| Fritzlar | |
| Coat of arms | Location |
 |   |
| Administration | |
| Country |  Germany |
|---|---|
| State | Hesse |
| Admin. region | Kassel |
| District | Schwalm-Eder-Kreis |
| Mayor | Karl-Wilhelm Lange (CDU) |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 88. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Germany (Deutschland is a Federal Republic consisting of sixteen States, known in German as Länder (singular Hesse (Hessen is a state of Germany with an area A Regierungsbezirk is a type of government region of Germany, a subdivision of certain federal states ( ''Bundesländer'') Kassel is one of the three Regierungsbezirke of Hesse, Germany, located in the north of the country German districts (de ''Kreise'' or de ''Landkreise'' in the states of Nordrhein-Westfalen and Schleswig-Holstein, singular de ''Kreis'' and de ''Landreis'' Schwalm-Eder is a Kreis ( District) in the north of Hesse, Germany. Burgomaster (alternatively spelled Burgo[[meister]], literally translated meaning master of the town or master of the Fortress The Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands) is the largest Political party in Germany. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 79 km² (34. 3 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 170 m (558 ft) |
| Population | 14,716 (31/12/2004) |
| - Density | 166 /km² (429 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | HR |
| Postal code | 34560 |
| Area code | 05622 |
| Website | Stadt Fritzlar |
Fritzlar is a small German town (pop. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. 15,000) in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, 160 km (100 miles) north of Frankfurt, with a storied history. Schwalm-Eder is a Kreis ( District) in the north of Hesse, Germany. Hesse (Hessen is a state of Germany with an area It can reasonably be argued that the town is the site where the Christianization of northern Germany (north and east of the Roman Limes) began and the birthplace of the German empire as a political entity. A limes (or the Limes Romanus) was a Border defense or delimiting system of Ancient Rome.
The town has a medieval center ringed by a wall with numerous watch towers. Thirty-eight meters (125 ft) high, the Grauer Turm ("Grey Tower") is the highest remaining urban defense tower in Germany. The city hall, first documented in 1109, with a stone relief of St. Martin, the town's patron saint, is the oldest in Germany still in use for its original purpose. Saint Martin of Tours (Martinus (316/317 Savaria, Pannonia &ndash November 8, 317, Candes, Gaul; buried November The Gothic church of the old Franciscan monastery is today the Protestant parish church, and the monastery's other buildings have been converted into a modern hospital. See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Many houses in the town center, notably around the market square, date from the 15th to 17th centuries and have been carefully maintained or restored. The town is dominated by the imposing Romanesque-Gothic cathedral from the 12th-14th centuries. Regional characteristics of Romanesque architecture|Romanesque art Romanesque architecture is the term that is used to describe the architecture of Middle Ages Europe which See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral
Contents |
Geography
Fritzlar lies in northern Hesse on the north bank of the Eder river, south of the Habichtswald mountains and north of the Kellerwald mountains. The Eder is a 177 km long River in Germany, left tributary of the Fulda River. 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 The Kellerwald is a low Mountain range reaching heights of up to 675 m in the western part of northern Hesse, Germany. The surrounding area is characterized by fertile farmland and many, mostly wooded basalt peaks, many of which are topped by mediaeval castles or castle ruins. In Geography, arable land (from Latin arare, to Plough) is an agricultural term meaning land that can be used for Basalt (bəˈsɔːlt ˈbeisɔːlt ˈbæsɔːlt is a common Extrusive Volcanic rock. A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. Examples of these can be found at Gudensberg, Homberg, Felsberg, Heiligenberg, Altenburg, Jesberg, and Naumburg, among others. Gudensberg is a small town in northern Hesse Germany. Since municipal reform in 1974 the nearby villages of Deute Dissen Dorla Gleichen Maden and Obervorschütz have been Homberg is a small town in northern Hesse with about 15000 inhabitants and it is the seat of the Schwalm-Eder district Felsberg is a town in the Schwalm-Eder district about 20 km south of Kassel. Heiligenberg is a municipality and a village in the Bodensee district in Baden-Württemberg, about seven kilometres north of Salem, in Germany Jesberg is a community in the Schwalm-Eder district in Hesse Germany. Naumburg is a town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany.
