| Amorbach | |
| Image Coa: | Wappen von Amorbach.svg |
| Type: | Stadt |
| Image Plan: | Amorbach in MIL.svg |
| State: | Bayern |
| Region: | Unterfranken |
| District: | Miltenberg |
| Höhe: | 165 |
| Fläche: | 50.92 |
| Gemeindeschlüssel: | 09 6 76 112 |
| Area: | 50.92 |
| Elevation: | 165 |
| Coordinates: | 49.6333°N 22°W |
| Postal Code: | 63916 |
| Area Code: | 09373 |
| Licence: | MIL |
| Mayor: | Peter Schmitt [1] |
| Leader Term: | 2020 - 26 |
| Website: | amorbach.de |
| Party: | CSU |
Amorbach (pronounced as /de/) is a town in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia (Unterfranken) in Bavaria, Germany, with some 4,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the small river Mud, in the northeastern part of the Odenwald.
The town began as a Benedictine monastery (Amorbach Abbey or Kloster Amorbach), which bit by bit grew into a settlement until in 1253 it was raised to the status of a town. Over the years, the town changed hands several times. It was part of the Bishopric of Würzburg until 1656, when it became part of the Archbishopric of Mainz. As a result of the 1803 German Mediatisation the Archbishopric of Mainz was secularized, and Amorbach became the residence town of the short-lived Principality of Leiningen. Only in 1816 did it become part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. In 1965, Amorbach attained the status of a climatic spa (Luftkurort).
The following settlements have been amalgamated with the town:
Today Amorbach relies on the tourist business with its state recognition as a climatic spa (Luftkurort) and its many Baroque buildings.
Amorbach is the family seat of the princely Haus zu Leiningen. In 1992, the town was awarded the Europa Nostra Medal.
See main article: Amorbach Abbey. The Benedictine abbey, formerly owned by the princely Haus zu Leiningen with its library, and the abbey church with its Stumm organ draw thousands of visitors each year.
The late-Baroque hall church replaced an earlier one, St. Gangolf and St. Sebastian, documented for 1182. It was built in 1751-3 by local Oberamtmann Johann Franz Wolfgang Damian von Ostein and his brother and Archbishop, Johann Friedrich Karl von Ostein. The design was based on plans by Anselm Franz von Ritter zu Groenesteyn, building work was supervised by his apprentice Alexander Jakob Schmidt. The design was inspired by St. Peter's Church at Mainz. The interior reflects Rococo style and the onset of the Neoclassical style. Ceiling frescoes by Johannes Zick show the lives of St. Gangolf (Gangulphus) and Saint Sebastian as well as King David as the "father" of Solomon's Temple. Oil paintings in the choir by depict the legendary beginnings of Amorbach. The marble high altar was made by Georg Schrantz, while Josef Keilwerth added the four statues. The cross by J.B. Berg dates from 1808. The side altars (1720) were originally used in the predecessor building. The organ also dates from 1720, but was located at Neustadt am Main Abbey until 1806, when it was bought by the Amorbach parish. The church has two pulpits, made from stucco by Antonio Rossi.[2]
St. Gangolf is the Catholic parish church of Amorbach.
The Sammlung Berger mit Teekannenmuseum is a museum of art and teapots. Besides impressive exhibits of modern art by Arman, Michael Buthe, Chagall, Christo, Keith Haring, Otto Reichart, Rebecca Horn, Yves Klein, Roy Lichtenstein, Nam June Paik, Niki de Saint-Phalle, H. A. Schult, Daniel Spoerri, Ben Vautier, Dick Higgins and others, the museum also shows a teapot collection of 2,467 teapots from throughout the world and roughly 500 miniature teapots.
The tithe barn in Amorbach, built in 1488, has for five hundred years played a central role in the town. Originally built to store tithes in the form of produce for the prince, it was – after extensive remodelling in the 1960s – run as a cinema.
The Kulturkreis Zehntscheuer Amorbach e.V. (“Amorbach Tithe Barn Cultural Circle”), which outfitted the building in 1991 as a cabaret theatre maintains and renovates the building, which stands in the historical town centre. In 2001, this club bought the tithe barn.
In Amorbach, Bundesstraße 469 meets Bundesstraße 47. The railway station lies on the Seckach−Miltenberg railway line (KBS 709), also known as the Madonnenlandbahn.