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101-809: To the north and west are the Western and Eastern Kuppen Rhön , to the northeast is the Eastern Rhön Foreland . In the southeast is the Eastern South Rhön, which as part of the South Rhön and the tertiary level major region of Odenwald, Spessart und Südrhön, is part of the South German Scarplands (a 2nd order natural region). To the southwest is the Southern High Rhön . This is also subordinated to

202-543: A Hessian-Westphalian stone cist ( hessisch-westfälische Steinkiste ), it is one of the most important megalithic monuments in Central Europe. Dating to c.  3000 BC , it belongs to the Late Neolithic Wartberg culture . An early Celtic presence in what is now Hesse is indicated by a mid-5th-century BC La Tène -style burial uncovered at Glauberg . The region was later settled by

303-476: A considerable degree of home rule . The state is divided into three administrative provinces ( Regierungsbezirke ): Kassel in the north and east, Gießen in the centre, and Darmstadt in the south, the latter being the most populous region with the Frankfurt Rhine-Main agglomeration in its central area. The administrative regions have no legislature of their own, but are executive agencies of

404-590: A group of low mountains (or Mittelgebirge ) in central Germany , located around the border area where the states of Hesse , Bavaria and Thuringia come together. These mountains, which are at the extreme southeast end of the East Hesse Highlands ( Osthessisches Bergland ), are partly a result of ancient volcanic activity. They are separated from the Vogelsberg Mountains by the river Fulda and its valley. The highest mountain in

505-582: A million displaced ethnic Germans . Due to its proximity to the Inner German border , Hesse became an important location of NATO installations in the 1950s, especially military bases of the US V Corps and United States Army Europe . The first elected minister president of Hesse was Christian Stock , followed by Georg-August Zinn (both Social Democrats ). The German Social Democrats gained an absolute majority in 1962 and pursued progressive policies with

606-432: A parliamentary republic since 1918, except during Nazi rule (1933–1945). The German federal system has elements of exclusive federal competences, shared competences, and exclusive competences of the states. Hesse is famous for having a rather brisk style in its politics with the ruling parties being either the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) or the center-left Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). Due to

707-680: A part of Gudensberg near Fritzlar and less than ten miles from Geismar, was likely an ancient religious center; the basaltic outcrop of Gudensberg is named after Wodan, and a two-meter tall quartzite megalith called the Wotanstein is at the center of the village. By the mid-7th century, the Franks had established themselves as overlords, which is suggested by archeological evidence of burials, and they built fortifications in various places, including Christenberg . By 690, they took direct control over Hessia, apparently to counteract expansion by

808-807: A quarter of the High Rhön, is not accessible to the public. The 1,200 square kilometres (460 sq mi) of the "Kuppen Rhön in its narrow sense", to which the Anterior Rhön also belongs, is the wide outer fringe of markedly different relief, that circles around the High Rhön from the northeast (in Thuringia ) through the northwest (in Hesse ) to the southwest (with small parts in Bavaria ). Numerous dome-shaped isolated mountains and hills rise above

909-510: A rich cultural landscape. Compared with other low mountain regions, the Rhön is particularly rich in plant varieties. Its natural vegetation would probably be dominated by beech woods with scattered groups of other trees, but today beech trees are very much in decline. A few of these ancient woods were identified as core elements of the Rhön biosphere reserve. The higher beech woods are a habitat for rare, sometimes isolated, species of plant such as

1010-549: A spur that offered a commanding view over Fritzlar and the densely-populated heart of Hessia". Following Saxon incursions into Chattish territory in the 7th century, two gaue had been established; a Frankish one, comprising an area around Fritzlar and Kassel , and a Saxonian one. In the 9th century, the Saxon Hessengau also came under the rule of the Franconians. From 962 the land which would become Hesse

1111-658: A substantial built environment such as the country's largest airport, contrasting with the more forested, hillier middle and northern thirds of Hesse. The longest rivers in Hesse are the Eder and moreover its distributary the Fulda draining most of the north, the Lahn in the centre-west and, as to those navigable by large vessels, the Main and very broad Rhine in the south. The countryside

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1212-770: A tight federation of German states established by Prussia in 1867, while also remaining part of the Grand Duchy. In 1871, after France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War , the whole of the Grand Duchy joined the German Empire . Around the turn of the 20th century, Darmstadt was one of the centres of the Jugendstil . Until 1907, the Grand Duchy of Hesse used the Hessian red and white lion barry as its coat-of-arms. The revolution of 1918 following

1313-934: Is hilly and the topographical map, inset, names 14 short, low to medium-height mountain ranges including the Rhön , the Westerwald , the Taunus , the Vogelsberg , the Knüll and the Spessart . The notable range forming the southern taper of Hesse (shared with a narrowing of the Ried, the Rhine's eastern plain) and briefly spanning the middle Neckar valley which begins directly east of Heidelberg (thus also in Baden-Württemberg )

1414-589: Is the Odenwald . Forming a mid-eastern tiny projection into mostly Thuringia is the uppermost part of the Ulster , commanding the west valley side of which is the Hessian highest point, Wasserkuppe at 950m above sea level – in the Rhön. The Rhine forms the long southwest border of Hesse. Two notables oxbow lakes , the Stockstadt-Erfelder Altrhein and Lampertheimer Altrhein are in

