Obermaßfeld-Grimmenthal: History and Local Sights

If you are looking for a hotel in Obermaßfeld-Grimmenthal, you can use Obermaßfeld’s history as a theme to guide your travel planning. Names recorded in historical documents, historic trade routes, St. Stephen’s Church and a landing place on the Werra represent different aspects of the area. This lets you choose a focus based on whether you are particularly interested in Obermaßfeld’s development, architectural details or its connection to the river.

Obermaßfeld: History and Local Sights

Obermaßfeld was first mentioned in a document in 837 under the name “Mahesfeld”; the current name, Obermaßfeld, has been documented since 1629. Almost eight centuries lie between these two recorded forms of the name. From 1378 to 1696, Obermaßfeld is cited as the most important customs post in the County of Henneberg. The Werra Bridge also had an important historical function: it was vital to connecting trade routes between Obermaßfeld and Franconia. The customs post and bridge thus offer two different perspectives on the area’s trade and transport history.

Notable features of Obermaßfeld include the Hillhöfe, regarded in the Middle Ages as the finest farmsteads in the area, as well as the old village forge and the communal bathhouse. These examples direct attention beyond individual historical dates to different features of the area: farmsteads, crafts and community facilities. Another historical landmark lies north of Obermaßfeld: Grimmenthal was a former pilgrimage site associated with an allegedly miraculous image of the Virgin Mary. A pilgrimage chapel was consecrated there in 1498.

St. Stephen’s Church: Construction Phases and Details

The choir tower and church of St. Stephen in Obermaßfeld were rebuilt in the early 17th century, with further alterations made later. In 2006, the Gaden cellars, the gate tower and parts of the churchyard wall were restored. The churchyard wall is three metres high and largely intact along its length. The different construction phases and the surviving wall give the church grounds a distinct historical dimension: the story is not just about a single date of construction, but also about changes and restored sections.

South of the church are a court site with a lime tree and a grain measure stone with five measures. Together with the churchyard wall, these are specific features around St. Stephen’s that extend beyond the church building itself. If you are interested in local history, the construction history, the wall and the features to the south can all be found side by side here.

The Werra and Travel Planning

At the edge of Obermaßfeld, before the weir, there is a landing and portage point for boats on the Werra. Use may depend on current river conditions. If you plan to use it, check the conditions on the river in advance. This adds a practical connection to the Werra to the historical themes, distinct from the local sights and the architectural history around St. Stephen’s Church.

More Topics in the Wider Schmalkalden-Meiningen Destination

If your travel planning also takes in the wider Schmalkalden-Meiningen destination, you will find other distinct topics there. In Schmalkalden, visitors can experience the making of melt-in-the-mouth nougat at the Viba Nougat World’s glass-walled manufactory. Hands-on confectionery courses cover pouring chocolate, decorating nougat and creating pralines. Viba Nougat World is just a few minutes’ walk from Schmalkalden’s bus and train station. Course schedules and booking conditions may change, so check the latest information in advance.

Also in Schmalkalden, the “Neue Hütte” blast furnace museum explores industrial history. The blast furnace complex dates from 1835; local iron ore was smelted there using charcoal to produce pig iron until 1924. The exhibitions cover the region’s nearly 1,300-year history of iron and steel goods production, including the “Schmalkalder Artikel.” A 45-minute guided tour explores the history and function of blast furnace operations. Alongside nougat making and confectionery, the wider destination thus offers industrial production and its history as distinct topics.

Discover more destinations: Rotterode, Trusetal, Oberschönau, Floh-Seligenthal, Rosa, Wernshausen, Jüchsen, Rohr / Thuringia

Back to the wider travel overview: Schmalkalden-Meiningen.