Hessen, or Hessia, a country of Germany, formerly constituting a province of the empire, under the charge of a landgrave. It formed part of the circle of the Upper Rhine, and was situated on the rivers Rhine and Mayn, to the N. and S. of Frankfort, being about 150 miles in length, with a varying breadth. The northern portion, or Hesse-Province, was anciently included in the landgraviate of Thuringia; but in the year 1247, it passed by inheritance to Henry the Child, a prince of Brabant, in right of his mother. From him it descended to Philip the Magnanimous, so well known in the history of the Reformation; and by his sons it was divided into several principalities, the princes of each of which retained the ancestral title of landgrave. After undergoing various changes through family successions and political revolutions, the ancient and acquired territories of the Hessian princes are now divided into three sovereign states, members of the Germanic confederation, and named respectively,—1. Kur-Hessen, called also Hesse-Cassel or Electoral-Hesse; 2. Grand-ducal Hessen, or Hesse-Darmstadt; and 3. Hesse-Homburg.
Kur-Hessen, or Hesse-Cassel, consists of one large mass, two smaller masses, and several still smaller separate portions of land, all situated to the N.E. of Frankfort-on-the-Maine, to the distance of 110 miles, and containing altogether a superficial area of 3724 English square miles. It is divided, or rather united, for administrative purposes, into four provinces, the names, areas, and populations of which are:
| Province | Area (sq. miles) | Population | |-------------------|-----------------|------------| | Lower Hesse | 1703 | 367,575 | | Upper Hesse | 766 | 124,762 | | Fulda | 720 | 138,685 | | Hanau | 535 | 124,328 |
3724
Kur-Hessen is mostly situated on the table-land of Central Germany, at a mean elevation of 500 to 600 feet above the level of the sea; but the southern portion sinks down into the valley of the Maine, beside Hanau and Frankfort. The upper country is hilly and even in its southern portion mountainous; but among the hills there are extensive and even moderately fruitful valleys, drained by abundant streams, which contribute to form the Werra and the Fulda, the two main branches of the Weser; and the Lahn, a tributary of the Rhine. And, as the Fulda becomes navigable at Hersfeldt, 30 miles above Cassel, and the Maine is navigable above Hanau, the country enjoys by their means, an easy access to the ocean for the export of its produce. The climate is generally a degree colder than that of the parts of Baden, at the same elevation.
The chief employment of the people is in agriculture; and rye is the staple production of their industry. Wheat, however, is cultivated in some favourable places, and oats and barley everywhere. Potatoes are likewise cultivated to a large extent, and form a principal part of the food of the Hessians, yielding also a large quantity of brandy. Tobacco is grown on the banks of the Werra, in the district of Schmalkald, and also in the district of Hanau, which is reckoned the best in Germany. The vine reaches the northernmost point of cultivation at Witzenhausen, in the valley of the Werra; but the total quantity of ground occupied by vineyards is only about 300 acres, and the produce insignificant. Hemp is raised in Hanau, and flax in the other provinces, and these two, with wood from the forests, are the chief articles of export. There are some mines of copper, cobalt, and iron, to supply the demand for necessary utensils. Manufactures are very inconsiderable, except for domestic purposes, and yield nothing for export.
Till the present century the sovereign of Hesse-Cassel bore the simple title of landgrave; but, in 1802, he was raised to the dignity of an elector of the Holy Roman empire, and, though the empire was dissolved, and the functions of the electors consequently ceased in 1806, his successors were allowed by the Congress of Vienna to retain the title of Kurfürst, or Prince-Elector, as higher than that of Grand-Duke, then conceded to the landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and several other princes. He takes the prefix of Royal Highness; bears also the title of Grand-Duke of Fulda; and ranks in the 8th place in the confederation, next after the Grand-Duke of Baden. Since that time his territory has been distinguished by the title of Kur-Hessen, or Electoral-Hesse. Till 1848 the constitution of the state was that of a monarchy feebly limited by provincial states. In that year the constitution was made more popular; but the subsequent re-action proved most injurious. During the year 1851, Kur-Hessen was occupied by the troops of the confederation, and subjected to military law. In 1852 a new constitution was promulgated, on the illiberal principles dictated by the diet, and the elector is again virtually an absolute prince, whose rule has been very little satisfactory to his subjects. The Hessians were long considered to be behind their neighbours in intellectual cultivation; but that reproach has been, or is in the way of being, wiped off by the establishment of the usual sorts of schools and colleges. There is a university at Marburg containing 30 professors, attended by only about 360 students.
The state revenue amounts to about L600,000 a-year, and the expenditure to at least as much; and, like the other states, Kur-Hessen is burdened with a considerable debt, the exact amount of which seems not to be known, as the latest published account of it we have been able to meet with, is no later than 1840, when it amounted to 1,642,566 thalers (L246,385 sterling).
The Kur-Hessians belong mostly to the Reformed confession of the Evangelical church; there are, however, many Lutherans, a few Romanists, and Jews. In every thousand inhabitants there are reckoned 600 Reformed, 231 Lutherans, 154 Catholics, and 15 Jews; of the latter the total number is estimated at about 10,000.
The Kur-Hessian contingent to the federal army amounts to 5679 men. Kassel or Cassel, a fine town on the Fulda, about 90 miles N.E. of Frankfort, is the seat of government.