Kaufungen

Last updated
Kaufungen
Wappen Kaufungen.png
Location of Kaufungen within Kassel district
Kaufungen in KS mit Labels.svgLiebenauHabichtswaldNaumburgNieste
Germany adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Kaufungen
Hesse location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Kaufungen
Coordinates: 51°16′52″N9°37′7″E / 51.28111°N 9.61861°E / 51.28111; 9.61861 Coordinates: 51°16′52″N9°37′7″E / 51.28111°N 9.61861°E / 51.28111; 9.61861
Country Germany
State Hesse
Admin. region Kassel
District Kassel
Subdivisions3 districts
Government
   Mayor (202228) Armin Roß [1] (SPD)
Area
  Total26.13 km2 (10.09 sq mi)
Highest elevation
250 m (820 ft)
Lowest elevation
210 m (690 ft)
Population
 (2020-12-31) [2]
  Total12,620
  Density480/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
34260
Dialling codes 05605
Vehicle registration KS
Website www.kaufungen.eu

Kaufungen is a municipality in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated in the narrow valley of the river Losse, surrounded by the steep, wooded hills of the Kaufunger Wald, approx. 10 kilometres east of Kassel.

Contents

Geography

Division of the municipality

The town is centred upon the historic villages of Oberkaufungen and Niederkaufungen, which are joined by modern housing developments to form a significant conurbation. The municipality of Kaufungen also includes Kaufungen-Papierfabrik, a largely industrial area on the eastern fringes of Kassel.

History

The first historical reference to Coufunga was in 1011, when it was in use as a royal court. However, the extant St. Georgskapelle (St George's Chapel) is believed to be rather older, probably dating from the 10th century.

In 1017 Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor and his queen Cunigunde of Luxemburg founded Kaufungen Abbey, a Benedictine convent, perched on the steep edge of the Losse valley above what is now the centre of Oberkaufungen. Upon the death of her husband, Cunigunde entered the convent, and lived there until her death in 1033 or 1039. The Reformation brought the closure of the convent in 1527, but the large church (the Stiftskirche) is still standing and in use as a parish church today. At various points in its history, Kaufungen has been a local centre for mining, glass-making, charcoal burning, forestry and paper manufacture.

The farming settlement of Niederkaufungen, situated slightly downriver where the narrow Losse valley begins to open out into the wide, flat plain of the Fulda, is of more recent origin. In 1970 the villages of Nieder- and Oberkaufungen formally merged to form the present municipality. Since 1974, the Stiftskirche has played host to the Kaufunger Konzerte series of classical music concerts.

Points of interest

Stiftskiche Oberkaufungen Kaufungen 001.jpg
Stiftskiche Oberkaufungen
Eis Cafe Cortina Eis cafe cortina.jpg
Eis Cafe Cortina

Both Nieder- and Oberkaufungen have historic village centres, with well-preserved half-timbered houses. The main attraction in Oberkaufungen is the early eleventh century Stiftskirche church which hosts regular classical music concerts. Just behind it lies in the smaller but older St George's Chapel, which is believed to date from the tenth century. Oberkaufungen also has two museums: the Alte Schule (Old School) museum documents the history of the town from the Middle Ages until the present day, while the Roßgang mining museum features reconstructions of historical mining scenes. Niederkaufungen is the site of the Kommune Niederkaufungen, one of Germany's largest intentional communities. Located within Oberkaufungen, there is an authentic Italian Ice shop, Eis Cafe Cortina.

Transport

The A7 Autobahn forms the border between Kaufungen-Papierfabrik and the city of Kassel. The B7 trunk road skirts the town on its way to Eisenach, and provides easy access to Nieder- and Oberkaufungen.

Kaufungen no longer has a passenger railway service, but instead is connected to Kassel's tram network. The frequent number 4 service runs directly to the city centre and onwards to the mainline railway station at Wilhelmshöhe. In the other direction, the tram line continues up the Losse valley through Helsa to its end in Hessisch Lichtenau. Through the centre of Niederkaufungen the railway and tram lines run together in an unusual six-rail gauntlet track configuration, which allows a narrow tram-train to reach the platform, but still allows space for mainline freight trains down the centre.

