In the loose series “Understanding Franconia”, which is aimed primarily at those interested in the south of the Free State, some basic geographic terms should be used here that are assumed to be known. The Aschaffenburgs belong to the Bavarians, count themselves to the Franks, but speak Kurmainzerisch, which sounds like a kind of notable Hessian to inexperienced ears. In Main Franconia – unlike in beer Franconia – people prefer to drink wine, although the Aschaffenburgers tend to get it from apples rather than grapes.
Wertheim, on the other hand, does not belong to Bavaria, but also counts itself among the Franks. Namely in Tauberfranken, although the city is also on the Main. Anyone who realizes that very northern regions of a country are often treated with the term “Siberia” by posted state officials and still remembers that residents of western Baden-Wuerttemberg want to be recognized as Baden, eastern ones as Wuerttemberg and derives the Region between Mosbach and the outskirts of Wertheim is faked as “Swabian Siberia”, unfortunately only hits the mark with the second part of the term. In Wertheim – very nice, by the way – they see themselves as Baden residents and as their Franconian part.
This only applies to the basic concepts, now to the more complex part of Franconian regional studies. Anyone who does not understand geographical Franconian issues can hide it with the battle term “Napoleon” – he is fundamentally responsible for it. Unfortunately not always. So the Emperor of the French, as can be learned from a reliable source, has absolutely nothing to do with the first stage of the Bavarian territorial reform that was carried out 50 years ago. That in turn turned quite a few Upper Palatinate into Franks.
Helmut Raps, for example, from 1966 to 2008 municipal councilor in Speichersdorf. A bit, he says, there is “still” an Upper Palatinate in him, even if he has been an Upper Franconian since 1971 as a Speicherdorfer. Anyone who speaks with rapeseed still believes only 49 percent of people are from Upper Palatinate, and the majority of them clearly hear one franc. Unlike in Wunsiedel, for example, where ex-mayor Karl-Willi Beck speaks the majority of the pure Old Bavarian language. Like many Wunsiedler, by the way. But they have always been Franks.