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Eichsfeld is a historical region in the center of modern-day Germany, lying east of Göttingen and Kassel. The name Eichsfeld may be derived from "Eichenfeld" which means "field of oaks".
The rivers Wipper and Leine divide the region into two areas of unequal size, the larger Obereichsfeld (Upper Eichsfeld) to the south and the smaller Untereichsfeld (Lower Eichsfeld) to the north. The chief town of Obereichsfeld is Heiligenstadt (aka Heilbad Heiligenstadt). The chief town of Untereichsfeld is Duderstadt. The Eichsfeld covers an area of some 1100 square kilometres (424.7 square miles or 271,815.9 acres). Eichsfeld is about 42% the size of Luxembourg or about 35% the size of Rhode Island.
Eichsfeld was first mentioned in 897 A.D. In the 10th century the Archbishopric of Mainz acquired its first lands in Eichsfeld. In the 16th century the whole of Eichsfeld was finally acquired by the the Archbishopric of Mainz by way of donations, swaps and purchases. With Luther's Reformation in 1517 and the Peasants' War in the years 1524/1525 large areas of the Eichsfeld became Protestant. In 1575 the Society of Jesus successfully established the Counter-Reformation in Eichsfeld.
The Thirty Years' War reached Eichsfeld in 1622 and during the years following several armies (Swedish, Danish, Thuringian) plundered the region. According to the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 the Archbishopric of Mainz reestablished Catholicism in the area which was two thirds devastated and had lost 75% of its population.
Eichsfeld remained part of the Archbishopric of Mainz until 1803 where it was a Catholic enclave in the predominantly Protestant north of Germany. With the Archbishopric of Mainz losing its archiepiscopal character in 1802, the Königreich Preußen (Kingdom of Prussia) acquired Eichsfeld as a result of the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss in 1803. Eichsfeld became part of the Kingdom of Westphalia via the Treaty of Tilsit that Prussia signed with Napolean on 09 July 1807. This was later dissolved after the victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Leipzig (16–19 October 1813).
After the Congress of Vienna in 1815 the Eichsfeld was divided for the first time. The Obereichsfeld became part of Prussia; the Untereichsfeld was allotted to the Kingdom of Hanover. The Königreich Preußen created the Provinz Sachsen (Province of Saxony) in 1816 which included Obereichsfeld. Eichsfeld reunification occurred in 1865 when the Untereichsfeld became part of Prussia and thus part of Provinz Sachsen.
At the end of World War II in 1945 Eichsfeld was once again divided. The demarcation line between the British and Soviet zones passed through the middle of the Eichsfeld just as the border between Prussia and Hanover had in 1815. This later became the border between the Federal Republic of Germany (aka West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (aka East Germany) where Untereichsfeld was in West Germany and Obereichsfeld was in East Germany.
Today in a reunified Germany, the Untereichsfeld is part of Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) and and the Obereichsfeld is part of Thüringen (Thuringia). The affiliation to the archdiocese of Mainz has characterized Eichsfeld until this day. The region has also largely maintained its Catholic structure despite anti-religious systems such as National Socialism and Communistic Socialism.
Sources:
Eichsfeld Wikipedia page
Gatzemeier's Homepage
Eichsfeld Genealogical Links:
Arbeitskreis Eichsfeld der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für mitteldeutsche Familienforschung
Eichsfeld Wiki
The rivers Wipper and Leine divide the region into two areas of unequal size, the larger Obereichsfeld (Upper Eichsfeld) to the south and the smaller Untereichsfeld (Lower Eichsfeld) to the north. The chief town of Obereichsfeld is Heiligenstadt (aka Heilbad Heiligenstadt). The chief town of Untereichsfeld is Duderstadt. The Eichsfeld covers an area of some 1100 square kilometres (424.7 square miles or 271,815.9 acres). Eichsfeld is about 42% the size of Luxembourg or about 35% the size of Rhode Island.
Eichsfeld was first mentioned in 897 A.D. In the 10th century the Archbishopric of Mainz acquired its first lands in Eichsfeld. In the 16th century the whole of Eichsfeld was finally acquired by the the Archbishopric of Mainz by way of donations, swaps and purchases. With Luther's Reformation in 1517 and the Peasants' War in the years 1524/1525 large areas of the Eichsfeld became Protestant. In 1575 the Society of Jesus successfully established the Counter-Reformation in Eichsfeld.
The Thirty Years' War reached Eichsfeld in 1622 and during the years following several armies (Swedish, Danish, Thuringian) plundered the region. According to the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 the Archbishopric of Mainz reestablished Catholicism in the area which was two thirds devastated and had lost 75% of its population.
Eichsfeld remained part of the Archbishopric of Mainz until 1803 where it was a Catholic enclave in the predominantly Protestant north of Germany. With the Archbishopric of Mainz losing its archiepiscopal character in 1802, the Königreich Preußen (Kingdom of Prussia) acquired Eichsfeld as a result of the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss in 1803. Eichsfeld became part of the Kingdom of Westphalia via the Treaty of Tilsit that Prussia signed with Napolean on 09 July 1807. This was later dissolved after the victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Leipzig (16–19 October 1813).
After the Congress of Vienna in 1815 the Eichsfeld was divided for the first time. The Obereichsfeld became part of Prussia; the Untereichsfeld was allotted to the Kingdom of Hanover. The Königreich Preußen created the Provinz Sachsen (Province of Saxony) in 1816 which included Obereichsfeld. Eichsfeld reunification occurred in 1865 when the Untereichsfeld became part of Prussia and thus part of Provinz Sachsen.
At the end of World War II in 1945 Eichsfeld was once again divided. The demarcation line between the British and Soviet zones passed through the middle of the Eichsfeld just as the border between Prussia and Hanover had in 1815. This later became the border between the Federal Republic of Germany (aka West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (aka East Germany) where Untereichsfeld was in West Germany and Obereichsfeld was in East Germany.
Today in a reunified Germany, the Untereichsfeld is part of Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) and and the Obereichsfeld is part of Thüringen (Thuringia). The affiliation to the archdiocese of Mainz has characterized Eichsfeld until this day. The region has also largely maintained its Catholic structure despite anti-religious systems such as National Socialism and Communistic Socialism.
Sources:
Eichsfeld Wikipedia page
Gatzemeier's Homepage
Eichsfeld Genealogical Links:
Arbeitskreis Eichsfeld der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für mitteldeutsche Familienforschung
Eichsfeld Wiki