Melsungen
Encyclopedia
Melsungen (ˈmɛlzʊŋən) is a small climatic spa in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, Germany
.
in the North Hesse
Highland. The brooks Pfieffe and Kehrenbach flow into the Fulda here. A few kilometres downstream, the river Eder
also empties into the Fulda.
(downstream, about 22 km to the north) and Bad Hersfeld
(upstream, about 32 km to the southeast).
(9th to 4th centuries BCE).
also originated at this time.
In the course of its history, Melsungen often changed hands. The fiercest fighting over the town was between the Archbishop
s of Mainz
and the Landgrave
s of Hesse and Thuringia
.
Melsungen achieved its importance from its location at the crossroads of three mediaeval trade routes, the Sälzerweg, running east-west; the Nürnberger Straße, running north-south; and Durch die langen Hessen (roughly "Through the Long Hessians").
, the constituent community of Günsterode was laid waste.
From 1821 to 1974, Melsungen was an administrative centre and an independent district seat, until the Melsungen district was combined with the neighbouring Fritzlar-Homberg and Ziegenhain districts.
The town's 14,000 or so inhabitants call themselves Bartenwetzer ("Axe whetters").
The town's official blazon describes the roof as "tile-red" – not truly "gules" (i.e. red). The arms can be traced back to 1577.
The town executive consists of six councillors and the mayor. Four of these seats are held by the SPD, and one each by the CDU and FDP.
On 28 November 2004, Dieter Runzheimer (SPD) was elected mayor with a 62.8% share of the vote. He took office on 1 March 2005.
Melsungen lies on the Kassel
—Bebra
—Fulda
railway line and belongs to the North Hesse Transport Network. In May 2006 the RegioTram
line RT5 (Kassel-Melsungen) began running. It connects Melsungen with downtown Kassel without passengers needing to transfer. The line ends where the Melsungen-Süd turning loop is still not finished. Further stations are being built in Melsungen-Schwarzenberg und Melsungen-Bartenwetzerbrücke.
, which has a €3,500,000,000 yearly turnover, and about 35,100 employees worldwide (as of 2007).
, France
, since 1966 Evesham
, United Kingdom
, since 1982 Todi
, Italy
, since 1985/86 Koudougou
, Burkina Faso
, since 1990 Bad Liebenstein
, Thuringia
, since 1990
There is also a "friendship" with the Berlin
community of Spandau
.
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...
.
Geography
Melsungen lies on the river FuldaFulda River
The Fulda is a river in Hesse, Germany. It is one of two headstreams of the Weser . The Fulda is 218 km in length....
in the North Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
Highland. The brooks Pfieffe and Kehrenbach flow into the Fulda here. A few kilometres downstream, the river Eder
Eder
The Eder is a 177 km long river in Germany, and a tributary of the Fulda River. It was first mentioned by the Roman historian Tacitus as the Adrana in the territory of the Chatti....
also empties into the Fulda.
Location
The nearest large towns are KasselKassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
(downstream, about 22 km to the north) and Bad Hersfeld
Bad Hersfeld
The festival and spa town of Bad Hersfeld is the district seat of Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse, Germany, roughly 50 km southeast of Kassel....
(upstream, about 32 km to the southeast).
Constituent communities
Melsungen comprises several smaller communities. In addition the main community, which is also called Melsungen, there are seven quarters named Adelshausen, Günsterode, Kehrenbach, Kirchhof, Obermelsungen, Röhrenfurth and Schwarzenberg.History
Historical record of the town dates from 802, but it was likely settled much earlier, during the Hallstatt periodHallstatt culture
The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Central European culture from the 8th to 6th centuries BC , developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC and followed in much of Central Europe by the La Tène culture.By the 6th century BC, the Hallstatt culture extended for some...
(9th to 4th centuries BCE).
Middle Ages
Melsungen had developed into a small town (burgus) by 1189. The town's coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
also originated at this time.
In the course of its history, Melsungen often changed hands. The fiercest fighting over the town was between the Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
s of Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
and the Landgrave
Landgrave
Landgrave was a title used in the Holy Roman Empire and later on by its former territories. The title refers to a count who had feudal duty directly to the Holy Roman Emperor...
s of Hesse and Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
.
Melsungen achieved its importance from its location at the crossroads of three mediaeval trade routes, the Sälzerweg, running east-west; the Nürnberger Straße, running north-south; and Durch die langen Hessen (roughly "Through the Long Hessians").
Modern Age
In 1554, a fire destroyed parts of the heart of town. In 1637, during the Thirty Years' WarThirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, the constituent community of Günsterode was laid waste.
From 1821 to 1974, Melsungen was an administrative centre and an independent district seat, until the Melsungen district was combined with the neighbouring Fritzlar-Homberg and Ziegenhain districts.
The town's 14,000 or so inhabitants call themselves Bartenwetzer ("Axe whetters").
Coat of arms
The old seal and today's civic coat of arms have their roots in the late 12th century. Heraldically, the arms might be described thus: In azure a town gate and tower argent – with roof gules surmounted by two finials Or – flanked by crenellated town walls argent.The town's official blazon describes the roof as "tile-red" – not truly "gules" (i.e. red). The arms can be traced back to 1577.