History
Thor's Oak and German Christianization
The cathedral stands at the site where the Anglo-Saxon missionary St. Boniface, apostle of the Germans, in 724 A. For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south Saint Boniface ( Latin: Bonifacius c 672 – June 5, 754) the Apostle of the Germans, born Winfrid or Wynfrith at D. erected a chapel from the wood of an oak dedicated to Thor and sacred to the local German tribe, the Chatten/Chatti (ancestors of the Hessians). Thor ( Old Norse: Þórr) is the red-haired and bearded God of Thunder in Germanic paganism and its subset Norse paganism The Chatti (also Chatthi or Catti) were an ancient Germanic tribe whose homeland was near the upper Weser. The Chatti (also Chatthi or Catti) were an ancient Germanic tribe whose homeland was near the upper Weser. A year earlier, in 723, Boniface (then still known under his original name "Winfrid"), had Thor's Oak, one of the most important sacred sites of the Germans, felled to prove the "superiority" of the Christian god over Thor and the Germanic deities. Events By Topic Religion Saint Boniface fells Thor's Oak near Fritzlar, marking the decisive event in the Christianization Saint Boniface ( Latin: Bonifacius c 672 – June 5, 754) the Apostle of the Germans, born Winfrid or Wynfrith at Thor's Oak was an ancient tree sacred to the Germanic tribe of the Chatti, ancestors of the Hessians and one of the most important sacred sites of the Pagan According to St. Boniface's first biographer, his contemporary Saint Willibald, Boniface started to chop the oak down, when suddenly a great wind, as if by miracle, blew the ancient oak over. Saint Willibald (born in Wessex, died 787 or 781 in Eichstätt) was an 8th century Bishop of Eichstätt in Bavaria. This event marked the beginning of the Christianization of German tribes and lands beyond the old Roman frontiers. The historical phenomenon of Christianization (or Christianisation &mdash see spelling differences) the conversion of individuals to Christianity
Boniface established the first bishopric in Germany outside the boundaries of the old Roman Empire on a hill (Büraburg) across the Eder river, but after the death of Witta, its first and only bishop, in 747 the bishopric was incorporated into the diocese (later archdiocese) of Mainz by Lullus, the disciple and successor of Boniface as archbishop of Mainz. The Eder is a 177 km long River in Germany, left tributary of the Fulda River. See Witta son of Wecta for the mythological Jutish chieftain Witta of Büraburg (also known as Albinus, a close Latin translation of his Mainz (ˈmaɪ̯nʦ (Mayence is a City in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Saint Lullus (Lull or Lul (born about 710 in Wessex, died 16 October 786 in Hersfeld) was the first permanent Archbishop of Mainz The Archbishopric of Mainz (Erzbistum Mainz or Electorate of Mainz (Kurfürstentum Mainz or Kurmainz) was an influential ecclesiastic and secular Prince-bishopric The Benedictine monastery founded by Boniface in Fritzlar in 724 gained prominence as a center of religious and worldly learning under its first abbot, St. Benedictine refers to the Spirituality and Consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in Wigbert, who built the original stone basilica of 732 at the site of Boniface's wooden chapel. Saint Wigbert, born in Wessex around 670 was an Anglo-Saxon Benedictine monk from the Monastery of Glastonbury and a Missionary The Latin word basilica (derived from Greek, Basiliké Stoà, Royal Stoa) was originally used to describe a Roman In 782 emperor Charles the Great (Charlemagne) granted it imperial protection and substantial territory, and this triggered the rapid development of the town. The monastery was converted into a canonic college (Chorherrenstift) in 1005, its members no longer living in monastic union and simplicity, but maintaining their own, and generally rather well-to-do, households. Several imposing stone residences (Curias) built by wealthy canons during the 14th century survive to this day in the old part of the town. The canonic college was dissolved only in 1803. 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a
Birthplace of the German Empire
