The world heritage site is still a long way off. However, the first step has already been taken for the steigerwald. The farming community forests in the steigerwald and traditional village fruit production in the hutzeldorf fatschenbrunn (district habberge) have found recognition in munich: they have been included in the "bavarian state register of immaterial cultural heritage" recorded. The title is mainly about the cultivation and preservation of traditions.
They come from three administrative districts and they want to promote the steigerwald: the district councils of the steigerwald counties of bamberg, habfurt, schweinfurt, kitzingen and neustadt-aisch/bad windsheim. They are in the same boat and are justifiably proud that their joint efforts have borne fruit so quickly. "The dot on the i is after the words of bamberger landrat johann kalb (CSU), that the rural community forests in the steigerwald for the "federal list of intangible cultural assets", a further step towards world heritage, were suggested.
The district administrators wilhelm schneider (habberge), florian topper (schweinfurt), and the deputy district administrators bernd schnizlein (neustadt-aisch/bad windsheim) and paul streng (kitzingen), together with their bamberger colleague kalb, expressed their common endeavor at a press event in the historic schlusselfelder burgersaal.
Quickly landed at culture
In 2014, when the debate about a national park steigerwald moved the region, it all started, says district administrator kalb. "When we thought about what else is going on in the steigerwald, we quickly landed on culture." Culture is also to continue: as kalb informed, ebrach monastery, together with other cistercian monasteries throughout europe, will be seeking european cultural heritage status next year. For the titles currently awarded, the application was based on a 500-page expert opinion. The commonalities of the steigerwald as well as the special features are highlighted in it. Beside the rechtler forests and the dorrobstherstellung also the burgerwehren in the steigerwald were particularly worked out. So far, however, still without a title from munich.
"No, these traditions are not about "old pigtails", emphasizes bernd schnizlein. In the district of neustadt/bad windsheim, there are still a hundred community forests with a total of 2600 rightholders. The rights of the burgers also correspond to their duties: they manage the forest together and contribute to its maintenance with manual and tensioning services. Schweinfurt district administrator topper is not worried that one day these traditions will only exist on paper. The people in the steigerwald were still very closely connected to their forest. The traditions were passed on within the families.
Fears have been dispelled
Schlusselfeld’s mayor johannes krapp confirms that the town forest is a prime example. The timber rights were "raffled off" every year with a lot of hullabaloo.
Some lawyers were concerned that the cultural heritage could be subject to severe restrictions, reported deputy district administrator paul streng from kitzingen. The fears could be cleared in the meantime however.
Naturally, the district leaders also associate the title with effects on tourism in the region. Whereas the steigerwald is already in great demand, as landrat kalb emphasized. With the record numbers in the district bamberg the roughest increase is to be registered in the steigerwald. In the district of kitzingen, the "dream rounds" had come true had a very positive effect on the tourism figures, said paul streng. "Everything we do, we do not only for our guests, but also for the local population", district administrator wilhelm schneider from the habberge district got to the heart of the matter.