Bad Arolsen

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coat of arms Germany map
Coat of arms of the city of Bad Arolsen
Bad Arolsen
Map of Germany, location of the city Bad Arolsen highlighted

Coordinates: 51 ° 23 '  N , 9 ° 1'  E

Basic data
State : Hesse
Administrative region : kassel
County : Waldeck-Frankenberg
Height : 290 m above sea level NHN
Area : 126.38 km 2
Residents: 15,382 (Dec 31, 2019)
Population density : 122 inhabitants per km 2
Postal code : 34454
Primaries : 05691

05696 (OT Landau)
02993 (OT Kohlgrund)Template: Infobox municipality in Germany / maintenance / area code contains text

License plate : KB, FKB, WA
Community key : 06 6 35 002
LOCODE : DE AAS
City structure: 12 districts

City administration address : 		Große Allee 26
34454 Bad Arolsen
Website : www.bad-arolsen.de
Mayor : Jürgen van der Horst ( independent )
Location of the city of Bad Arolsen in the Waldeck-Frankenberg district
Hatzfeld (Eder) Battenberg (Eder) Bromskirchen Allendorf (Eder) Burgwald (Gemeinde) Rosenthal (Hessen) Gemünden (Wohra) Haina (Kloster) Frankenberg (Eder) Frankenau Bad Wildungen Lichtenfels (Hessen) Korbach Willingen (Upland) Diemelsee (Gemeinde) Diemelstadt Vöhl Volkmarsen Bad Arolsen Twistetal Waldeck (Stadt) Edertal Nordrhein-Westfalen Landkreis Kassel Schwalm-Eder-Kreis Landkreis Marburg-Biedenkopfmap
About this picture

Bad Arolsen (until 1997 Arolsen ) is a small town in the north Hessian district of Waldeck-Frankenberg .

The city was the residence of the Counts and Princes of Waldeck-Pyrmont from 1655 to 1918 and then the capital of the Free State of Waldeck until 1929 , before the latter lost its independence when it joined Prussia . The name of today's town Bad Arolsen was the former Augustinian Abbey of Aroldessen, founded in 1131 . In some of the villages that were incorporated into the city of Arolsen in 1974, the dying Low German Waldecker Platt is sometimes still spoken.

geography

Geographical location and landscape

Bad Arolsen and its districts are located on the northern edge of the North Hessian low mountain range about 45 kilometers west-northwest of Kassel in the Waldecker Land . In the Waldecker Wald it extends on the northern edge of the Long Forest at 286  m above sea level. NN . The core city is located between the brooks Bicke (also called Biek) in the north and Thiele in the south, which flow into the Aar , which flows past the city to the south and later to the east . This is a western tributary of the Twiste , on which the Twistesee lies not far east of the city . The Watter, which passes the southeastern district of Landau , flows into this just outside the urban area .

The northern Waldeck landscape around Bad Arolsen, which is only sparsely industrialized, has a hilly character with extensive deciduous and coniferous forests. Nevertheless, the agricultural use through arable farming, animal husbandry and forestry is clearly pronounced.

climate

The climate in the Bad Arolsen area is low in irritation with no extreme temperatures. In the north of the low mountain range there can sometimes be heavy rainfall in north to north-west weather conditions. In autumn, fog, early cold snaps and unexpectedly slippery roads must be expected. In the winter period there is often early and sometimes heavy snowfall.

Neighboring communities

Bad Arolsen borders in the north on the city of Diemelstadt , in the north-east on the city of Volkmarsen (both in the Waldeck-Frankenberg district ), in the south-east on the city of Wolfhagen ( district of Kassel ), in the south on the city of Waldeck , in the south-west on the municipality of Twistingal , and in the west to the municipality of Diemelsee (these three in the Waldeck-Frankenberg district) and the city of Marsberg ( Hochsauerlandkreis in North Rhine-Westphalia ).

City structure

In the course of the regional reform in Hesse , a total of twelve formerly independent communities were merged to form the large community of Arolsen. Here are the districts and their population figures (December 2009):

history

From the foundation to the Reformation

The origins of the city go back to the year 1131, when Gepa von Itter and her three daughters Lutrud, Mechthild and Bertha founded the Augustinian women's choir in Aroldessen . This monastery was also the cradle of the Heinrich Brüne Hofbrauhaus .

The son of Lutrud, Count Volkwin II. Von Schwalenberg , founders of the Count family von Waldeck , took over the bailiwick of the monastery in 1155 . The facility remained in the possession of the Count's House for another 338 years, until Count Otto IV von Waldeck handed over the monastery to the Antonite monks of Grünberg (Hesse) , which led to the monastery’s rapid growth. As early as 1181, the monastery with goods in 20 neighboring towns exceeded all other Waldecker monasteries with the exception of Flechtdorf .

In the course of the Reformation, after almost 500 years of existence, the monastery was secularized in 1526 as the first Waldeck monastery and under the decisive direction of Count Philip III. redesigned to the residence of the Waldecker counts. The complex received a wing extension in the Renaissance style. The brewery of the monastery was taken over as the count's brewery and continued to operate.

