Himmelstadt

Himmelstadt is a community in the Main-Spessart district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia (Unterfranken) in Bavaria, Germany and a member of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft (Administrative Community) of Zellingen.Because of the community’s “heavenly” name – Himmel means “heaven” or “sky” in German – the Weihnachtspostamt Himmelstadt (“Himmelstadt Christmas Post Office”) has existed since 1986, jointly run by Deutsche Post and the community.GeographyLocationHimmelstadt lies in the Würzburg Region. The community has only one Gemarkung (traditional rural cadastral area), also called Himmelstadt.HistoryThe community was founded by a woman named Immina. After she died in 741, ownership passed to Bishop Burchard of Würzburg. In 840, the community had its first documentary mention as Immestat. The Himmelpforten (“Heaven’s Gates”) Convent was founded in Himmelstadt by Bishop Hermann I of Lobdeburg, but in 1253 it was moved to Himmelpforten near Würzburg. The convent, however, kept its economic holdings in Himmelstadt right up until Secularization in 1803. As part of the Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg was in Bavaria’s favour secularized in 1803, and then in the Peace of Pressburg in 1805 passed to Archduke Ferdinand of Tuscany to form the Grand Duchy of Würzburg, with which it passed in 1814 to Bavaria.