Eschede

Eschede
Coat of arms
Eschede
Location of Eschede within Celle district
Coordinates: 52°44′N 10°15′E / 52.733°N 10.250°E / 52.733; 10.250Coordinates: 52°44′N 10°15′E / 52.733°N 10.250°E / 52.733; 10.250
Country	Germany
State	Lower Saxony
District	Celle
Municipal assoc.	Eschede
Government
• Mayor	Gerd Bakeberg (CDU)
Area
• Total	195.87 km2 (75.63 sq mi)
Elevation	87 m (285 ft)
Population (2015-12-31)
• Total	5,926
• Density	30/km2 (78/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	29348
Dialling codes	05142
Vehicle registration	CE
Website	www.eschede.net

Eschede (German pronun­cia­tion: ['ɛʃədə]) is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Situated approximately 15 km northeast of Celle, Eschede lies at the border of the renowned Südheide Nature Park, a protected area of large forests and heaths. Today around 20 small villages are part of the "Samtgemeinde Eschede".

In 1975, a large fire destroyed vast tracts of forests in the area. The place is also known for the 1998 Eschede train disaster, in which an ICE train crashed, killing 101 and making it the worst German rail accident since the Second World War.

The painter Albert König (1881–1944) was born in Eschede, and the "Albert-König-Museum" can be visited in Unterlüß nearby.

Eschede was the seat of the former Samtgemeinde ("collective municipality") of Eschede.