Thinking back to the 12th century, this is Kragenhof. It is a place steeped in history and natural beauty. Kragenhof, also known as Gut Kragenhof, is an exclave of Kassel. This unique 75-hectare peninsula is formed by a bend in the Fulda River. Its eastern end even extends into Lower Saxony.
Since 1901, Kragenhof has belonged to Kassel. It was officially incorporated in 1928. It is now part of the Wolfsanger/Hasenhecke district. Due to its location between Lower Saxony and the Fulda, Kragenhof shares postal and telephone codes with Staufenberg in Lower Saxony.
The history of Kragenhof dates back to 1126. In 1155, Heinrich Raspe II gifted the estate to Ahnaberg Monastery. In 1312, Duke Albrecht II of Brunswick-Lüneburg confirmed the monastery’s ownership. After the Reformation, the estate came into the possession of the Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel. By the 19th century, the estate was privately owned.
From 1787, Kragenhof fell under the jurisdiction of the Landgrave’s Office of Ahna. From 1807 to 1813, it belonged to the Canton of Ober-Vellmar. This was within the Department of Fulda, District of Kassel, in Napoleon’s Kingdom of Westphalia. From 1814 to 1821, it was reassigned to the Office of Ahna. It belonged to Simmershausen in the Electorate of Hesse.
In 1901, the estate owner Friedrich Thomée gifted Kragenhof to the city of Kassel. His vision was to create a forest recreation area. By 1903, the first patients of the Society for Combating the Danger of Tuberculosis were treated here. In 1921, the spa reported 2000 guests.
Kragenhof was finally incorporated into Kassel in 1928. Sadly, the spa was partially destroyed during the Second World War. As a result, operations ceased in 1944. Since 1983, the estate has been privately owned. From 2004 until 2017, boxer and home director Lothar Kannenberg ran a training camp. It was for young people with social problems.
In 1855, the first bridge was built over the Fulda in Kragenhof. This railway bridge is now a protected monument. At the same time, Kragenhof railway station was built. However, it was demolished in 1981. From October 1986 to November 1988, a second railway bridge was constructed. This was for the Hanover–Würzburg high-speed railway line.
Today, in 2020, the estate is home to an organic farm. It has a bakery and various event facilities with accommodation. In 2020, the film “Servus Papa, See You in Hell” was filmed here. Jana McKinnon and Clemens Schick starred in this film.
Today, Kragenhof bei Fuldatal is a nature reserve. It offers a beautiful area for recreation. It also protects the unique flora and fauna of the Fulda River landscape.