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Map of Germany showing Kassel
Kassel [ˈkasl̩] (until 1926 officially Cassel) is a city on the Fulda River in the north of the state of Hesse in western-central Germany. Kassel is the capital of the Kassel administrative region (Regierungsbezirk) and of the district of the same name. The city of Kassel has 194.146 inhabitants (2003). Kassel covers an area of 106.77 square kilometers. Geographic location 51° 18' North, 9° 30' East.
History
Allegedly Kassel is identical to the ancient Castellum Cattorum, the castle of the Catti, a German tribe, which was the source of the present name.
Kassel is first mentioned in 913 as the place where two deeds had been signed by king Conrad of Franconia. The place was called Chasella and was a fortification at a bridge crossing the Fulda River. A deed from the year 1189 certifies that Kassel had city rights. The exact date of their grant is not known.
In 1567 the state of Hesse ceased to exist, and Hesse-Kassel was one of its successor states. Kassel was the capital and became a centre of Protestantism in Germany. Strong fortifications were built in order to protect the Protestant stronghold from Catholic invaders. In 1685 Kassel became a refuge for 1700 Huguenots who found shelter in the newly established borough of Oberneustadt. Landgrave Charles of Hesse-Kassel who was responsible for the humanitarian act, also ordered the erection of the Oktogon and the construction of the Orangerie (see sights).
In the beginning 19th century the Brothers Grimm lived in Kassel and wrote their fairy tales. In this time (1803) the landgravate Hesse-Kassel was elevated to an electorate, but shortly after it was annexed by Napoleon. In 1807 Kassel became the capital of the short-lived kingdom of Westphalia but in 1813 the electorate was restored.
The electorate was annexed by Prussia in 1866. The Prussian administration united Nassau, Frankfurt and Hesse-Kassel in order to form the new province of Hesse-Nassau. Kassel ceased to be a residential city, but the Prussian lordship was the outset of industrialisation in the city.
In 1870 after the Battle of Sedan Napoleon III was sent as a prisoner to the castle of Wilhelmshöhe above the city.
During World War II, on the night of October 22/23, 1943, 569 British bombers raided Kassel, destroying 90% of the city centre: some 10,000 people died in the raid, causing a firestorm comparable to the one which occurred in Hamburg in July 1943. The attack on the city, once being famous for its old-town, was covered by a feint attack on Frankfurt am Main, commencing five minutes before the raid on Kassel. The attack included one of the most accurate target markings since the Hamburg firestorm raid. The marking was first exceeded during the devastating raid on Darmstadt in late 1944. On the night of the Kassel firestorm raid RAF Bomber Command introduced Operation Corona to confuse the German nightfighters, making the raid a complete success, and leaving the city litterally destroyed, rendering 150,000 people homeless.
After the war the ancient buildings were not restored, and the city was completely rebuilt with new buildings in the style of the 1950s. In 1949 Kassel failed to become provisional capital of the Federal Republic of Germany, losing out to Bonn.
Twinning
Kassel is twinned with
Sights
Due to the destruction of 1943, the city was almost completely rebuilt in the 1950s. Hence there are no classical sights in the centre.
Some sights are outside the town. There is for example Wilhelmshöhe Palace above the city. It was built in 1786 by landgrave Wilhelm IX of Hesse-Kassel. The palace is surrounded by a park where some more sights can be found. The Oktagon is a huge octagonal stone structure culminating in a statue which is a replication of the Hercules by Benvenuto Cellini. The Löwenburg ("Lions Castle") is a replication of a medieval castle, also established by Wilhelm IX.
Another large park is the Karlsaue on the Fulda River. This park was established in the 16th century. It is famous for the Orangerie, a large palace built in 1710 as a summer residence for the landgraves. Today there is also a planetarium in the park.
The Oktagon above the city
Kassel is scene of the Documenta, an international exhibition of modern and contemporary art. Museums include: Wilhelmshöhe Palace (Antiquities Collection and Old Masters'), Museum für Sepulkralkultur (the only German Museum of the culture of funerals); Art Gallery: Albrecht Dürer, Rubens, Rembrandt, Franz Hals, Antoon van Dyck), New Gallery (Tischbein Family, Joseph Beuys).
Miscellaneous
In 1558 the first German observatory was built in Kassel, followed in 1604 by the Ottoneum, the first permanent theatre building, and in 1779 by Europe's first public museum, named the Museum Fridericianum after its founder. By the end of the 19th century the museum held one of the largest collections in the world of watches and clocks.
Famous inhabitants of Kassel include Jerome Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon Bonaparte; the Brothers Grimm; and Paul Reuter.
External links
- Kassel City Panoramas (http://www.panorama-cities.net/kassel/kassel.html) - Panoramic views and Virtual Tours
de:Kassel
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