Butzbach Local Custom Tips by Weissdorn

Soldier City for Centuries XI

In 1945 the Landgrave Castle fell into the hands of the American Army, and from 1950 until 1991 the U.S. Army was stationed here.

Unfortunately, the entire castle area was off limits to the citizens of Butzbach, because it was U.S. Military terrritory, even though it was located directly in the middle of the city.

After the Americans abandoned the castle in 1991, the citizens purchased it from the state to turn it into new appartments.

Soldier City for Centuries X

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 Hessian National Police Force was stationed here, and from 1935 until the end of the II. World War, the German Army was stationed here. Because this building was used as a military base for so long, it lost it's resemblance to a castle.

Soldier City for Centuries IX

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 to the town ("the Hessian Father of Gymnastics") and was known as the liberal-democratic fighter for the liberty as a central figure among the Upper Hessian opponents of the Pre-March Period. He died as a victim of a secret cabinet court in the Darmstadt Dungeon in 1837. Weidig wrote the famous political flyer "The Hessian Land Messenger" together with the more well-known George Buechner and published it. Weidig’s effect still lives on far beyond his death. A large Butzbach student association, the gymnastic association, the singers association and the historical association (among others) keep his memory alive.

Soldier City for Centuries VIII

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 Solms-Lich a year afterwards. Amongst the joint owners were also the Counts of Katzenelnbogen, who were the inheritance benefactors in 1479 to the Hessian Landgraves. Despite the four family rule, the town council uniformity and independence prevailed. The House of Hesse would soon became a relevant partner, since it was able to buy up the House of Solms’ portion in 1741. A branch of the House of Hesse, Hesse-Darmstadt occasionally had it’s governmental seat here (1609-1643). Landgrave Philipp of Hesse-Darmstadt-Butzbach allowed an extensive new residence palace with extensive parks to be built. Here the Landgrave was often visited by his friend Johannes Kepler. Under direction of the widowed Landgravesse Elizabeth Dorothea, the meaning of the small town arose again (1688-1709).
The precedence for this was the inhuman 30 Year War and the numerous troop marches and quartering, and their subsequent and torture and annoyance of the population, which pushed Butzbach into an all-time low point for economic and political meaning as a city. As long as Landgrave Philipp was alive, the city and the few neighboring villages belonging to the county were spared as much as possible from war atrocities. The last six war years - without the influential protector – were more the worse for it. Since 1741 Butzbach has been completely Hessian.

Soldier City for Centuries VII

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, shoemakers, tailors, cloth manufacturers and weavers there were occupations such as smiths, boiler makers, wagon wrights, gun smiths, tin smiths, clock smiths, rope makers, hardware shopkeepers and many more. The wool weavers and the cloth manufacturers were the most important "producers" in old Butzbach. Butzbach’s wool was found on the Worms market as well as on the Frankfurt fair trade market, and they sold their goods at good prices.
Around 1390 Count Philipp VII von Falkenstein (recorded between 1349 – 1410) had a new castle built in the southeast corner of the area surrounded by the city walls, in which he resided up to his death. This refers to the oldest still-standing building, known as the "Landgrave Castle". In the 15th and 16th centuries, three further castles and other buildings for the individual lords of the city and their officials were built on that about 3 hectare size castle area, which constituted about a fifth of the city surface area.

Soldier City for Centuries VI

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 came about in 1368, from the privileges issued by Philipp VII von Falkenstein, which aided the general development of the social and economic structures within the urban population. In 1368 the right of the local administration secure it’s own incomes was granted by the citizen executive committee and the order of the community budget was also granted. In return, the citizens had to insure full support to their city fathers in times of war. The civil autonomy consisted of the town council, with it’s seven members of the "elders committee" (city court) and it’s seven members of the "youngers committee". Each committee selected a mayor annually from its members. “Kellers” (tax collectors and city managers) and “Schultheisses” (sheriffs) were the law enforcement representatives, who formally conducted town business and law enforcement under supervision of the town council.

Soldier City for Centuries V

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 and Wetzlar Gates real "gate castles" were erected, with several gates, channels, and high towers, etc.. In front of this first wall fortification, three additional barriers and three ditches with hedges and a palisade were erected. It was calculated that alone for transporting the stones (between approx.. 1321 and 1368) around 36,000 ox cart loads were necessary! In the 15th century, further development took place, in which a second outer wall system was erected, and the lower channel wall. At that time the trade and farming community had about 2000 inhabitants, and was thus a small medium-sized town. The city prospered, and the self-confidence of it’s citizens grew. The citizens started to rebuild their old church into a Gothic church in the 14th century. St. Mark’s Church has held it’s beautiful medieval late Gothic character up to this day, which has been left pretty much unchanged since 1520.

Soldier City for Centuries IV

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 buildings. These privileges represent a very important milestone in the development of this town. In the following decades the entire settlement received it’s “urbanization”. As the cross-point of the city, a large market place was created; traveling tradesmen and craftsmen could settle down in the rather wide, protectively walled area. If you take a look at the city plan of Butzbach with the different property borders, you can pretty much get an idea of how the outline must have looked around 1368/80 as a well-planned and executed medieval city. At the head of the market place, you can see the city hall, which was known as the "play house" in 1371, along with the court house, the market hall and the wedding house, which all were built around the same time.

Soldier City for Centuries II

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 first emerges in excessive written quantity in the year 773 A. D. under the name Botisphaden, 769/778 and sometimes as Botinesbach. The place name is to be interpreted with “to the paths (and/or at the creek) of the Boto”. Between 773 and/or 769/778 and 821, several grants of rights and properties were supposedly given to Butzbach by the Realm Monastery Lorsch, which indicates that the village had already existed for quite a while. The possession and rights of the Fulda Monastery seem to have been substantially more important however, since the Butzbach Church seemed to belong more to them. The origin of these Fulda Rights to Butzbach is unknown to a large extent. Is assumed there was an earlier presence of a royal court, which could have been relinquished to the Fulda Monastery.

Soldier City for Centuries III

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 called itself by these names as of 1166, after they re-built a large castle on top of the Munzberg (Coin Mountain). The influence of this dynasty which died out in 1255 must have also prevailed in Butzbach. A Munzenberg vassal, a knight, called himself “von Butzbach” as of 1243. He probably (as of 1255?) administrated a small castle, the forerunner of the castle that followed later. After the Munzenberg Dynasty died out, the village of Butzbach became the inheritance of the Lords of Hanau. They established the first castle here around 1256/57. Just before 1320, a different branch of the Munzenberg Dynasty inherited Butzbach briefly; the Lords of Falkenstein. Philipp IV of Falkenstein wanted to create here, at the traffic-favorable village Butzbach, a new economical and political center for the Northern Wetterau Region, a city, which would also become also residence of the territorial Lords of Falkenstein at the same time.