1515-548: Is the alpine shrew . Birds occurring here include the black grouse , the capercaillie , the black stork , the eagle owl , the corncrake , the red-backed shrike and the wryneck . There are also two species endemic to the Rhön: the rove beetle and a local snail, the Rhönquellschnecke ( Bythinella compressa ). The Dachmarke Rhön project (Rhön umbrella brand project) is run by the Rhön working group and its aim

1616-458: Is to promote a common identity for the Rhön region and to present a unified view of the area to the outside world and to harmonise the marketing measures of the three participating federal states. These mountains are a popular tourist destination. Hikers come for the nearly 6,000 km (3,700 mi) of trails, and gliding enthusiasts have been drawn to the area since the early 20th century. More recently, farm holidays have been flourishing in

1717-506: The Alpine blue-sow-thistle , giant bellflower and annual honesty . The vegetation of the lower-lying beech woods has a mix of mountain and other varieties. In addition to common wildflowers like the martagon lily , lily of the valley , wild chervil and wild garlic , various orchids also flourish here including Cephalanthera orchids, the yellow coralroot , bird's-nest orchid , lady's slipper and lady orchid . Only small areas of

1818-627: The BfN (c.f. section on Natural region division ) and is up to 950.0 m (3,117 ft) and whose highland plateaux with elevations starting at 600 to 700 m (1,969 to 2,297 ft) are covered by solid basalt . Its core area in the northeast used to be called the Plattenrhön . The High Rhön is a natural regional major unit in the East Hesse Highlands; see Natural regions . The High Rhön has five main mountainous regions: At

1919-638: The Duchy of Westphalia from Cologne , the parts of Worms on the right-bank of the Rhine, and the former Free City of Friedberg . Nassau-Weilburg gained the right-bank territories of Trier among other territories. Orange-Nassau gained the Prince-Bishopric of Fulda (as the Principality of Nassau-Orange-Fulda ). The Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel was also elevated to the status of Prince-Elector ( Kurfürst ), with his state thereby becoming

2020-647: The Electorate of Hesse or Electoral Hesse (German: Kurhessen , Kur being the German-language term for the Empire's College of Electors ). In July 1806 Hesse-Darmstadt, Nassau-Weilburg, Nassau-Usingen , and the newly merged Principality of Isenburg became founding members of Napoleon 's Confederation of the Rhine . Hesse-Darmstadt expanded further in the resulting mediatisation, absorbing numerous small states (including Hesse-Homburg and much of

2121-732: The French Empire as Pays réservé de Catzenellenbogen  [ de ] . The rest of its territory was annexed to the Kingdom of Westphalia in 1807; Hesse-Hanau (a secundogeniture of Hesse-Kassel) was annexed to the Grand Duchy of Frankfurt in 1810 along with the other territories held by the Prince-primate: Frankfurt, Fulda, Aschaffenburg and Wetzlar . As a result of the German campaign of 1813

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2222-702: The Germanic Chatti tribe around the 1st century BC, and the name Hesse is a continuation of that tribal name. The ancient Romans had a military camp in Dorlar, and in Waldgirmes directly on the eastern outskirts of Wetzlar was a civil settlement under construction. Presumably, the provincial government for the occupied territories of the right bank of Germania was planned at this location. The governor of Germania, at least temporarily, likely had resided here. The settlement appears to have been abandoned by

2323-795: The Hessian Skittles , a striking regular array of high, gently rounded, basalt cones up to 552.9 m (1,814 ft). North and south of the skittles most of the kuppen in this natural region are also arranged in a row along the watershed between the Werra and the Fulda and between the Ulster and the Haune respectively. To the west they do not quite reach the Haune at the Haune Plateaux ; to

2424-655: The High Rhön . Together with the Anterior and Kuppen Rhön, the High Rhön is part of the East Hesse Highlands . The Central Rhön is described as the "central bulge of the High Rhön, a highland region divided into ridges, high plateaus and, in the west, into individual domed summits, sometimes with wooded slopes and grassland on the heights." The Ulster valley divides it into two ridges, the Wasserkuppen Rhön and Long Rhön . Kuppen Rh%C3%B6n The Rhön Mountains ( German: [ˈʁøːn] ) are

2525-691: The Hochrhön for the protection of its farmers. The Rhön was also home to the Christian Community known as the Bruderhof from 1926 to 1937 when it was dissolved by Nazi persecution . In 1991 UNESCO declared parts of the Rhön a Biosphere Reserve on account of its unique high-altitude ecosystem. As a result of its geography and geology the Rhön is an area with higher-than-average number of different habitats and species . But man, too, has generated valuable secondary habitats by creating

2626-865: The Irish Rebellion of 1798 . For further revenue, the soldiers were loaned to other places as well. Most were conscripted, with their pay going to the Landgrave. In 1789 the French Revolution began and in 1794, during the War of the First Coalition , the French Republic occupied the Left Bank of the Rhine , including part of Lower Katzenelnbogen ( Niedergrafschaft Katzenelnbogen  [ de ] , Hesse-Kassel's part of

