1200th Anniversary

Schlitz, in Hesse, Germany, is celebrating its 1200th anniversary as a settlement this summer.

From wikipedia:

The name Schlitz had its first documentary mention in 812.

Schlitz is known throughout Hesse for the town's five castles and is also called the Romantische Burgenstadt Schlitz (the Romantic Castle Town of Schlitz).

One peculiarity about the town is its so-called Burgenring, or Castle Ring, with the town built on a hill with its accumulated castles, towers, lords' houses, the town church and many half-timbered houses presenting a well preserved, compact, historic Old Town.

The Lords of Schlitz had built up their mastery in an autonomous fief from the Fulda Abbey. As of 1404 they were calling themselves Schlitz von Görtz (in documents also Gurz or Görz). After the Reformation came in 1563, and as a result of the Thirty Years' War, however, they broke away from Fulda. In 1677, they became Imperial Barons and, in 1726, Imperial Counts. In 1806, the area passed to Hesse-Darmstadt.

Hefenieder Origins in Germany?

I've found a bit of information from the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia suggesting that the original Hefenieder / Hefeneider / Hefeneder family that settled in Russia originated in the town of Schlitz, Germany.

Information found at: www.ahsgr.org/findancestors/GO/goNi.htm

This is a photograph of Schlitz from a German tourism website at Christmas time. An old watchtower is decorated as a candle.

Schlitz is about an hour and a half northeast of Frankfurt am Main. Binsfeld, believed to be the ancestral home of the Hammer family (mom's side) is about an hour and a half south of Frankfurt am Main.

There is an article in the "Stars and Stripes" with a couple of photos of Schlitz:
www.stripes.com/military-life/travel/drink-in-the-ancient-german-origin-of-schlitz-beer-1.79062