Duchy of Franconia
During the Middle Ages, the town was ruled by tribal duchies as the Duchy of Franconia. The town was granted a city charter in 1235. Königshofen was owned by the House of Henneberg in 1200. In 1353, the heiress Elisabeth of Henneberg married Eberhard II, Count of Württemberg and he sold the town in 1354 to the bishops of Würzburg. They subsequently expanded the town into a fortress. The House of Henneberg acquired the castle in 1400 and in 1412 they bought the entire town back from the Würzburg monastery. Later, the town became home to a episcopal bailiff. In 1603, there was a Leper colony called the Siechhaus in the town.