Fürstenhagen (Hessisch Lichtenau)

Fürstenhagen
District of Hessisch Lichtenau
Evangelical church of Fürstenhagen
Fürstenhagen
Location in Germany
Coordinates: 51°12′41″N 9°41′25″E / 51.21125°N 9.69014°E / 51.21125; 9.69014
CountryGermany
StateHesse
DistrictWerra-Meißner-Kreis
TownHessisch Lichtenau
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
1,905
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
37235
Area code05602

Fürstenhagen is the largest district (Ortsteil) of the town of Hessisch Lichtenau in the Werra-Meißner-Kreis of northern Hesse, Germany. The village lies in the Losse valley,[1] between the Kaufunger Wald and the Söhre hills,[2] and is part of the Geo-Naturpark Frau-Holle-Land.[3]

Geography

Fürstenhagen lies along the Losse, a right-bank tributary of the Fulda, north-west of the Hessisch Lichtenau town center.[4][5] The river enters the district downstream of its confluence with the Saubach stream and continues through the Losse valley towards Helsa and Kassel.[6][7]

History

The locality was first documented on 13 March 1312 with a mention of the knight Konrad von Vorstenhagen (later spellings include Fustinhain, Fürstenhain and Fürstenhayn).[4][8][9] In the Middle Ages Fürstenhagen belonged to the court district of Reichenbach and from 1454 to 1821 to the Amt (government office) of Lichtenau; during the Napoleonic period it lay in the Canton of Lichtenau within the Kingdom of Westphalia.[9]

As part of Hesse's territorial reform, the previously independent municipality of Fürstenhagen was incorporated into Hessisch Lichtenau with effect from 1 January 1974 by the Gesetz zur Neugliederung der Landkreise Eschwege und Witzenhausen [Law on the reorganization of the districts of Eschwege and Witzenhausen], which also created the Werra-Meißner district.[10]

Hessisch Lichtenau hosted the state festival Hessentag in 2006, which brought major infrastructure attention to the area that includes Fürstenhagen.[11]

In June 2012 Fürstenhagen marked the 700th anniversary of its first recorded mention; local history groups published a commemorative booklet and events were covered by the regional press.[12][13]

Lenoir Foundation

At the turn of the 20th century the brothers George André and Conrad Lenoir endowed an orphanage complex in Fürstenhagen (often referred to as the Lenoir-Stiftung), with several principal buildings and a Pestalozzi memorial; the family mausoleum (1903–1904) stands nearby.[14] The foundation is legally independent and administered by the City of Kassel.[15]

Demographics

At the 2011 Census reference date (9 May 2011) Fürstenhagen had 1,905 inhabitants; 261 were under 18 years old and 444 were aged 65 or over. There were 858 private households in the district.[16]

Transport

Fürstenhagen lies on the federal highway B 7 (Kassel–Eisenach). Passenger services on the Kassel–Waldkappel railway (Lossetalbahn) between Hessisch Lichtenau and Kassel were reintroduced in 2006 as part of the Kassel tram/RegioTram system, after regular passenger traffic on the line had been discontinued in 1985.[17] The A44's 4.2-km Tunnel Hirschhagen between Helsa and Hessisch Lichtenau opened to traffic in October 2022, improving regional connectivity.[18]

Culture and sights

  • The Evangelical parish church, with late-medieval origins, stands above the village; a village bakehouse is nearby.[4] The church fabric is documented from the late 15th century; its west tower and later Gothic choir are noted in local reporting.[19] A pre-Reformation winged altar sold in 1886/87 is now in the Hessisches Landesmuseum Kassel; a baptismal font dated 1568 was transferred to the Religionskundliche Sammlung of the University of Marburg.[19]
  • The historic bakehouse and the lime-lined former court site under the church are part of the village ensemble and feature in the annual "Tag des offenen Denkmals" programme.[20][21]
  • In the street called Siedlung several timber-framed houses were built at the beginning of the Second World War in connection with the explosives factory in the Hirschhagen district; families from the plant management lived there.[22]
  • The local chapter of the Naturfreunde established an open-air stage in a former quarry; it continues to host events and walking-day gatherings.[23][24][25]

Notable people

  • Johannes Kregelius (1826–1913), known locally as "der Krawaller" (the troublemaker), ran the guest-house Zum Krawaller; his grave is in the village cemetery.[26]
  • Richard Assmann (1887–1965), painter and graphic artist, lived and died in Fürstenhagen.[4]
  • Lenoir-Stiftung main building.
  • Mausoleum of the Lenoir family in Fürstenhagen.
  • Bus stop near the school in Fürstenhagen.
  • Volunteer fire brigade station (Freiwillige Feuerwehr Fürstenhagen).

Commons

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fürstenhagen (Hessisch Lichtenau).