2727-768: The Plattenrhön in two. The Long Rhön runs southwest along the main watershed to the Dammersfeld ridge which continues along the watershed via the Hohe Hölle (893.8 m (2,932 ft)) and Eierhauckberg (909.9 m (2,985 ft)) to the Dammersfeldkuppe (927.9 m (3,044 ft)), the ridge being clearly narrower than the Long Rhön and its basalt layer being interrupted several times. The Großer (808.6 m (2,653 ft)) and Kleiner Auersberg (about 808 m (2,651 ft)), separated by

2828-507: The State of Hesse (German: Land Hessen ), is a state in Germany . Its capital city is Wiesbaden , and the largest urban area is Frankfurt , which is also the country's principal financial centre . Two other major historic cities are Darmstadt and Kassel . With an area of 21,114.73 square kilometers and a population of over six million, it ranks seventh and fifth, respectively, among

2929-789: The Weiherberg (785.7 m (2,578 ft), northwest) and Ehrenberg (816.5 m (2,679 ft) northeast) are slightly separated from the rest. Between the northeastern end of the Wasserkuppen Rhön at the Ehrenberg and the plateau of the Long Rhön from the Heidelstein to just beyond the Stirnberg is the Upper Ulster valley , which cuts into the bunter sandstone by up to about 300 m (984 ft) and divides

3030-567: The north and Limburg an der Lahn in the west. All of the "on the river" suffixes are locally and, informally far beyond, omitted of these cities. The plain between the rivers Main, Rhine, and lower Neckar, and the Odenwald ridge of low mountains or very high hills is called the Ried which continues to north, across the Main, as the Wetterau. Both plains which are quite densely populated also have

3131-434: The "Anterior Rhön" also consists mainly of Kuppen or low mountains with dome-shaped summits. The name has genuine historic origins: the "Anterior Rhön", as viewed from Thuringia, forms the foothills (or anterior part) of the mountain region. In this gently rolling landscape numerous individual dome-shaped mountains rise on both sides of the border of Hesse and Thuringia and also, in some places, in Bavaria. These Kuppen are

Central Rhön - Misplaced Pages Continue

3232-427: The 1866 Austro-Prussian War the states of the region allied with Austria were defeated during the Campaign of the Main . Following Prussia's victory and dissolution of the German Confederation, Prussia annexed Electoral Hesse, Frankfurt, Hesse-Homburg, Nassau and small parts of Bavaria and the Grand Duchy of Hesse, which were then combined into the Province of Hesse-Nassau . The name Kurhessen survived, denoting

3333-540: The 1960s to 1990s developed into one of the major cities of West Germany. As of 2016, 12% of the total population of Hesse lived in the city of Frankfurt. The only state to straddle west and central portions of Germany where the eight ordinal directions (compass points) and the centre is considered, Hesse borders six other states. These are, from north, clockwise: Lower Saxony , Thuringia , Bavaria , Baden-Württemberg , Rhineland-Palatinate , and North Rhine-Westphalia . The most populous towns and cities of Hesse are in

3434-532: The 1st century on. Geismar was a particular focus of such activity; it was continuously occupied from the Roman period on, with a settlement from the Roman period, which itself had a predecessor from the 5th century BC. Excavations have produced a horse burial and bronze artifacts. A possible religious cult may have centered on a natural spring in Geismar, called Heilgenbron ; the name "Geismar" (possibly "energetic pool") itself may be derived from that spring. The village of Maden, Gudensberg  [ de ] , now

3535-425: The Feuerberg, Kreuzberg ( monastery ), Oberweißenbrunn, through the Red and Black Moors , over the Ellenbogen and the Emberg via Oberalba, past Baier to Stadtlengsfeld and on to its destination at Bad Salzungen on the Werra River. Other hiking trails are: In addition the following pass through the Rhön: Hesse Hesse or Hessia ( German : Hessen [ˈhɛsn̩] ), officially

3636-400: The Fulda, is not reached in other parts of the region. To the southwest the area is bounded by the rocky sandstone of the Hoher Kammer (700.0 m (2,297 ft)), as it descends from the heights of the Dammersfeld ridge (up to 927.9 m (3,044 ft)). Separated from the Kammer by the upper reaches of the Döllbach , the Döllau , the Große Haube (658.1 m (2,159 ft)) on

3737-410: The German defeat in WWI transformed Hesse-Darmstadt from a monarchy to a republic, which officially renamed itself the People's State of Hesse ( Volksstaat Hessen ). The state parliament, or Landtag consisted of 70 deputies elected on the basis of proportional representation . There were six Landtag elections between 1919 and 1932. Following the Nazi seizure of power in Berlin, the Landtag

3838-409: The Grand Duchy's Upper Hesse, was transferred to Hesse-Nassau. The former Hessian exclave of Rinteln ( Kreis Rinteln  [ de ] , the Hessian part of the former County of Schaumburg ) was also detached and transferred to the Province of Hanover . On 1 July 1944 the Prussian Province of Hesse-Nassau was formally divided into the provinces of Kurhessen and Nassau . At the same time

