rendered Erzberg in Modern High German – “Ore Mountain”) still recall these times. In 1008, Emperor Heinrich II donated this royal estate (“his property with all that belongs thereto”) to the Bishopric of Bamberg. Bamberg ministeriales, that is to say, the bishop's followers, have appeared in the historic record since 1121. King Karlmann assigned Königsfeld in 741 or 742 to the newly formed Bishopric of Würzburg. Würzburg still had tithing rights in Poxdorf, Brunn and Voitmannsdorf after the Bishopric of Bamberg was founded. The Bishop of Würzburg was until sometime in the 14th century the patron lord of Saint Kilian’s Church at Königsfeld. In the 14th century, Königsfeld passed to the Lords of Aufseß. Modern times During the Thirty Years' War, the community was burnt down by the Swedes. At the time of this attack, the village’s priest, Father Funk, was murdered at the source of the Aufseß. He is memorialized by a wayside shrine that stands at the source. As part of the High Monastery of Bamberg, it came with the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss of 1803 to Bavaria. In the course of administrative reform in Bavaria, today’s community came into being under the Gemeindeedikt (“Community Edict”) of 1818. By the 17th century, the community had grown to more than 1,000 inhabitants. However, the population shrank sharply in the Thirty Years' War and the community could never again build up to this former figure. Königsfeld could only reach the figure that it has today – roughly 1,400 – through the amalgamation of six outlying communities. After 1945, refugees driven from the formerly German lands east of the Oder and Neiße raised the population somewhat, but since the community's agriculture-based economy afforded few a livelihood, many left again to seek work in towns. Königsfeld and the surrounding places weathered the First World War without great losses. However, in the last days of the Second World War, Königsfeld lay for several hours under fire from United States soldiers. It could have been worse but for a wounded US soldier, whose retrieval forestalled further damage. In the course of administrative reform in May 1978, the communities of Stadelhofen and Wattendorf became along with Königsfeld the administrative community (Verwaltungsgemeinschaft) of Steinfeld. Politics The community council is made up of 12 members, listed here by party or voter community affiliation, and also with the number of seats that each has held since the 2002 election: CSU/Freie Wähler: