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^S GERMANY. [Hersfeld.
ibme perfons though wit^iout any grounds. It was originally an Imperial
abbey of Be?iediBines, four.ded in the year 736 and largely endowed by
Fipin and Cbarlemain, King3 of the Franks. In the year 1370, the Landgrave
Hermann, of Heffe, took the town of Hersfeld under his protedion.
In the year 141 5, the Landgrave Lewis II. made an agreement for it and
other articles ; and, in 142 1, on fome fchemes of the abbot for curtailing
its privileges, illued forth a warrant of protedion for it, difpatching alfo,
at the fame time, to the abbot a letter full of reproaches and menaces.
In the year 1525, this place did homage to the Landgrave Philip. In
1606, Ötho, eldeft fon to the Landgrave Maurice, was eleded adminiftrator
of the abbey, in which honour he was fucceeded by the Landgrave
IVtUiain V. Laftly, at the treaty of Weftphalia, the town and abbey of
Hersfeld, with all its appurtenances, both ecclefiaftical and fecular, and
cither within or without the diftrid ; as, namely, the priory of Gellingen, for
inftance, was transfeired to the honie ai Hejfe-Caßel as an hereditary temporal
Principality and Imperial fief ; ever fince which that houfe has inferted it
in its arms and titles. By virtue alfo of this ceffion, the houfe of Hejfe-
Caffel, in the year 1654, took feat and voted in the college of Princes;
and, by means of this Principality, is likewife entitled to the like privileges
in the Diet of the Circle of the Upper-Rhine. His contingency for it to the
Empire is two horfe and nine foot, or fixty florins. This Principality, as
incorporated with Heß'e, is included in the diftrid oi Fulda; Hersfeld being
its convocatory town. It confifls of the following prefedurefhips and
places ;
viz.
Hersfeld, the capital of the Principality and lying on the Fulda, and
containing a palace, a cathedral, a town-church, a gymnafmm and a
wealthy hofpital.
Eichen, or Eicbhf Bingarten, and Hattenbach, two feats with manours
belonging to the Prince.
The bailiwicks and priories of Johannesberg, feated on the Haiin,
Petersberg and Blankenheim, the laft of which ftands near the Fulda
betwixt Hcrsfeld and Rothenburg, but both the other on hills in the neigh- ^
bourhood of the town of Hersfeld.
The bailiwicks of the diffolved deanery, together with l'a>tn and Rchrbach.
The prefedurate of Lower-Aula, which is the largefl in all this
Principality.
The prefedurate of Geysz.
The prefedurate of Landeck, fo called from an ancient caftle which
alfo gave name to the adjacent foreft o{ Landeckerberg, is likewife one of
the largeft and its produce anfvverable to its extent, containing, befides
other places,
Schlenklengsfeld,
a very confiderable village.
The prefedurate of Kreutzberg, in which is
Kreutzberg^