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THE SEVEN SECRETS
Discover what Anthony Cutler tells us about the secrets of boundary stones and their history.
What belongs to you and what is mine? This question, particularly when related to land boundaries, has resulted in many disputes and conflicts.
As an answer to this question, landowners and the church set up a system in the 12/13 century whereby the land boundaries were defined by boundary stones. This system has been continued until now in two german counties, namely Bayern und Rheinland Pfalz.
Although modern measurement techniques have made this activity unnecessary, the mayor of each town continues to elect up too seven people to carry out the marking of plots of land and fields. Always working together with the survey authorities. The position of „Feldgeschworener“, roughly translated (Field juror), is one of the oldest still existing positions in the communal administration.
There are more than 25,000 people in Bayern carrying out these duties.
„The Seven Secrets“ is a special arrangement of, for example, clay, glass, porcelain or metal around the border stone. Exactly how the positioning has to be is known only by the elected people. They are bound to keep this a secret.
The idea is, should the secret items be displaced or removed then there is something wrong with the location of the boundary stone.
They are responsible for setting border stones higher or lower, the removal or replacement of survey markings, mediating in boundary disputes and marking within the parish area. Once a year on the 3rd October there is a „boundary inspection“ with the seven elected people together with a crowd of spectators.
AEC3 - G - Goldbach. The crown denotes the territory of the franken king.
AEC2 - H - Hoesbach. The tower represents the church of St.Michael and the oak leaf the Forest Administration.
AEC7 - W - Wenighoesbach. This is a 3-way stone for Hoesbach, Gladbach and Wenighoesbach.
AEC4 - Limit for the hunt. The wheel is the sign of the Bishop of Mainz.
AEC6 - Smerlenbach. Stone marking the grounds of the abbey.
AEC1 - Border stone marking the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a Bishop
AEC8 - Parish of Hoesbach. Peter Alexander Patron Saint of the Stifts Church Aschaffenburg.
EC5 - All in a row. The metal posts are for the farmer to avoid damaging the plough.
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