Kassel
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{{Infobox German Location
|Wappen = Coat of arms of Kassel.svg
|Art = City
|lat_deg = 51 |lat_min = 19 |lat_sec=0|
|lon_deg = 09 |lon_min = 30|lon_sec=0|
|Lageplan =
|Bundesland = Hessen
|Regierungsbezirk = Kassel
|Landkreis = urban
|Höhe = 167
|Fläche = 161
|Einwohner = 193518
|Stand = 2006-12-31
|Metro = est. 450.000 Inhabitants
|PLZ = 34001–34134
|Vorwahl = 0561
|Kfz = KS
|Website = [http://www.stadt-kassel.de/ www.stadt-kassel.de]
|Bürgermeister = Bertram Hilgen
|Partei = SPD
}}
{{two other uses|the city of Kassel in Hesse, Germany|the German-Russian village of Kassel, South Russia (today known as Kamarovka, Ukraine)|Kamarovka|the French-Flemish city of Kassel|Cassel, France}}
'''Kassel''' {{IPA|[ˈkasl̩]}} (until 1926 officially '''Cassel''') is a city situated along the [[Fulda River]] in northern [[Hesse]], [[Germany]], one of the two sources of the [[Weser]] river . It is the administrative seat of the [[Kassel (region)|Kassel administrative region]] (''[[Regierungsbezirk]]'') and of the [[Kassel (district)|district]] (''[[Kreis]]'') of the same name. The city has c. 198,500 inhabitants (2007) and covers an area of 106.77 square kilometres.
== History ==
The city's name is derived from the ancient ''Castellum Cattorum'', a castle of the [[Catti|Chatti]], a German tribe that has lived in the area since Roman times.
Kassel as such is first mentioned in 913 as the place where two [[deed]]s were signed by king [[Conrad of Franconia|Conrad I]]. The place was called ''Chasella'' and was a fortification at a bridge crossing the Fulda river. A deed from 1189 certifies that Kassel had city rights, but the date of their conveyance is not known.
[[Image:Kassel-merian.jpg|thumb|left|250px|A map of Kassel in 1648.]]
In 1567 the landgraviate of Hesse, until then centered in [[Marburg]], was divided among four sons, with [[Hesse-Kassel]] becoming one of its successor states. Kassel was its capital and became a centre of [[Calvinist]] [[Protestantism]] in Germany. Strong fortifications were built to protect the Protestant stronghold against Catholic enemies. In 1685 Kassel became a refuge for 1700 [[Huguenot]]s who found shelter in the newly established borough of Oberneustadt. Landgrave Charles, who was responsible for this humanitarian act, also ordered the construction of the ''Oktagon'' and of the ''Orangerie''. In the late 18th century Hesse-Kassel became infamous for selling mercenaries ([[Hessians]]) to the British crown to help suppress the [[American Revolution]] and to finance the construction of palaces and the landgrave's opulent lifestyle.
In the early 19th century the [[Brothers Grimm]] lived in Kassel and collected and wrote most of their [[fairy tales]]. At this time (1803) the landgravate was elevated to a principality and its ruler to ''[[Prince-elector]]''. Shortly after, it was annexed by [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] and, in 1807 became the capital of the short-lived [[Kingdom of Westphalia]] under Napoleon's brother [[Jérôme Bonaparte|Jérôme]]. The electorate was restored in 1813.
[[Image:Kassel-orangerie-von-schoene-aussicht-v-no.jpg|thumb|right|260px|Orangerie.]]
Having sided with Austria in the [[Austro-Prussian War]] for supremacy in Germany, the principality was annexed by [[Prussia]] in 1866. The Prussian administration united [[Nassau (duchy)|Nassau]], [[Frankfurt]] and Hesse-Kassel into the new Prussian province of [[Hesse-Nassau]]. Kassel ceased to be a princely residence, but soon developed into a major industrial centre as well as a major railway junction.
In 1870 after the [[Battle of Sedan]], [[Napoleon III]] was sent as a prisoner to the [[Schloss Wilhelmshöhe|castle of Wilhelmshöhe]] above the city.
