April 28, 2025, 10:48 a.m. | Reading time: 5 minutes
The new edition of Disney's classic “Snow White” is currently enjoying success at the box office worldwide. This should also appeal to a small town in Bavaria, because here (for tourists) everything revolves around the famous fairytale character. Lohr am Main advertises that the story about the beautiful girl and the seven dwarves has its origins here. But that's not all: the "real" Snow White is said to have actually lived here once. There are several surprising clues to this.
No doubt: one of the Brothers Grimm's best-known and most popular fairy tales is probably the one about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. And while the new edition of the Disney film about the beautiful princess, her evil mother-in-law and the prince is celebrating a new edition in cinemas worldwide, a small town in Bavaria is likely to increasingly become the focus of numerous tourists to Germany. Not only does the story supposedly have its origins in Lohr am Main, the “real” Snow White is also said to have once lived here. And if you compare the fiction with the facts, you will actually discover astonishing parallels.
“Simply fairytale” is the slogan used by the official tourism website of the city of Lohr am Main. And thus refers to the claim that the role model for Snow White was a daughter of the town. Accordingly, it could be Baroness Maria Sophia Margaretha Catharina von Erthal, who was born exactly 300 years ago. She was born as the daughter of the mayor Philipp Christoph von Erthal at the castle of Lohr am Main. And it would probably have remained a minor figure in the city's history forever if a local pharmacist and historian named Dr. Karlheinz Bartels made an astonishing discovery. Because he found several similarities between the young girl and the now famous legendary figure.
Amazing correspondences
So the mother of the “real” Snow White died early, whereupon the father soon married a second time. The new mother-in-law was said to be domineering and to have taken advantage of her position at the expense of her stepchildren. Just like in a fairy tale, where a cruel mother-in-law first rejects Snow White and then even tries to kill her. The reason: jealousy of the girl's beauty. Which leads us to the second coincidence. A mirror in which the evil one likes to look at herself also plays a role in the fairy tale. And there was actually once a factory in Lohr am Main that produced glasses and mirrors. Its owner: the father of the young lady. In the Spessart Museum you can still marvel at a mirror that bears, among other things, the inscription “Self-Love”. Could it have belonged to the second wife?
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And the Seven Dwarves also have an astonishing analogue in the real world. There were once mines near Lohr am Main. It was not uncommon for children and people of small stature to be sent into the narrow tunnels. They were particularly suitable for working here because of their small size. To get to the shafts from the city you had to cross seven hills. Just like Snow White in the fairy tale when she fled from her mother-in-law. The “wild forest” described in the story could all too easily be interpreted as the Spessart itself. In earlier times it also served as a refuge for robbers, highwaymen and other outlaws.
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Last but not least, the Brothers Grimm lived for a long time in Hanau, which is only about 50 kilometers from Lohr am Main. Given these facts, it seems quite possible that she wove the circumstances of the time into one of her best-known fairy tales. So it's no wonder that Lohr am Main, as the supposed home of the real Snow White, does a lot of advertising with the fairytale character. There is a Snow White hiking trail, several figures and sculptures of the beautiful woman, as well as a wine and gin named after her. Actors read the fairy tale to children and can even be booked for performances upon request. If you just want Snow White, you can pay from 30 euros, according to the city website. A performance with the Seven Dwarfs costs from 60 euros.
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Every year on the first Sunday after the Bavarian summer holidays there is also a Snow White festival in the city park, and for children there is a fairy tale rally about the famous character. According to the “Spessart Mainland” website, numerous other events are planned this year, on the occasion of the 300th birthday, on September 21st. Jürgen Goldbach, head of the Lohr am Main tourist information office, said in response to Sunnytrips's inquiry: "In terms of tourism, Snow White is the best thing that could have happened to us. We also advertise hiking and cycling, but that is our unique selling point." However, it is impossible to say how many tourists come specifically because of the fairytale character.
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However, since the Snow White sculpture was erected in 2016, interest has increased significantly. "That brought us a lot of national attention. But our marketing began with the discovery of parallels to fairy tales around the mid-80s." Today there is even a typical brown sign on the motorway, Lohr am Main proudly and officially calls itself “Snow White City”. The popular character also regularly greets bus groups traveling into the city. “We currently have around eleven actresses,” says Goldbach, laughing.
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