3939-515: The Hessians ultimately continues the tribal name of the Chatti . The ancient name Chatti by the 7th century is recorded as Chassi , and from the 8th century as Hassi or Hessi . An inhabitant of Hesse is called a "Hessian" (German: Hesse (masculine), plural Hessen , or Hessin (feminine), plural Hessinnen ). The American English term "Hessian" for 18th-century British auxiliary troops originates with Landgrave Frederick II of Hesse-Kassel hiring out regular army units to

4040-593: The Kingdom of Westphalia and the Grand Duchy of Frankfurt were dissolved and Hesse-Kassel and Hesse-Hanau were restored; Orange-Nassau was also restored in its territories previously lost to Berg. As a result of the 1815 Congress of Vienna Hesse-Kassel gained Fulda (roughly the western third of the former Prince-Bishopric, the rest of which went to Bavaria and Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach ) from Frankfurt and part of Isenburg, while several of its small northern exclaves were absorbed into Hanover , some small eastern areas were ceded to Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Lower Katzenelnbogen

4141-424: The Kreuzberg Group by the narrow valley of the Premich 's upper reaches, the Kellersbach . Clearly different from the aforementioned ridges is the eastern slope of the Long Rhön , which forms the transition zone from the High Rhön to the muschelkalk region of the Mellrichstadt Gäu ( Mellrichstädter Gäu ), the eastern part of the Werra Gäu Plateaux . Individual domes rise from the descending Triassic beds east of

Central Rhön - Misplaced Pages Continue

4242-404: The Long Rhön the basalt layer is almost unbroken. At the Heidelstein, another natural region, the Wasserkuppen Rhön , branches off in a north to northwesterly direction to the Rhön's highest summit, the Wasserkuppe (950.0 m (3,117 ft)), whose basalt likewise covers a wide area, but is broken in places by bunter sandstone and muschelkalk – in particular the basalt kuppen of

4343-421: The People's State of Hesse and most of what had been the Prussian Provinces of Kurhessen and Nassau. The French incorporated their parts of Hesse (Rhenish Hesse) and Nassau (as Regierungsbezirk Montabaur ) into the newly founded state of Rhineland-Palatinate ( Rheinland-Pfalz ) on 30 August 1946. On 4 December 1946, Greater Hesse was officially renamed Hessen . Hesse in the 1940s received more than

4444-423: The Rhine-Weser watershed opens the Brückenau Kuppenrhön, whose western half is in Hesse and whose eastern half is in Bavaria. The valleys of the Schmaler and Breiter Sinn running southwestwards, divide the natural region, which is clearly more heterogenous than the other ranges of the Kuppen Rhön, into three segments. In the west, the rugged plateaux of dolerite and basalt transition into the Landrücken , whilst

4545-432: The Rhön Mountains or flow by or through them (length given in brackets) : The name Rhön is believed to be of Celtic origin. A regional Celtic presence is well established, with an important Celtic town at Milseburg . Furthermore, there are circular embankments that could be both of Celtic and of Germanic origin in the Kuppenrhön on the Stallberg and the Kleinberg mountains. Many names of places, mountains and meadows in

4646-415: The Rhön as Buchonia , the land of ancient beech woods. In the Middle Ages beech was an important raw material. Large scale wood clearing resulted in the "land of open spaces" ( Land der offenen Fernen ), 30% of which, today, is forested. Lying within the states of Hesse, Bavaria and Thuringia, the Rhön is bounded by the Knüll to the northwest, the Thuringian Forest to the northeast, the Grabfeld to

4747-414: The Rhön is the Wasserkuppe (950.2 metres or 3,117 feet), which is in Hesse . The Rhön Mountains are a popular tourist destination and walking area. The name Rhön is often thought to derive from the Celtic word raino (=hilly), but numerous other interpretations are also possible. Records of the monks at Fulda Abbey from the Middle Ages describe the area around Fulda as well as more distant parts of

4848-444: The Rhön landscape are essentially open: the raised bogs ( Hochmoore ), the rock outcrops and the stone runs . These habitats are home to highly specialised species. The raised bogs of the Long Rhön - the Red Moor ( Rotes Moor ) and the Black Moor ( Schwarzes Moor ) are floristically important links between the northern and Alpine raised bogs. Here, for example, can be found sundews , crowberry and cottongrass . Growing amongst

4949-407: The Rhön likely have their origins in Celtic root words. Up to the 10th century parts of the Rhön belonged to Altgau Buchonia . This term was coined by the Romans in Late Antiquity and described an ancient beech forest in the Rhön and the neighbouring low mountain ranges of the Spessart and Vogelsberg . Expansive stands of beech still exist today in the area. Due to the far reaching view from

5050-400: The Rhön mountains, they became sites for hilltop castles in the Middle Ages . One example is Hauneck Castle ( Burg Hauneck ) on the Stoppelsberg , the ruins of which can still be seen. It served to oversee and protect traffic on the ancient road, the Antsanvia , as well as protecting the villages in the Haune valley. In the Middle Ages the Würzburg Defences ( landwehr ) were erected on

5151-404: The Romans after the devastating Battle of the Teutoburg Forest failed in the year AD 9. The Chatti were also involved in the Revolt of the Batavi in AD 69. Hessia, from the early 7th century on, served as a buffer between areas dominated by the Saxons (to the north) and the Franks , who brought the area to the south under their control in the early sixth century and occupied Thuringia (to

