Gießen (ˈɡiːsən) is a Kreis (district

District

Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...

) in the middle of Hessen, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. Neighboring districts are Marburg-Biedenkopf

Marburg-Biedenkopf

Marburg-Biedenkopf is a Kreis in the west of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Waldeck-Frankenberg, Schwalm-Eder, Vogelsbergkreis, Gießen, Lahn-Dill, Siegen-Wittgenstein.- History :...

, Vogelsbergkreis

Vogelsbergkreis

The Vogelsbergkreis is a Kreis in the middle of Hesse, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Schwalm-Eder, Hersfeld-Rotenburg, Fulda, Main-Kinzig, Wetteraukreis, Gießen and Marburg-Biedenkopf.-Geography:...

, Wetteraukreis

Wetteraukreis

The Wetteraukreis is a Kreis in the middle of Hesse, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Landkreis Gießen, Vogelsbergkreis, Main-Kinzig-Kreis, district-free Stadt Frankfurt, Hochtaunuskreis, Lahn-Dill-Kreis.-History:...

, Lahn-Dill.

History

In 1821 the duchy of Hessen-Darmstadt created districts (called Landratsbezirke) in the reorganisation of its internal administration. In the area of today's district the districts of Gießen and Grünberg were created. 1822 another district called Hungen was created. In 1832 these entities were replaced with bigger structures, now called Kreis. There were still two districts, Gießen und Grünberg. 1837 several municipalities moved from Grünberg to Gießen, and Grünberg in exchange acquired some municipalities from Hungen, which became a district again in 1841.

After the revolutionary uprisings of 1848 the districts were dissolved and replaced with a Regierungsbezirk Gießen, but just four years later the districts were recreated. After the war of 1866 the north-western part of the district became part of Prussia

Prussia

Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...

. In 1874 the district grew in size again.

1938 the city of Gießen

Gießen

Gießen, also spelt Giessen is a town in the German federal state of Hesse, capital of both the district of Gießen and the administrative region of Gießen...

 was excluded from the district, and with the dissolution of the district Schotten several municipalities joined the district.

After two minor changes in 1967 and 1971, in 1977 the district was merged with the districts Wetzlar and Dillkreis to form the new Lahn-Dill-Kreis. In 1979 it was split again, and the district Gießen was recreated. The city Gießen - temporarily merged with Wetzlar

Wetzlar

Wetzlar is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany. Located at 8° 30′ E, 50° 34′ N, Wetzlar straddles the river Lahn and is on the German Timber-Framework Road which passes mile upon mile of half-timbered houses. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis on the north edge of...

 to the city Lahn - was included into the district.

Geography

The main river of the district is the Lahn

Lahn

The Lahn River is a -long, right tributary of the Rhine River in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia , Hesse , and Rhineland-Palatinate ....

, which crosses the district from north to south.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms shows a wooden triangle in the top, depicting the traditional house style. In the bottom there is the symbol of the Saint Antonius order, which founded a monastery in Grünberg in 1242, and also supported the foundation of the university on Gießen in 1607.

Towns and municipalities

Towns

Municipalities

Allendorf (Lumda) Allendorf (Lumda) Allendorf is a small town in the district of Gießen, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated on the small river Lumda, 16 km south of Marburg, and 14 km northeast of Gießen.-Steinlager Allendorf:... Gießen Gießen Gießen, also spelt Giessen is a town in the German federal state of Hesse, capital of both the district of Gießen and the administrative region of Gießen... Grünberg Grünberg Grünberg is a town in the district of Gießen, in Hesse, Germany.- Neighbouring communities :To the north Grünberg borders the municipality Rabenau and the town Homberg , to the east the municipality Mücke , to the south the town Laubach and to the west the municipality Reiskirchen.- Constituent... Hungen Hungen -Hungen:Hungen is a town in the district of Gießen, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 20 km southeast of Gießen, and 18 km northeast of Friedberg. Surrounding towns are Laubach to the north, Nidda to the east, Wölfersheim to the south, and Münzenberg and Lich to the west.The history of Hungen... Laubach Laubach ' is a town of approximately 10,000 people in the region of Hesse, Germany. Laubach is known as a , a climatic health resort. It is situated east of Gießen. Surrounding are the towns of , , and .-Points of interest:... Lich Lich, Germany Lich is a town in the district of Gießen, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 12 km southeast of Gießen.-Constituent communities:Besides the main town, which bears the same name as the whole municipality, Lich is divided into the following communities:... Linden Linden, Hesse Linden is a town in the district of Gießen, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 6 km south of Gießen.The town consists of the two parts Großen-Linden and Leihgestern.It is the home of the computer hardware seller Alternate .... Lollar Lollar Lollar is a town in the district of Gießen, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated on the river Lahn, 7 km north of Gießen. The biggest production site of is located in Lollar.... Pohlheim Pohlheim Pohlheim is a town in the district of Gießen, in Hessen, Germany. It is situated 6 km south of Gießen.... Staufenberg Staufenberg, Hesse Staufenberg is a town in the district of Gießen, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated on the river Lahn, 10 km north of Gießen....

Biebertal Biebertal Biebertal is a municipality in the district of Gießen, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 7 km northwest of Gießen.It is Denbigh's twin town... Buseck Buseck Buseck is a municipality in the district of Gießen, in Hessen, Germany. It is situated 7 km northeast of Gießen. The villages in this municipality include Großen-Buseck, Beuern, Alten-Buseck, Oppenrod, and Trohe.... Fernwald Fernwald Fernwald is a town in the German state of Hesse, located 40 miles north of Frankfurt am Main and 4.4 miles east of Gießen... Heuchelheim Heuchelheim Heuchelheim is a municipality in the district of Gießen, in Hesse, Germany. Since April 1, 1967 it includes the district Kinzenbach. The approximately 8,000 residents spread across two districts Heuchelheim and Kinzenbach .- History :Until 1967 the indepent villages of Heucheleim and Kinzenbach... Langgöns Langgöns Langgöns is a municipality in the district of Gießen, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 10 km south of Gießen.... Rabenau Rabenau, Hesse Rabenau is a municipality in the district of Gießen, in Hesse, Germany.... Reiskirchen Reiskirchen Reiskirchen is a municipality in the district of Gießen, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 11 km east of Gießen.The biggest village in municipality after Reiskirchen is Saasen. Reiskirchen had a big department in sport. The knowest clubs in Reiskirchen are TSG Reiskirchen and SV 1936 Saasen.... Wettenberg Wettenberg Wettenberg is a municipality in the district of Gießen, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 5 km northwest of Gießen....

External links

• Official website (German)