Reinhardswald
Encyclopedia
The Reinhardswald is a range of hills up to and covering an area of over 200 km² in the Weser Uplands in the district of Kassel, Hesse
(Germany
). Of this, 183 km² are part of the unparished area
known as Gutsbezirk Reinhardswald.
The Reinhardswald – home to countless myths and legend
s, like the Grimm's Fairy Tales
– is renowned country-wide, especially for the Sleeping Beauty
castle of Sababurg.
and Bad Karlshafen
, Hann. Münden
and Hofgeismar
. In the north and east this woodland
area runs up against the Weser and, in the southeast and south against the Fulda; both rivers form locally the border with Lower Saxony
. In the west it borders partly on the Esse
and, in the northwest, on the Diemel
.
To the north of the Reinhardswald, on the far side of the Weser, is the Solling
, to the northeast is the Kiffing
and to the east, the Bramwald
. To the southeast, beyond the Fulda, is the Kaufungen Forest; not far away to the southwest of the Reinhardswald the Habichtswald
looks down on the Kassel
Basin.
and Gahrenberg
.
At over 200 km² in area the Reinhardswald is one of the largest forests and most sparsely populated regions in Germany; within Hesse it is the largest single area of forest. Beech
and oak
, in particular, thrive here and there are extensive areas of wood pasture
(Hutewald).
Only a few country roads cross the Reinhardswald. For instance, to cross the hills in a north-south direction from Helmarshausen
via Gottsbüren to Immenhausen
-Holzhausen by bicycle or car, requires a drive of about 38 km on mostly empty, small and often very narrow roads that, especially in the south of the forest, are often arrow straight. And apart from Gottsbüren there are no settlements until the southern edge of the Reinhardswald near Holzhausen. The road through the north of the forest is known as the Weser Renaissance Road and the road through the southern part of the area as the German Fairy Tale Road (the 'Sleeping Beauty Route').
The road through the Reinhardswald has numerous parking areas which enable visitors to walk through the unique landscape. At the stops there are usually boards with information about the flora
and fauna
or history of the forest.
, to Helmarshausen Abbey
; the southern portion went to the Bishopric of Paderborn
. Landgrave Henry of Hesse purchased the forest back in 1306 and pledged it in 1355 to Hesse, which then retained possession of the forest permanently and whose princes, especially Philip the Magnanimous used it as a favourite stag-hunting ground.
Mining
was carried out in and around the Reinhardswald for centuries. Evidence of brown coal mining at Gahrenberg
(locally from 1842 to 1970 in the underground mine) may be found as early as the time of Landgrave William IV
in 1575. The early mining of alum
ore and quartz
sand, which was subsequently extracted in the glassworks
at Hann. Münden, is recorded. Around 1592 a trade union
was documented in Immenhausen
-Holzhausen . From the period between 1611 and 1666 other evidence of mining was recorded.
Extensive wood pasture
s and old farmyards and farm
s bear witness to the agricultural tradition of the Reinhardswald.
Version 1: Count Reinhard was a gambler and drinker. One night he was playing with the Bishop of Paderborn. After he had lost all his money, he wagered all his property on a game. He begged for grace and the bishop promised him a harvest wherever he sowed acorns. This popular version is also performed by a theatre group.
Version 2: Count Reinhard ruled the mighty forest, densely occupied by villages, but was sentenced to death for extortion and robbery. At his urgent entreaty he was allowed once more before his execution to cultivate the pastures and harvest them. But craftily, after destroying the villages, he sowed the farmers' fields with acorns, which ripened long after he was dead. Thus the Reinhardswald was born.
which can be combined with visits to the Wolkenbrüche near Trendelburg and Wülmersen water castle. On the northern perimeter of the Reinhardswald the town of Bad Karlshafen
and Krukenburg castle are worth visiting.
{|
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and, to the northeast, the Diemel
. The Holzape
is the longest stream
within the uplands themselves, and is fed by numerous other brooks including the Holzkape
and Lempe
. There are also many pond
s and pools
.
The following towns and villages lie on the edge of the Reinhardswald:
Somewhat further away from the Reinhardswald are:
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...
). Of this, 183 km² are part of the unparished area
Unparished area
In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish. Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparished. Many towns and some cities in otherwise rural districts are also unparished areas and therefore no longer have a town council or city...
known as Gutsbezirk Reinhardswald.
The Reinhardswald – home to countless myths and legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
s, like the Grimm's Fairy Tales
Grimm's Fairy Tales
Children's and Household Tales is a collection of German origin fairy tales first published in 1812 by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, the Brothers Grimm. The collection is commonly known today as Grimms' Fairy Tales .-Composition:...