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5252-517: The Saxons, who built fortifications in Gaulskopf and Eresburg across the river Diemel, the northern boundary of Hessia. The Büraburg (which already had a Frankish settlement in the sixth century ) was one of the places the Franks fortified to resist the Saxon pressure, and according to John-Henry Clay, the Büraburg was "probably the largest man-made construction seen in Hessia for at least seven hundred years". Walls and trenches totaling one kilometer in length were made, and they enclosed "8 hectares of

5353-444: The State of Hesse since 1946 due to divisions in the aftermath of World War II. This province is now part of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate . It is a hilly countryside largely devoted to vineyards; therefore, it is also called the "land of the thousand hills". Its larger towns include Mainz , Worms , Bingen , Alzey , Nieder-Olm , and Ingelheim . Many inhabitants commute to work in Mainz, Wiesbaden, or Frankfurt. Hesse has been

5454-501: The also previously existing Hesse-Marburg . As the latter two lines died out quite quickly (1583 and 1605, respectively), Hesse-Kassel and Hesse-Darmstadt were the two core states within the Hessian lands. Several collateral lines split off during the centuries, such as in 1622, when Hesse-Homburg split off from Hesse-Darmstadt, and in 1760 when Hesse-Hanau split off from Hesse-Kassel. In the late 16th century, Kassel adopted Calvinism , while Darmstadt remained Lutheran and consequently

5555-463: The areas which were part of the People's State of Hesse). After World War II , the Hessian territory west of the Rhine was again occupied by France , while the rest of the region was part of the US occupation zone . On 17 September 1945 the Wanfried agreement adjusted the border between American-occupied Kurhessen and Soviet-occupied Thuringia. The United States proclaimed the state of Greater Hesse ( Groß-Hessen ) on 19 September 1945, out of

5656-402: The basalt and phonolite cones sit directly on the sandstones of the Middle Bunter. Cutting deeply into the sandstone, the rivers of the Haune and the Fulda flow westwards. The phonolitic cone of the Milseburg (835.2 m (2,740 ft)) is the only mountain in the Kuppen Rhön that exceeds the 800-metre-mark. Even the height of the Großer Nallenberg (768.3 m (2,521 ft)) south of

5757-446: The centuries also has a great variety of habitats and plants however, today, the extensive grassland areas are amongst the most threatened and heavily cultivated habitats. It is on the semi-arid grasslands and juniper heaths that the silver thistle , symbol of the Rhön region, grows, alongside gentians , pasque flowers and wood anemones , as well as orchids like the early purple , fragrant and fly orchids . Rarer flowers include

5858-427: The dative plural form of the name of the inhabitants or eponymous tribe , the Hessians ( Hessen , singular Hesse ). The geographical name represents a short equivalent of the older compound name Hessenland ("land of the Hessians"). The Old High German form of the name is recorded as Hessun (dative plural of Hessi ); in Middle Latin it appears as Hassonia , Hassia , Hessia . The name of

5959-544: The east) in 531. Hessia occupies the northwestern part of the modern German state of Hesse; its borders were not clearly delineated. Its geographic center is Fritzlar ; it extends in the southeast to Hersfeld on the river Fulda, in the north to past Kassel and up to the rivers Diemel and Weser. To the west, it occupies the valleys of the rivers Eder and Lahn (the latter until it turns south). It measured roughly 90 kilometers north–south, and 80 north-west. The area around Fritzlar shows evidence of significant pagan belief from

6060-412: The economy, and a militaristic approach toward diplomacy. He funded the depleted treasury of the poor government by loaning 19,000 soldiers in complete military formations to Great Britain to fight in North America during the American Revolutionary War , 1776–1783. These soldiers, commonly known as Hessians , fought under the British flag. The British used the Hessians in several conflicts, including in

6161-471: The former County of Katzenelnbogen which was held by the appanage Hesse-Rotenburg ). Emperor Francis II formally recognised the annexation of the Left Bank in the 1801 Treaty of Lunéville . This led in 1803 to the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss , a substantial reorganisation ( mediatisation ) of the states and territories of the Empire. Several exclaves of Mainz were mediatised to Hesse-Kassel and Hesse-Darmstadt , and Hesse-Darmstadt also gained

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6262-442: The former Hessian Schmalkalden exclaves ( Landkreis Herrschaft Schmalkalden  [ de ] ), together with the Regierungsbezirk Erfurt  [ de ] of the Province of Saxony , were transferred to Thuringia . The territories of the new provinces did not directly correspond with their pre-1866 namesakes but rather with the associated NSDAP Gaue : Gau Electoral Hesse and Gau Hesse-Nassau (excluding

6363-427: The government of Great Britain to fight in the American Revolutionary War . The English form Hesse was in common use by the 18th century, first in the hyphenated names of the states of Hesse-Cassel and Hesse-Darmstadt , but the latinate form Hessia remained in common English usage well into the 19th century. The European Commission uses the German form Hessen , even in English-language contexts, due to