From the Thirty Years War to the beginning of the 19th century

Arolsen - Extract from the "Topographia Hassiae" by Matthäus Merian 1655

During the Thirty Years' War , the castle was expanded as a fortress from 1622. In 1634 the work was completed and the residents better protected from raids and looting. In 1668, the count and later Prince Georg Friedrich completed the construction of the Charlottenthal pleasure palace (later renamed Schloss Luisenthal), located at the western end of the Große Allee that was built around 1670. In 1677 the old castle was renovated and the Eisenberger line of the count family moved their residence from Rhoden to the up-and-coming Arolsen.

After Count Friedrich Anton Ulrich took office in 1706, the Princely House planned the construction of a new residential palace, which began in 1710. The complex was designed as a modern baroque complex in the style of Palace of Versailles according to the ideas of the builder Julius Ludwig Rothweil . The demanding construction plan also provided for targeted local development to the west of the castle, as it stands today between the castle and the Evangelical Church . Originally, a geometrically identical, eastern development was to be built mirror-inverted to the western urban area between the residential palace and the church, but the plan remained.

The interior architecture was designed by Andrea Galasini and Ludovico Castello. In 1711, after completion of renovation work, the count family moved into the Charlottenthal Palace, renamed Luisenthal. In the same year Friedrich Anton Ulrich was raised to the rank of imperial prince and in 1717 the acceptance of the hereditary prince title was announced. In the same year, Prince Friedrich Anton Ulrich arranged for the first three houses to be built in the new town of Arolsen.

In 1719 the privileges and freedoms for founding the new town of Arolsen were proclaimed. In the following year the residential palace was finally ready for the royal couple to move in, but the end of the construction work was still a long way off. In 1725, the Luisental summer residence was demolished. After a reign of 22 years, Prince Friedrich Anton Ulrich died in 1728; in the same year the highest state authority moved its seat from Mengeringhausen to the royal seat.

Christian Daniel Rauch

The still young city of Arolsen was granted the privilege of holding three markets in 1731. A year later, in 1732, the first burial took place in the newly built cemetery.

The construction work for the first church in town began in 1735 with the laying of the foundation stone. It took 52 years until the Arolsen town church was completed and consecrated in 1787. Before that, in 1770, the Evangelical Lutheran parish separated from the previous mother parish of Helsen and became independent.

The classicist sculptor Christian Daniel Rauch , a co-founder of the Berlin Sculpture School, was born in 1777 in the Hoppenhof in Arolsen. In 1787 the New Palace Palace was completed as the Wittumspalais of Princess Christiane and the town church was completed. In 1803 Arolsen received further privileges to hold markets. In the course of time, the August market developed into today's large goods and cattle market.

The sons of the city of Arolsen were Wilhelm Kaulbach (* 1804, later von Kaulbach), known as a painter and academy director in Munich , and Friedrich Kaulbach (* 1822), who also became a painter and later professor at the Technical University of Hanover .

From the seat of government in 1849 to the end of the First World War

In 1849, under Princess Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont , what was then the most modern constitutional state law in Germany was passed; four administrative districts were established. In addition to the seat of the state government, Arolsen received the administration of the Twiste district. The so-called pottery house was purchased with funds from the princely domanial administration and converted into the first hospital in the Principality of Waldeck. The facility started operations in 1850.

Princess Emma zu Waldeck and Pyrmont was born in Arolsen in 1858. She became Queen of the Netherlands in 1879 and regent in 1890 . Its great popularity is one of the reasons why many Dutch tourists visit Bad Arolsen.

August Bier was born in Helsen in 1861 . He was one of the leading German doctors at the time and later worked as a professor in Berlin. He became known for his work in the field of spinal cord anesthesia , his advocacy of homeopathy , his invention of the steel helmet and the establishment of the college for physical exercise, which can be traced back to him.

Sophienheim

Waldeck's deaconess house Sophienheim

Princess Helene founded an orphanage for twelve country girls in Helsen in 1864, which later became the Sophienheim. Young Protestant women from the Waldecker Land were appointed as educators. They also looked after old, sick and people in need of care in the surrounding communities. The Bethel pastor Friedrich von Bodelschwingh supported the little home. He sent the deaconess Mathilde Kötter, who took care of the further expansion and the way of life of the Sophienheim sisters with drive and determination. In 1887 the name was changed to Waldecksches Diakonissenhaus Sophienheim. The mother house was built in the immediate vicinity of the Paulinen Hospital on Helenenstrasse.

The Principality of Waldeck lost part of its sovereign rights to Prussia through an accession agreement in 1868 .

Garrison town

Memorial stone "Bataillon Waldeck" (1681 to 1931) at the former barracks
“Memorial stone battalion” Waldeck at the former barracks

The long history of Arolsen as a garrison town began in 1871 with the completion of the first Waldeck barracks not far from today's city center. The Waldeck Battalion , the 83, moved into the new quarters; the previous accommodations in the surrounding villages were given up. This battalion existed since 1681.

