Gersfeld

The city Gersfeld ( Rhön) is located in the district of Fulda, in Hesse, embedded in the Rhön. As a recognized health resort and Kneipp spa Gersfeld is the starting point of hiking through the Rhön biosphere reserve and winter sports. The Haderwald in the south is largely blocked because the northern part lies here from Truppenübungsplatz wild spots.

• 2.1 Middle Ages
• 2.2 Modern Times
• 2.3 Amalgamations
• 2.4 spin-offs

• 4.1 City Council
• 4.2 Coat of Arms
• 4.3 Town twinning

Geography

Geographical Location

Gersfeld is surrounded by mountains semicircular. Since this already the High Rhön must be assigned as the natural spatial unit, the community is located just on the border of two natural spatial units. The resort lies in the Fulda valley south-west facing middle of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Rhön.

Through the municipal reform 1971/72 the places Old Field, Dalherda, Gichenbach, Hettenhausen, Maier Bach, Mosbach, Oberhausen, Renger field, Rodenbach, Sparbrod, Rommers, Sandberg and Schachen were incorporated to Gersfeld. The majority of the districts are located on the edge of the valley bottoms or junctions of side valleys.

With over one-third ( 34.7 %) of the agricultural sector takes high percentage of grassland, a large areas of medium altitudes in the district. The forest area has large area shares ( 37.9 % of the district area ), which are limited, however, to the relatively stationary distant slopes and high altitudes.

Neighboring communities

Gersfeld borders in the north on the community Poppenhausen, in the north- east on the community Ehrenberg (both in the district of Fulda), to the east by the market Oberelsbach and to the city of Bishop Home ( in the district of Rhön- grave field in Bavaria ), south to the market wild spots ( in the Bavarian district of Bad Kissingen ), and in the west on the community of Ebersburg ( district Fulda).

Boroughs

The town next to the eponymous Gersfeld include twelve districts: Old Field, Dalherda, Gichenbach, Hettenhausen, Maier Bach, Mosbach, Oberhausen, Renger field, Rodenbach, Rommers, Sandberg and Schachen.

History

Gersfeld was first documented as Geraldisfeld in 944 owes its origin to the place the Lords of Schneeberg.

Middle Ages

1059 Gersfeld was fuldisch. The Fulda Abbot Henry VII obtained in 1359 by Emperor Charles IV permission to give Gersfeld the town and market rights, but the place was never fixed.

In addition to the larger empires of Würzburg and Fulda succeeded since the late Middle Ages increasingly smaller aristocratic families to build self, relatively independent fiefdoms. In the years 1402 and 1428 the Bishopric of Würzburg was originally fuldischen place Gersfeld with his Wasserburg the Lords of Ebersberg (called by Weyhers ) as a fief. This Gersfeld had been lost to the influence of Fulda. By the nobility during the Reformation complaining religion sovereignty for himself, he could his country sovereign rights perfect and he won a crucial piece of independence.

Modern Times

The city broke up in 1656 under the Empire Knights of the von Ebersburg (called by Steinrück ) completely out of the rule of Fulda and now stood directly to the Emperor. As a former knightly nomic area Gersfeld and associated environs remained Protestant in a predominantly Catholic environment until today. To " rule Gersfeld " were among the places Old Field, Gersfeld ( Rhön), Kippelbach, Maier Bach, Mosbach, Oberhausen, Rodenbach, Rommers, Sandberg and Schachen. For fiscal reasons - - decisive role in the early modern reclamation to Gersfeld from the 16th and 17th century, the lords of Ebersburg had. In the 18th and 19th centuries, in contrast, found hardly any local start-ups instead. The grown settlement images only learned some expansion and compression. Decisive influence on the design and arrangement of apartment buildings practiced the Gersfelder city fires of 1756 and 1814 and several individual fires out in today's districts. During the great fire 1756 233 buildings were destroyed.

After the secularization of the ecclesiastical principalities under Napoleon in the years 1802/ 03 and then repeatedly changing national affiliation, the former Bishopric of Fulda in 1816 fell to Hesse-Cassel. Gersfeld but came to Bayern.1866 after the Austro-Prussian War became the Electorate of Hesse, and thus the Hessian part of the Rhön, under Prussian rule. Bayern also had to cede to Prussia, annexing it to his new province Hesse -Nassau Gersfeld.

The Rhön train sailed in 1888 for the first time the route Fulda Gersfeld. Due to the closed nature of the Soviet occupation zone of the western part of Germany until 1989, the church underwent a strong peripheralisation. Government subsidies could compensate for the economic Ungunstfaktoren only partially. Even after the opening of the border, the Rhön stands today as a tripartite border between the states of Hesse, Thuringia and Bavaria.

Incorporations

On 31 December 1970, the formerly independent communities Mosbach, Renger field, Rodenbach, Rommers and Sandberg were incorporated into the city Gersfeld. On December 31, 1971 Old Field, Gichenbach, Hettenhausen, Maier Bach, Oberhausen and Schachen were added. Dalherda followed on August 1, 1972.