6464-466: The heart of the Rhön, albeit only the fourth highest summit of these mountains, is the Heidelstein (925.7 m (3,037 ft)) on the border between Bavaria and Hesse on the Rhine-Weser watershed. It forms the main high point on the plateau of the Long Rhön, which runs northeast over the Stirnberg (901.9 m (2,959 ft)) as far as the Ellenbogen (Schnitzersberg) (815.5 m (2,676 ft)) without crossing any significant lower ground. Within

6565-416: The higher slopes. Characteristic plants here include the monkshood , northern wolfsbane , common moonwort , martagon lily , greater butterfly orchid , perennial cornflower and wig knapweed . Bog-bean , grass of Parnassus ' western marsh orchid and lousewort are found in the wet meadows and low marshes; and the extremely rare large brown clover , hairy stonecrop and Pyrenean scurvygrass in

6666-403: The last two rocks only surviving where they have been protected by an overlying sheet of basalt . Woods cover less than a third of the area and are largely restricted to the summit regions. Five natural regions may be distinguished: The eastern part of the Kuppen Rhön is the Thuringian Anterior Rhön , which reaches a height of 750.7 m (2,463 ft) at the huge plateau of the Gebaberg in

6767-504: The new Landgraviate of Hesse , which remained with the Ludovingians . From that point on the Ludovingian coat of arms came to represent both Thuringia and Hesse. It rose to prominence under Landgrave Philip the Magnanimous , who was one of the leaders of German Protestantism . After Philip's death in 1567, the territory was divided among his four sons from his first marriage (Philip was a bigamist ) into four lines: Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel), Hesse-Darmstadt , Hesse-Rheinfels , and

6868-448: The northeast of the Kleiner Auersberg (c. 808 m (2,651 ft)) leads up to the Dammersfeld ridge. Between the more rugged plateaux and ridges there are gently domed basalt intrusions that rise up, especially in the southeast, left of the Sinn near Bad Brückenau . The Dreistelzberg in the extreme south reaches 660.4 m (2,167 ft). The most well-known peaks in the Rhön Mountains include: The following rivers rise in

6969-426: The policy of leaving regional names untranslated. The synthetic element hassium , number 108 on the periodic table , was named after the state of Hesse in 1997, following a proposal of 1992. The territory of Hesse was delineated only in 1945, as Greater Hesse , under American occupation . It corresponds loosely to the medieval Landgraviate of Hesse . In the 19th century, prior to the unification of Germany ,

7070-416: The presence of Pleistocene hunters about 13,000 years ago. A fossil hominid skull that was found in northern Hesse, just outside the village of Rhünda, has been dated at 12,000 years ago. The Züschen tomb (German: Steinkammergrab von Züschen, sometimes also Lohne-Züschen) is a prehistoric burial monument, located between Lohne and Züschen , near Fritzlar , Hesse, Germany. Classified as a gallery grave or

7171-445: The region around Kassel. The Grand Duchy of Hesse retained its autonomy in defeat because a greater part of the country was situated south of the river Main and it was feared that Prussian expansion beyond the Main might provoke France. However, Upper Hesse (German: Oberhessen : the parts of Hesse-Darmstadt north of the Main around the town of Gießen ) was incorporated into the North German Confederation ( Norddeutscher Bund ),

7272-609: The region, the prominent kuppe of the Baier reaches a height of 713.9 m (2,342 ft), but its northernmost summit is the popular viewing mountain of Oechsen . The western boundary is the Middle Ulster Valley between Hilders in the south and below Buttlar in the north. West of the Ulster valley is the Soisberg Kuppenrhön ( Soisberger Kuppenrhön ), which lies mainly in Hesse, with elements in

7373-603: The region. Towns and larger villages close to the Rhön are: There are well-marked walks and hiking trails in the Rhön which are looked after by the Rhön Club . The Rhön-Höhen-Weg ("Rhön Heights Walk" or RHW) is marked with a horizontal, red teardrop. It is 137 km (85 mi) long and runs from Burgsinn in Main-Spessart district through Roßbach, Dreistelz, Würzburger Haus on the Farnsberg, Kissinger Hütte on

7474-636: The remainder of its territory was merged with that of Nassau-Usingen and Nassau-Weilburg in August 1806 to form the Duchy of Nassau . Waldeck also joined the Confederation in 1807. The Holy Roman Empire was dissolved in August 1806 , rendering Hesse-Kassel's electoral privilege meaningless. Hesse-Kassel was occupied by the French in October 1806 and the remainder of Lower Katzenelnbogen was annexed to

7575-583: The remnants of ancient volcanos or volcanic activity. The Rhön and its immediate declivities are divided by the Handbook of the Natural Region Divisions of Germany into the following natural regions : The High Rhön ( German : Hohe Rhön or Hochrhön ) is that part of the central Rhön that lies in Hesse , Bavaria , and to a lesser extent in Thuringia ; it covers an area of 344 km (132.8 sq mi) Landscape fact files by

7676-415: The rocks of the volcanic mountains are rare species such as Cheddar pink , sweet william catchfly , oblong woodsia and fir clubmoss . There are no naturally occurring coniferous forests in the Rhön, but notable species of wild flower such as the lady's slipper orchid , creeping lady's tresses and burning-bush are found in the forests of mixed pine. The cultural landscape formed by humankind over

