Johannesberg, Bavaria, Germany

🇩🇪 Johannesberg is a community in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia (Unterfranken) in Bavaria, Germany.

Geography: Location Johannesberg lies in the Bavarian Lower Main (Bayerischer Untermain), 10 km from Aschaffenburg. The Church of Saint John's Beheading (Kirche St. Johannes Enthauptung) stands on the peak of the Johannesberg – the community's namesake – 367 m above sea level.

Constituent communities Johannesberg's Ortsteile are Breunsberg, Johannesberg, Oberafferbach, Rückersbach and Steinbach. Furthermore, three hamlets are to be found in Johannesberg: Rauenthaler Hof, Sternberg and Hagelhof.

History The first church on the Johannesberg was likely built between 1200 and 1300, in the Romanesque style. As a high church it was built outside the community of Oberafferbach. In 1351, Rauenthal had its first documentary mention. The Aschaffenburg Monastery was enfeoffed with the Geipelshof (estate) near Johannesberg in 1440.

The old parish house had its first documentary mention in 1550. With Count Philipp von Rieneck's death in 1559, the noble family died out and the Bishops of Mainz took over power in the Spessart (range) for good. The Electorate of Mainz declared in 1682 that all children between the ages of 6 and 12 were obligated to attend school.

In the course of the War of the Austrian Succession, British troops destroyed the church in Johannesberg in 1743. From early 1768 it was rebuilt and expanded. It was completed about 1774.

In 1945, U.S. troops occupied Oberafferbach and Johannesberg, as well as Mainaschaff, Laufach and Goldbach.

In the first, voluntary phase of municipal reform, the formerly self-administering communities of Breunsberg, Johannesberg, Oberafferbach and Rückersbach merged into a new entity with the name Johannesberg. In 1976, the communities of Johannesberg and Glattbach together formed the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft (municipal association) of Rauenthal. In accordance with the Lower Franconian government's decision, the outlying centre of Rauenthal – formerly an exclave – was split from the community of Johannesberg and merged into the community of Glattbach instead. After the voluntary phase of municipal reform ended, the community of Steinbach was forcibly incorporated into Johannesberg in 1978.

Between Johannesberg and Val Orne-Ajon in the French department of Calvados, an official partnership was established in 1990 with quite a number of centres, namely Avenay, Amayé-sur-Orne, Maizet, Montigny, Préaux-Bocage, Maisoncelles-sur-Ajon, Sainte-Honorine-du-Fay and Vacognes-Neuilly. On 18 May 1996, the French community of Trois-Monts joined the group as the ninth community.

The Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Rauenthal was dissolved by law in 1994. The community of Johannesberg once again has its own municipal administration.

In 2000, Johannesberg's 800-year jubilee celebration took place.

Economy The municipal tax revenue in 1999 amounted to €1,892,000 (converted), of which business tax revenue (net) accounted for €160,000.

According to official statistics, in 1998, there were 141 workers on the social welfare contribution rolls working in producing businesses. In trade and transport this was 135. In other areas, 1,308 workers on the social welfare contribution rolls were remote workers. Nobody is employed in processing businesses. No businesses are in construction, and furthermore, in 1999, there were 18 agricultural operations with a working area of 392 ha, of which 194 ha was cropland and 191 ha was meadowland.

Arts and culture The Baroque Catholic parish church of Saint John's Beheading (Pfarrkirche Sankt Johannes' Enthauptung) stands on the hill above the village. Every year, the Catholic parish celebrates its patronage on 29 August, the day when the church commemorates the Passion of John the Baptist.

The Mühlbergfest is a yearly musical event which draws roughly 2,000 visitors. Past acts included bands as the Bananafishbones ABCD, the Rodgau Monotones Pur, Cashma Hoody, Boppin‘B or The Bones.