Spin-offs

On August 1, 1972, a sub-region with about 50 residents at the time was ceded ( a parcel of Gichenbach ) to the neighboring community Ebersburg.

Etymology

The name Gersfeld, in 1350 occupied as Geroldiesfeldt, is a composition of Gerisa and field ( Old High German: field = " open, non- forested land " ), a common name for settlements. This is a justification of the settlement in the 8th or 9th century. The river name is already taken off from 1036 as Gēraha. It would be possible in this case a name on Education - aha, a variant of the au. This refers to the later Gersfelder water. While the original was lost Bach name, the name of the place remained.

Policy

City Council

The municipal election held on March 27, 2011 showed the following distribution of seats:

Coat of arms

The Gersfelder city coat of arms depicts a linden tree with 39 leaves, the roots of which extend through a foundation into the ground. The background of this representation is the fact that until 1866 held the community meetings under the linden tree. The tree stands for the citizens of the community, the wall base ( foundation ) points to the city charter, the Gersfeld was awarded in 1359, and the roots point to the anchoring of the citizens in the community as well as its practicality.

Twinning

Since 2001, a twinning with the French Bellegarde ( Gard).

Economy

The main source of income of the population Gersfelds made ​​in earlier centuries agriculture because remote due to the relative poverty in natural resources and the secluded location were able to develop the major urban centers trade, mining industry and later only to a small extent. Thus, in Gersfeld still relatively many agricultural to commercial farms with intensive dairy farming available.

The share of agriculture and forestry workers is today but below 2%. With over 50 % of the tertiary sector accounts for the major share of the employment structure in the community. A majority of the employees is attributable to the guest and hotel industry. About one- third of the workforce combined the secondary sector of the economy in coming.

Tourism

The rural characteristics, the seclusion and the lovely mild climate are assets of the region and conducive to tourism. Six hotels and more than a dozen inns invite you to relax. Besides the classic hiking, gliding, and skiing there are also opportunities for climbing, mountain biking and tennis. Due to the location of the Hessian cycle path leads R1 ( Fulda Cycle Route ) and here starts the summit route, connects a cycle trail of Hoherodskopf and water dome.

Attractions

• On the Historical market square half-timbered houses from the 17th and see the 18th century.
• The Evangelical Lutheran parish church ( baroque church ) was designed in 1778 by Caspar Heym and executed 1780-1788 by Baumeister link from Brückenau. In addition to the churches of Lauterbach Lauterbach and it is the most important Protestant church building in the second half of the 18th century in Hesse.
• The baroque castle from 1740 lies on the southern edge of the castle park. It is the former seat of the family of Ebersberg, since 1903 owned by the family of Waldthausen. The castle now houses the municipal library, the local museum and parts of the city administration.
• The Upper Castle was built as a moated castle in the 12th century and 1486-1493 transformed the castle. It is located on the eastern edge of the castle park.
• The middle castle dates back to its origins in the 1560. It has long hosted the rule of court and prison.
• The Park Villa on the upper northern part of the park was built in 1908 by Bruno of Waldthausen in the magnificent Art Nouveau and is since 1995 a private clinic.
• The also in Art Nouveau style, built in 1907 in the castle park Gersfelder indoor riding arena, today the city hall, is famous for its open roof construction with glulam.
• The wildlife park is located in Gersfeld Ehrengrundtal about a kilometer southeast of the core city. He points to an area of ​​50 hectares of mainly European species.
• The water dome, the highest mountain in the Rhön, rises more than 5 kilometers north of Gersfeld. On the mountain there is the German Gliding Museum.

Baroque castle

Medium Castle

Park Villa

Former riding hall (Stadthalle )

Glulam ceiling of the indoor riding arena

Sons and daughters of the town

• Cuno Raabe ( born May 5, 1888 in Fulda, † May 3, 1971 in Gersfeld ) was a German politician, resistance fighters and in 1946 was a member of the Constitutional Committee of Greater Hesse, took part in the Constituent Assembly in Hesse and was its vice-president. From 1946 to 1956 he was mayor of Fulda
• Walther Schönfeld ( born May 15, 1888 in Gersfeld, † March 26, 1977 in Heidelberg), physician and university teacher
• Hellmut Trute (1907-2007), a business lawyer
• Elsa Plath Langheinrich ( born January 21, 1932 in Gersfeld ), German historian and author
• Helmut Bieler ( composer ) ( born June 7, 1940 in Gersfeld )
• Hubertus Primus (1 September 1955 in Gersfeld ), CEO of Stiftung Warentest

Transport links

Street:

• From the north and north-west: take the A7 Kassel and Würzburg, exit Fulda -Süd, B 27, B 279
• From the west and south-west: take the A 66, B 27, B 279
• From the south: take the A7 Würzburg- Kassel, exit Brückenau / Wildflecken direction wild spots, B 279

Railways ( Railway Fulda Gersfeld ):

• ICE connection in Fulda, with further regional train to Gersfeld
• The branch line Fulda Gersfeld, renovated in 1997 for just under 12 million euros, is the last still regularly used line in the Rhön dar.