Imagine blue mist rising from Tiefthal Valley. This happened every morning and people in Töttelstädt simply fell ill and died. Töttelstädt is a part of Thuringia’s main city Erfurt. It sits to the city’s northwest near Gotha.
Töttelstädt has seen both prosperity and misfortune. It is a place with a rich history. The village sits at the foot of the Fahnersche Höhe. The Weißbach stream flows through it.
Let’s journey back to May 18 874. Töttelstädt was then known as Tullinestat. It was one of 116 Thuringian places obligated to donate a tenth of its harvest to Fulda Abbey. King Ludwig settled a dispute over this obligation in favor of the Abbey. The Codex Eberhardi documents this.
In 1104, Archbishop Ruthard of Mainz acknowledged St. Peter’s Monastery possessed Tutilstete. This name may suggest an old execution site. The village has been called Tudelstedt and Tottelstedt over time.
Töttelstädt was once larger than it is today. It even had two churches. But plague in 1610 and fires in 1696, 1804 and 1824 reduced its size. In 1824, fire destroyed the church, two schools and 79 homes with their farm buildings.
Yet, hope remained. Pastor Wilhelm Hey encouraged his community to rebuild. Even standing amid the rubble of his church.
The Counts of Gleichen held court in Töttelstädt in 1263. They were protectors of Erfurt’s Peterskloster. Markgraf Heinrich removed this right. Landgraf Albrecht restored it.
In 1807, Napoleon forced farmers including some from Töttelstädt to fight in his army. Töttelstädt became part of Erfurt on October 12 1994.
In Töttelstädt, St. Nikolai church stands. It is a branch church featuring a chancel tower. This tower and the southern pointed arch windows are from the Gothic church of 1492. A second church was dedicated in 1725. It burned down in 1824. The church was rebuilt by 1825.
Inside the church, you’ll find a uniform space. It has a flat plastered vault. There is a continuous double gallery and a pulpit altar from 1825.
A storm in 1984 damaged the church tower. It was rebuilt by 1986 but not as tall as before. The organ comes from the Ratzmann workshop.
At the old rectory, a plaque honors Wilhelm Hey. He was a poet who lived here from 1818 to 1827.
East of Töttelstädt lies the Grundmühle in the Weißbach Valley. It’s a former monastery mill that is now a popular destination with a small restaurant.
Töttelstädt’s history reflects resilience. It is a story of faith, loss and rebirth. A place that faced disasters yet held onto hope.