{{wide image|Kassel_Panorama.jpg|1600px|Kassel 360° Panorama view from the Tower of the Lutherkirche.}}
===World War II===
Kassel was the Headquarters for Germany’s Wehrkreis IX. This Wehrkreis included part of Thuringia and part of Hesse. The Commander was General der Infanterie [[Schellert]].
Wehrkreis XII was made up of three Bereich Hauptsitze: Kassel; [[Frankfurt am Main]]; and [[Weimar]].
Bereich Hauptsitze Kassel was the headquarters for nine Unterregion-Hauptsitze, namely Kassel I; Kassel II; [[Korbach]]; [[Marburg|Marburg (Lahn)]]; [[Hersfeld]]; [[Siegen]]; [[Wetzlar]]; [[Fulda]]; and [[Giessen]].
Bereich Hauptsitze Frankfurt am Main was the headquarters for six Unterregion-Hauptsitze, namely Frankfurt am Main I; Frankfurt am Main II; [[Offenbach|Offenbach (Main)]]; [[Aschaffenburg]]; [[Friedberg]]; and [[Hanau]].
Bereich Hauptsitze Weimar was the headquarters for nine Unterregion-Hauptsitze; namely [[Weimar]]; [[Sangerhausen]]; [[Gera]]; [[Rudolstadt]]; [[Muhlhausen|Mulhausen (Thuringia)]]; [[Erfurt]]; [[Eisenach]]; [[Gotha]]; and [[Meiningen]].
During [[World War II]], a subcamp of [[Dachau concentration camp]] was located here. The inmates provided [[slave labour]] for [[Henschel]].<ref>Edward Victor. ''Alphabetical List of Camps, Subcamps and Other Camps.''www.edwardvictor.com/Holocaust/List %20 of % 20 camps. htm</ref> During the night of October 22/23, 1943, 569 [[United Kingdom|British]] bombers razed Kassel (see: [[Bombing of Kassel in World War II]]), destroying 90% of the city centre; some 30,000 people died in the raid and 150,000 were rendered homeless, in a firestorm comparable to the one in [[Hamburg]] in July 1943. The attack had been disguised by a feint attack on [[Frankfurt am Main]] that commenced five minutes before the raid on Kassel. By far most of the casualties were civilians or wounded soldiers recuperating in local hospitals, whereas Kassel's heavy weapons factories survived the attack generally undamaged. The attack included one of the most accurate target markings since the Hamburg firestorm raid. On the night of the Kassel firestorm raid [[RAF Bomber Command]] introduced [[Operation Corona]] to confuse the German nightfighters, making the raid a complete success -- so devastating that the regional [[Gauleiter]], [[Karl Weinrich]], was removed from his post soon after. He was replaced by [[Karl Gerland]].
The [[US First Army]] captured Kassel on April 3, 1945. After the war, most of the ancient buildings were not restored, and large parts of the city centre were completely rebuilt in the style of the 1950s. A few historic buildings, however, such as the Museum Fridericianum (see below), were restored.
There is a frequently repeated legend among Kassel citizens alleging that the city was close to becoming the provisional capital of the [[Federal Republic of Germany]] in 1949. It is true that the interim parliament ("[[Parlamentarischer Rat]]") was at that time considering a new location for the capital, since [[Berlin]] was then a special administrative region controlled directly by the allies and surrounded by the Soviet zone of occupation. A number of cities were proposed to host the federal government, but Kassel was eliminated in the first round. Most of the members of the German [[constitutional assembly]] (as well as the U.S. Supreme Command) favoured [[Frankfurt am Main]] where the Hessian administration had already started the construction of a [[plenary assembly hall]]. In the end [[Bonn]] won after Chancellor [[Konrad Adenauer]] intervened emphatically for [[Bonn]] which was only fifteen kilometers away from his hometown.
[[Image:Kassel Schloss WAllee f Herkules f w.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Wilhelmshöher Allee.]]
== Main sights ==
Due to the destruction of 1943, the city was almost completely rebuilt in the 1950s. Hence there are very few old buildings in the centre. The oldest monument is the "Druselturm". The "Brüderkirche" and the St. Martin Church are also in part of medieval origin, but the towers of St. Martin are from the 1950s.
