the Sun”) along with Gravenbruch for 9000 guilders.
The House of Schönborn planned an ecclesiastical career for 5 of Erwein´s 7 grandsons, while 2 of them were supposed to care for the continued existence of the family in two lines. One of them was Count Anselm Franz (1681 – 1726), General of the German Emperor. The family chose as his wife the Countess of the Reich Maria Theresia of Montfort (1698 – 1751), whose family was looking back to a long tradition of Reich Countesses. As residence the Schönborns assigned the castle of Heusenstamm to this young couple. When in 1726 Count Anselm died after only 9 years of marital life the Countess Maria Theresia took over the control of Heusenstamm as guardian of her 3 sons (2 died early in childhood).
With the new parish church St. Cecilia, planned by Balthasar Neumann, the family crypt of the Schönborns, the schoolhouse, extensions to the castle, the mill, and the baroque park Maria Theresia transformed the village of Heusenstamm into a small residence. Along with this building boom she founded the Count´s Guild of Heusenstamm. With her social commitment she provided for those whom she felt responsible for. The “ Milde Knabenstiftung ” (a relief organisation for orphans) continued to exist until the inflation in 1923. Vice-chancellor of the Reich Friedrich Karl, Bishop of Bamberg and Würzburg, who was her brother-in-law, spoke of her as an upright and erudite woman. She could also be called a very caring mother of her estates.
In March 1764 Kaiser Franz I stayed in the castle of Heusenstamm with his two sons for two weeks. His son Joseph II was to be elected King of the Roman Empire. They had to wait for the results of this election. Count Eugen Erwein, the son of Maria Theresia, built the Arch (Torbau) to commemorate of this spectacular event.
“Eugen Erwin Count of Schönborn-Heusenstamm, born 1727 died in 1801”, you can read on the tombstone of the family crypt in Göllersdorf (Austria), in which the body of his mother, the Countess Maria Theresia, lies too. As he had no male descendants the Heusenstamm line died out with him. The property of the lordship of Heusenstamm went to the line of Schönborn-Buchheim, and later in an exchange, to the line of Wiesentheid.
In the framework of the Rheinbund Act settled with Napoleon Heusenstamm came under the sovereignty of the Princes of Isenburg-Birstein. Thus in 1808 ended the direct imperial dependency of Heusenstamm and in 1816 Heusenstamm became part of Hessen.
During the Napoleonic wars the people suffered very much from occupation and rioting. The castle was ruined to a large degree by Austrian, Russian, and Prussian troops who made it into a military hospital. Later it became the seat of the pension office of the Counts. Its officers lived in it.
On the Way into the Industrial Age
From 818 inhabitants in 1828 the Heusenstamm population grew slowly at first but doubled between 1871 and 1910 to become 2760. It is the date of birth of the “New Old Place” i.e. the development on the other side of Frankfurt Street. Agriculture as an occupation decreased more and more. In its place small firms came into existence, especially those making wallets and leather sharpeners. When the railway from 1898 on began to connect the nearby towns the people could find work there too.
The schoolhouse built by Maria Theresia became community property as the Town Hall. The synagogue built in 1650 was destroyed in the Crystal Night. Today only the Jewish cemetery, first mentioned in 1627, reminds us of the many Jews who in earlier days lived under the protection of the lordship of Heusenstamm.
With the invasion of the US troops the horror of the war and of persecution seemed to be over. A year later the first democratic election took place. At that time Heusenstamm had 3100 inhabitants. They included 1500 refugees from Silesia, East Prussia, and the Sudeten.
In the Upswing of the Economic Miracle
In 1959 Heusenstamm acquired the right to be called a town. The number of its inhabitants grew till 1970 to over 14000. The new housing and business area extended essentially south and west of the old nucleus. When in 1977 the old and historical community of Rembrücken became part of the town, this meant a new boost of economic growth for the young town.
At that time (1978) it took courage to buy the Schönborn Castle which after the exit of the postal school looked rather like a fairy tale castle. This is difficult to imagine if you see it now, radiant with its multi-coloured flowerbeds serving as background for many wedding photos. It is the place of many happy festivities, this Town Hall of the “Schlossstadt” (castle town) as Heusenstamm is also called today.
An old promise was kept in 2003 when the suburban train line was opened. It connects Heusenstamm with the industrial and cultural centres of the region. In its honour the station square was transformed into an inviting Entrée. The old station building gives its name and space to a bistro.
And Heusenstamm can offer more. Spacious sports facilities and a new indoor swimming pool are supplemented by cultural organisations like the House of Literature, the House of Music, the History of the Town and VHS (popular university). A broad spectrum of sports clubs, cultural clubs and others enrich the range of leisure facilities.
Clubs are also responsible for the relationships with the twinned towns Saint-Savin (F), Tonbridge and Malling (GB), Malle (B), and Ladispoli (I). Friendships across national borders come into existence. You can see them all at the Christmas market which with its special flair has been attracting people from far away to Heusenstamm for 29 years.
The old walls of the Bannturm overlook the Heusenstamm “Kultursommer“ which with its varied programmes has become a permanent part of cultural life in the town. In the festive wedding hall right next to the Bannturm not only do people get married but cultural events of all kinds also take place.
Those who prefer nature will find numerous possibilities. One of the most beautiful walks leads you down the re-established avenue of the old Castle park alongside ponds to the Castle. On the regional park route you can walk further through the “Bieberaue” to Patershausen. A long time ago Maria Theresia bought Patershausen and made the old nunnery into a stately farm. Today it is town property, is cultivated by a Demeter farmer and is always worth a visit.
So Heusenstamm with its about 19000 inhabitants is more than just a dormitory town for Frankfurt. In this ''little residence'' history and nature are combined. Here the people have a feeling of well-being.
Dr. Volker Schneider
Translated by Helmut Rödl