References

  1. ^ "Lossetal bei Fürstenhagen – FFH-Gebiet 4724-306 [Losse Valley near Fürstenhagen – FFH site 4724-306]" (PDF). Regierungspräsidium Kassel (in German). April 2025. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  2. ^ "Landschaftssteckbrief: Kaufunger Wald [Landscape profile: Kaufunger Wald]" (in German). Bundesamt für Naturschutz (BfN). Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  3. ^ "Hessisch Lichtenau im Geo-Naturpark Frau-Holle-Land [Hessisch Lichtenau in the Geo-Nature Park]" (in German). Geo-Naturpark Frau-Holle-Land. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d "Stadtteil Fürstenhagen". City of Hessisch Lichtenau (in German). Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  5. ^ "Maßnahmenplan zum FFH-Gebiet 4724-306 „Lossetal bei Fürstenhagen" [Management plan for FFH site 4724-306 "Losse valley near Fürstenhagen"]" (PDF) (in German). Regierungspräsidium Kassel. 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  6. ^ Nicolay, Harald; Nicolay, Gabriele (2015). "Erfolgreiche Wiederansiedlung der Gelbbauchunke (Bombina variegata) an zwei Standorten im Werra-Meißner-Kreis, Hessen" (PDF). RANA (in German). 16: 46–58. Retrieved 25 October 2025. „… am 'Saubach', Gemarkung Fürstenhagen …"
  7. ^ "Lossetal-Radweg [Losse valley cycle route]" (in German). Land Hessen – Radroutenplaner Hessen. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  8. ^ "Fürstenhagener Geschichte [History of Fürstenhagen]". Fürstenhagener Geschichte (in German). Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Fürstenhagen (Werra-Meißner-Kreis)". Historisches Ortslexikon, Landesgeschichtliches Informationssystem Hessen (LAGIS) (in German). Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  10. ^ "Gesetz zur Neugliederung der Landkreise Eschwege und Witzenhausen [Law on the reorganisation of the districts of Eschwege and Witzenhausen]" (PDF). Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt für das Land Hessen, Nr. 25 (28 September 1973) (in German). pp. 353–356. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  11. ^ Müller, Claus Peter (19 May 2006). "Hessisch Lichtenau: Der Hessentag hat das Städtchen wachgerüttelt". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  12. ^ "700 Jahre Fürstenhagen – ein Blick in die Geschichte [700 years of Fürstenhagen – a look at history]". Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine (in German). 13 March 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  13. ^ "Eine Schrift zur 700-Jahr-Feier [A booklet for the 700-year celebration]". Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine (in German). 2 June 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  14. ^ "Die Exklaven: Kasseler Eigentum außerhalb der Stadt – Lenoir-Mausoleum in Fürstenhagen [The exclaves: City of Kassel property outside the city – the Lenoir mausoleum in Fürstenhagen]". Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine (in German). 17 March 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  15. ^ "Sonderhaushalt der Lenoir'schen Stiftung [Special budget of the Lenoir Foundation]" (PDF). City of Kassel audit report (agenda package) (in German). 2007. p. 100. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  16. ^ "Ausgewählte Daten über Bevölkerung und Haushalte am 9. Mai 2011 in den hessischen Gemeinden und Gemeindeteilen. Heft 3: Regierungsbezirk Kassel [Selected data on population and households on 9 May 2011 in Hesse's municipalities and municipal parts. Vol. 3: Kassel region]" (PDF). Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt (in German). 2014. pp. 57, 110. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  17. ^ Mit der Tram nach Hessisch-Lichtenau (PDF) (Report) (in German). Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD), Gegenverkehr. 28 March 2006. p. 1. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  18. ^ "Hessens längster Tunnel auf A44 für Verkehr freigegeben [Hesse's longest tunnel on A44 opened to traffic]". Süddeutsche Zeitung (dpa) (in German). 7 October 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  19. ^ a b Weber, Kristin (8 December 2024). "Fenster mit bunten Glasbildern [Windows with colorful glass pictures]". Werra-Rundschau (in German). Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  20. ^ Stefan Forbert, Emily Spanel, Tobias Stück (6 September 2018). "Entdecken, was verbindet: Am Sonntag ist Tag des offenen Denkmals [Discover what connects us: Sunday is Open Monument Day]". Werra-Rundschau (in German). Retrieved 20 October 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ "Zur Eröffnung strahlt die Sonne [Sunshine for the opening]". Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine (in German). 8 June 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  22. ^ Lothar Röß (10 September 2020). "Fürstenhagen dreht einen Film zum Denkmaltag [Fürstenhagen makes a film for Open Monument Day]". Werra-Rundschau (in German). Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  23. ^ "Freilichtbühne braucht neue Bänke [Open-air stage needs new benches]". Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine (in German). 27 January 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  24. ^ "Neue Bänke an Fürstenhagener Freilichtbühne wurden eingeweiht [New benches inaugurated at the Fürstenhagen open-air stage]". Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine (in German). 15 August 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  25. ^ Lothar Röß (9 June 2023). "Fronleichnams-Volkswandertag: 70 Fürstenhagener auf Tour [Corpus Christi walking day: 70 Fürstenhagen participants]". Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine (in German). Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  26. ^ "Den Schalk im Nacken [The prankster with the impish grin]". Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine (in German). 6 September 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
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