The third part of St. Kilian Genesis

The third part of the St. Kilian Genesis

Cover image credit: Raimar von Wienskowski

Rüdenau

Rüdenau is located in Lower Franconia and, with 760 inhabitants, is one of the smallest independent municipalities in Bavaria. The village covers an area of ​​around 4 square kilometers and is approximately 85 km from Frankfurt. It is nestled in idyllic orchards and flower meadows in a valley basin with only one access and exit road. The inhabitants raise sheep and bees and grow their own fruit. The neighboring Odenwald hilltop village of Mainbullau hosts a small airfield, from which Rüdenau can be reached in less than 10 minutes.

Rüdenau is also known as the Three-Fountain Village. The three village fountains still roar today as they did hundreds of years ago, splashing their song. The Ottilienbrunnen, the largest of the three, is now widely referred to as the symbol for Rüdenau. The three wavy lines on Rüdenau's coat of arms denote the three fountains:

The St. Kilian Whisky Distillery also has its own spring. According to the older generations, the spring water in Rüdenau has special healing powers. Throughout the 20th century, people from near and far traveled to Rüdenau to wash their eyes with the water from the Ottilienquelle, for example, to heal ailments such as cataracts or glaucoma, or simply to improve their eyesight.

Even older traditions go back to Roman times. The Main River, just a stone's throw from Rüdenau, separates the Spessart low mountain range from the Odenwald, where Rüdenau is located. For the Romans, the Main also formed the natural Limes, i.e., the border between Germania and the Roman Empire at that time. They were on the Odenwald side and built a castellum with hundreds of mounted legionaries on the banks of the Main. A rapid intervention force, as it were, along the Main line, in case the Germanic tribes crossed from the Spessart side. The remains of the Roman fort were found outside Kleinheubach on the Main, just a few kilometers from St. Kilian. Information boards there describe the times and deeds of the Romans. According to legend, the Romans already cultivated wine in the Rüdenau valley and used the water sources to supply the legionaries and their horses. At the site of today's Ottilienbrunnen, the Romans worshipped "water saints" who could perform miracles and heal illnesses and injuries.

Further interesting information about Rüdenau and the St. Kilian Distillery can also be found on Wikipedia, for example. The history and the owners of the village during the Middle Ages have been very nicely summarized by Frankentourismus.