7777-473: The sixteen German states. Frankfurt Rhine-Main , Germany's second-largest metropolitan area (after Rhine-Ruhr ), is mainly located in Hesse. As a cultural region , Hesse also includes the area known as Rhenish Hesse (Rheinhessen) in the neighboring state of Rhineland-Palatinate . The German name Hessen , like the names of other German regions ( Schwaben "Swabia", Franken "Franconia", Bayern "Bavaria", Sachsen "Saxony"), derives from

7878-629: The so-called Großer Hessenplan . The CDU gained a relative majority in the 1974 elections, but the Social Democrats continued to govern in a coalition with the FDP . Hesse was first governed by the CDU under Walter Wallmann during 1987–1991, replaced by a SPD-Greens coalition under Hans Eichel during 1991–1999. From 1999, Hesse was governed by the CDU under Roland Koch (retired 2010) and Volker Bouffier (incumbent as of 2020). Frankfurt during

7979-673: The solid basalt covering of the Long Rhön in the interfluvials of the tributaries of the Franconian Saale between Brend and Streu , notably the Gangolfsberg (735.8 m (2,414 ft)) and the Rother Kuppe (710.6 m (2,331 ft)). This landscape bears a clear resemblance to the Kuppen Rhön. The Wildflecken Training Area , which covers an area of 74 km (28.6 sq mi), equivalent to almost

8080-775: The source of the Sinn . This river, which forms a wide and deep valley head flanked by the Dammersfeld ridge, flows to the southwest. On the other side of the Sinn valley, and southwest of the Kreuzberg Group, are the Black Mountains ( German : Schwarze Berge ), which include the Schwarzenberg (Feuerberg, 832.0 m (2,730 ft)) and Totnansberg (839.4 m (2,754 ft)). They are separated from

8181-704: The south and below Dermbach in the north. West of the Felda valley is the Auersberg Kuppenrhön ( Auersberger Kuppenrhön ), which lies mainly in Thuringia, but extends into Hesse in the southwest. This natural region runs from the town of Auersberg in the south, which gives the region its name, to the boundary with the Long Rhön at the Ellenbogen , 756.8 m (2,483 ft). In the northeast of

8282-661: The south the Nüst valley below Obernüst forms a natural boundary. The almost entirely Hessian range of the Milseburg Kuppenrhön ( Milseburger Kuppenrhön ), which bounds the Wasserkuppen Rhön , up to 950.0 m (3,117 ft), south of the Nüst valley and west of the Ulster valley. Again the keuper escarpment is missing and even the muschelkalk only appears in islands around individual domes. The majority of

8383-522: The south-west fringe. Hesse, 42% forest, is by that measure the greenest state in Germany. Hesse is a unitary state governed directly by the Hessian government in the capital city Wiesbaden, partially through regional vicarious authorities called Regierungspräsidien . Municipal parliaments are, however, elected independently from the state government by the Hessian people. Local municipalities enjoy

8484-642: The southeast also extending into Thuringia. This region reaches a height of 629.9 m (2,067 ft) at the Soisberg in the north where the countryside is enclosed by the Seulingswald forest. It reaches even greater elevations in the extreme southeast, where the Habelberg (718.5 m (2,357 ft)) west of Tann stands opposite to and north of the Auersberg. This natural region is well known for

8585-470: The southeast, Lower Franconia to the south, the Spessart forest to the southwest and the Vogelsberg mountains to the west. Based on the effects of ancient volcanic activity, the Rhön can be divided into the "Anterior Rhön" ( Vorderrhön ), the "Kuppen Rhön" (geographical region 353, Kuppenrhön ) and the "High Rhön" (354, Hohe Rhön ). The terms "Anterior Rhön" ( Vorderrhön ) and "Kuppen Rhön" ( Kuppenrhön or Kuppige Rhön ) are somewhat misleading, since

8686-674: The southeast. There is hardly any keuper escarpment there at all. The kuppen and plateaux rest directly on a bedrock of muschelkalk. This natural region runs northeast from the wide, pyramidal Pleß , 645.4 m (2,117 ft), far into the Bunter sandstone of the Stadlengsfeld Hills that descend to the River Werra . In the west the Middle Felda Valley forms a natural boundary between Kaltensundheim in

8787-504: The southwest, the Frankfurt Rhein-Main Region namely Frankfurt am Main , Wiesbaden , Darmstadt , Offenbach , Hanau , Giessen , Wetzlar , and Rüsselsheim am Main . Outside, but very near the south-west corner of Hesse are four populous, highly technologised, places: Worms , Ludwigshafen , Mannheim , and Heidelberg . Other large Hessian towns are Fulda in the east , Kassel and Marburg an der Lahn in

8888-459: The springwater marshes of the Hohe Rhön . The wildlife in the Rhön mountains is similar to that of other low mountain ranges, but there are also some unusual species. In addition to the more common mammals such as roe deer , fox , badger , hare and wild boar , there are also smaller mammals such as the dormouse , common water shrew and Miller's water shrew . One unusual regional species

8989-470: The state government. [REDACTED] Hesse is divided into 21 districts (Kreise) and five independent cities, each with their own local governments. They are, shown with abbreviations as used on vehicle number plates: Independent cities: The term "Rhenish Hesse" ( German : Rheinhessen ) refers to the part of the former Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt located west of the Rhine . It has not been part of

