The exact date of Bad Berneck's foundation is not known, but up to 1057 the place was under the control of the lords of
Babenberg and later the
counts of Andechs. In 1167 Berneck was first mentioned as a castle, built by Ulrich II Walpote of Berneck, without obtaining the approval of the
Bishop of Bamberg. Until 1202 Berneck was under Bamberg rule. From 1203 to 1248 it belonged again to the counts of Andechs-Merania. In 1248, following the extinction of
House of Merania, it fell to the
counts of Orlamünde and in 1341 to the
burgraves of Nuremberg (and, later, the
margraves of Brandenburg-Bayreuth). It is first recorded as a town on 18 November 1357. In 1375 Berneck was almost completely burned down and it was destroyed by fire again in 1431 and 1462 during the
Hussite Wars. Plague and
famine also struck the town. In 1478 the Marquis gave Berneck to Veit von
Wallenroth with the stipulation that the fortifications were to be rebuilt. The castle of Hohenberneck was built. In 1495 the town had 204 residents in 76 households. After the death of Veit von Wallenroth the place went to Albert of
Wirsberg, the
Amtmann of
Stein. He further fortified the now ruined stronghold and the family acted as
robber barons against Nuremberg. The latter had the castle bombarded into ruins in 1533. In 1632, in the middle of the
Thirty Years War the place was razed. This happened again on 13 May 1692 - only five houses and a mill were spared. In 1724, 15
gypsy women were hanged and buried under the Gypsy Oak (
Zigeunereiche). The men had fled. The survivors were driven across the border. In 1732 Margrave
George Frederick Charles of Brandenburg-Bayreuth had pearl oysters introduced into the
Ölschnitz, probably to supplement the state's finances In the wars of 1796-1815 the small town had to pay several contributions and provide billeting. In 1806
Blücher visited Berneck and the
Blüchersruh was named after him. The former office (
Amt) of the Prussian principality of
Bayreuth, established since 1792, fell to
France in 1807 as a result of the
Treaty of Tilsit and, in 1810, went to Bavaria. Around 1830 the first spa business was established (based on
whey products). Within Bavaria, Berneck was initially the seat of a regional court (
Landgericht), later a district office (
Bezirksamt). The territory of the district was affiliated to the neighbouring district offices of Bayreuth,
Kulmbach and
Münchberg. The majority of the
Amt territory was controlled by the district office at Bayreuth. In 1896 it was connected to the railway network. On 1 October 1929 the district of Berneck was dissolved. In the 1930s,
Adolf Hitler spent the night in the then fashionable Bube Hotel on several occasions during the festival in Bayreuth. In 1930, Kneipp cures were introduced and its recognition as a spa came in 1950. However, since the 1970s, its role as a spa has tailed off considerably. == Politics ==