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Eichsfeld
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The
Eichsfeld is a historical region in the southeast of
Lower Saxony and
Thuringia (which is called "Untereichsfeld" = lower Eichsfeld) and northwest of
Thuringia ("Obereichsfeld" = upper Eichsfeld) in the south of the
Harz mountains. Until
1803 the Eichsfeld was for centuries part of the
Archbishopric of Mainz, which was the cause of its current position as a
Catholic enclave in the predominantly
Protestant north of
Germany.
Geography
Today the greatest part of the Obereichsfeld makes up the district Eichsfeld. Other parts belong to the district Unstrut-Hainich, the Untereichsfeld belongs mostly to the district Göttingen,while Lindau became part of Katlenburg-Lindau which is know part of the district of Northeim.
Cities in the Eichsfeld are Duderstadt, Heiligenstadt, Leinefelde-Worbis and Dingelstädt.
History
The Eichsfeld was first mentioned in 897, and in 1022 the
Archbishopric of Mainz listed its possessions in the region, which were increased up until 1573. The
ottonian Untereichsfeld became part of Eichsfeld after being part of
Brunswick-Lüneburg and
Grubenhagen between 1342 and 1434.
During the
Peasants' War within the
Reichsstadt of
Mühlhausen most of the monastries, churches and castles were plundered and most of the Eichsfeld became Protestant.
In 1575 the
Society of Jesus established successfully the
Counter-Reformation in Eichsfeld. The
Thirty Years' War reached Eichsfeld in 1622 and during the years following several armies (Swedish, Danish, Thuringien} plundered the region. According to the
Peace of Westphalia the
Archbishopric of Mainz reestablished
catholicism in the area which was devastated to two thirds and lost 75% of population.
During the napoleonic time Eichsfeld was part of the
Kingdom of Westphalia which was desolved after the vitory over
Napoleon at the
Battle of Leipzig.
Gosips
It remained almost exclusively Catholic after the reformation, when Eichsfeld found common faith and tradition the basis of its identity as a Catholic enclave. According to folklore, 1500 non-Catholic people were burnt as witches and this process helped Eichsfeld to both discover and maintain its identity. From 1949 to 1990 the Obereichsfeld belonged to the GDR. In this atheistic state the people preserved their Catholic roots, and church life stayed relatively intact.
Politics
As part of the traditionalis in Eichsfeld and to state a difference to the surrounding area the percentage of voters for the
CDU is significantly higher within Eichseld.
Recently a memorial to the
Waffen-SS has been erected in Eichsfeld by someone who is a member of the national executive committe of the NPD (
Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands), a German fascist party, in a village called "Fretterode" in the administrative district of Hanstein-Rusteberg.
Quod vide
Wanfried agreement.