– is renowned country-wide, especially for the Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
castle of Sababurg.
Geography
The Reinhardswald is located in the north of North Hesse between 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 :...
and Bad Karlshafen
Bad Karlshafen
Bad Karlshafen is a baroque, thermal salt spa town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It has 2300 inhabitants in the main ward of Bad Karlshafen, and a further 1900 in the medieval ward of Helmarshausen...
, Hann. Münden
Hann. Münden
Hann. Münden is the German official name of a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. The city is located in the district of Göttingen at the confluence of the Fulda and Werra rivers, which join to form the river Weser. It has 28,000 inhabitants...
and Hofgeismar
Hofgeismar
Hofgeismar is a town in the district of Kassel, in northern Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km north of Kassel on the German Framework Road.-External links:*...
. In the north and east this woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
area runs up against the Weser and, in the southeast and south against the Fulda; both rivers form locally the border with Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
. In the west it borders partly on the Esse
Esse (Diemel)
-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse...
and, in the northwest, on the Diemel
Diemel
The Diemel is a river in Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, left tributary of the Weser. Its source is near Willingen, in Sauerland. The Diemel flows generally northeast through the towns Marsberg, Warburg and Trendelburg. It flows into the Weser in Bad Karlshafen. The total length of the...
.
To the north of the Reinhardswald, on the far side of the Weser, is the Solling
Solling
The Solling is a range of hills up to high in the Weser Uplands in the German state of Lower Saxony, whose extreme southerly foothills extend into Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia....
, to the northeast is the Kiffing
Kiffing
The Kiffing is a range of hills, relatively small in area and up to , in the district of Kassel in the German state of Hesse.- Geography :The Kiffing hills in the extreme north of Hesse belong to the southern ranges of the Weser Uplands. They are located between the southern foothills of the...
and to the east, the Bramwald
Bramwald
The Bramwald is a range of hills up to in the Weser Uplands in Lower Saxony . It is a unique, natural, wild, hill and forest landscape...
. To the southeast, beyond the Fulda, is the Kaufungen Forest; not far away to the southwest of the Reinhardswald the Habichtswald
Habichtswald
For the town in Germany, see Habichtswald, Hesse.The Habichtswald is a small mountain range, covering some 35 km2 and rising to a height of 615 m, immediately west of the city of Kassel in northern Hesse in Germany....
looks down 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 :...
Basin.
Description
The Reinhardswald comprises a very extensive, gently folded, extremely thickly forested and almost uninhabitated Bunter sandstone plateau, which rises from about 200 m up to a maximum and which tilts gently towards the west. Its two highest hills, both of which are heavily wooded, are called the StaufenbergStaufenberg (Reinhardswald)
Staufenberg is a mountain of Hesse, Germany....
and Gahrenberg
Gahrenberg
Gahrenberg is a mountain of Hesse, Germany....
.
At over 200 km² in area the Reinhardswald is one of the largest forests and most sparsely populated regions in Germany; within Hesse it is the largest single area of forest. Beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, in particular, thrive here and there are extensive areas of wood pasture
Wood pasture
Wood pasture is a historical European land management system in which open woodland provided shelter and forage for grazing animals, particularly sheep and cattle, as well as woodland products such as timber for construction and fuel, coppiced stems for wattle and charcoal making and pollarded poles...
(Hutewald).
Only a few country roads cross the Reinhardswald. For instance, to cross the hills in a north-south direction from Helmarshausen
Helmarshausen
Helmarshausen is a borough of the city of Bad Karlshafen in Hesse, central Germany. It was formerly the location of Helmarshausen Abbey, an Imperial abbey of the Holy Roman Empire....
via Gottsbüren to Immenhausen
Immenhausen
Immenhausen is a town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 12 km north of Kassel on the German Framework Road.-External links:*...
-Holzhausen by bicycle or car, requires a drive of about 38 km on mostly empty, small and often very narrow roads that, especially in the south of the forest, are often arrow straight. And apart from Gottsbüren there are no settlements until the southern edge of the Reinhardswald near Holzhausen. The road through the north of the forest is known as the Weser Renaissance Road and the road through the southern part of the area as the German Fairy Tale Road (the 'Sleeping Beauty Route').
The road through the Reinhardswald has numerous parking areas which enable visitors to walk through the unique landscape. At the stops there are usually boards with information about the flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
or history of the forest.
General
The Reinhardswald was once an imperial forest. The northern end between the Weser and the Diemel was gifted by the Emperor, Henry IIHenry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II , also referred to as Saint Henry, Obl.S.B., was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of the Germans in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004...
