Neuenstein, Hesse
Encyclopedia
Neuenstein is a community in Hersfeld-Rotenburg
district in northeastern Hesse
, Germany
.
, empties into the Fulda
.
(in the Schwalm-Eder-Kreis
), in the east on the community of Ludwigsau
, in the south on the towns of Bad Hersfeld
and Kirchheim
(all in Hersfeld-Rotenburg), in the southwest on the community of Oberaula
, and in the west on the town of Schwarzenborn
(both in the Schwalm-Eder-Kreis).
The first documentary mention of any of the constituent communities came in 852 when Aua (Owe) was named in one of the Hersfeld Abbey
’s donation documents. The abbot at Hersfeld founded a monastery
here in 1190, although this moved to Blankenheim, now an outlying centre of Bebra
, in 1229.
The community of Salzesberg had its first documentary mention in 1190. There is however a document from 782 about this place, but its authenticity is in dispute. All other places had their first documentary mentions in the 12th and 13th centuries. Most constituent communities were long under the Hersfeld Abbey
’s or were fiefs of the Lords of Wallenstein. Albert I of Wallenstein built a castle above Saasen that had its first documentary mention in 1267 as Neuwallenstein (the family’s ancestral seat was Wallenstein Castle – now a ruin – in Knüllwald
-Wallenstein). On 24 Juli 1318, the castle, which had since become a den for robber baron
s, was destroyed by Hessian Landgrave Otto
’s troops as well as the Hersfeld Abbot Simon I of Buchenau’s and Count Johann I of Ziegenhain’s men, and also Eberhard von Breuberg’s, who was the state justice of the peace and Imperial state Vogt
. Only in 1357 was the castle restored by Simon von Wallenstein.
Neuenstein Castle is nowadays used as a conference and event centre.
The new community’s namesake was the castle, whose mediaeval
name was Neuwallenstein Castle (it is now called Neuenstein Castle, or Burg Neuenstein in German
).
The current mayor, Walter Glänzer (CDU) was elected on 28 September 2003 with 59.7% of the vote.
might be described thus: Gules a mount of three vert upon which barrulets argent and issuant from which a tower of the last.
The tower belongs to Neuenstein Castle, and is the community’s landmark.
85, Bad Hersfeld-West on Autobahn A 7 (Flensburg
–Füssen
). Furthermore, Bundesstraße
324 runs through the municipal area.
Hersfeld-Rotenburg
Hersfeld-Rotenburg is a Kreis in the east of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Werra-Meißner, Wartburgkreis, Fulda, Vogelsbergkreis, Schwalm-Eder.-History:...
district in northeastern 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...
, 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...
.
Location
The community lies in the Knüllgebirge (range) in the drainage basin of the Geisbach, which rises here and only 10 km from here, in Bad HersfeldBad 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....
, empties into the Fulda
Fulda 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....
.
Neighbouring communities
Neuenstein borders in the north on the community of KnüllwaldKnüllwald
-Location:Knüllwald lies in the Knüllgebirge, a low mountain range, between the rivers Efze and Beise, south of Kassel.-Constituent communities:The community consists of sixteen centres: Appenfeld, Berndshausen, Ellingshausen, Hausen, Hergetsfeld, Lichtenhagen, Nausis, Nenterode, Niederbeisheim,...
(in the Schwalm-Eder-Kreis
Schwalm-Eder-Kreis
Schwalm-Eder is a Kreis in the north of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Kassel, Werra-Meißner, Hersfeld-Rotenburg, Vogelsbergkreis, Marburg-Biedenkopf, Waldeck-Frankenberg.-History:...
), in the east on the community of Ludwigsau
Ludwigsau
Ludwigsau is a community in Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse, Germany. With an area of 112 km² it is Hesse’s biggest community by land area.-Location:...
, in the south on the towns of 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....
and Kirchheim
Kirchheim, Hesse
Kirchheim is a community in Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse, Germany.-Location:The community lies on the south slope of the Knüllgebirge in the valley of the brook Ibra and the Aula, which empties into the Fulda near Niederaula...
(all in Hersfeld-Rotenburg), in the southwest on the community of Oberaula
Oberaula
-Location:Oberaula lies in the Knüllgebirge, a low mountain range, in the Aula river valley and its neighbouring valleys.The nearest towns are Bad Hersfeld , Schwalmstadt , and Homberg .-Constituent communities:The community consists of the six centres of Hausen, Friedigerode, Ibra, Oberaula...
, and in the west on the town of Schwarzenborn
Schwarzenborn, Hesse
-Location:Schwarzenborn lies in the Schwalm-Eder district some 13.5 km from Homberg in the Knüll. Through the constituent community of Grebenhagen flows the river Efze.-Coat of arms:...
(both in the Schwalm-Eder-Kreis).
Constituent communities
Neuenstein’s Ortsteile are Aua, Gittersdorf, Mühlbach, Obergeis, Raboldshausen, Saasen, Salzberg and Untergeis.History
Hersfeld Abbey
Hersfeld Abbey was an important Benedictine imperial abbey in the town of Bad Hersfeld in Hesse , Germany, at the confluence of the rivers Geisa, Haune and Fulda.-History:...
