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Template:Infobox Town DE Fulda is a city in Hessen, Germany; it is located on the Fulda River and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (Kreis).

History

Early Middle Ages

The Benedictine monastery of Fulda (in what is now Hessen, Germany), was founded in 744 by Saint Sturm , a disciple of Saint Boniface , as one of Boniface's outposts in the reorganization of the church in Germany, and a base from which missionaries accompanied Charlemagne 's armies in their political and military campaign to destroy heathen Saxony.

The initial grant for the abbey was signed by Carloman, the son of Charles Martel. The support of the Mayors of the Palace and later, the early Pippinid and Carolingian rulers, was important to Boniface's success. Fulda also received support from many of the leading families of the Carolingian world. Sturm, whose tenure as abbot lasted from 747 until 779, was most likely related to the Agilolfing dukes of Bavaria. Fulda also received large and constant donations from the Etichonids, a leading family in Alsace, and the Conradines, predecessors of the Salian Holy Roman Emperors. Under Sturm, the donations Fulda received from these and other important families helped in the establishment of daughter houses Johannesberg and Petersberg near Fulda.

After his martyrdom by the Frisians, the relics of Saint Boniface were brought back to Fulda. Because of the stature this afforded the monastery, the donations increased, and Fulda could establish daughter houses further away, for example in Hameln. Meanwhile Saint Lullus, successor of Boniface as archbishop of Mainz, tried to absorb the abbey into his archbishopric, but failed. This was one reason that he founded Hersfeld Abbey, to limit the attempts of the enlargement of Fulda.

Between 790 and 819 the community rebuilt the main monastery church to more fittingly house the relics. They based their new basilica on the basilica (since demolished) of Saint Peter's in Rome, using the transept and crypt plan of that great pilgrimage church to frame their own saint as the "Apostle to the Germans". The crypt of the original abbey church still holds those relics, but the church itself has been subsumed into a Baroque renovation. A small, 9th century chapel remains standing within walking distance of the church, as do the foundations of a later women's abbey.

The great scholar Rabanus Maurus was abbot from 822 to 842.

From its foundation on the abbey Fulda and its territory was based on an Imperial grant and therefore a sovereign principality subject only to the German emperor. Fulda was made a bishopric in 1752 and the prince-abbots were given the additional title of prince-bishop. The prince-abbots (and later prince-bishops) ruled Fulda and the surrounding region until the bishopric was forcibly dissolved by Napoleon's minions in 1802. The city went through baroque building campaign in the 1700's resulting in the current “Baroque City” status.

From 1764 until 1789 Fulda had a porcelain factory. Because of its quality and rarity, it is much prized by collectors. The factory was begun under Prince-Bishop, Prince-Abbot Heinrich von Bibra and closed down shortly after his death by his successor, Prince-Bishop, Prince-Abbot Adalbert von Harstall.

Miscellaneous

Fulda also lends its name to the "Fulda Gap", a traditional east-west invasion route used by Napoleon and others. The old West/East German border passed just east of Fulda, and large Soviet and East German forces were stationed in the area. Any conventional war between NATO and Soviet forces was figured to include an invasion through the Gap, and the the US Army stationed the 14th and later the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment) (the Blackhorse Regiment) in the city and surrounding areas as the front line of NATO defenses. The relationship between the regiment and the city was very strong even during difficult periods of German-American relations, and when the Regiment was withdrawn in 1994, the city published a memorial book in tribute to that relationship.

People

External links

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 === Early Middle Ages ===
-The [[Benedictine]] monastery of Fulda (in what is now Hessen, Germany), was founded in [[744]] by [[Saint Sturm]], a disciple of [[Saint Boniface]], as one of Boniface's outposts in the reorganization of the church in Germany, and a base from which missionaries accompanied [[Charlemagne]]'s armies in their political and military campaign to destroy heathen Saxony.
+[[The]] [[Benedictine]] [[monastery]] [[of]] [[Fulda]] [[(in what is now Hessen, Germany)]][[, was founded in]] [[744]] [[by]] [[Saint Sturm]][[, a disciple of]] [[Saint Boniface]][[, as one of Boniface's outposts in the reorganization of the church in Germany, and a base from which missionaries]] [[accompanied]] [[Charlemagne]][['s armies in their political and military campaign to destroy heathen Saxony.]]
 The initial grant for the abbey was signed by [[Carloman, son of Charles Martel|Carloman]], the son of [[Charles Martel]]. The support of the [[Mayor of the Palace|Mayors of the Palace]] and later, the early Pippinid and [[Carolingian]] rulers, was important to Boniface's success. Fulda also received support from many of the leading families of the Carolingian world. Sturm, whose tenure as abbot lasted from [[747]] until [[779]], was most likely related to the Agilolfing dukes of [[Bavaria]]. Fulda also received large and constant donations from the Etichonids, a leading family in [[Alsace]], and the [[Conradines]], predecessors of the [[Salian]] [[Holy Roman Empire|Holy Roman Emperors]]. Under Sturm, the donations Fulda received from these and other important families helped in the establishment of daughter houses  Johannesberg and Petersberg near Fulda.