Aystetten

Did the name Aystetten originally mean “site by the wet meadows”? We’re standing in Aystetten, a village with a history as rich as the Bavarian countryside that surrounds it. Aystetten’s first documented mention dates back to 1428. The document identifies the village as a holding of the Bishop of Augsburg, which he had granted as a fief to the Langenmantel von Radau family. Now, about that name. One theory suggests Aystetten comes from “Oy,” “Au,” and “stetten,” meaning a site by the wet meadows. This makes sense given the historical descriptions of the Aystetten valley, which mention numerous ponds, wetlands, and place names like “Brunnenacker” (well field), “Brunnenmahd” (well meadow), and “Brunnstube” (well chamber). Another theory connects the name to the oak leaf and acorn on the village’s coat of arms. However, historical findings don’t support a derivation of “Aichstetten” from “Eiche” (oak). Aystetten owes its existence to the clearing period of the Late Middle Ages, between the 12th and 13th centuries. Initially, larger river valleys were settled. But by the 12th century, the population had grown so much that existing farmland couldn’t feed everyone. To create more arable land, people began clearing the forests in the surrounding side valleys. Aystetten changed hands many times over the centuries. It remained with the Langenmantel family for generations. Then, through marriages with the Eggenberger family, the fiefdom of “Aychstettens” passed by inheritance in 1541. In 1560, Heilig Kreuz Monastery acquired “Aichstetten,” only to see it purchased by Anton Fugger in 1583. Between 1615 and 1718, under the Protestant Fleckhaimer family, the castle estate was completely destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War, which also claimed many lives in the village. In 1693, Max Fleckenhaim sold the property to Leonhard Carl Sulzer, who rebuilt the castle. The Langenmantel family regained Aystetten briefly in 1718. Then, in 1729, they sold it to Christian Münch, who was ennobled two years later. During the “von Münchs'” long reign, the castle was expanded and large gardens were created. In 1858, the “von Stetten” family, already established in Hammel, took over the castle and village, and they remain the owners to this day.