’s donation documents. The abbot at Hersfeld founded a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
here in 1190, although this moved to Blankenheim, now an outlying centre of 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...
, in 1229.
The community of Salzesberg had its first documentary mention in 1190. There is however a document from 782 about this place, but its authenticity is in dispute. All other places had their first documentary mentions in the 12th and 13th centuries. Most constituent communities were long under the Hersfeld Abbey
Hersfeld Abbey
Hersfeld Abbey was an important Benedictine imperial abbey in the town of Bad Hersfeld in Hesse , Germany, at the confluence of the rivers Geisa, Haune and Fulda.-History:...
’s or were fiefs of the Lords of Wallenstein. Albert I of Wallenstein built a castle above Saasen that had its first documentary mention in 1267 as Neuwallenstein (the family’s ancestral seat was Wallenstein Castle – now a ruin – in Knüllwald
Knüllwald
-Location:Knüllwald lies in the Knüllgebirge, a low mountain range, between the rivers Efze and Beise, south of Kassel.-Constituent communities:The community consists of sixteen centres: Appenfeld, Berndshausen, Ellingshausen, Hausen, Hergetsfeld, Lichtenhagen, Nausis, Nenterode, Niederbeisheim,...
-Wallenstein). On 24 Juli 1318, the castle, which had since become a den for robber baron
Robber baron
A robber baron or robber knight was an unscrupulous and despotic nobility of the medieval period in Europe, for example, Berlichingen. It has slightly different meanings in different countries. In modern US parlance, the term is also used to describe unscrupulous industrialists...
s, was destroyed by Hessian Landgrave Otto
Otto I, Landgrave of Hesse
Otto I of Hesse , Landgrave of Hesse.He was a son of Henry I, Landgrave of Hesse and his first wife Adelheid of Brunswick-Lunenburg. Following the death of his father in 1308, he inherited Upper Hesse, the "Land on the Lahn", which included Marburg, Giessen, Grünberg and Alsfeld...
’s troops as well as the Hersfeld Abbot Simon I of Buchenau’s and Count Johann I of Ziegenhain’s men, and also Eberhard von Breuberg’s, who was the state justice of the peace and Imperial state Vogt
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
. Only in 1357 was the castle restored by Simon von Wallenstein.
Neuenstein Castle is nowadays used as a conference and event centre.
Amalgamations
The above-named constituent communities merged into the new greater community of Neuenstein with effect from 1 January 1972, with the exception of Obergeis, which was only merged, forcibly, in the course of municipal reform on 1 August 1972.The new community’s namesake was the castle, whose mediaeval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
name was Neuwallenstein Castle (it is now called Neuenstein Castle, or Burg Neuenstein in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
).
Community council
The municipal election held on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results:| Parties and voter communities | % 2006 |
Seats 2006 |
% 2001 |
Seats 2001 |
|
| CDU | Christian Democratic Union of Germany | 53.6 | 12 | 59.6 | 14 |
| SPD | Social Democratic Party of Germany Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
28.8 | 7 | 40.4 | 9 |
| FWN | Freie Wähler Neuenstein | 17.6 | 4 | – | – |
| Total | 100.0 | 23 | 100.0 | 23 | |
| Voter turnout in % | 66.8 | 72.6 | |||
Mayors
After the greater community’s formation, Konrad Käberich took charge of the mayor’s job from December 1972 to August 1973. The first elected mayor was Georg Ries from January 1974 to January 1980. After him came Walter Schmidt.The current mayor, Walter Glänzer (CDU) was elected on 28 September 2003 with 59.7% of the vote.
Coat of arms
The community’s 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...
might be described thus: Gules a mount of three vert upon which barrulets argent and issuant from which a tower of the last.
The tower belongs to Neuenstein Castle, and is the community’s landmark.
Culture and sightseeing
Buildings
- Former monastery church in the constituent community of Aua from 1190
- Neuenstein Castle in the constituent community of Saasen
- Wall graves of the family von Wallenstein in the constituent community of Raboldshausen
- Chapel from 1194 in the constituent community of Mühlbach
Natural monuments
- Eisenberg (mountain)
- Archaeological hiking path at the Eisenberg
- Roughly 1,200-year-old linden in the constituent community of Aua
Transport
The community lies right at interchangeInterchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
85, Bad Hersfeld-West on Autobahn A 7 (Flensburg
Flensburg
Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...
–Füssen
Füssen
Füssen is a town in Bavaria, Germany, in the district of Ostallgäu situated from the Austrian border. It is located on the banks of the Lech river. The River Lech flows into the Forggensee...
). Furthermore, Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
324 runs through the municipal area.
Established businesses
- General Logistics Systems GmbH & Co.OHG with roughly 800 employees
- Der Kurier GmbH (courier) countrywide transport of rush deliveries overnight