Kassel (redirected from Kassel, Germany)

Kassel (käs`əl), city (1994 pop. 202,160), Hesse, central Germany, on the Fulda River. It is an industrial, rail, and cultural center. Manufactures include textiles, optical and precision instruments, locomotives, and motor vehicles. Kassel was mentioned in 913 and was chartered in 1198. It became (1567) the capital of the landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel (raised to an electorate in 1803; see Hesse). Kassel also was the capital of the kingdom of Westphalia (1807–13) under Jérôme Bonaparte. After Electoral Hesse and Nassau passed (1866) to Prussia and were united as the province of Hesse-Nassau, Kassel was made the capital. As a center of German airplane and tank production in World War II, Kassel was severely damaged by Allied air raids, and many historic buildings were destroyed. Kassel has several important museums. International exhibits ("Documenta") of modern art are held every five years in the city and are considered the world's largest art exhibitions. A former spelling is Cassel.

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Kassel, Cassel

a city in central Germany, in Hesse; capital of Westphalia (1807--13) and of the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau (1866--1945). Pop.: 194 322 (2003 est.)

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Kassel 

a city in the Federal Republic of Germany, in Hessen Land, on the Fulda River. Population, 213, 500 (1970). A transportation center and a river port, the city is the center of a brown coal basin. Major industries include the production of locomotives, automobiles, railroad cars (Henschelwerke), electrical machinery, optical instruments, and textiles. Kassel is the site of an industrial academy, a higher school of architecture, and an art gallery. The medieval Old Town (tenth century) is bounded on the south by the Lower New Town (13th century) and on the northwest by Freiheit (14th century) and the Upper New Town (17th century), with planned layouts. Palace and park complexes from the 17th and 18th centuries include the Karlsaue, Wilhelmshöhe, and Wilhelmstal.