How about a journey back in time right here in Hallstadt? This town, nestled on the left bank of the Main, holds secrets dating back millennia. Hallstadt is located just north of Bamberg.
Imagine, if you will, settlers farming this very land around 5000 BC in the New Stone Age. Fast forward to about 670. Saint Kilian himself preached here. Almost 50 years later, Saint Boniface tried to convert Hallstadt’s early inhabitants.
But it was sometime between 741 and 747 when Hallstadt, or “Halazestat im Radensgove,” first appeared in historical records. Frankish Dukes Karlmann and Pepin the Short mentioned it in a document. In 793, Charlemagne approved his father Pepin’s donations to the Würzburg Bishop Berwolf. Halazestat was among them.
Between 794 and 820, the Church of St. Kilian was built as one of Charlemagne’s Slavic churches. By 805, Hallstadt even became Charlemagne’s royal court. He had spent the night here years earlier in 793.
Two centuries later in 1007, Emperor Henry II donated the royal court to the Bishopric of Bamberg. He had founded it. By way of exchange, he acquired Hallstadt’s church and parish from the Bishop of Würzburg for the royal court at Gerau on the Upper Rhine in 1013.
Once Bishop Lambert von Brun finished the bridge across the Main, Hallstadt became important to trade. The town suffered greatly in 1430 when the Hussites burned it down. By 1503, Hallstadt had recovered enough to be called a market town. However, only two generations later in 1553, Margrave Albrecht Alcibiades von Brandenburg-Kulmbach occupied and destroyed Bamberg and Hallstadt again.
From 1617 to 1618, witch trials took place under Prince-Bishop Johann Gottfried von Aschenhausen. Fifty-three townsfolk were put to death. The Thirty Years’ War brought further devastation. In 1633, Hallstadt was burned down again after the plague.
Between 1756 and 1763, Frederick the Great’s soldiers occupied Bamberg and Hallstadt. In 1802, Elector Max Joseph of Bavaria seized the High Monastery at Bamberg and Franconia. A few years later in 1808, King Max visited Hallstadt.
The town was connected to the railway network in 1880. Hallstadt Railway Station opened.
Hallstadt was raised to town in 1954. It celebrated its 1,300th anniversary. In 1972, the community of Dörfleins was amalgamated with the town.
Today, Hallstadt is also very close to the Haßberge nature park. It has a great network of hiking paths. Don’t forget to visit the parish of St. Kilian and the Chapel of St. Anna. If you are looking for activities you can visit the public swimming pool. You can explore the hiking and cycling trails or visit the Kulturscheune.
From its early beginnings as a farming settlement to its role as a royal court, Hallstadt has witnessed centuries of transformation. As you wander through the town, remember the countless stories etched into its very foundation.