The Archaeological Spessart-Project was founded as a result of the Bavarian-Hassian
Spessartproject, an initiative of regional governments, cumulating in the Spessart
Congress in Bad Orb 1995. 1998 - 1999 the Archaeological Spessart-Project participated
in "Pathways to Cultural Landscapes" as one of five partners in Scandinavia,
the Baltic region and Germany, a project funded by the RAPHAEL programme of
the EU. In 2000 the Archaeological Spessart-Project developed the project "Pathways
to Cultural Landscapes" in a leading position with 12 partners from 10
European countries. This project receives funding from the programme Culture
2000 of the EU (General Directorate for Education and Culture) for the years
2001-2003.
The Archaeological Spessart-Project is devoted to the study and communication
of the Spessart as a cultural landscape from the Neolithic to present times.
Actually the "Spessart GIS" is developed in a close co-operation with
the Research Department for Upland Regions of the Senckenberg Institute, a model
of the cultural landscape of the Spessart region, using archaeological, historical,
geological, biological, forest-economical, geographical and ethnological sources.
Together with the University Frankfurt, Department of Pre- and Protohistory,
a dendrochronological standard system is developed for all major sorts of trees
in the Spessart. A number of scientific theses were and are created in co-operation
between the Archaeological Spessart-Project and the universities in Würzburg,
Frankfurt, Mainz and Berlin. But co-operations exist as well with regional high
schools.
The cultural paths created by the Archaeological Spessart-Project are aimed
to communicate the cultural landscape of the Spessart to the broad public. They
are built in close co-operation with local historical societies, the Spessartbund,
the state heritage management and environment management, forest directories
and many other organisations. They are dedicated to special themes typical for
the chosen region: e.g. traffic and transport in Frammersbach, hunting parties
of the royal Bavarian court in Bischbrunn or mining in Biebergemünd. Aim
of the Archaeological Spessart-Project is to show perspectives and chances for
the ecological and cultural development of the landscape as well as to enhance
the visibility of the richness, diversity and history of the Spessart region
for both, locals and tourists. To raise awareness of the cultural landscapes
special actions are undertaken, like the "Kunst-Rasen" (Art-Lawn),
a project where artists produced works of art in local factories using the materials
processed in those enterprises. The works of art reflected the cultural landscape
and were shown at the royal hunting lodge Rohrbrunn, the park of Bad Orb, the
castle gardens of Aschaffenburg and at the "days of the region" in
Gelnhausen until now.
The Archaeological Spessart-Project is funded by the districts participating
in the Spessart region Aschaffenburg, Main-Kinzig, Main-Spessart, Miltenberg
and the city of Aschaffenburg. It receives funding by the EU, local communities
and grants of economic enterprises in the region as well as private persons.
A great deal of work is done by volunteers. more information
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