Rudolf Klapp

Another great citizen of the city of Arolsen was the doctor and professor Rudolf Klapp . As a surgeon and orthopedist , he played a key role in the further development of his medical branch.

Arolsen 1894

Rail connection

Modern times began when, on May 1, 1890, on the occasion of a visit by Kaiser Wilhelm II. , The train station in the neighboring municipality of Helsen was inaugurated. The railway line, which had its origin in Warburg, was expanded to Korbach by 1893. Another visit by the emperor to Arolsen took place on the occasion of the inauguration of the monument to his grandfather, Kaiser Wilhelm I , in 1899.

An Intercity Express is named after the city .

Bathildisheim

A home for disabled children named after Princess Bathildis was inaugurated in 1912.

The time after the First World War until the end of the Second World War

The end of the First World War and the fall of the German Empire in 1918 had far-reaching effects on the form of the previous Waldeck government. Like all princely houses, the house of Prince Friedrich von Waldeck lost all offices and dignities and the Principality of Waldeck became a Free State . The garrison, which had existed since 1871, was closed. In a referendum on November 30, 1921, the Pyrmont district was separated, assigned to the Prussian province of Hanover under a state treaty with Prussia and united with the Hameln district to form the Hameln-Pyrmont district . When Prussia canceled the accession agreement five years later, this led to major financial problems in the remaining part of Waldeck. In 1929 the Free State of Waldeck lost its independence when it was incorporated into the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau .

Arolsen was already a stronghold of the SS before 1933 . Immediately after the transfer of power to Hitler a command of retired SA - Auxiliary Police in a building of the police administration Arolsen. Since the spring of 1935 Arolsen was again a garrison town. The 2nd regiment of the SS 'Germania' troops moved into the barracks on Grosse Allee . In December 1935 the office of the newly created SS upper section Fulda-Werra under Josias Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont came to the New Palace. The barracks subsequently served as an SA sports school, SS leadership school and, until the end of the war, as accommodation for Wehrmacht replacement units. Here the future actor Horst Tappert was trained on the flak .

Buchenwald concentration camp - Arolsen subcamp

In autumn 1943, part of the Dachau SS Administration School was relocated to what was then the SS barracks in Arolsen. On November 14, 1943, shortly before the opening, 34 prisoners were brought to Arolsen for the renovation work from the Buchenwald concentration camp under the code name "Arthur". The SS teaching staff brought another 26 prisoners from the Dachau concentration camp . In the fall of 1944, a total of 123 prisoners were busy there with renovation work and as service personnel. Most of them were craftsmen from Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Yugoslavia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, the Netherlands, Russia, Czechoslovakia, Ukraine and Hungary.

The SS leadership school and SS clothing store commandos had a special position among the satellite camps , as they were directly subordinate to the SS Economic and Administrative Main Office (SS-WVHA) in Berlin, a high-ranking SS office.

On March 29, 1945, just before the US Army marched into the Waldeck / Kassel area, the SS "evacuated" them. All prisoners were taken to Buchenwald camp. Some have been shown to have failed to survive the death marches that followed .

From the post-war period to the territorial reform in 1974

The city of Arolsen was largely spared from destruction during the Second World War; the invasion of US troops at the end of March / beginning of April 1945 took place without major combat operations.

At the instigation of the United Nations, the International Tracing Service (ITS) was set up in Arolsen in 1946 to clarify the fate of the missing, prisoners and displaced persons from the period of Nazi rule and the Second World War.

Arolsen became a garrison town for the third time in 1952, when the former SS barracks were occupied by Belgian NATO forces. In the course of the following decades, as a result of this and the influx of civilians, a considerable Belgian community was formed, which continues to exist despite the withdrawal of the armed forces.

When drilling in the palace gardens in 1970, a groundwater source was tapped, the mineral content of which led to the award of the title “mineral spring ” for the deposit.

The Hessian regional reform led to the formation of the large municipality of Arolsen in 1974. With the Belgian troops, their civilian personnel and family members, Arolsen had around 18,200 inhabitants in a total of twelve districts. The merger with Mengeringhausen strengthened Arolsen's position as a garrison town.

Territorial reform

In the course of administrative reform in Hesse on 1 November 1970 was incorporates voluntary merger with the hitherto independent community Helsen. On December 31, 1970, Braunsen and Schmillinghausen were incorporated through incorporation . Kohlgrund followed on July 1, 1971. Bühle, Massenhausen, Neu-Berich and Wetterburg became Aroles' districts on December 31, 1971. The series of incorporations was completed by state law on January 1, 1974 with the incorporation of the cities of Landau and Mengeringhausen and the community of Volkhardinghausen. Local districts with local advisory councils and local councilors have been set up for all municipalities incorporated through the regional reform .

From the spa through the bath to the present

The city ​​of Arolsen was awarded the title " Heilbad " in 1977. In 1979 the Twist dam near the district of Wetterburg was opened. The main purpose of the structure is to protect the area further north and west on both sides of the Twiste from flooding; but the tourist value of the newly created Twistesees was soon recognized.

