Eichsfeld (district)
Encyclopedia
Eichsfeld is a district in Thuringia
, Germany
, and part of the historical region of Eichsfeld. It is bounded by (from the east and clockwise) the districts of Nordhausen
, Kyffhäuserkreis
and Unstrut-Hainich
, and by the states of Hesse
(district Werra-Meißner) and Lower Saxony
(districts Göttingen
and Osterode
).
, which is larger than the district Eichsfeld, was property of the bishops of Mainz
, although anything but close to that city.
Eichsfeld was the only region of Thuringia not to accept the Protestant Reformation, largely due to the efforts of the Archbishop of Mainz.
In 1801 the clerical states were dissolved, and Prussia
gained the region, only to lose it again in the Napoleonic Wars
. In the Congress of Vienna
(1815) Prussia as well as the kingdom of Hanover
raised claims for the Eichsfeld. The region was divided between both states. Although Hanover was annexed by Prussia in 1866, this border remained the boundary between two Prussian provinces, later between East and West Germany
, and today between Thuringia and Lower Saxony.
The present district was established in 1994 by merging the former districts of Worbis and Heiligenstadt.
, called "Untereichsfeld" (lower Eichsfeld). It is a hilly countryside, that is attached to the Harz
Mountains in the north. Incidentally it is the geographical centre of Germany. The Leine
and Unstrut
rivers both rise in the Eichsfeld.
The name is believed to be derived from "Eichenfeld", which means "field of oaks". A less popular theory is the origin in the word "Eisfeld" ("field of ice").
See also: Wanfried agreement
.
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....
, 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...
, and part of the historical region of Eichsfeld. It is bounded by (from the east and clockwise) the districts of Nordhausen
Nordhausen (district)
Nordhausen is a Kreis in the north of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Harz and Mansfeld-Südharz in Saxony-Anhalt, the district Kyffhäuserkreis, Eichsfeld in Thuringia and the districts Osterode and Goslar in Lower Saxony.-History:The district was created in 1815, when the Prussian...
, Kyffhäuserkreis
Kyffhäuserkreis
The Kyffhäuserkreis is a district in the northern part of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are the districts Mansfeld-Südharz, Saalekreis und Burgenlandkreis in Saxony-Anhalt, and the districts Sömmerda, Unstrut-Hainich and Eichsfeld.-History:...
and Unstrut-Hainich
Unstrut-Hainich
Unstrut-Hainich is a Kreis in the north of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are the districts Eichsfeld, Kyffhäuserkreis, Sömmerda, Gotha, Wartburgkreis and the district Werra-Meißner in Hesse.-History:...
, and by the states of 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...
(district Werra-Meißner) and 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...
(districts Göttingen
Göttingen (district)
Göttingen is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Northeim and Osterode, and by the states of Thuringia and Hesse .-History:...
and Osterode
Osterode (district)
Osterode is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Göttingen, Northeim and Goslar, and by the state of Thuringia .-History:...
).
History
In medieval times the EichsfeldEichsfeld
The Eichsfeld is a historical region in the southeast of Lower Saxony and northwest of Thuringia in the south of the Harz mountains...
, which is larger than the district Eichsfeld, was property of the bishops of Mainz
Archbishopric of Mainz
The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780–82 and 1802. In the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, the Archbishop of Mainz was the primas Germaniae, the substitute of the Pope north of the Alps...
, although anything but close to that city.
Eichsfeld was the only region of Thuringia not to accept the Protestant Reformation, largely due to the efforts of the Archbishop of Mainz.
In 1801 the clerical states were dissolved, and 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...
gained the region, only to lose it again in the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. In the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
(1815) Prussia as well as the kingdom of Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
raised claims for the Eichsfeld. The region was divided between both states. Although Hanover was annexed by Prussia in 1866, this border remained the boundary between two Prussian provinces, later between East and West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, and today between Thuringia and Lower Saxony.
The present district was established in 1994 by merging the former districts of Worbis and Heiligenstadt.
Geography
The district is named after the historical region of Eichsfeld, which covers the northern portions of the present district and parts of Lower Saxony, the area around DuderstadtDuderstadt
Duderstadt is a city in southern Lower Saxony, Germany, located in the district of Göttingen. It is the center and capital of the northern part of the Eichsfeld...
, called "Untereichsfeld" (lower Eichsfeld). It is a hilly countryside, that is attached to the Harz
Harz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
Mountains in the north. Incidentally it is the geographical centre of Germany. The Leine
Leine
The Leine is a river in Thuringia and Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Aller river and 281 km in length.The river's source is located close to the town of Leinefelde in Thuringia...
and Unstrut
Unstrut
The Unstrut is a river in Germany and a left tributary of the Saale. It originates in northern Thuringia near Dingelstädt and its catchment area is the whole of the Thuringian Basin...
rivers both rise in the Eichsfeld.
The name is believed to be derived from "Eichenfeld", which means "field of oaks". A less popular theory is the origin in the word "Eisfeld" ("field of ice").
See also: Wanfried agreement
Wanfried agreement
The Wanfried Agreement concerned a transfer of territory between the U.S. and Soviet occupation zones after World War II in Hesse, Germany, which took place after the determination of the main inner German border at the end of July 1945.In the U.S...
.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms displays the heraldic eagle of Prussia together with the wheel, which was a symbol of the bishops of Mainz. These arms were granted shortly after Prussia gained the Eichsfeld (1801). In 1816 the Eichsfeld was not a geographical unit anymore, and the arms became irrelevant. They were reintroduced in 1945 (used until 1952) and again in 1994. |
Towns and municipalities
Verwaltungsgemeinschaft-free towns |
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|
Verwaltungsgemeinschaften | ||
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Dingelstädt Dingelstädt is a Thuringian city in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.-History:Anton Thraen the German astronomer, minister and native of Holungen died in Dingelstädt on February 18, 1902 .-Twin towns - Sister cities:Dingelstädt is twinned with:... 1, 2 Kallmerode Kallmerode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Kefferhausen Kefferhausen is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Kreuzebra Kreuzebra is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Silberhausen Silberhausen is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.-References:...
