DEUTSCHLAND	GERMANY
Bundesland: Hessen	Hesse
Regierungsbezirk: Kassel
Kreis: Eder-Schwalm-Kreis

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Spangenberg is situated at an elevation of 267 m in the Eder-Schwalm district, about 35 km southeast of Kassel.

Spangenberg castle was founded in 1235. The village below the castle was chartered as a town in 1305. During the 18th century Spangenberg became a centre of clothmaking. The invention of mechanical looms in the 19th century forced most weavers to change their trade. In 1879 Spangenberg was connected to the railroad system as a station on the Berlin–Koblenz Railroad.

Spangenberg castle [top picture: background left] was founded in 1235–1237. After 1350 it was converted to a hunting seat by the landgraves of Hesse. In 1907 the castle became home of the Prussian school of forestry. In 1939 the school was closed and the complex was used as a prisoner of war camp for British and French air force officers. In 1945 the castle was hit by Allied fire bombs and burnt to the ground. The restoration of the castle was only completed in the late 1950s. Since 1985 the castle houses a hotel, a restaurant and a museum.

The Liebenbach fountain [bottom picture] in the market square remembers a popular tale. According to the story, the lovers Kuno and Else would only get the permission from Else's father for their marriage when Kuno would succeed to build a water supply for the town. Else helped her lover, but they both had finished their hard work, they died of exhaustion. The tale Der Liebenbach was recorded by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm in their collection of folk tales. On 12 January 2000 the state of Hessen officially granted Spangenberg the title Liebenbachstadt.