With the first event of the “Arolser Barock-Festspiele” in 1985, a new cultural tradition was established. In 1990 the “Princely Riding School” near the Residenzschloss was inaugurated as a festival hall. The redesign of the Bundeswehr site in the Mengeringhausen district cast its shadow. With the stationing of an anti-aircraft missile unit and the reduction of the armored army units previously stationed there, the change to a pure air force location began.

In 1992 the “Tinnitus Clinic” was set up in the New Palace between “Großer Allee” and the tree park. It is used to treat patients who suffer from noises in the ears ( tinnitus ) and diseases of the organ of equilibrium in the inner ear, and has gained national importance in this area. Before that, the New Castle was a hotel and was taken over by Dorint AG in 1977 as the 7th company in the chain. The experienced hotel expert Werner Flegel, who successfully managed the hotel until 1982, was appointed hotel director.

With the withdrawal of the Belgian NATO troops in 1994, the "Belgische Kaserne" (the former SS barracks) was closed. The use of the site in a convenient central location remained problematic. In Mengeringhausen, the army units cleared the Prinz Eugen barracks, and two additional anti-aircraft missile units turned Arolsen into a pure air force base with around 360 soldiers.

On January 22nd, 1997, the city was given the title “Bad”. On the site of the former technical area of ​​the vacant “Belgian barracks”, the “Arobella”, a modern fun and leisure pool with an outdoor pool, an integrated sauna area and an attached health center, was built in 2000. A 100-meter tube slide is one of the many attractions at this facility.

Another cultural institution was created in 2002 with the “Christian Daniel Rauch Museum” in the stables opposite the Residenzschloss.

The number of troops in the Prinz Eugen barracks in Mengeringhausen, where around 360 air force soldiers were now stationed, was to increase to around 400 soldiers through restructuring. Extensive renovation and modernization work costing several million euros in the barracks and on the on- site training area began in 2002 while the air force units were preparing the relocation to Bad Arolsen.

The 43rd Hessentag held in Bad Arolsen in 2003  brought around 780,000 visitors to the city in summery weather and made it known far beyond the borders of Hesse. However, the closure of the Bundeswehr site in the Mengeringhausen district, announced shortly before the start of the event, was a severe blow for the Bad Arolser people. The stationing of the new units was stopped, the dissolution and relocation of the associations and units as well as the site administration was ordered.

Bad Arolsen lost its status as a garrison town in the summer of 2005 . The Prinz-Eugen-Kaserne was finally closed in December 2005 after all units had previously been withdrawn or dissolved. The city of Bad Arolsen bought the barracks site.

Extensive road construction work was carried out in Schlossstrasse and Bahnhofstrasse by 2007. The city center of Bad Arolsen was largely freed from heavy traffic. The redesign of the church square completed the new image of the city center at the end of 2007.

In 2007 and 2008, the former Panzerstraße was converted into a southern bypass and received the status of a federal highway. At the same time, the main road that had previously run through the city center was downgraded to a municipal road. A significant relief of the core city from heavy goods and through traffic was achieved.

In spring 2009, part of the building of the Prinz-Eugen-Kaserne was demolished. An (environmentally friendly) biomass power plant (wood chips) is now being built there. The city of Bad Arolsen has rented other buildings to companies.

Former garrison town

Its role as a garrison town was of particular economic importance to the town .

  • During the Cold War was from November 1952 to 1994 as part of the Belgian Armed Forces in Germany , the Walloon Regiment 2e régiment de carabiniers-cyclistes (2cy) to 5 May 1959 replaced the first Flemish Armored Reconnaissance Regiment (1 e  Regiment Jagers et Paard) together stationed with a supply company and a pioneer company in the so-called " Belgian barracks " near the city center.
  • On December 17, 2004, the Bundeswehr site in Bad Arolsen-Mengeringhausen was dissolved after 40 years of existence . Over the years, the following units and units of the army and air force were stationed in the Prinz-Eugen-Kaserne :
    • Panzerbataillon 63 (disbanded)
    • 3rd / Panzerbataillon 61 (gem./gekad.) (Dissolved)
    • Panzerartilleriebataillon 65 (disbanded)
    • Panzerjägerkompanie 60 (disbanded)
    • 1st, 3rd and 4th squadron of anti-aircraft missile group 38 (disbanded)
    • 1st, 4th and 5th (now 3rd) squadrons of anti-aircraft missile group 21 (now in Sanitz / Prangendorf in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania )

Population development

Population development of Bad Arolsen from 2005 to 2017 according to the table below
year Residents
2005 (Jun. 30) 16,916
2006 (Dec. 31) 16,664
2007 (Dec. 31) 16.606
2008 (Dec. 31) 16,404
2009 (Dec. 31) 16,271
2010 (December 31) 16,159
2011 (Dec. 31) 16,023
2016 (Dec. 31) 15,501
2017 (Dec. 31) 15,452

