District of Berge The Berge district was first mentioned in writing in the 12th century. From 1246 to 1623, a wealthy noble family in the area they cultivated named itself after the place. During the 15th century, the aforementioned
Lords of Berge and the
Bischoffshausen family held vassals. The
Lords of Plesse and the
Dukes of Brunswick were tgfeudal lords. From this time on, the Bischoffshausen family dominated the village's fortunes until the 19th century. Significant evidence of the family's influence on local history is the local church , which served as a burial place for some members of the clan. The
Neuenrode estate lies northwest of the village. First documented as a settlement in the 10th century, Neuenrode was twice described as deserted during the 16th century. The core of the estate's buildings that are still preserved today dates from the late 18th century. With fewer than 200 inhabitants, Berge is the smallest district in the municipality in terms of population.
Eichenberg district The village has three distinct settlement zones: In the western part of the district lies the historic core of the village, characterized by a multitude of high-quality cultural monuments and a comprehensive overall complex. Typical are half-timbered buildings from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, whose framework grid is reinforced by K-beams. To the east of the village, beyond the
B27, about 2 km away, is the Eichenberg Bahnhof sub-site. Of note is the railway workers' settlement, which was built around
the station at the end of the 19th century. As part of the village renewal program, the village center was renovated in the early 1990s. A third building of note is
Arnstein Castle in the south of the Eichenberg district (approx. 2 km away). The earliest documented mention of the village dates back to 1258. A property register of the Counts of Blankenburg mentions forest ownership in "silvam de Eikenberge." At the end of the
Hessian-Thuringian War of Succession, Arnstein Castle came into the possession of the
Landgrave of Hesse. After several changes of Landgrave of Hesse's vassals, the von Bodenhausen family was granted it in 1434 and it stayed this way until 1827. In 1840/1850,
lignite mining took place on the eastern edge of the town. In 1858, the
Halle-Kassel railway line was built, followed twenty years later by the
Göttingen-Bebra line. With about 750 inhabitants, Eichenberg is the largest district in terms of population.
District of Hermannrode In a side valley of the
Molle River, 7 km northeast of
Witzenhausen, lies the village of Hermannrode. The village was first recorded in 1267 as "Hermeroth," with the mention of a "plebanus," or
clergyman. An "ecclesie," or church, the remains of which have survived in the
masonry of the preserved tower, first appears in 1305. By the mid-15th century, as evidenced by the reference "deserted settlement called zcu Hermernrade," the village was deserted. At this time, the von Bodenhausen family was enfeoffed with the settlement by the Hessian Landgrave. This continued until 1827. The historical settlement structure is remarkable, with the church, essentially medieval in its core, rising as a fortified structure on a hill. Farm complexes are grouped around it, with residential buildings mostly dating from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Hermannrode has about 250 inhabitants.
Marzhausen district Marzhausen, located on the border with the
Göttingen district, is the northernmost district of the former
Witzenhausen district. Until the second half of the 16th century, the settlement, first mentioned around 1120, was extremely complex in its feudal and ownership structures. During this period, the
Archbishopric of Mainz, the
Mariengarten Monastery, the Wilhelmites in
Witzenhausen, and the Lords of
Ziegenberg and
Plesse were wealthy. Since around 1550, the Hessian Landgraves were feudal lords of Marzhausen. The
Duchy of Brunswick also laid claim to the property there. Final recognition of Hessian sovereignty did not occur until 1831/32. Along the main road through the village, several listed half-timbered buildings, mostly dating from the late 18th or early 19th century, are lined up. To the southwest of the village, there is an estate with historic buildings in a park-like setting. Marzhausen has a population of approximately 180.
Hebenshausen district The
Hebenshausen district, located 7 km north of
Witzenhausen on the
B27 highway, was first documented in the 10th century. A significant feudal lord throughout the town's history was the
Bischoffshausen family, who received property from the Hessian Landgrave and the
Duke of Brunswick. The town's particular regional significance lies in its documented
Jewish community, first mentioned in 1603 and 1606, respectively. In 1745, 20 Jews were recorded as living there, and by 1830, 92 were recorded. The existence of a
synagogue is documented for the mid-18th century, and the construction of a new
synagogue was reported in 1848. Today, it serves as a storage shed, making it the only remaining synagogue of its kind in the old Witzenhausen district. Further evidence of the Jewish population in Hebenshausen is the
Jewish cemetery, located approximately 2 km north of the town. The community of Neu-Eichenberg came into being in the course of municipal reform in Hesse on 1 February 1971 through the willing merger of the formerly self-administering communities of Berge, Eichenberg, Hebenshausen, Hermannrode and Marzhausen. ==Politics==