The today’s coat of arms of the community Freigericht is a "In silver streigt armed black cross, on the cross is a blue key and a blue sword".
The black cross on a silver ground stands for the old friendship with the bishopric of Fulda. Due to the "Provida sollersqe" Freigericht entered the bishopric Fulda in the year 1821.
The key and sword are symbols for the holy Petrus and Paulus, both are the patron saint of the church in Somborn.
The history of Freigericht
The community Freigericht, which consists of the towns Altenmitlau, Bernbach, Horbach, Neuses and Somborn had its original in the court of Sombom, and was added until 1748 with Alzenau, Hörstein and Mömbris, to the court cooperatives "Wilmundsheim vor der Hart" (ALzenau). The free markets meet every year in Alzenau, to vote for the land judge and the forester and to take different decisions. The courts where usually empire related. The chairman was voted for one year. Every town hat its own jurors, depending on the town size, which had to find justice. Until 1748 the community Albstadt was also added to the court of Somborn.
In the year 1500 the courts lost their empire. The religious justice was given by the bishopric Mainz and took over the court in Somborn. Because of that the reformation did not happen here.
The Freigerichter insisted on their free rights and fought against the order of the people above, the emperors of Mainz and Hanau took over the land in 1502. The Freigerichter kept on fighting for their rights. In the year 1529 the right to have the name Freigericht and to keep their right for freedom was given back to them.
In the year 1748 the market cooperative was divided. The court came to Hessen Kassel. 1772 Somborn was announced to be the marked, but the marked never came up because the Freigerichter had to fight for their rights given by the earl of Hessen-Kassel. Wilhelm IX, expensive court costs in Wien (1775-78) and the court in Wetzlar (1795-1806) had to be payed along with a lot of other expenses.
The fight for freedom started in the middle of the 14 th century and lasted until 1806, when the court ended with the Deutsches Reich. This was a hard loss for the Freigerichter since they had to pay taxes from now on.
The towns first where registered:
Bernbach in the year 850
Horbach in the year 850
Neses in the year 1000
Sombom in the year 1025
Altenmittlau in the Year 1191
Due to the area changes in Hessen and to overlook the needs of the community the five
towns Altenmittlau, Bernbach, Horbach, Neuses and Somborn came together with a contract
on January 1, 1970 to the community Freigericht.
The legend of the establishment of Freigericht
The emperor Barbarossa traveled in the year 1184 from Mainz to Geinhausen. During his travel he used the legendary Birkenhainer StraBe. Tired from the long journey the emperor Barbarossa saw a nice place to rest along the road, where a little stream made it able to water the horses. The travelers rested in the grass while the freed horses drank water and ate grass.
All of a sudden the horses got nervous, the resting travelers got their weapons. They heard the attack signal of the Rannenburg knights. Which have forced a treacherous attack. But the Rannenburger should not have an easy game. The emperor was fighting like a lion and his knits where doing the same thing. Unfortunately the enemy was to strong for the emperor Barbarossa and his knights.
In their highest trouble the farmers of the area came to help. They fought with axes, scythes and pitchforks as well as flails against the hated Rannenburger. Some had to pay their wicked start with his live. Also farmers and knights of the emperor Barbarossa had to pay their loyalty to the emperor with their lives. When the Rannburger saw that they had lost this battle they escaped back to their castle.
The fight was over, victory was made. The wounded washed themselves in the stream close by. The emperor did the same. That is when he saw that the stream was red form the blood of his men. That is when he said:" This stream, colored red by the blood shall be named Rotenbach (read stream)." Then he turned to the farmers and said:" Since you have came to help your emperor Barbarossa I wilt reward you. You should not have to obey anybody but your emperor from now on. You should be free from taxes and other expenses, only one load of hay with a rooster sitting on it should be brought to my castle in Gelnhausen once a year. From this hour on the farmers in this area where free, the even had their own court. The area where this had happen is until today called Freigericht (free court).