Malsfeld

Coat of arms

Malsfeld

Location of Malsfeld within Schwalm-Eder-Kreis district

Coordinates: 51°05′N 09°32′E / 51.083°N 9.533°ECoordinates: 51°05′N 09°32′E / 51.083°N 9.533°E

Country

Government

• Mayor

Herbert Vaupel

Area

• Total

34.49 km² (13.32 sq mi)

Elevation

192 m (630 ft)

Population (2015-12-31)

• Total

3,964

• Density

110/km² (300/sq mi)

CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)

34323

05661

Website

Malsfeld is a community in the Schwalm-Eder district in Hesse, Germany, on the river Fulda.

The community consists of the centres of Beiseförth, Dagobertshausen, Elfershausen, Mosheim, Malsfeld, Ostheim and Sipperhausen.

The community was once a railway hub on the Kassel–Bebra and Treysa–Eschwege lines. It has an interchange on the Autobahn A 7.

Although it had its first documentary mention in 1348 as "Beysenvorte", the community is believed to date back to the 8th century. In 1603, "Beysenfort" became a fief of Philip von Scholley.

Until about 1870, shipping on the river Fulda with Kassel und Hersfeld was as important a source of income as linen weaving and later basketry.

Among the sights to see are the Schiffhaus ("Ship House") where the Beise empties into the Fulda, and the Korbmachermuseum ("Basket Maker's Museum").

A legend holds that the name Dagobertshausen comes from Frankish King Dagobert I, who beat the Wends here in 631. Officially, though, the name has only been used since 1747, until which time the village had been known as "Dabelshusen", "Dageboldishus" or "Taboldshusen".

Dagobert I is also said to have endowed a church, on whose site now stands the "fortress church", built in the 12th or 13th century.

Elfershausen had its first documentary mention in 1253 when the whole village was donated to the Breitenau monastery by the Count of Felsberg. After the Reformation, the village passed into the Landgraves' ownership. Beginning in 1770, the "Domäne Elfershausen" even included parts of Dagobertshausen; it was finally dissolved only in 1971 when it was amalgamated with Malsfeld in what would turn out to be the beginning of the later "Greater Community of Malsfeld", which was formed as part of municipal reforms.

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Wikipedia