Located at the crossroads of several important trade routes and site of an imperial residence since Charlemagne, Fritzlar was a frequent site of royal visits and of assemblies and synods of the German princes and church leaders during the early Middle Ages. Charlemagne (ˈʃɑrlɨmeɪn Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus meaning Charles the Great) (747 – 28 January 814 was King of the Franks from 768 to his Undoubtedly the most important of these was the Reichstag of 919 when Henry I ("Henry the Fowler"), duke of Saxony, was elected King of the Germans to succeed Charlemagne's Frankish successors on the throne of what had become known as the East Frankish Empire. The Reichstag ( German for "Imperial Diet " was the Parliament of the Holy Roman Empire, the North German Confederation, Events By Place Europe Edward the Elder of England conquers Bedford. The Free State of Saxony (Freistaat Sachsen ˈzaksən Swobodny Stat Sakska is the easternmost federal state of Germany. This event marked the end of bitter rivalry between the two large German tribes of the Franks and the Saxons and the beginning of the German Empire that lasted until the Napoleonic wars. The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group The Saxons or Saxon people were a Confederation of Old Germanic tribes. King Conrad I of Germany, duke of Franconia, had died in December 918 without a son and urged his brother, margrave Eberhard, who was to succeed him as Duke of Franconia, to nominate Henry as king, although they had been at odds with each other from 912 to 915 over the title to lands in Thuringia. Conrad I (Konrad c 890&ndash December 23 918) called the Younger, was duke of Franconia from 906 and King of Germany from Eberhard or Everard is an old Germanic name meaning the strength or courage of a wild Boar. The Free State of Thuringia (Freistaat Thüringen is located in central Germany. Conrad's choice was respected by the Reichstag of 919, where Henry was proclaimed king by the leaders of the Franks and Saxons. Duke Burkhard I of Swabia quickly swore allegiance as well, but Duke Arnulf of Bavaria did not submit to Henry until the latter advanced with an army into Bavaria in 921. Swabia, Suabia, or Svebia ( German: Schwaben, Schwabenland or Ländle) is both a historic and linguistic Arnulf (variants include Arnold Arnoul Arnoulf) may refer to Arnulf of Metz, saint (582 - 640 Arnulf of Eynesbury, saint Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 Events By Place Asia Ahmad ibn Fadlan is sent from Baghdad to the king of the Volga Bulgars, on behalf of the
Conrad himself had risen to the position of duke of Franconia only after defeating the rival Babenberg counts in a battle near Fritzlar in 906, in which his father,Conrad, Duke of Thuringia the Elder, was killed. Events By Place Europe Battle of Fritzlar: The Conradines defeat the Babenberg counts to establish themselves as dukes Conrad (died 27 February 906) called the Old or the Elder, was the Duke of Thuringia from 892 until his death
Developments during the Middle Ages
In 1079 Fritzlar ceased to be a crown possession when it was gifted to the archbishop of Mainz by Emperor Henry IV in the aftermath of his submission to the Pope at Canossa. Mainz (ˈmaɪ̯nʦ (Mayence is a City in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Henry IV ( November 11, 1050 &ndash August 7, 1106) was King of Germany from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until Canossa ( Province of Reggio Emilia) is a Comune and castle town in Emilia-Romagna, famous as the site where Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV did penance It thus became a pivotal pillar in the long-lasting feuds between Mainz and the landgraves of Thuringia and Hesse for territorial supremacy in northern Hesse. Landgrave ( Dutch landgraaf, German Landgraf; French landgrave; Latin comes magnus, comes patriae The Free State of Thuringia (Freistaat Thüringen is located in central Germany.
Located in the border area between Frankish and Saxon territories and, following Martin Luther's Reformation, a Roman-Catholic enclave owned by the Archbishop of Mainz in the midst of Protestant Hesse, the town was frequently embattled, by Saxons and Franks, by Protestant and Catholic princes, and repeatedly sacked and rebuilt. Martin Luther (November 10 1483 February 18 1546 was a German Monk, theologian, university professor Father of Protestantism, and church reformer The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time
The first major devastation occurred in 774, during Charlemagne's Saxon Wars. Events By Place Europe Charlemagne conquers the kingdom of the Lombards, and takes title King of the Lombards The Saxon Wars were the campaigns and insurrections of the more than thirty years from 772, when Charlemagne first entered Saxony with the intent to conquer While the king was in Italy, the Saxons invaded Hesse and besieged Büraburg, where the population of Fritzlar had sought refuge. Failing to take the fortress, the Saxons destroyed Fritzlar, but not St. Wigbert's stone basilica. This gave rise to the legend that two angels had appeared to chase away the invaders and protect the church.