What historic buildings have survived are mainly outside the center of town. ''Wilhelmshöhe Palace'', above the city, was built in 1786 by landgrave Wilhelm IX of Hesse-Kassel. The palace now is a museum and houses a world-famous wall paper collection, an important collection of graeco-roman antiques and a fine gallery of paintings comprising the second largest collection of [[Rembrandt]]s in Germany. It is surrounded by a beautiful park with many appealing sights. The ''Oktagon'' is a huge octagonal stone structure carrying a giant replica of [[Hercules]] "Farnese" (now at Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Naples, Italy). From its base down to Wilhelmshöhe Palace runs a long set of artificial cascades which delight visitors during the summer months. The ''Löwenburg'' ("Lions Castle") is a replica of a medieval castle, also built during the reign of Wilhelm IX. After the [[Franco-Prussian War]] of 1870/71 [[Napoléon III]] was imprisoned in Wilhelmshöhe. In 1918 Wilhelmshöhe became seat of the German Army Command (OHL): it was there that the military commanders [[Hindenburg]] and [[Ludendorff]] prepared the German capitulation.
Another large park is the ''Karlsaue'' along the Fulda River. Established in the 16th century, it is famous for the ''[[Orangerie]]'', a palace built in 1710 as a summer residence for the landgraves. Today there is also a [[planetarium]] in the park.
Kassel is scene of [[Documenta]], an important international [[Art exhibition|exhibition]] of [[modern art|modern]] and [[contemporary art]]. Museums include: [[Schloss Wilhelmshöhe]] (Antiquities Collection and Old Masters; wall paper museum), Museum für Sepulkralkultur (the only German Museum of the culture of funerals); Art Gallery ([[Albrecht Dürer]], [[Peter Paul Rubens|Rubens]], [[Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn|Rembrandt]], [[Frans Hals]], [[Anthony van Dyck]]), New Gallery ([[Tischbein]] Family, [[Joseph Beuys]]).
[[Image:KasselStassenbahnObereKoenigsstrasse2489.jpg|thumb|285px|Tram.]]
[[Image:Kassel-habichtswald-herkules-v-no-mini.jpg|thumb|285px|right|The Oktagon above the city.]]
[[Image:Germany CIA map extended.gif|right |thumb|290px|'''Kassel''' (upper center) is near the center of Germany, southwest of [[Potsdam]] and [[Berlin]], south of [[Hamburg]], and east of [[Dortmund, Germany|Dortmund]] and [[Cologne, Germany|Cologne]].]]
== Transportation ==
The city operates a [[tram]]way system; a [[Stadtbahn]]-like system with light rail vehicles running on both main line rail and tram tracks, called ''RegioTram'', is currently being deployed. The city also operates [[bus]]es, and was responsible for the development of the [[Kassel kerb]] which improves the alignment of modern low-floor buses with [[bus stop]]s.
The city is connected to the [[Deutsche Bahn|DB]] network by two stations, [[Kassel Hauptbahnhof]], the traditional central station that has been reduced to the function of a regional station since the opening of the [[Hanover-Würzburg high-speed rail line]] in 1991, and [[Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe railway station|Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe]], the station on said high-speed line where [[InterCityExpress]] and [[InterCity]] services call at.
Regarding [[autobahn]] services, Kassel is connected to the [[Bundesautobahn 7|A 7]], [[Bundesautobahn 49|A 49]] and [[Bundesautobahn 44|A 44]].
== University ==
About the University
The University of Kassel, founded in 1971, is the newest university in the state of Hessen. At present, it has about 16,748 students. The number of staff is more than 2,120, including 327 professors, approximately 900 other academic staff, and about 1,100 technical and administrative staff.
A wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate study programmes is offered in the following fields of study:
Humanities and Social Sciences
Economics and Business
Natural Sciences
Engineering Sciences
Architecture, Urban Planning and Landscape Planning
International Agriculture and Environmental Protection
Fine Arts
All study programmes are open to German and international students alike. A range of degrees can be obtained, including the traditional German Diplom degrees, Bachelor and Master degrees, the Artistic Examination or a Doctorate.