Source: State Office for Information and Technology in North Rhine-Westphalia (IT.NRW)

politics

City Council

The local elections on March 6, 2016 produced the following results, compared to previous local elections:

Distribution of seats in the 2016 city council
     
A total of 37 seats
Parties and constituencies %
2016 		Seats
2016 		%
2011 		Seats
2011 		%
2006 		Seats
2006 		%
2001 		Seats
2001
CDU Christian Democratic Union of Germany 36.1 13 30.4 11 40.9 15th 39.2 14th
SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany 27.1 10 24.5 9 30.2 11 31.7 12
GREEN Alliance 90 / The Greens 10.4 4th 9.8 4th 6.6 2 5.1 2
FDP Free Democratic Party 9.1 3 4.3 2 7.3 3 6.9 2
FWG / OL Free voter community / open list 17.3 7th 4.6 2 6.8 3 - -
BGL The citizen list - - 17.7 6th - - - -
OIL Open list - - 7.5 3 8.2 3 10.1 4th
FWG Free community of voters - - 4.6 2 6.8 3 7.0 3
SAY SAY - - 1.2 0 - - - -
total 100.0 37 100.0 37 100.0 37 100.0 37
Voter turnout in% 47.1 48.8 46.8 54.6

mayor

On December 16, 2007, Jürgen van der Horst (independent) was elected mayor in a runoff election with 71.8 percent of the vote. The turnout was 49.3 percent. He took office on June 1, 2008. He was re-elected for a second term on February 9, 2014 and a third term on December 1, 2019, starting on June 1, 2020.

Former mayor
  • 1996 to 2008: Gerhard Schaller

Town twinning

Bad Arolsen maintains partnerships with the following cities:

Numerous Belgian soldiers were stationed in Bad Arolsen and the surrounding area. This explains the relatively large Belgian community in the area.

Culture and sights

Cityscape

City center with city church

The baroque town plan near the castle is remarkable . The street grid shows the checkerboard pattern typical of that time. The plan was to build a mirrored city plan to the east and west of the palace. However, the planning was not fully carried out, as after the completion of the western part of the Marstall complex there was no money left for its eastern extension. The eastern half is therefore determined today by landscaping measures.

Many of the buildings in the eastern part of the old town are listed buildings . Since 1999 there has been a design statute for this area in order to secure the cityscape through ensemble protection .

Great avenue

The great avenue

A special feature of the cityscape is the Große Allee, which was laid out in 1670 and runs for about 1,600 meters in an east-west direction. It is planted in six rows with around 880 oaks. Especially in summer it attracts many walkers because of its shady area. It was conceived as a broad and representative connection between the residential palace and the princely pleasure palace Charlottental, which, however, was demolished in 1725.

Residential palace

Residential palace

Prince Friedrich Anton zu Waldeck and Pyrmont had the baroque residential palace built as an imposing three-wing complex by the master builder Julius Ludwig Rothweil from 1710 and moved into it unfinished in 1720. The construction work dragged on for around a hundred years due to lack of money. The palace was only completed around 1810 under Prince Friedrich. The ceiling paintings by the Italian artist Carlo Ludovici Castelli and the outstanding stucco work by Andrea Gallasini are particularly important . The architecture is based on the Palace of Versailles .

New lock

New lock

The New Palace was built as the widow's seat of Christiane , the wife of Karl August Friedrich , by master builder Franz Friedrich Rothweil from 1764 to 1778 and furnished with a rococo-style interior . After the completion of the construction work, the palace park was laid out and planted in a variety of ways, mainly with exotic conifers. To the south, the park ended with a large, terraced fruit and vegetable garden. A travel guide from 1785 describes the “Princess Garden” as a special beauty. In 1853 the master builder Franz Curtze redesigned the palace in a classical style based on plans by Wilhelm Braß . The interior was completely destroyed in a fire in 1970. In the same year, the reconstruction began with an extension to the south. After the work was completed, the Hotel Neues Schloss was opened there in 1974, and has been used as a tinnitus clinic since 1998 together with a new building . In 1977 Dorint leased the hotel and had Werner Flegel run it as director until 1982.

Museums

Bad Arolsen Museum

The Bad Arolsen Museum , which presents art collections in five buildings spread across the city, is of interest to art lovers . These are in detail:

  • In the Christian Daniel Rauch Museum in the Marstall, numerous sculptures are on loan from the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin together with works by Christian Daniel Rauch .
  • The CD Rauch birthplace , Christian Daniel Rauch's birthplace , shows both personal items from the artist's life and his sketches.
  • The Schreiber House offers, among other things, paintings and graphic works from the 19th century from the painter dynasty around Wilhelm von Kaulbach . The ballroom, designed by Johann Friedrich Valentin , is one of the most beautiful in Hesse with its carvings.
  • The Kaulbachhaus , the birthplace of the history painter and illustrator Wilhelm von Kaulbach, is one of the oldest buildings in the city. It houses paintings and graphic works by the Arols family of painters and an original carpenter's workshop.
  • In addition to its own sightseeing opportunities, the Residenzschloss offers changing art exhibitions.

