The beginnings of Partenstein go back to at least the
Middle Ages. The
Burg Bartenstein (castle) was built around 1180 by the
Counts of Rieneck for hunting and to protect the
Wiesener Strasse connecting the village of Langenprozelten on the river
Main to the valley of the
Kinzig. The Rienecks had vast landholdings, and, during the 13th century, began an expansionist policy. From their main seat of
Rieneck, in the east of the Spessart, they expanded, building castles to settle and incorporate additional land. The first documentary mention of Partenstein is a commentary in 1233 on the disputes that inevitably arose between the Rieneck family and the
Archbishops of Mainz, who were rivals for local hegemony. At that time, the Spessart was nearly unpopulated. The Rieneck family bequeathed a one-half share of Partenstein in 1277 to the Lords of Hanau. The other half thereafter belonged to the Archbishopric of Mainz. Both halves were ruled together as a
condominium. The first church here was a chapel inside the castle called the Parish of Partenstein, and a
Gothic church was built soon afterwards, in 1471. In 1553, the number of inhabitants in the town had reached 450, and, when the last Count of Rieneck died in 1559, the land was bequeathed to the Archbishops of Mainz. A fire burnt down a large part of the village ten years later. In 1684, there came a territorial exchange between the County of Hanau and the Archbishopric of Mainz: the Hanau half of the
Amt of Partenstein was ceded to the Archbishopric for a one-half share of the
Amt of Bieber, likewise ruled together with Mainz. In the
Thirty Years' War, with quartering of soldiers in the city, supplies were looted, cattle were slaughtered, and the place became susceptible to
epidemics and
disease. In December 1631, the castle was pillaged and destroyed by
Swedish troops. Twenty-nine houses in Partenstein were burnt down at this time. In 1639, the village had only 111 inhabitants, whereas in 1601, there had been 577. In 1677, Partenstein's first
Protestant teacher arrived, Johannes Hopf, and 1695 brought a furnished Catholic school. In 1796, during the
War of the First Coalition villagers had to fight off
French and
German troops, who stole and ruined their property. The former
Amt of Partenstein was granted to the
Principality of Aschaffenburg during the
German mediatisation in 1803. From 1810 to 1814, the Principality was merged into the
Grand Duchy of Frankfurt but it then became part of the
Kingdom of Bavaria. In the mid-19th century, with the coming of
Ludwig's Western Railway, which came into service in the Spessart in 1854,
industrialization saw its onset. A second line was built 15 years later. Around this time, the economic situation of the village improved and population increased. Jobs had been created by the railway, and citizens also began working in mines and mills. At this time, around 70 percent of the villagers were Protestants, and about 30 percent were Catholics. Most people made their livings as firemen, farmers, singers, businessmen, and mechanics. The branch of mining that stood out most strongly was
baryte mining, which was not abandoned locally until 1948. At the start of
World War I, the village's economy went downhill. The longer the war lasted, the greater the Empire's shortfalls and financial need became. Industrial and agricultural products had to be increased with fewer personnel. To cover the enormous financial requirements, the population was called twice annually for the purpose of war loans. The
peace treaty presented heavy burdens on Germany. The economy could not develop. High
reparations and the loss of substantial parts of the country were demoralizing. An economic upswing took place only in the mid-1930s. However, that changed in 1939 at the start of
World War II. Since German industrial areas were being destroyed in the war, their civilian population had to be evacuated. Only in the years between 1960 and 1970 did the village develop again. The village no longer had a
rural character, especially after the roads were removed and the houses grew in size. Not only were homes built in the centre of the area, but they were also built on the lower hills. Among other things built were a school building, a
Gymnasium, a deep well and an elevated tank for the water pipeline, a fire brigade equipment house, a town hall and a purification plant shared with the neighbouring municipality of
Frammersbach. The community's history is the topic of the
Europäischer Kulturweg Partenstein ("Partenstein European Cultural Way"). == Religion ==