International summer universities, intensive German language courses and orientation programmes for international students make Kassel an attractive place for studying. At present, students from over 115 countries are enrolled at the University of Kassel.
Interdisciplinary research is a priority for the University of Kassel. This includes research co-operation and dialogue with research institutions from all over the world. Our interdisciplinary research centres and institutes:
Centre for Career and Higher Education Research
Centre for Environmental Systems Research
Centre for Interdisciplinary Nanostructure Science and Technology CINSAT
Institute for Solar Energy Supply Engineering ISET.
Each academic year, more than 100 visiting scholars pursue research projects in co-operation with colleagues from the University of Kassel, making a valuable contribution to our academic, social and cultural life. The newly-built International House is located on the campus. It offers accommodation for international guests and is available for meetings, conferences and cultural events.
Two Academy Awards in the area of animation films, plus three nominations, have so far been been won by graduates from the Kassel School of Arts.
{{Splitsection|University of Kassel}}
Scientists from the [[University of Kassel]] have been busy proving that Germany can power itself entirely by renewable energy <ref> http://www.blog.thesietch.org/2007/12/30/germany-going-100-renewable-or-yet-another-reason-why-america-is-falling-behind/</ref> .
== Miscellaneous ==
In 1558 the first German [[observatory]] was built in Kassel, followed in 1604 by the ''Ottoneum'', the first permanent [[theater]] building, and in 1779 by [[Europe|Europe's]] first public [[museum]], named the ''[[Museum Fridericianum]]'' after its founder. By the end of the 19th century the museum held one of the largest collections in the world of [[watch]]es and [[clock]]s. Since 1955 the [[documenta]], an international exhibition of modern and contemporary art, has been held regularly in Kassel. The documenta now takes place every 5 years and the next will be in mid-2012. As a result of the documenta 6 (1977), Kassel has become the first town worldwide, that was illuminated by LASER-beams at night (Laserscape, by artist Horst H. Baumann).
==Famous people==
Famous inhabitants of Kassel include [[Jerome Bonaparte]], brother of [[Napoleon Bonaparte]], while he was king of Westphalia; the [[Brothers Grimm]]; [[F. W. Murnau]], the movie director; [[Paul Reuter]], founder of the Reuters news agency; [[Franz Rosenzweig]], philosopher, [[Philipp Scheidemann]], briefly Germany's Chancellor after [[World War I]]; and [[Louis Spohr]], the 19th-century composer and violinist, who is commemorated by a museum in the city. [[Astrid Proll|Astrid]] and Thorwald Proll, members of the German terrorist group the [[Red Army Faction]] (also known as the Baader-Meinhof gang) active during the 1970s and 1980s, were born here in 1947 and 1941, respectively. Kassel is also the birthplace of [[Annika Mehlhorn]], a German butterfly and medley swimmer who competed in the [[2004 Summer Olympics]]. [[Helmut Hasse]] (1898 - 1979) did fundamental work in algebra and number theory.
== Twinning ==
Kassel is [[Twin towns|twinned]] with
{|
| valign="top" |
* {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Florence]], [[Italy]] since 1952
* {{flagicon|Turkey}} [[Izmit]], [[Turkey]] since 1999
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Mulhouse]], [[France]] since 1965
* {{flagicon|Israel}} [[Ramat Gan]], [[Israel]] since 1990
* {{flagicon|Finland}} [[Rovaniemi]], [[Finland]] since 1972
| valign="top" |
* {{flagicon|Sweden}} [[Västerås]], [[Sweden]] since 1972
* {{flagicon|Russia}} [[Yaroslavl]], [[Russia]] since 1988
* {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Berlin]]-[[Tiergarten]], [[Germany]] since 1962
* {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Arnstadt]], [[Germany]] since 1989
|}
{{Commons|Kassel}}
== See also ==
* [[University of Kassel]] {{Rhere}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.stadtpanoramen.de/en/kassel/kassel.html Kassel City Panoramas] - Panoramic views and Virtual Tours
* [http://www.kassel.de/ Official website]
*{{Wikitravel}}
* [http://cms.uni-kassel.de/ University of Kassel]
{{Germany districts hesse}}
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