Other museums

  • Local history museum in Mengeringhausen,
  • Home office in Helsen,
  • Waldecker toy museum in Massenhausen
  • Museum for Spring and Easter Customs in Schmillinghausen

Events

Annual events
  • Since 1985, the nationally known Arolser Baroque Festival has been presented in the “Fürstliche Reitbahn” festival hall.
  • Since 1985 the traditional Bad Arolser Easter market and since 2007 on Easter Sunday the Easter bonfire of the Bad Arolsen volunteer fire brigade takes place on the Königsberg fairground.
  • Every year, in the first week of August, the Arolser Kram- und Viehmarkt , which today is one of the largest folk festivals in North Hesse, is held on the Königsberg with a trade show and the traditional cattle drive on Friday morning. 2010 for the 280th time.
  • International Bad Arolser Twistesee triathlon every year in mid / end of August
  • Landau junk and livestock market in the Landau district
  • Twistesee -Adventsmarathon on the Saturday before the first Advent
  • Christmas market - on four days on the church square in the city center. In addition to the usual market stalls and rides, live music is offered on several stages.
other events
  • In 2003 Bad Arolsen hosted the 43rd  Hessentag .
  • On July 6th and 7th, 2007 and from July 9th to 12th, 2008 the first two “ Magic Circle Festivals ” took place in the former Prinz-Eugen-Kaserne in Mengeringhausen.
  • Every seven years, the Mengeringhausen district is the venue for the traditional big free shooting . The next event is planned for 2021.

Twist lake

An excursion destination in the immediate vicinity of Bad Arolsen is the Twistesee, which was created as a flood protection structure and offers many recreational opportunities. The reservoir at the inflow of the Twistesees is designated as a bird sanctuary . On the west bank there is a lido with changing facilities, toilet and kiosk, a golf course and a water ski lift are nearby. A 7 km long circular path around the lake leads on the west bank over the beach promenade, on the east bank only partly asphalted with a few short but steep inclines through the forest, which here extends to the lake bank.

and display information about the image
Panoramic picture of the Twistesees with the "Cafe im See" and the Bad Arolser district Wetterburg. Direction of view from south (left) to southwest (right)

The Edersee is about 22 kilometers south of the city and offers a wide range of leisure activities.

Economy and Infrastructure

tourism

Bad Arolsen and its districts are located in a distinctly hilly landscape with extensive forests. Numerous hiking trails and cycle routes are signposted.

The German-Dutch holiday route “ Oranier Route ” runs through the city .

traffic

Bad Arolsen is on the railway line from Kassel to Korbach . A large part of the local public transport is carried out with buses of the North Hessian Transport Association (NVV). The city is also served by the Ruhr-Sieg bus service (BRS). A collective call taxi service is also offered in the city ​​of Bad Arolsen .

The city is on the federal highways 252 ( East Westphalia - Marburg ) and 450 (Bad Arolsen - Wolfhagen - Fritzlar ). In the north, Bad Arolsen is connected to the motorway network about 13 km away via the B 252 ( A 44 , Diemelstadt junction ).

Marsberg , Diemelsee , Volkmarsen and Bad Wildungen can be reached via country and district roads, and the neighboring cities of Diemelstadt , Wolfhagen and Korbach via federal roads .

With the expansion of the Hagenstrasse, formerly used as Panzerstrasse, to the federal highway 450, Bad Arolsen will have a southern bypass from the end of 2008. This contributes to the further calming of traffic in the city, the urban area is largely relieved of heavy traffic.

Established businesses

In addition to numerous smaller companies, the city's largest employers are:

  • ALMO products Erwin Busch GmbH, a global manufacturer of disposable medical syringes (belongs to the B. Braun Melsungen Group ).
  • HEWI Heinrich Wilke GmbH, manufacturer of sanitary programs, fittings, signage, electronic locking systems.
  • Superior Essex Inc. (USA) [part of the LS Cable & System group ], which operates a production facility for the manufacture and lacquer coating of copper winding wires and which had been taken over in 1992 from Alcatel.
  • H-Hotels AG (formerly "Hospitality Alliance AG Germany", before that "TREFF Hotels"), one of the largest hotel chains in Germany.

Commercial areas

Former Belgian barracks

After the withdrawal of the Belgian armed forces in 1994, the entire area of ​​the former “ Belgian barracks ” in a good inner city location was unused for a long time. The large parade ground was only occasionally used for public events. After long negotiations, a shopping center with spacious parking areas was built , including the parts that are partially listed .

On the Hagen

Since August 2006, an industrial and commercial park has been under construction on Bundesstrasse 450 on the site of the former Prinz-Eugen-Kaserne in the Mengeringhausen district. A wood-fired thermal power station with a combustion output of 20 MW is currently under construction, and the construction of a biogas plant with an electrical output of 2.5 MW is planned for 2009. An asphalt mixing plant is located on the eastern edge of the former barracks area.