Deuna Deuna is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Gerterode Gerterode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Kleinbartloff Kleinbartloff is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Niederorschel Niederorschel is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany. It includes the localities of Niederorschel, Oberorschel, and Rüdigershagen.... 1 Vollenborn Vollenborn is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany....
Am Ohmberg Am Ohmberg is a municipality in the district of Eichsfeld, in Thuringia, Germany. It was formed by the merger of the previously independent municipalities Bischofferode, Großbodungen and Neustadt, on 1 December 2010.... Bockelnhagen Bockelnhagen is a community in the district of Eichsfeld in Thuringia, Germany. The community has two constituent parts, Bockelnhagen and Weilrode. Bockelnhagen is one of the few villages in the Eichsfeld district which were not part of the historical Eichsfeld.... Holungen Holungen is a Thuringian municipality in the Eichsfeld in Germany. It lies approximately from the university town of Göttingen. With a population of around 1,000, it is one of the medium-sized municipalities in the district.-Coat of arms:... Jützenbach Jützenbach is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Silkerode Silkerode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Steinrode Steinrode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Stöckey Stöckey is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Weißenborn-Lüderode Weißenborn-Lüderode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... 1 Zwinge Zwinge is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany....
Breitenworbis Breitenworbis is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... 1 Buhla Buhla is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Haynrode Haynrode is a Thuringian municipality in the Eichsfeld in Germany.... Kirchworbis Kirchworbis is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany. Kirchworbis lies to the south of the Langenberg .Kirchworbis is first mentioned in a 1209 document as "Kirchworvece." The place became Prussian in 1802... |
Bernterode (bei Heilbad Heiligenstadt) Bernterode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld.... Dieterode Dieterode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Geismar Geismar is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Kella Kella is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Pfaffschwende Pfaffschwende is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Schimberg Schimberg is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.-References:... 1 Schwobfeld Schwobfeld is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Sickerode Sickerode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Volkerode Volkerode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.-References:...
Arenshausen Arenshausen is a village in the Eichsfeld district of Thuringia, Germany.... Bornhagen Bornhagen is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany, located at the foot of the ruins of Hanstein Castle. The town district Rimbach is positioned directly on the castle citadel at an elevation of 450 m.... Burgwalde Burgwalde is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany, in the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Hanstein-Rusteberg.-External links:*... Fretterode Fretterode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany, in the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Hanstein-Rusteberg.-Politics:Recently a memorial to the Waffen-SS has been erected in Fretterode by someone who is a member of the national executive committee of the NPD , a German... Gerbershausen Gerbershausen is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany, in the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Hanstein-Rusteberg.... Hohengandern Hohengandern is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany, in the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Hanstein-Rusteberg.... 1 Kirchgandern Kirchgandern is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany, in the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Haustein-Rusteberg.Kirchgandern was first mentioned in documentary in 1118.... Lindewerra Lindewerra is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany, in the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Haustein-Rusteberg. Before the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 Lindewerra was one of the few villages in the German Democratic Republic that could be observed directly from the West... Marth Marth is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany, in the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Haustein-Rusteberg. People live here.-External links:**... Rustenfelde Rustenfelde is a Thuringia municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany, in the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Hanstein-Rusteberg.... Schachtebich Schachtebich is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany, in the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Hanstein-Rusteberg.... Wahlhausen Wahlhausen is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany, in the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Hanstein-Rusteberg....
Bodenrode-Westhausen Bodenrode-Westhausen is a Thuringian Gemeinde in the district of Eichsfeld.... 1 Geisleden Geisleden is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Glasehausen Glasehausen is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Heuthen Heuthen is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Hohes Kreuz Hohes Kreuz is a Thuringian municipality in the Eichsfeld in Germany. The municipality was created in 1991 by merging the municipalities of Bischhagen, Mengelrode, Siemerode, and Streitholz.... Reinholterode Reinholterode is a municipality in the district of Eichsfeld, Thuringia, Germany.... Wingerode Wingerode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany. In 1996, Wingerode celebrated its 850th anniversary. It was founded in 1146.... |
Berlingerode Berlingerode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld.... Brehme, Germany Brehme is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Ecklingerode Ecklingerode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Ferna Ferna is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld.... Hundeshagen Hundeshagen is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.-External links:*... Tastungen Tastungen is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Teistungen Teistungen is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.It was the site of the fourth workshop in May 2011.... 1 Wehnde Wehnde is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany....
Asbach-Sickenberg Asbach-Sickenberg is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld. As a result of the 1945 Wanfried agreement, formerly Hessian Asbach-Sickenberg became part of the Soviet occupation zone and the later German Democratic Republic.... Birkenfelde Birkenfelde is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld.... Dietzenrode-Vatterode Dietzenrode-Vatterode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Eichstruth Eichstruth is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Lenterode Lenterode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Röhrig Röhrig is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Steinheuterode Steinheuterode is a small municipality in the center of Germany in the district of Eichsfeld in Thuringia.-Location:It is located at an altitude of 316 m in the valley of the Steinberg mountain, and is surrounded by forest. The houses are arranged around the St... Thalwenden Thalwenden is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Uder Uder is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... 1 Wüstheuterode Wüstheuterode is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany....
Büttstedt Büttstedt is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.-References:... Großbartloff Großbartloff is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... Küllstedt Küllstedt is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... 1 Wachstedt Wachstedt is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.... |
1seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft; 2town |
External links
- Official website (German)