, to Helmarshausen Abbey
Helmarshausen Abbey
Helmarshausen Abbey was a Benedictine monastery situated in the small town of Helmarshausen, now part of Bad Karlshafen in Hesse, Germany.-History:...
; the southern portion went to the Bishopric of Paderborn
Bishopric of Paderborn
The Archdiocese of Paderborn is an Archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany; its seat is Paderborn. It was a diocese from its foundation in 799 until 1802, and again from 1821 until 1930. In 1930, it was promoted to an archdiocese...
. Landgrave Henry of Hesse purchased the forest back in 1306 and pledged it in 1355 to Hesse, which then retained possession of the forest permanently and whose princes, especially Philip the Magnanimous used it as a favourite stag-hunting ground.
Mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
was carried out in and around the Reinhardswald for centuries. Evidence of brown coal mining at Gahrenberg
Gahrenberg
Gahrenberg is a mountain of Hesse, Germany....
(locally from 1842 to 1970 in the underground mine) may be found as early as the time of Landgrave William IV
William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
William IV of Hesse-Kassel , also called William the Wise, was the first Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel . He was the founder of the oldest line, which survives to this day.-Life:...
in 1575. The early mining of alum
Alum
Alum is both a specific chemical compound and a class of chemical compounds. The specific compound is the hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate with the formula KAl2.12H2O. The wider class of compounds known as alums have the related empirical formula, AB2.12H2O.-Chemical properties:Alums are...
ore and quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
sand, which was subsequently extracted in the glassworks
Glassworks
Glassworks is a chamber music work of six movements by Philip Glass. It is regarded as being a characteristically Glass-like work. Following his larger-scale concert and stage works, Glassworks was Philip Glass's successful attempt to create a more pop-oriented "Walkman-suitable" work, with...
at Hann. Münden, is recorded. Around 1592 a trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
was documented in Immenhausen
Immenhausen
Immenhausen is a town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 12 km north of Kassel on the German Framework Road.-External links:*...
-Holzhausen . From the period between 1611 and 1666 other evidence of mining was recorded.
Extensive wood pasture
Wood pasture
Wood pasture is a historical European land management system in which open woodland provided shelter and forage for grazing animals, particularly sheep and cattle, as well as woodland products such as timber for construction and fuel, coppiced stems for wattle and charcoal making and pollarded poles...
s and old farmyards and farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
s bear witness to the agricultural tradition of the Reinhardswald.
Myths
There are several myths about the origin of the Reinhardswald, of which the most famous are described here:Version 1: Count Reinhard was a gambler and drinker. One night he was playing with the Bishop of Paderborn. After he had lost all his money, he wagered all his property on a game. He begged for grace and the bishop promised him a harvest wherever he sowed acorns. This popular version is also performed by a theatre group.
Version 2: Count Reinhard ruled the mighty forest, densely occupied by villages, but was sentenced to death for extortion and robbery. At his urgent entreaty he was allowed once more before his execution to cultivate the pastures and harvest them. But craftily, after destroying the villages, he sowed the farmers' fields with acorns, which ripened long after he was dead. Thus the Reinhardswald was born.
Places of interest
The most famous destination in the Reinhardswald is without doubt the Sleeping Beauty castle of Sababurg with its wildlife park. In addition the nature reserve of the ancient forest of Sababurg (Urwald Sababurg), which is located between Sababurg Castle and Hofgeismar-Beberbeck recalls a long-forgotten time and a landscape of virgin forest. Walkers and naturalists can get to know more about the woodland along its extensive network of tracks. One of these is a section of the long-distance path, the Wildbahn. There is also a cycle path along the HolzapeHolzape
-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse...
which can be combined with visits to the Wolkenbrüche near Trendelburg and Wülmersen water castle. On the northern perimeter of the Reinhardswald the town of Bad Karlshafen
Bad Karlshafen
Bad Karlshafen is a baroque, thermal salt spa town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It has 2300 inhabitants in the main ward of Bad Karlshafen, and a further 1900 in the medieval ward of Helmarshausen...
and Krukenburg castle are worth visiting.
Hills
The hills and elevations within the Reinhardswald and its foothills include (heights in metres above Normalnull):{|
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- StaufenbergStaufenberg (Reinhardswald)Staufenberg is a mountain of Hesse, Germany....
- GahrenbergGahrenbergGahrenberg is a mountain of Hesse, Germany....
- HahnebergHahneberg (Reinhardswald)Hahneberg is a mountain of Hesse, Germany....
- JunkernkopfJunkernkopfJunkernkopf is a mountain of Hesse, Germany....
- Mühlenberg
- LangenbergLangenberg (Reinhardswald)Langenberg is a mountain of Hesse, Germany....