Kaufungen is situated on the Märchenlandweg (literally: fairy tale way), a long distance footpath and riding and cycle way.

Twin towns

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helsa</span> Municipality in Hesse, Germany

Helsa is a municipality and village in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. The municipality is situated in the Losse valley amongst the hills of the Kaufunger Wald, approx. 15 km east of Kassel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vellmar</span> Town in Hesse, Germany

Vellmar is a town in the Kassel district, in Hesse, Germany. It is located on the Ahne river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twistetal</span> Municipality in Hesse, Germany

Twistetal is a community in Waldeck-Frankenberg in northwest Hesse, Germany, southwest of Bad Arolsen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baunatal</span> Town in Hesse, Germany

Baunatal is a town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is a comparatively young town which arose from fusion of the formerly independent municipalities Altenbauna, Altenritte, Großenritte, Guntershausen, Hertingshausen, Kirchbauna and Rengershausen in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nidderau</span> Town in Hesse, Germany

Nidderau is a town in the Main-Kinzig district, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated approximately 12 km north of Hanau, and 20 km northeast of Frankfurt. Nidderau was created in the merger of the municipality of Heldenbergen with the town of Windecken on January 1, 1970. Eichen and Erbstadt joined Nidderau on January 1, 1972 and Ostheim merged with Nidderau in July 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edermünde</span> Municipality in Hesse, Germany

Edermünde is a municipality in northern Hesse, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frielendorf</span> Municipality in Hesse, Germany

Frielendorf is a municipality in the Schwalm-Eder district, Hesse, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guxhagen</span> Municipality in Hesse, Germany

Guxhagen is a municipality in Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hessisch Lichtenau</span> Town in Hesse, Germany

Hessisch Lichtenau (German pronunciation: [ˈhɛsɪʃ ˈlɪçtənaʊ̯] is a small town in the Werra-Meißner-Kreis in eastern Hesse, Germany. In 2006, the town hosted the 46th Hessentag state festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lohfelden</span> Municipality in Hesse, Germany

Lohfelden is a municipality in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 6 km southeast of Kassel. It has three parts Crumbach, Ochsenhausen and the former independent Vollmarshausen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wabern, Hesse</span> Municipality in Hesse, Germany

Wabern is a municipality in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, Germany. It lies on the Main-Weser Railway between Kassel and Frankfurt. From Wabern, the Edersee Railway runs to Bad Wildungen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freiensteinau</span> Municipality in Hesse, Germany

Freiensteinau is a municipality in the Vogelsbergkreis in Hesse, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sontra</span> Town in Hesse, Germany

Sontra is a small town in the Werra-Meißner-Kreis in northeastern Hesse, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waldkappel</span> Town in Hesse, Germany

Waldkappel is a small town in the Werra-Meißner-Kreis district in northern Hesse, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippsthal (Werra)</span> Municipality in Hesse, Germany

Philippsthal (Werra) is a market community in Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in eastern Hesse, Germany, right at the boundary with Thuringia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meißner, Hesse</span> Municipality in Hesse, Germany

Meißner is a municipality in the Werra-Meißner-Kreis in Hesse, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calden</span> Municipality in Hesse, Germany

Calden is a municipality in the district of Kassel in Hesse, Germany. It is located 12 km northwest of the city of Kassel, and the Kassel Airport is situated near Calden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Espenau</span> Municipality in Hesse, Germany

Espenau is a municipality in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is composed of two districts the Espenau-Hohenkirchen, and the Espenau-Mönchehof both are situated 9 kilometers north of Kassel. As of December 2019, Espenau has 5,158 inhabitants. It covers a total area of 13.59 km².

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Söhrewald</span> Municipality in Hesse, Germany

Söhrewald is a municipality in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 13 kilometers southeast of Kassel. The municipality was formed by the former independent municipalities Eiterhagen, Wattenbach and Wellerode in 1970.

The Söhre is a forested hill range of the German Central Uplands and a subordinate natural region of the Fulda-Werra Uplands in North Hesse, Germany.

References

  1. "Ergebnisse der letzten Direktwahl aller hessischen Landkreise und Gemeinden" (XLS) (in German). Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt. 5 September 2022.
  2. "Bevölkerung in Hessen am 31.12.2020 nach Gemeinden". Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt (in German). June 2021.