Berkatal

Coat of arms

Berkatal

Location of Berkatal within Werra-Meißner-Kreis district

Coordinates: 51°14′N 09°55′E / 51.233°N 9.917°ECoordinates: 51°14′N 09°55′E / 51.233°N 9.917°E

Country

Government

• Mayor

Friedel Lenze

Area

• Total

19.56 km² (7.55 sq mi)

Elevation

234 m (768 ft)

Population (2015-12-31)

• Total

1,560

• Density

80/km² (210/sq mi)

CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)

37297

05657

ESW

Website

www.berkatal.de

Berkatal is a community in the Werra-Meißner-Kreis in Hesse, Germany.

Berkatal lies in the Meißner-Kaufunger Wald Nature Park at the foot of the Hoher Meißner massif. The river Berka rises within community limits.

Berkatal borders in the west and north on the town of Bad Sooden-Allendorf, in the east on the town of Eschwege, in the south on the community of Meißner and in the southwest on the towns of Hessisch Lichtenau and Großalmerode (all in the Werra-Meißner-Kreis).

Berkatal’s three Ortsteile are Frankenhain, Frankershausen (administrative seat) and Hitzerode. The nearest major town is the district seat of Eschwege. Berkatal lies roughly 40 km south of Göttingen and 45 km east of Kassel.

The constituent community of Frankershausen, having had its first documentary mention in 876, is one of the region’s oldest settlements. At first, Frankershausen was within the lands held by the Counts of Bilstein, who sold the village in 1301 to the Landgraves of Hesse. The Landgraves enfeoffed various noble families with the rights to Frankershausen over the course of its history. Originally, the village core stretched around the village church, which was expanded in the Classicist style. With the beginning of the salt trade in the 16th century, the valley was settled alongside the Berka. In time arose great estates with stately houses with cellars in which was kept wine from the Rhineland meant for sale. Still bearing witness today to the Frankershausen salt and wine dealers’ wealth are the preserved houses from the late 18th century along the Berkastraße and Am Wasser (“At the Water”). In business in Frankershausen today are many craft businesses and trade operations, along with a small metal-processing business. In 1976, the community’s 1,200-year jubilee was celebrated.

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Wikipedia