Mengeringhäuser field

The largest industrial area in Bad Arolsen is located southwest of the city center in the "Mengeringhäuser Feld". It has a direct connection to the federal highway 252 .

In the sieves

The smallest industrial area in Bad Arolsen is located on the former site of the hagro furniture factory near the train station. Companies from the fields of advertising, trade, craft and industry are located there, as is the BAC Theater (Bad Arolsen Company e.V.). The BAC is an independent theater company.

Public facilities

Bad Arolsen is the seat of an administrative office of the Hessian Office for Roads and Transportation as well as a branch office of the vehicle registration authority of the district Waldeck-Frankenberg (in the historical town hall Mengeringhausen). The Bad Arolsen District Court is also located in the city.

Tracing service

The main building of the ITS

Bad Arolsen has been the headquarters of the International Tracing Service (ITS) since 1946 , a documentation center on Nazi persecution that was set up for survivors and their families. From 1955 this institution was directed and administered by the International Committee of the Red Cross . The Federal Archives took over this function at the turn of the year 2012/13, as the ITS's area of ​​responsibility had meanwhile changed from humanitarian to archival and it is now primarily used for research; the Red Cross continues to have observer status. The funding is provided by the Federal Republic of Germany. Since May 21, 2019, the facility has been called Arolsen Archives - International Center on Nazi Persecution .

Special registry office

According to Section 38 of the Civil Status Act , the registrar of the special registry office in Bad Arolsen is solely responsible for documenting the deaths of prisoners from the former German concentration camps .

education

Bad Arolsen has a wide range of schools:

  • four primary schools (core town Bad Arolsen, Helsen, Landau, Mengeringhausen)
  • two special schools (Heinrich Lüttecke School, Karl Preising School)
  • a secondary and secondary school (Kaulbach school)
  • a high school (Christian Rauch School)
  • two vocational schools ( vocational schools in Korbach and Bad Arolsen , state vocational school in the vocational training center North Hesse)
  • Bad Arolsen Music School
  • Schools in Bad Arolsen

  • Kaulbach School

  • Christian Rauch High School

  • Vocational schools in Korbach and Bad Arolsen Location: Bad Arolsen

The following institutions of local child and youth care are under the direction of the Church Rent Office :

  • eight day care centers
  • the children's home "Sophienheim"
  • the youth and cultural center "Come In"

The Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck with numerous parish offices, diaconal institutions, kindergartens and the church district office.

Handicapped care

Since 1912 there have been facilities for the care of disabled people in Bad Arolsen . After her namesake, Princess Bathildis, which now consists of three departments was Bathildisheim named. The basis was a home for the care of physically handicapped children. Today the Bathildisheim is divided as a school, care and support center for disabled people into:

In total, more than 1,100 disabled people are looked after, trained and cared for in these facilities.

Bad Arolsen Hospital

health

Bad Arolsen has several hospitals and special clinics:

  • " Krankenhaus Bad Arolsen GmbH " as a general hospital
  • "Medical-psychosomatic clinic Große Allee". Competence center for psychosomatics for the treatment of tinnitus , depression, anxiety disorders and burn-out syndrome as well as vertigo
  • "Medical-Psychosomatic Clinic Bad Arolsen". Specialist hospital for psychosomatic medicine, part of the hospital plan of the State of Hesse since April 1, 2008
  • “Health center in the Arobella leisure pool”. Health care and therapy.

Personalities

Honorary citizen

sons and daughters of the town

(If not specified, the place of birth is Arolsen or unknown)

Ludwig von Stieglitz
Wilhelm von Kaulbach 1864

Have worked in Bad Arolsen

literature

  • Ursula Braasch-Schwersmann, Holger Th. Gräf (arrangement): Hessischer Städteatlas, delivery I, 1: Arolsen. Hessian State Office for Historical Regional Studies, Marburg 2005, ISBN 3-87707-642-4 . ( Text booklet )
  • Sigrid Puntigam: From the planned city to the real city . A3 flyer, folded twice (i.e. 6 pages) with small, narrow font. Edited by Museum Bad Arolsen 1998
  • Birgit Kümmel (Eds.), Bernd Steltner, Andrea El-Danasouri u. a .: Made in Arolsen. HEWI and the Kaulbachs . Between court handcraft and industrial design , exhibition catalog. Museum Bad Arolsen and Museum Association, Bad Arolsen 1998, ISBN 3-930930-05-6 .
  • Birgit Kümmel , Richard Hüttel (Ed.): Arolsen - Meanwhile it wants to shine. A baroque residence. On behalf of the city of Arolsen. Bing, Korbach 1992, ISBN 3-87077-086-4 .
  • Marianne Jedicke: Arolsen. Edelhof - monastery - residence - city. Arolsen 1992
  • Michael Winkelmann: Suddenly they are gone. Arolser Jews in the 20th Century. Kassel 1992, ISBN 3-88122-671-0 .
  • Friedrich Bleibaum: The architectural and art monuments of the administrative district of Kassel. NF Volume 2: Circle of Twists . Edited by Gottfried Ganßauge, Walter Kramm and Wolfgang Meding, Kassel 1938
  • Adolf Gabert: Arolsen, a princely residence of the 18th century. Mengeringhausen 1909
  • Literature about Bad Arolsen in the Hessian Bibliography