Politics
Town council consists of 37 members. As of the last municipal elections held on 26 March 2006, the seats are apportioned thus:| SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
: 22 seats |
| CDU Christian Democratic Union (Germany) The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum... |
: 9 seats |
| FDP Free Democratic Party (Germany) The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government... |
: 6 seats |
The town executive consists of six councillors and the mayor. Four of these seats are held by the SPD, and one each by the CDU and FDP.
On 28 November 2004, Dieter Runzheimer (SPD) was elected mayor with a 62.8% share of the vote. He took office on 1 March 2005.
Main sights
- Fachwerkstadt (compact area featuring half-timbered housesTimber framingTimber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
in the Old Town) - Town Hall (from 1556), with Axe Whetter in the tower
- Schloss (stately home built between 1550 and 1557 by Landgrave PhilipPhilip I, Landgrave of HessePhilip I of Hesse, , nicknamed der Großmütige was a leading champion of the Protestant Reformation and one of the most important of the early Protestant rulers in Germany....
) with garden - Marketplace
- Bartenwetzerbrücke ("Axe Whetters' Bridge" built between 1595 and 1596)
- GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
town church (built between 1415 and 1425) - Hospitalskapelle St. Georg ("St George's Hospital Chapel")
- Eulenturm ("Owl Tower"; a preserved tower from the old town wall)
- Zweipfenningsbrücke ("Twopenny Bridge" from 1890)
- Stirling-Bau (B. Braun Melsungen AG's Pfieffewiesen Works)
Sport
- HandballvereinTeam handballHandball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
MT Melsungen (champions in 2004/2005 season in the Second Bundesliga, thereby climbing in 2005/06 to the First Bundesliga) - Melsunger Fußballverein 08 (soccer)
- Melsunger Turngemeinde 1861 (athletics)
Regular events
- Melsunger Weinfest (wine festival)
- Melsunger Kabarett-Wettbewerb (cabaret contest)
- Bad Liebenstein-Stafette (yearly relay)
Culinary specialities
- Ahle Wurst (or Aahle Worscht), a kind of Hessian hard porkPorkPork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
sausageSausageA sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
. Its name is a dialectal form of alte Wurst – "old sausage".
Transportation
The town lies on Autobahn A 7. Federal Highway (Bundesstraße) B 83 runs through Melsungen and Bundesstraßen B 253 and B 487 both begin (or end) here.Melsungen lies on the Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
—Bebra
Bebra
Bebra is a small town in Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse, Germany.-Location:Bebra lies some 45 km south of Kassel on the Fulda. The town is easy to find on most maps thanks to its prominent location on the Fuldaknie...
—Fulda
Fulda
Fulda is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district .- Early Middle Ages :...
railway line and belongs to the North Hesse Transport Network. In May 2006 the RegioTram
Tram-train
A tram-train is a light-rail public transport system where trams run both on an urban tramway network and on main-line railways to combine the tram's flexibility and availability and the train's greater speed...
line RT5 (Kassel-Melsungen) began running. It connects Melsungen with downtown Kassel without passengers needing to transfer. The line ends where the Melsungen-Süd turning loop is still not finished. Further stations are being built in Melsungen-Schwarzenberg und Melsungen-Bartenwetzerbrücke.
Economy
Melsungen is home to the firm B. Braun MelsungenB. Braun Melsungen
B. Braun Melsungen AG is a German medical and pharmaceutical company, which has offices and facilities in 50 countries. Its headquarters are located in the small town of Melsungen, in central Germany...
, which has a €3,500,000,000 yearly turnover, and about 35,100 employees worldwide (as of 2007).
Personalities
- Reinhard SeltenReinhard Selten-Life and career:Selten was born in Breslau in Lower Silesia, now in Poland, to a Jewish father, Adolf Selten, and Protestant mother, Käthe Luther. For his work in game theory, Selten won the 1994 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences...
(1930), Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner in EconomicsEconomicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
for his contribution to game theoryGame theoryGame theory is a mathematical method for analyzing calculated circumstances, such as in games, where a person’s success is based upon the choices of others...
.
Twin towns
Melsungen has partnerships with the following towns: DreuxDreux
Dreux is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.-History:Dreux was known in ancient times as Durocassium, the capital of the Durocasses Celtic tribe. Despite the legend, its name was not related with Druids. The Romans established here a fortified camp known as Castrum...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, since 1966 Evesham
Evesham
Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, since 1982 Todi
Todi
Todi is a town and comune of the province of Perugia in central Italy. It is perched on a tall two-crested hill overlooking the east bank of the river Tiber, commanding distant views in every direction.In the 1990s, Richard S...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, since 1985/86 Koudougou
Koudougou
Koudougou is a town in the province of Boulkiemdé, west of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. It is mainly inhabited by Mossi, and has 131,825 inhabitants, as of 2006...
, Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
, since 1990 Bad Liebenstein
Bad Liebenstein
Bad Liebenstein is the oldest spa town in Thuringia . It is situated 9 km east of Bad Salzungen, and 18 km south of Eisenach.A part of Bad Liebenstein is Altenstein, the summer residence of the dukes of Meiningen....
, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, since 1990
There is also a "friendship" with the Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
community of Spandau
Spandau
Spandau is the fifth of the twelve boroughs of Berlin. It is the fourth largest and westernmost borough, situated at the confluence of the Havel and Spree rivers and along the western bank of the Havel, but the least populated.-Overview:...
.