9090-623: The terms of the Versailles peace treaty that officially ended World War I in 1919. The Kingdom of Prussia became the Free State of Prussia , of which Hesse-Nassau remained a province. In 1929 the Free State of Waldeck was dissolved and incorporated into Hesse-Nassau. In 1932 Wetzlar ( Landkreis Wetzlar  [ de ] ), formerly an exclave of the Prussian Rhine Province situated between Hesse-Nassau and

9191-570: The territory of the Houses of Solms  [ de ] , Erbach  [ de ] and Sayn-Wittgenstein ). It was also elevated by Napoleon to the status of Grand Duchy , becoming the Grand Duchy of Hesse . Orange-Nassau, which refused to join the Confederation, lost Siegen , Dillenburg , Hadamar and Beilstein to Berg and Fulda to the Prince-Primate of the Confederation (and former Elector of Mainz) Karl Theodor von Dalberg ;

9292-614: The territory of what is now Hesse comprised the territories of Grand Duchy of Hesse (also known as Hesse-Darmstadt), the Duchy of Nassau , the free city of Frankfurt , the Electorate of Hesse (also known as Hesse-Kassel), the Principality of Waldeck and the Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg . The Central Hessian region was inhabited in the Upper Paleolithic . Finds of tools in southern Hesse in Rüsselsheim suggest

9393-565: The two lines often found themselves on opposing sides of conflicts, most notably in the disputes over Hesse-Marburg and in the Thirty Years' War , when Darmstadt fought on the side of the Emperor, while Kassel sided with Sweden and France . The Landgrave Frederick II (1720–1785) ruled Hesse-Kassel as a benevolent despot, from 1760 to 1785. He combined Enlightenment ideas with Christian values, cameralist plans for central control of

9494-625: The valley of the Schmale Sinn , are also part of this natural region. South of Heidelstein and Hoher Hölle the narrow head of the Brend valley near Bischofsheim forms the boundary with another mountain group of the High Rhön, the Kreuzberg Group, which contains the Arnsberg (843.1 m (2,766 ft)) and the Kreuzberg (927.8 m (3,044 ft)). In between these two mountains lies

9595-521: The valleys to 500–800 metres (1,640–2,625 ft), whose basalt covering is concentrated around the summit regions and does not blanket the entire landscape, as it does in the High Rhön. The domes or kuppen are the stumps of heavily weathered former volcanoes or volcanic pipes . Between pointed cones and broad domes lie many small plateaux, especially common in the Anterior Rhön. Over a foundation of Middle Bunter sandstone lie stratigraphic sequences of Upper Bunter ( Röt ), muschelkalk and keuper ,

9696-444: The various bee orchids and the military , lady , burnt , green-winged , man , pyramidal , frog and lizard orchids . Along the southern fringes of the Rhön, on the so-called slopes of steppe heathland ( Steppenheidenhängen ) grow warmth-loving plants such as white rock-rose , erect clematis and honewort . Amongst the most valuable habitats in the Rhön are the mountain meadows and fields of mat grass ( Nardetum strictae ) on

9797-658: Was ceded to Nassau. Hesse-Darmstadt lost the Duchy of Westphalia and the Sayn-Wittgensteiner lands to the Prussian Province of Westphalia but gained territory on the left bank of the Rhine centred on Mainz, which became known as Rhenish Hesse ( Rheinhessen ), and the remainder of Isenburg. Orange-Nassau, whose ruler was now also King William I of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg,

9898-586: Was ceded to Prussia but most of its territory aside from Siegen was then ceded on to Nassau. Hesse-Homburg and the Free City of Frankfurt were also restored. While the other former Electors had gained other titles, becoming either Kings or Grand Dukes , the Elector of Hesse-Kassel alone retained the anachronistic title of Prince-Elector; a request to be recognised as "King of the Chatti " ( König der Katten )

9999-590: Was formally abolished as a result of the " Law on the Reconstruction of the Reich " of 30 January 1934, which replaced the German federal system with a unitary state . The parts of Hesse-Darmstadt on the left bank of the Rhine (Rhenish Hesse), as well as those right-bank areas of Hesse-Darmstadt and Hesse-Nassau within 30 km (19 mi) of Koblenz or Mainz were occupied by French troops until 1930 under

10100-696: Was part of the Holy Roman Empire . In the 10th and 11th centuries it was mostly encompassed by the Western or Rhenish part of the stem duchy of Franconia . In the 12th century, Hessengau passed to the Landgraviate of Thuringia . As a result of the War of the Thuringian Succession (1247–1264) the former Thuringian lands were partitioned between the Wettin Margraviate of Meissen , which gained Thuringia proper, and

10201-553: Was rejected by the Congress. Following mediation, the Congress of Vienna had significantly fewer states remained in the region that is now Hesse: the Hessian states, Nassau, Waldeck and Frankfurt. The Kingdoms of Prussia and Bavaria also held some territory in the region. The Congress established the German Confederation , of which they all became members. Hesse-Hanau was (re-)absorbed into Hesse-Kassel in 1821. In

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