Kaufungen

Kaufungen is a municipality in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated in the narrow valley of the river Losse, surrounded by the steep, wooded hills of the Kaufunger Wald, approx. 10 kilometres east of Kassel.GeographyDivision of the municipalityThe town is centred upon the historic villages of Oberkaufungen and Niederkaufungen, which are joined by modern housing developments to form a significant conurbation. The municipality of Kaufungen also includes Kaufungen-Papierfabrik, a largely industrial area on the eastern fringes of Kassel.HistoryThe first historical reference to Coufunga was in 1011, when it was in use as a royal court. However, the extant St. Georgskapelle (St George's Chapel) is believed to be rather older, probably dating from the 10th century.In 1017 Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor and his queen Cunigunde of Luxemburg founded Kaufungen Abbey, a Benedictine convent, perched on the steep edge of the Losse valley above what is now the centre of Oberkaufungen. Upon the death of her husband, Cunigunde entered the convent, and lived there until her death in 1033 or 1039. The Reformation brought the closure of the convent in 1527, but the large church (the Stiftskirche) is still standing and in use as a parish church today. At various points in its history, Kaufungen has been a local centre for mining, glass-making, charcoal burning, forestry and paper manufacture.