The next happened in 1079. Emperor Henry IV, who frequently resided in Fritzlar, was faced with an insurrection led by the pretender king Rudolf of Swabia (Rudolf of Rheinfelden), who had been supported by the Pope. Rudolf of Rheinfelden (Rudolf von Rheinfelden c 1025 &ndash 15 October 1080) was Duke of Swabia (1057&ndash1079 and German Antiking Having submitted to the Pope at Canossa in 1077, Henry had gone to Fritzlar. Canossa ( Province of Reggio Emilia) is a Comune and castle town in Emilia-Romagna, famous as the site where Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV did penance A papal legate was not able to arrange an end to the dispute, and in early 1079 an army of Saxons, partisans of Rudolf, attacked Henry in Fritzlar. He fled, and town and church were sacked and destroyed.
Between about 1085 and 1118, a new and larger basilica was built at the site of St. Wigbert's church. It was the site of the imperial synod of 1118 at which the papal interdict of Henry V, who again had opposed the pope on the matter of investiture of bishops, was announced and ratified and where Saint Norbert of Xanten, founder of the order of the Premonstratensians (Norbertines) and later archbishop of Magdeburg, successfully defended himself against charges of heresy. A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church convened to decide an issue of doctrine administration or application In the Roman Catholic Church, the word interdict (in’tér-dikt usually refers to an Ecclesiastical penalty Henry V ( 8 November 1086 &ndash 23 May 1125) was King of Germany (from 1098-1125) and Holy Roman Emperor Investiture, from the Latin (preposition in and verb vestire, 'dress' from vestis 'robe' is a rather general term for the formal installation of an Saint Norbert of Xanten (c 1080&ndash 6 June 1134) is a Christian Saint and founder of the Norbertine or Premonstratensian order The Norbertines, also known as the Premonstratensians (OPraem and in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons (from the colour of The Norbertines, also known as the Premonstratensians (OPraem and in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons (from the colour of The Archbishopric of Magdeburg was a Roman Catholic Archdiocese within the Holy Roman Empire. Heresy is an introduced change to some system of belief especially a religion that conflicts with the previously established canon of that belief At the same synod, prince-bishop Otto of Bamberg was suspended for having remained loyal to Henry V during his quarrels with the papacy. Saint Otto of Bamberg (Otto von Bamberg 1060 or 1061 - June 30, 1139) was a Medieval German Bishop and Missionary
This second basilica was radically reconstructed between 1180 and 1200, essentially in the form in which it is still found today, although a number of smaller additions and alterations have been made throughout the centuries since then. During the same period, from 1184 to 1196, the town was fortified by the construction of the first wall around its periphery.
The next devastating blow was the sack of the town by Thuringian landgrave Conrad in 1232, when much of the population was killed and the town plundered. The Free State of Thuringia (Freistaat Thüringen is located in central Germany. Landgrave ( Dutch landgraaf, German Landgraf; French landgrave; Latin comes magnus, comes patriae Mainz responded by immediately rebuilding and further fortifying the town, adding numerous towers to the walls and building seven watch towers and fortified refuges on strategic hills in the surrounding countryside.
In the early 13th century, the Franciscans (Friars Minor) established a monastery in the town. The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic They obtained permission to build their church and quarters directly up against the town wall, thereby obliterating the watch walk on the inside of the wall that was crucial for quickly moving defenders from one part of the wall to another. In exchange they had to agree to defend their part of the town's fortification in the event of a siege. The Franciscans were forced to leave when the Lutheran Reformation was introduced in 1522. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Following the Counterreformation, Jesuits moved in in 1615, followed by the return of the Franciscans in 1619. The Counter-Reformation (also Catholic Reformation denotes the period of Catholic revival from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in 1560 to the close of the The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order The monastery was dissolved in 1811. Its splendid Gothic church, completed in 1244, today serves as the parish church for the town's Protestant Christians who purchased it in 1817/1824. See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation.
