Bad Brückenau

Bad Brückenau is a spa town in Bad Kissingen district in northern Bavaria. It is situated in the Rhön Mountains, 30 kilometers south of Fulda.GeographyBad Brückenau is located in the valley of the River Sinn, in the western part of the Rhön Mountains. It consists of five subdivisions: the central town Bad Brückenau and the four suburbs Staatsbad Brückenau, Wernarz, Volkers and Römershag.HistoryHistory of BrückenauThe early history of the town is sparsely documented. The first buildings were probably erected close to a ford across the Sinn, which was in use by the time of Charlemagne. By the 12th century the settlement had reached the size of a small town and was called Sinn-Au. Earliest mention of the town is made in a document dating back to 1249, when Fulda Abbey granted Sinn-Au certain privileges. In 1260 the Bishop had four castles built around the town, which he granted to various vassals in the area. Around that time, he also fortified the town with a simple town wall.In 1310 Sinn-Au was granted the rights of a city by King (later Emperor) Heinrich VII. With that, Brückenau gained the rights to maintain its walls, hold markets, have its own council, cut tree in the forests, raise taxes on wine and so on. In 1337, the council made use of its new rights and enlarged the walls and fortified the gates. In 1597 the town received its present name Brückenau, when a bridge (German: Brücke) was built over the Sinn. In August 1876, the town was almost completely destroyed by fire.