Baunach

Baunach is a town in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg and the seat of the administrative community (Verwaltungsgemeinschaft) of Baunach. Until administrative reform in 1972, Baunach belonged to the Lower Franconian district of Ebern. Baunach calls itself the “Franconian Three River Town” because it lies on the rivers Baunach, Lauter and Main. These three rivers are depicted in the town's coat of arms, in which a golden pike lies over the three rivers. In 2002, the town celebrated its 1,200 year jubilee. Moreover, the river Itz flows through the community area. The name Baunach comes from the Indo Germanic word for river: bunahu. This may be translated as “swelling water”. For thousands of years the entire region near Baunach has been populated by Celts and Franconians.

Baunach lies on the right bank of the Main, 11 km north of Bamberg. Kraiberg (with a height of 365 metres) and Stiefenberg (396 metres high) are the most important mountains in the area. Baunach lies within the Hassberge and thus is member city of the Haßberge Nature Park.

The first sources of a city called Baunach date from the year 802. Nevertheless, the entire region from Baunach to the Staffelberg has been populated for thousands of years. Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian bestowed upon Baunach town rights in 1328. The town was both an Obervogtamt (“higher reeve’s office”) and headquarters of a famous regional knight county before Secularization and belonged to the Prince Bishopric of Bamberg. In 1727, the last execution was carried out in Baunach. In 1803 Baunach came to Bavaria as a result of the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss. After World War II many refugees came to Baunach.

Within the town's area, 2,914 inhabitants were counted in 1970, 3,174 in 1987 and 3,807 in 2000. On 30 June 2007 it was 3,933.

On 15 July 1447, the Bamberg Bishop Anton von Rotenhan conferred upon the market town of Baunach “ein sigill und panir” (“a seal and banner”). He made clear the charges (not the colours, though – they only came later) to appear in the town's arms: “sullen steen drey wasserfluss. Und durch dieselben drey wasserfluss soll ein gantzer hecht mit dem haupt von der einen obern ecke des schilts geen.” (“shall stand three rivers. And through the same three rivers shall go a whole pike with the head from the one upper corner of the shield”). The three rivers are the Baunach, the Lauter and the Main. The pike symbolizes the town's wealth of fish. Prince Bishop Johann Philipp von Gebsattel (1599–1609) completed the coloured arms with the following colours: red for the field, silver for the rivers and gold for the pike.

The Heimatmuseum Baunach (“homeland” or local museum) at the Old Town Hall has exhibits from the town's and the parish's prehistory and early history as well as from Baunach's club life. There are also agricultural devices and others from historical crafting as well as from town and country households. In the town hall's former session chamber is found a comprehensive collection by painter and graphic artist Max Schnös.

Baunach holds a Kirchweih (church consecration festival), Altstadtfest (old town festival), Magdalenenmarkt (Magdalen Market) and Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market).