In 2003 Kronach celebrated the anniversary of its first documented mention.
A thousand years before the celebration, in 1003, Heinrich von Schweinfurt, called Hezilo, burned down his property "Crana", because he had to flee from his master, the later emperor Heinrich II.
119 years later, in 1122, the area became the possession of the prince-bishopric Bamberg, whose bishops were the landlords of Kronach until 1803.
In 1323/24, Kronach was mentioned as an immured town with suburbs, for the first time ever.
In 1430, a hussite army department invaded the town. Thus, the citizens set fire to the suburbs - an action that caused long lasting conflicts.
The town of Kronach itself consists of three levels. The Lower Town is situationed on the riversides of Haßlach, Kronach and Rodach. Right above it, is the immured Old Town. And at the top, the third crowning level, the fortress Rosenberg.
Its economic importance dates back to Kronach's function as a center of communication in medieval times. The three rivers made the town the center of wood export from the Franconian Forest. Furthermore, important rural roads for the trade to and from Saxony and Thuringia existed there.
In the course of the 16th century, during the Peasant War in 1525 and the Margrave War in 1553, Kronach was seriously threatened. A story which is still known by all inhabitants dates back to the Thirty-Year War (1618-1648), when Kronach was invaded by the Swedish. However hard the Swedish tried to capture the town, the people from Kronach did not give up. The coat of arms of Kronach, the newly filled breach in the town wall as well as the golden necklace worn by the burgomaster at special occasions, still remind the people of those times.
In 1759, Kronach was invested anew, this time by the Prussians. But Kronach was able to defend itself successfully again. In 1806, the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte came into town and gave his orders to attack Prussia. By means of the so called "Reichsdeputationshauptbeschluss" from 1802/03 the prince-bishopric Bamberg and Kronach became a part of Bavaria.