Hesse-Kassel
/ˌhɛsə ˈkæsəl/noun
A former German landgraviate and electorate centered on Kassel, existing as a distinct state from 1567 until 1866.
Did you know?Kassel’s name ultimately comes from Latin castellum, the same root that produced the English word “castle,” while Hesse’s older name is linked by many scholars to the ancient Chatti people.
Etymological Timeline
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Latin / Germanic
Chatti / Hatti
“The Chatti were an ancient Germanic people associated with the region later called Hesse; their name is a leading proposed source for Hesse, though the connection is not completely certain.”
4th–5th Century
Latin
castellum
“A small fort or fortified place; this Latin word is the source of the place-name Kassel.”
8th Century
Old High German / Latin
Chassella
“An early recorded form of Kassel, referring to the settlement and fortress in the region.”
12th–13th Century
Middle High German
Hesse / Hessen
“The regional name became established for the territory and its inhabitants.”
1567
Early Modern German
Hessen-Kassel
“The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel was created when the Hessian lands were divided among the sons of Landgrave Philip I.”
1803–1866
German
Kurhessen / Hessen-Kassel
“The state became an electorate, commonly known as Kurhessen, before Prussia annexed it after the Austro-Prussian War.”