In the early 11th century, Bacharach had its first documentary mention. It may have been that as early as the 7th century, the kingly domain passed into Archbishop of Cologne Kunibert’s ownership; pointing to this is a
Kunibertskapelle (
chapel) on the spot where now stands the
Wernerkapelle. The
Vögte of the Cologne estate were the
Elector of the Palatinate, who over time pushed back Cologne’s influence. Count Palatine already had so much influence that he resided at Stahleck Castle. His successor Konrad von Staufen’s daughter secretly wed at Stahleck Castle a son of the Welfs, who were family foes, leading to Bacharach’s, and indeed the whole County Palatine’s, falling for a short time to
Henry of Brunswick. In 1214 the
Wittelsbachs became Bacharach’s new lords. Together with the
Unteramt of Kaub they received here their most important toll and revenue source. In 1314 it was decided to choose
Louis the Bavarian as the German king. Furthermore, Bacharach was the most important transfer point for the wine trade, as barrels were offloaded here from the smaller ships that were needed to get by the
Binger Loch (a
quartzite reef in the Rhine upstream near Bingen) and loaded onto bigger ones. From then on, the wine bore the designation
Bacharacher. The timber trade from the
Hunsrück also brought Bacharach importance, and in 1356, Bacharach was granted town rights. Widely visible is the
Wernerkapelle, a
Rheinromantik landmark of the town, lying on the way up to Stahleck Castle from the town. It is the expanded
Kunibertkapelle, and is still an unfinished
Gothic ruin today. Its namesake is
Werner of Oberwesel, known in connection with pogroms triggered by his death. According to the Christian
blood libel, which was typical of the times, a 16-year-old Werner was murdered on
Maundy Thursday 1287 by members of the local
Jewish community, who then used his blood for
Passover observances. On the grounds of this alleged ritual murder, there arose an anti-Semitic mob who waged a
pogrom, wiping out Jewish communities in the Middle and Lower Rhine and
Moselle regions. In folk Christianity arose the cult of Werner, which was only stricken from the
Bishopric of Trier calendar in 1963. In 1344, building work began on the town wall, and was already finished about 1400. In 1545, the town, along with the Palatinate, became
Protestant under Count Palatine
Friedrich II. Stahleck Castle and the town wall could not stop Bacharach from undergoing eight changes in military occupation in the
Thirty Years' War, nor the war’s attendant
sackings. Moreover, further destruction was wrought by several town fires. Then, in 1689,
French troops fighting in the
Nine Years' War blew Stahleck Castle and four of the town wall’s towers up. In 1794,
French Revolutionary troops occupied the Rhine’s left bank and in 1802, Bacharach became temporarily French. During the
War of the Sixth Coalition the
Prussian
Field Marshal Blücher, after crossing the Rhine near Kaub, came through Bacharach and the Steeg Valley on New Year’s Night 1813-1814 with his troops on the way to France. Recalling this event is a monument stone somewhat downstream, across from Kaub. After the
Congress of Vienna, the town went, along with the Rhine’s left bank, up to and including
Bingerbrück, to
Prussia. After the harbour silted up, Bacharach fell into a slumber from which it only awoke in the course of the
Rheinromantik. Among the first of the prominent visitors at this time was the French writer
Victor Hugo. for
Heinrich Heine's historical novel
Der Rabbi von Bacherach (The Rabbi of Bacherach) Caring for and maintaining Bacharach’s building monuments, spurred on in the early 20th century by the Rhenish Association for Monument Care and Landscape Preservation (
Rheinischer Verein für Denkmalpflege und Landschaftsschutz) which took on the then highly endangered town wall and Stahleck Castle ruin jobs, and the great dedication of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate to the
Wernerkapelle have seen to it that Bacharach is still a jewel of the
Rheinromantik and a multifaceted documentary site of
mediaeval architecture on the Middle Rhine. The
Wernerkapelle ruin is under monumental protection and before it a plaque has been placed recalling the inhuman crimes against Jewish residents and also containing a quotation from a prayer by
Pope John XXIII for a change in Christians’ thinking in their relationship with the Jews: “We recognize today that many centuries of blindness have shrouded our eyes, so that we no longer saw the goodliness of Thy Chosen People and no longer recognized our firstborn brother’s traits. We discover now that a mark of Cain stands on our forehead. In the course of the centuries our brother Abel has lain in blood that we spilt, and he has wept tears that we brought forth, because we forgot Thy love. Forgive us the curse that we unrightfully affixed to the Jews’ name. Forgive us for nailing Thee in their flesh for a second time to the Cross. For we knew not what we did........." Today Bacharach thrives on tourism and wine from Bacharach is still enjoying international popularity. Not to be overlooked, however, are problems arising from a shrinking population, itself brought about by a lack of prospects.
Amalgamations On 7 June 1969, the formerly self-administering municipality of Steeg was amalgamated with Bacharach.
Town partnerships •
Overijse,
Flemish Brabant,
Belgium •
Santenay,
Côte-d'Or,
France Coat of arms The town’s
arms might be described thus: Per fess at the nombril point sable a lion rampant Or armed, langued and crowned gules, and bendy lozengy argent and azure. ==Population development==