- Kleiner Staufenberg
- Großer Pinnacker
- AhlbergAhlbergAhlberg or Åhlberg may refer to:*Alf Ahlberg , Swedish writer, humanist and philosopher*Bruno Ahlberg , Finnish boxer*Flemming Ahlberg , Danish footballer*Gillis Ahlberg , Swedish rower...
| width = "280" valign=top |
- Steinhäufe
- Knotberg
- Olbenberg
- Papenköpfe (
- Steinkopf
- Sandkopf
- Staufenküppel
- Kuhberg
- Grunewaldskopf
| valign=top |
- Kuhläger Kopf
- Heegeberg
- Sieburg
- Ischenberg
- Steinkopf
- Klipsberg
- Kleiner Pinnacker
- Moosberg
|}
Rivers and streams
The Weser flows past just to the east of the Reinhardswald in a deeply incised valley. To the southeast is the equallly deep valley of the Fulda; to the west the little EsseEsse (Diemel)
-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse...
and, to the northeast, the Diemel
Diemel
The Diemel is a river in Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, left tributary of the Weser. Its source is near Willingen, in Sauerland. The Diemel flows generally northeast through the towns Marsberg, Warburg and Trendelburg. It flows into the Weser in Bad Karlshafen. The total length of the...
. The Holzape
Holzape
-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse...
is the longest stream
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
within the uplands themselves, and is fed by numerous other brooks including the Holzkape
Holzkape
Holzkape is a river of Hesse, Germany....
and Lempe
Lempe
-See also:*List of rivers of Hesse...
. There are also many pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
s and pools
Stream pool
A stream pool, in hydrology, is a stretch of a river or stream in which the water depth is above average and the water velocity is quite below average.-Formation:...
.
Towns and villages
These places are located within the Reinhardswald:- Gottsbüren
- Hofgeismar-Beberbeck (Gehöft-Ansiedelung)
The following towns and villages lie on the edge of the Reinhardswald:
- in the north: Bad KarlshafenBad KarlshafenBad Karlshafen is a baroque, thermal salt spa town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It has 2300 inhabitants in the main ward of Bad Karlshafen, and a further 1900 in the medieval ward of Helmarshausen...
- in the east OberweserOberweserOberweser is a municipality in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 32 kilometers north of Kassel, and 27 kilometers northwest of Göttingen....
and ReinhardshagenReinhardshagenReinhardshagen is a municipality in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 24 kilometers north of Kassel, and 21 kilometers west of Göttingen.... - in the southeast Hann. MündenHann. MündenHann. Münden is the German official name of a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. The city is located in the district of Göttingen at the confluence of the Fulda and Werra rivers, which join to form the river Weser. It has 28,000 inhabitants...
- in the west Hombressen
- in the southwest ImmenhausenImmenhausenImmenhausen is a town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 12 km north of Kassel on the German Framework Road.-External links:*...
Somewhat further away from the Reinhardswald are:
- in the west GrebensteinGrebensteinGrebenstein is a town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 16 km northwest of Kassel on the German Framework Road. In 1762 it was the scene of a skirmish between British and French troops during the Seven Years War.-External links:...
, HofgeismarHofgeismarHofgeismar is a town in the district of Kassel, in northern Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km north of Kassel on the German Framework Road.-External links:*...
and TrendelburgTrendelburgTrendelburg is a town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany with a population of 5,282 on 30 September 2009. It is situated on the river Diemel, north of Kassel.The town is twinned with Pocklington, England.... - in the south KasselKasselKassel 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 :...
Literature
- Augustins Reisehandbücher (Nr. 4) Der Reinhardswald und Bramwald nebst angrenzenden Gebieten. Kassel (o.J., um 1920)
- Alfred Bonnemann: Der Reinhardswald. Verlag of the Weserbuchhandlung. Hann. Münden 1984
- Hermann-Josef Rapp (Hrsg.): Reinhardswald. Eine Kulturgeschichte. Euregio, Kassel 2002, ISBN 3-933617-12-X
Film documentaries
- Der Baum der Bäume. Geheimnisvolle Reise in die Welt der Eichen, TV documentary by Herbert Ostwald, Germany 2004 – which focuses on the old oak wood pastures of the Reinhardswald.
- Der Reinhardswald, TV documentary by Simone Jung, Germany 2005 - The film by Simone Jung gives an insight into the life of several people who live in the forest. The Sababurg and its restoration is also covered.
External links
- http://www.hessennet.de/reinhardswald/
- http://www.landkreiskassel.de/freizeit/sehensw/reinhard.htm
- Forest folk from the Reinhardswald - unique voters in the land at Spiegel-Online