The Ländchen was a region east of
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden (; ) is the capital of the German state of Hesse, and the second-largest Hessian city after Frankfurt am Main. With around 283,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 24th-largest city. Wiesbaden form ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
that comprised ten villages: Breckenheim, Delkenheim, Diedenbergen, Igstadt, Langenhain, Massenheim, Medenbach, Nordenstadt, Wallau, and Wildsachsen, plus Domäne Mechtildshausen.
Ländchen was a
Hessian territory for about 300 years. It was bounded by the
County of Nassau
The County of Nassau was a German state within the Holy Roman Empire from the period of the formal recognition of the countly title in 1159 (though "de facto" sovereignty began in 1125) until the declaration of the Duchy of Nassau in 1806 with ...
to the west and the territory of the
Archbishopric of Mainz
The Electorate of Mainz ( or '; ), previously known in English as Mentz and by its French name Mayence, was one of the most prestigious and influential states of the Holy Roman Empire. In the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, the Archbishop-Elec ...
to the east. (It is distinct from the Blue Ländchen at
Nastätten
Nastätten () is a municipality in the Rhein-Lahn-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Taunus, approx. 25 km southeast of Koblenz, and 35 km northwest of Wiesbaden.
Nastätten is the seat of the ''Verbandsgemei ...
.)
Breckenheim,
Delkenheim,
Igstadt,
Medenbach, and
Nordenstadt are now
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
...
s of Wiesbaden. Domäne Mechtildshausen is also part of the borough of
Wiesbaden-Erbenheim. Diedenbergen,
Langenhain,
Wallau The Coat of Arms of Wallau
Wallau in Taunus is a quarter of Hofheim in Main-Taunus-Kreis in Hesse, Germany, and has a population of 4,442 (as of 31 December 2019).
An archaeological testament to the prehistoric occupation of the area was made w ...
, and Wildsachsen are now boroughs of
Hofheim am Taunus
Hofheim (; officially known as Hofheim am Taunus) is the administrative centre of Main-Taunus-Kreis district, in the south of the German state of Hesse. Its population in September 2020 was 39,946.
Geography Location
The town is located on the ...
. Massenheim is a borough of
Hochheim am Main
Hochheim am Main (, ; Old English: Hockamore) is a town in the Main-Taunus district of the German state of Hesse. It is located near the right bank of the river Main three miles above its confluence with the Rhine, as well as on the German Timbe ...
. The Ländchen gives its name to a railway line, the
Ländchesbahn, which traverses this territory.
History
The Ländchen was sold by Count Gottfried IX (X) of
Eppstein-Münzenberg in 1492 to the
Landgrave William III "The Younger" of Hesse. In 1526,
Landgrave Philipp I "the Magnanimous" led the population to
Protestantism
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
. Until the 20th century, the Ländchen was a purely Protestant territory. Thus, the census of December 1, 1910 counted only 248 Catholics and 133 Jews among its 7818 inhabitants.
In the
Thirty Years War
The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine, or disease, whil ...
, the population fell to just 400 citizens in 1630. By 1821, the population was up to 4805.
As a result of the
Secularization of 1803, the Ländchen, as well as the adjacent territories of the Archbishopric of Mainz, were given to the
Principality of Nassau-Usingen (which would become part of the
Duchy of Nassau
The Duchy of Nassau (German language, German: ''Herzogtum Nassau'') was an independent state between 1806 and 1866, located in what became the Germany, German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. It was a States of the Confederation of th ...
in 1806).
[P. Wagner: ''Die Bildung des Herzogtums Nassau und das nassauische Fürstenhaus''. In: Karl Jacobi (Hrsg.): ''Nassauisches Heimatbuch''. Gebrüder Petmecky, Wiesbaden 1913.]
References
Sources
* H. Diefenbach: ''Das Ländchen'', in Karl Jacobi (Hrsg.): ''Nassauisches Heimatbuch''. Gebrüder Petmecky, Wiesbaden, 1913.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Landchen
Nassau (state)
Geography of Wiesbaden