Web links

Commons : Bad Arolsen  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files
Wikisource: Bad Arolsen in Merian's Topographia Hassiae  - sources and full texts
Wikivoyage: Bad Arolsen  - travel guide

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hessian State Statistical Office: Population status on December 31, 2019 (districts and urban districts as well as municipalities, population figures based on the 2011 census) ( help ).
  2. ↑ Hesse time travel from Jens Kölker , broadcast HR television of 18 January 2011
  3. ↑ Structural data as of December 15, 2009.
  4. ↑ Handbook of Historic Sites in Germany, Hesse, 3rd revised edition, p. 15
  5. ↑ Ursula Krause-Schmitt, Jutta von Freyberg, Gottfried Wehe (Red.): Local history guide to places of resistance and persecution 1933 - 1945 . Vol. 1/2: Hessen II. Administrative districts Gießen and Kassel. Frankfurt am Main 1996, pp. 209f.
  6. ↑ http://www.keom.de/denkmal/suche_lager_anzeig.php?lager_id%5B%5D=213&submit.x=84&submit.y=11&submit=auswaehlen {{{dead link] | date = 2018-03 | archivebot = 2018-03 -31 08:05:06 InternetArchiveBot | url = http: //www.keom.de/denkmal/suche_lager_anzeig.php? Lager_id% 5B% 5D = 213 & submit.x = 84 & submit.y = 11 & submit = select}} Buchenwald subcamp Arolsen on keom.de (link no longer available, January 3, 2012).
  7. ↑ Wolfgang Benz, Barbara Distel, Angelika Königseder: Der Ort des Terrors , p. 367
  8. ↑ 25 kilometers of files - Millions of Fates , Eckhard Fuhr, Die Welt, June 28, 2013
  9. ↑ Merger of the city of Arolson and the municipality of Helsen in the Waldeck district to form the city of "Arolsen" on December 10, 1970 . In: The Hessian Minister of the Interior (Ed.): State Gazette for the State of Hesse. 1970 No. 52 , p. 2447 , point 2465 ( online at the information system of the Hessian state parliament [PDF; 4.8 MB ]).
  10. ↑ Integration of municipalities into the city of Arolsen, Waldeck district from January 7, 1971 . In: The Hessian Minister of the Interior (ed.): State Gazette for the State of Hesse. 1971 No. 4 , p. 142 , point 181 ( online at the information system of the Hessian state parliament [PDF; 6.3 MB ]).
  11. ^ Municipal reform in Hesse: mergers and integrations of municipalities from June 21, 1971 . In: The Hessian Minister of the Interior (ed.): State Gazette for the State of Hesse. 1971 No. 28 , p. 1117 , item 988; Para. 2. ( Online at the information system of the Hessian State Parliament [PDF; 5.0 MB ]).
  12. ↑ Law on the reorganization of the districts of Frankenberg and Waldeck (GVBl. II 330-23) of October 4, 1973 . In: The Hessian Minister of the Interior (ed.): Law and Ordinance Gazette for the State of Hesse . 1973 No. 25 , p. 359 , § 1 ( online at the information system of the Hessian state parliament [PDF; 2,3 MB ]).
  13. ^ Federal Statistical Office (ed.): Historical municipality directory for the Federal Republic of Germany. Name, border and key number changes in municipalities, counties and administrative districts from May 27, 1970 to December 31, 1982 . W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart / Mainz 1983, ISBN 3-17-003263-1 , p. 407-409 .
  14. ↑ main statute. (PDF; 1.9 MB) §; 5. In: Website. City of Arolsen, accessed March 2019 .
  15. ^ StBA: Changes in the municipalities, see 1997
  16. ^ Result of the municipal election on March 6, 2016. Hessian State Statistical Office, accessed in April 2016 .
  17. ^ Hessian State Statistical Office: Result of the municipal elections on March 27, 2011
  18. ^ Hessian State Statistical Office: Result of the municipal elections on March 26, 2006
  19. ↑ Direct elections in Bad Arolsen, city. Hessian State Statistical Office , accessed in February 2020 .
  20. ↑ Call for nominations and announcement of election day and the day of the runoff election for the direct election of the mayor of Bad Arolsen
  21. ↑ 93.13 percent: Arols Mayor Jürgen van der Horst re-elected. December 1, 2019, accessed December 2, 2019 .
  22. ^ Website of the Bad Arolsen Museum
  23. ↑ Waldecker Toy Museum in Massenhausen
  24. ↑ Waldeckische Landeszeitung June 25, 2010
  25. ↑ BAC Theater on bad-arolsen.de
  26. ↑ Online presence of the International Tracing Service