Spessartbund

Spessartbund e. V. 1913 (short: SB) is a non-profit registered association (eingetragener Verein) based in the Spessart region of Franconia, Germany, dedicated to promoting hiking for everyone. It is entered in the register of associations of the Aschaffenburg local court (VR 118) and is a member of the Verband Deutscher Gebirgs- und Wandervereine (German Association of Mountain and Hiking Clubs) and its state associations in Bavaria and Hesse. The Spessart Nature Park (Naturpark Spessart) is the focus of its work. The association's catchment area is the core of the Spessart Nature Park in the Mainviereck between Lohr, Wertheim, Miltenberg and Aschaffenburg, reaching from Würzburg to Frankfurt and from Bad Orb to Tauberbischofsheim. Its stated purpose is the promotion of hiking for all, youth and family work, nature conservation and landscape management, the promotion, care and preservation of cultural values, the creation and maintenance of hiking trails and huts, and the publication of hiking maps. Spessartbund is organised into 7 Gaue (districts) with a total of 75 local groups, each Gau containing between 7 and 16 local groups. It maintains specialist departments for hiking, holiday hiking, youth and family work, culture, public relations, trails and nature conservation. Its activities include guided walks, trail marking, nature conservation, youth and family work, and cultural work spanning historical research, music (especially mandolin playing), culinary traditions and dialect. The association operates 48 shelters and 23 hiking hostels, three of which offer overnight accommodation, as well as 4 trekking campsites that can now be booked online. In 2013 Spessartbund was awarded the Eichendorff-Plakette, a distinction of the German hiking association. Several of its local groups have also received the award, including the Bruderbund Gemütlichkeit Waldaschaff local group in 2002 and, in 2013, the Gesellschaftsklub Fidelio and the Wanderfreunde Tauberbischofsheim local group. The association publishes a newsletter and maintains an active programme of events, walks and family activities.

The roots of Spessartbund reach back to 2 October 1876, when the medical student Karl Kihn from Michelbach founded the Freigerichter Bund. In the following years further associations were formed, among others in Aschaffenburg, Frankfurt, Hanau, Lohr and Marktheidenfeld. From these associations many branch clubs (Zweigvereine) developed throughout the Spessart. In 1912 seven clubs formed a working group and in 1913 founded the Spessartbund in Hanau. The association was entered in the register of associations on 13 September 1927. Later it joined the Verband Deutscher Gebirgs- und Wandervereine. Over the decades Spessartbund grew into a regional umbrella organisation structured by area into 7 Gaue with a total of 75 local groups, each Gau containing between 7 and 16 local groups. It maintains specialist departments for hiking, holiday hiking, youth and family work, culture, public relations, trails and nature conservation. Its purpose is the promotion of hiking for everyone, youth and family work, nature conservation and landscape management, the promotion, care and preservation of cultural values, the creation and maintenance of hiking trails and huts, and the publication of hiking maps. The association operates 48 shelters and 23 hiking hostels, three of which offer overnight accommodation, and maintains 4 trekking campsites. In 2013 Spessartbund was awarded the Eichendorff-Plakette. Several local groups have also received this award: the Bruderbund Gemütlichkeit Waldaschaff local group in 2002, and in 2013 the Gesellschaftsklub Fidelio and the Wanderfreunde Tauberbischofsheim local group. Today the association continues to run guided walks, trail marking, nature conservation, youth and family work, and cultural activities including historical research, music (especially mandolin playing), culinary traditions and dialect, with trekking campsites in the Spessart now bookable online.

• 2013

  Spessartbund is awarded the Eichendorff-Plakette; Gesellschaftsklub Fidelio and Ortsgruppe Wanderfreunde Tauberbischofsheim also receive it.

• 2002

  Ortsgruppe Bruderbund Gemütlichkeit Waldaschaff receives the Eichendorff-Plakette.

• 1927

  Entry in the register of associations on 13 September.

• 1913

  Spessartbund is founded in Hanau.

• 1912

  Seven clubs form a working group.

• 1876

  Karl Kihn founds the Freigerichter Bund, a predecessor association.

Non-profit, volunteer-driven hiking and heritage association focused on the Spessart Nature Park, promoting walking for everyone alongside nature conservation and cultural preservation.

• Guided hikes

• Trail marking and waymarking

• Hiking maps

• Shelters (48) and hiking hostels (23)

• Trekking campsites (4, online bookable)

• Newsletter

1. 1Home - Spessartbundspessartbund.de
2. 2Über uns - Spessartbundspessartbund.de
3. 3Spessartbund - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Spessartbund - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org