A harnessed spring with two spouts pouring water into a vat. That’s what Steinbach’s coat of arms depicts. This image isn’t just symbolic. It represents an actual spring found at Pijnacker Square. We are standing in Steinbach.
Steinbach is a town bordering Frankfurt am Main. It lies in the Hochtaunuskreis district. Other neighboring towns include Oberursel and Kronberg im Taunus. Steinbach is located in Hesse.
Let’s explore Steinbach’s geography. Steinbach sits 166 meters above sea level. It is nestled in the Anterior Taunus hills. The town lies on the edge of the Taunus Nature Park. Frankfurt’s city boundary is about 7 km away. Altkönig and Feldberg mountains are visible to the northwest. On clear days, you can even see the Odenwald to the southwest. The Frankfurt skyline is to the south.
Large areas of open land surround Steinbach. The Steinbach valley lies to the southeast. This valley is a protected landscape. The Steinbach stream flows into the Nidda at Praunheim. Orchards and field hedges scatter the western region. The Steinbach Heath forest lies to the northwest.
The old village of Steinbach was circular. Houses clustered around wells at Pijnacker place. These wells provided fresh water. The water pipe wasn’t installed until 1954.
Steinbach’s coat of arms tells a story. Granted in 1964, it features the spring. The vat held water for residents. This earned Steinbach the nickname “Steinbach in der Bütt”. Bütt means vat in German.
Steinbach’s history dates back centuries. The first documentary mention was in 789. The Marca Steinbach was donated to Lorsch Benedictine Monastery.
The Protestant Church of St. George Steinbach is significant. It belonged to the Archbishopric of Mainz. The church was built around 1270. From 1866 to 1945, Steinbach was a Hessian island. It was surrounded by Prussian territory.
Steinbach grew from a small village to a town. It only had 1000 inhabitants 50 years prior. In 1972, Steinbach was granted town rights.
Steinbach is part of the Rhein-Main-Gebiet urban area. It doesn’t have many historic buildings. However, the Bütt symbol is here on the court Pijnacker. The inns “Zum Goldenen Stern” and “Zum Schwanen” are nearby. Both have long traditions. The oldest restaurant in Steinbach “Zum Taunus” no longer exists.
The St. George’s Church is next to the back house. It was built in 1537. It was the first Protestant church in Germany. There are some old buildings in Steinbach. Bronze plates report on built and other important details. The old “Schultheißenhaus” in “Bornhohl” was first documented in 1549.
The bells of St. George’s Church are historic. The St. George bell from 1622 weighs 250 pounds. The other bell was poured in 1956.
Steinbach has a 14-hectare industrial park. Steinbach doesn’t have a direct road link to Frankfurt. However, Oberursel-Weiákirchen/Steinbach station connects to the S-Bahn network.
Steinbach is home to the Geschwister-Scholl-Grundschule. This primary school is named after Hans and Sophie Scholl. They were part of the White Rose resistance group. Steinbach maintains partnerships with other places.