Weitersdorf

A place of this name is first referred to, when a Burchard von Witansdorf is mentioned as a witness at a court day of King Heinrich VII. The village itself, however, is much older and it is assumed that Franconian tribes took over that land and the already existent settlements between 700 and 800 AD.

Later, about the year 1000, the leaders of the tribes were appointed administrators for the king and were granted feoffs. Thus the main leader of the tribe became the nobleman of this settlement and adopted the name of the settlement, which consequently became his family's name. The name Witansdorf probably originates from an early settler named Witan in a time before the arrival of the Franks.

The lords of Witansdorf, later Witramsdorf and from 1339 onwards Weitersdorf, obtained their village until they sold it to Nuremberg citizens in 1339. The last Johann von Weitersdorf died in 1418 and was buried in the Minster of Heilsbronn.

From the end of the 14th century the lands and the houses of Weitersdorf were partly feoffs of St. Laurentius Church in Nuremberg and partly of the Heilig-Geist-Spital.

	Little church

It is astonishing that the little church of Weitersdorf is not mentioned in any records until the year 1430, as stylistic and architectural elements suggest that it was built in the 13th/14th century. Diggings in the graveyard did not give any hints of an earlier building at the same place.

Although it is a daring assumption, some historians suggest that the original tower, which is not existent any more but can can be seen in a drawing from 1767, and which had a size of 5x5m and a height of 27m, was once used as a watch-tower of a little castle, and the church hall was added later. It is impossible to verify this assumption, because the tower was torn down and the walls of the church were changed.

Before the Reformation, five church services were held in this church every year, one for each patron saint, which were: St. Mark, St. Peter, St. Ägidius, St. Martin, St. Nicholas. There is, however, no explanation why this small church was given five church saints altogether. After the Thirty Years' War church service was only held on St. Ägidius Day.

The end of the 17th century shows a period of continuing dilapidation. A report complains that the church looked more like a ruinous shack than a place of worship. Because of the great danger of collapse the tower was taken down, but due to the lack of financial means the church itself remained in its dilapidated condition.

Although a farmer had bought the church, obviously to use the stones for a new building, ten years later, the inhabitants of Weitersdorf decided to re-built their church. They were not given the permission until they guaranteed that they would meet all the costs for the construction as well as for the future maintenance of the building.

On September 6th 1829 the small church could be christened again. Weitersdorf fulfilled its promise to maintain the church until the district reform in 1978, when this obligation was passed over to the community administration of Roßtal.

Simone Steinheimer