Frücht

Frücht is a small municipality in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate in western Germany. It is part of the Bad Ems Municipal Association (Verbandsgemeinde) in the Rhein-Lahn District. It is located in the Taunus Mountains about 7km southwest of Bad Ems and about 7km east of Lahnstein.HistoryFrücht was first mentioned in 1159 as Wruhte. It belonged to the Countship of Nassau until 1613, when it was sold to Johann Gottfried vom Stein. Frücht thereafter belonged, together with Schweighausen, to the Imperial-immediate Barony vom Stein. This lower-nobility family had its seat at the Stein'sche Schloss in Nassau.The last owner from this house was Baron (Reichsfreiherr) Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom und zum Stein (October 25, 1757 – June 29, 1831), a Prussian statesman who introduced reforms, including abolition of serfdom, that paved the way for the unification of Germany. After his retirement in 1815, Baron vom Stein settled in Frücht, where he still owned significant property and forest lands. There he built was family tomb for his parents. After his death in 1831, the tomb also became his own final resting place.