Forests in the history of the monastery
The forests and meadows belonging to the monasteries were used, and in some cases still are used today, for timber and meat production, as is the case at the former Benedictine monastery on Michaelsberg. Its considerable forest holdings in and around Bamberg have shaped the local landscape in various ways ever since, and thus also the lives of its inhabitants.
Tretzendorf, the Michelsberg and Weipelsdorf Forest
On May 7, 1008, Emperor Henry II received the area of today's Michaelsberg and Weipelsdorf Forest, located a few hundred meters west of the monastery complex, for his new diocese. After its foundation in 1015, he gave this area to the Benedictine Abbey of St. Michael. At this point at the latest, intensive use of these areas began, as well as the area immediately surrounding the monastery – the Abtsberg and Michaelsberg. The forest area was used for self-cultivation and also granted as a fief. It was used for the extraction of wood and game meat, but also as forest pasture for livestock.
The Elisabethenspital, which later merged with the Katahrinenspital to form the Bürgerspitalstiftung, also owned ponds and woodlands in the area and as far as the Aurach/Main valley. In the 15th century, a deliberate effort was made to establish manorialism, as previously land had only been transferred to the hospital through donations. The first forester there was Hans Hofmann, who took up his post in 1489. The personnel structure in the hospital properties was subject to their economic situation and changed over time. For example, foresters, forest workers, vineyard workers, and meadow keepers were employed.
In 1288, Bishop Mangold of Würzburg granted the Katharinenspital the entire tithe of the village of Tretzendorf, as well as vineyards near Iphofen and parts of the Hauptsmoorwald forest. Starting with Tretzendorf as its center, the hospital's land holdings steadily increased. These included vineyards and plots of land in the areas around Breitbrunn, Schönbach, Ebelsbach, Steinbach, and Sassendorf, as well as in the Franconian Jura (Tiefenpölz). Fields and gardens in the Hauptsmoorwald forest in what is now the urban area around Heidelsteig and Gereuth also came into the possession of the Katharinenspital through donations, giving it a significant share in the cultivation of the area to the right of the Regnitz river.
The benefice contracts for the properties were not concluded with town citizens but with local nobles. The hospital itself made payments to officials for forestry and lake management and to vineyard workers. Their tasks consisted of visiting the forest, reporting offences, herding cattle, and maintaining, cleaning, and stocking the ponds (especially in Tretzendorf).
The borders
The boundaries of immunity and grazing rights were marked by boundary stones, and it was stipulated where cattle could be driven and grazed (hence the term “Hutstein,” or boundary stone). Over the centuries, the boundaries were re-marked: on May 18, 1725, for example, the parties involved in a dispute over grazing rights for sheep and cow herds met in the Weipelsdorf Forest. To avoid further disagreements, the boundaries were jointly agreed upon and a total of 17 stones were set. The stones feature images of livestock, the monastery coat of arms, and the year. Some older stones on the immunity border were subsequently marked with the monastery coat of arms.
A total of several hundred boundary stones were set, some of which can still be found today and mark the boundary that is still valid. Most of the stones are located on the boundaries between the city of Bamberg and the incorporated villages of Wildensorg and Gaustadt. With secularization at the beginning of the 19th century, parts of the forest became state property, today known as the “Bavarian State Forests.”
Water supply through the Michelsberg Forest
The supply of water at Michaelsberg has always been challenging. A water pipe leading from the Michelsberg Forest to the monastery complex is believed to have existed since the monastery's early days. Evidence of this can be found in the discovery of a pipe dating back to the 11th century.
Bishop Otto oversaw the renovation and expansion of the pipes, which was continued on an ongoing basis in the future. Over the next few centuries, the Michelsberg Forest continued to be used to meet the growing demand for fresh water. Today, it is still the source of water for the Mercury Fountain, the former horse trough, and the current underground fire pond in the monastery's inner courtyard.
The forester's lodge
Weipelsdorf
The Weipelsdorf forest lodge, built in 1899 by Johann Jakob Erlwein, Bamberg's city planning officer, in the style of so-called Heimatschutz architecture, underwent a complete renovation between 2019 and 2022. The listed property has a manor-like character, consisting of a residential building, an office wing (headquarters of the Bamberg Forestry Office), and corresponding outbuildings for agriculture and forestry. The reasons for the renovation were severe structural damage and building physics deficiencies.
The renovation goal of creating a sustainable and nearly self-sufficient building stock was achieved with the completion of the outdoor facilities in summer 2022. A new cooling and cutting room was installed so that the game meat from the forests of the Bürgerspitalstiftung could be professionally cut and processed independently of service providers. In 2021, a small farm shop was set up in part of the barn to enable the direct marketing of game meat under the “Bamberger Stiftsgarten” brand.