Town Fortification Mainbernheim

Fortified cities emerged in the Middle Ages primarily in places that were particularly favorable for the exchange of goods. Some gradually developed from markets where merchants conducted their trade. From the 12th century onwards, kings and high-ranking nobles also specifically founded new markets.

An important east-west connection, the "Old Imperial Road," ran through Mainbernheim. It was a long-distance trade and military road from Nuremberg to Frankfurt and the continuation of the "Golden Road" from Prague to Nuremberg. Two large gate towers protected the entrances. At sunrise, the city guards opened the city gates. They watched at the gates and on the defensive towers all day long. Every wagon, every pedestrian, every rider had to pass through the Lower Gate or the Upper Gate. The foreign merchant who wanted to enter the city with his goods was stopped here and searched for weapons. These had to be surrendered. Peace prevailed in the city, and disputes were settled by a court. After the merchant had paid customs for his goods, he was allowed to stay in the city. Thick, high walls offered residents and travelers protection and security for their goods and trade. Night watchmen walked through the alleys with lanterns to deter thieves. The mechanism for the drawbridge at the Upper Gate, as well as the mountings for the heavy wooden gates that were closed in the evening, are still clearly visible. Those who arrived too late had to spend the night in an inn outside the gate. Travelers also received protection on the way; for example, Mainbernheim residents, on behalf of the king, took over the escort of merchants from the citizens of Kitzingen at the highest point of today's B 8. The escorts were paid for the safe conduct.

The medieval townscape with its largely intact city wall, 18 currently recognizable towers, and two gates has been preserved. The Lower Gate, facing Kitzingen, with a pointed arch passage, was built around 1400. In the early 1600s, it received an additional half-timbered floor. During a renewed renovation, the Mainbernheim residents replaced the former drawbridge with a fixed bridge and, in 1787, added the two-story half-timbered building with a hip roof to form the gatehouse. The royal gatekeeper lived here. The Upper Gate faces Nuremberg. It was built at the same time, also with a pointed arch passage. The roller slots for the drawbridge, the mountings for the heavy gates and the beam for locking, as well as a machicolation, are still clearly visible here. The renovation with an octagonal superstructure and mansard roof by Johann David Steingruber was completed in 1765. Here, visitors can enjoy the view of the city and surrounding area from the tower keeper's apartment.

The entire wall rests on stone arches. This way, material could be saved. There are only a few pedestrian breakthroughs and a later larger opening in the wall behind the Protestant church. During the redesign of the church square in 2011, the course of the wall and the tower's location were marked in the ground.