The Thirty Year War (1618-1648) inflicted serious damage on Fritzlar and the neighboring villages, culminating with an outbreak of the black plague. For the Mauritanian Thirty Years' War see Char Bouba war. For the band see The 30 Years War. The town's population dropped from about 2000 to merely 600, and it took 200 years before the inhabitants again numbered 2000. During the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) the town was occupied by French troops and parts of its fortifications were destroyed, along with the vineyards on the steep slope above the Eder river. The Seven Years' War (1756&ndash1763 involved all of the major European powers of the period causing 900000 to 1400000 deaths
In the early 18th century, the order of Ursuline nuns established a nunnery and school for girls.
Modern age
In 1803, when all ecclesiatic states in Germany were abolished, Fritzlar was incorporated, together with Naumburg, as the nominal Principality of Fritzlar into the Electorate (principality) of Hesse-Kassel (Kurhessen). 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a A Prince-Bishop is a Bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more Secular principalities usually pre-existent titles of nobility The German Mediatisation was the series of mediatisations and secularisations that occurred in Germany in 1795 &ndash 1814, during In 1821 it became the administrative center of the district (Kreis) Fritzlar. Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Hesse-Kassel in turn was annexed by Prussia in 1866, following the Austro-Prussian War in which the Elector had sided with Austria. Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Austro-Prussian The Prince-Electors (or simply Electors) of the Holy Roman Empire ( German: Kurfürst ( pl In 1932 the district was merged with the neighboring district of Homberg to form the district of Fritzlar-Homberg. Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. Homberg is a small town in northern Hesse with about 15000 inhabitants and it is the seat of the Schwalm-Eder district
In 1974, the three districts of Fritzlar-Homberg, Melsungen and Ziegenhain were combined into the new district Schwalm-Eder, with its administrative seat in Homberg (Efze). Melsungen (ˈmɛlzʊŋən is a small climatic spa in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse Germany. Ziegenhain is a municipality in the district of Altenkirchen, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Schwalm-Eder is a Kreis ( District) in the north of Hesse, Germany. Homberg is a small town in northern Hesse with about 15000 inhabitants and it is the seat of the Schwalm-Eder district
Today, Fritzlar is a service and market center for the surrounding area, with schools, hospital, and a sizeable military garrison with airfield.
Politics
Town council consists of 37 councillors. As of the last municipal election held on 26 March 2006, the seats are apportioned thus:
| CDU | : 18 seats |
| SPD | : 13 seats |
| FWG (citizens' coalition) | : 3 seats |
| Greens | : 2 seats |
| FDP | : 1 seat |
The town executive (Magistrat) consists of 10 members and the mayor. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands) is the largest Political party in Germany. The Alliance '90/The Greens ( Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) the German Green party, is a Political party in Germany whose regional The Free Democratic Party ( Freie Demokratische Partei, FDP is a liberal Political party in Germany. Three seats are held by the SPD, 4 by the CDU, and one seat each by the FWG, the FDP and the Greens.
Mayor Karl-Wilhelm Lange (CDU) was reëlected on 26 March 2006 with a 65. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 8% share of the vote. The independent candidate Hans Mertens got 34. 2% of the vote.
Coat of arms
The civic coat of arms shows two red wheels joined by a cross of the same colour and the whole set from upper left to lower right (or upper right to lower left, heraldically speaking) on a silver background. A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people As such, it bears a keen likeness to Mainz's civic coat of arms, simply having the colours reversed but showing the same "Double Wheel of Mainz", and this recalls the centuries-long allegiance that Fritzlar owed the Archbishopric of Mainz. Mainz (ˈmaɪ̯nʦ (Mayence is a City in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Town partnerships
Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge (civil parish), Somerset, United Kingdom
Casina, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
External links
Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge is a Civil parish and town in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, England. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For other meanings see Casina (disambiguation. Casina is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Reggio Emilia in the Emilia-Romagna is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. The capital is Bologna. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largestDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic