Evening star., 1927-11-10
STATE OF HESSE
!. HISTORICAL SPOT
England's Hessian Soldiers
Hailed From Another Part
of Prussia.


Is reported to have abolished capital
punishment, lies in the middle reaches
or the Rhine Valley and is slightly
larger than Delaware" says a bulle-
TIN from headquarters of the National
Geographic Society.
Though small in area, Hesse is
ancient in history and important in
It's position at the junction of the
River Main with the Rhine The
modern state was formed from the
Grand Duchy of Hesse. Darmstadt, so
called to distinguish it from it's neigh.
Dor. Hesse- -Cassel.
The two Hesses We're formerly
one. but the duchies were separated
IN the sixteenth century. 1t was from
Hesse-Cassel, now a part Of Prussia.
and not from the modern state of
Hesse that George III Of England
secured his mercenary troops for use
against the American revolutionists.
After the incorporation of Hesse-Cas.
sci into Prussia, in 1866. Hesse-
Darmstadt was known as the Grand
Duchy Of Hesse and later became
state of the German republic. called
simply Hesse.
State Cut in Half.
"As at present constituted. Hesse
consists of three provinces. Rhein.
Hessen and Starkenburg. the two
southern divisions, lie one on either
side Of the Rhine. Ober-Hessen. cut
Off from these by a narrow strip of
Prussia. is situated in a region of
low hills which separate the valleys
or the Rhine and the Weser. The
whole State has the shape of a dumb.
bell from which the connecting rod
has been removed. Rhein.Hessen and
Starkenburg form one ball and Ober.
HeSsen the other The district sur.
rounding the Prussan City of Frank
fort separates the two.
Ober-Hessen is an interesting coun-
try with its hills rich in iron and man.
ganese and it's fields of waving rye
and barley. Giessen is the capital and
chief city of this isolated province.
The pride of Giessen is it's university,
founded in 1907. In the main. how
ever, Ober-Hessen is an agricultural
and industrial region.
Land of Historic Cities.
For romance the traveller must
seek the river provinces of Rhein.
Hessen and Starkenburg. Here are
vineyards world famous for their
sparkling wines and cities which date
back to the days when the Rhine was
northern frontier of the Roman EN-.
pire. i
Such a city is Mainz, near the iunc.
ton of the Main and Rhine Rivers,
formerly one of the strongest fortified
points in the Rhine Valley. Here the
Roman general Drusus stepson of the
Emperor Augustus, established a
camp, around which gathered local
artisans and Roman traders. Thus
grew up city which later became the
capital of Roman province and the |
base OF Roman operations. The Chris |
tan religion was introduced, and after !
the fall of the Roman empire the city |
was for centuries ruled by it's bishops. |
After formation of the German empire |
Mainz was strongly fortified but these
tortltcations were demolished in 1920. |
In recen. years the city has served as
headquarters Of the commander.in.
chief of the French Army of the
kline. known aS the Army of Occupa.
tion
Another historic city of Hesse is
Worms. where Martin Luther defend.
ed his doctrines before the Emperor
Char,es '. One of the most distin-
guiGhed audiences ever assembled L
gathered to witness the occasion. The Il
ancient episcopal palace in which the
historic scene took place has been de. L
molished. but a modern memorial now |
marks the spot. Worms boasts a 900.
year-old cathedral that is considered
one or the finest examples of Ro-
manesque architecture in Germany.
Darmstadt Is Capital.
"Darmstadt, capital of the modern
state OF Hesse. is an industrial town |
OF 10000 Inhabitants, situated in the |
middle of fiat country of little inter.
est to tourists. 1t is noted for it's iron |
foundries. machine shops Id chemical |
works. The city has peasant resi- |
dental sections and a Gucal palace |
dating from the fourteenth century. |
1t was residence here that gave the |
rulers of this region the title of land. |
graves of Hesse-Darmstadt, to distin.
guish them from their neighbors, the |
landgraves of Hesse-Cassel, who lived |
in the city of Cassel farther to the |
north. 1t was from Cassel that Hes. |
sian mercenaries departed for America |
In Revolutionary times.
'Frederick of russia is said to have |
so disapproved of the proceedings that |
he levied cattle tax on the little army
when it passed through his dominions, |
saying that they were hired out like !
animals. In 1866 Hesse-Cassel was an. |
nexed to Prussia because that duchy |
had sided with Austria in the war be. |
tween these two great German states |
Thus it is that the American stu.
dent of history must look to modern
Prussia instead of modern Hesse for
the home of the Hessians of Revolu.
tionary fame. But he will find in mod.
ern Hesse, the old Hesse. .Darmstadt, a
Rhine country full of scenic charm
and historic splendor, teeming alike |
with romantic legend and up-to-date