Kassel

Industrial and university city in Hesse, Germany, on the River Fulda, 155 km/96 mi northeast of Wiesbaden; population (2005 est) 194,400. Industries include mechanical engineering, electronics, and the manufacture of motor vehicles and chemicals. The Grimm Museum commemorates the compilers of fairy tales who lived here. The spectacular Wilhelmshöhe Mountain Park, where Napoleon III was imprisoned after the Battle of Sedan, lies nearby.

It was once the capital of Hesse-Kassel. The city is now the economic, cultural, and administrative centre of northern Hesse. A number of official agencies are based here, notably the Federal Labour Court and Federal Social Court. The Staatstheater is used for opera, ballet, and drama. Other cultural centres include the Hessian Provincial Museum, Natural History Museum, and Wallpaper Museum. The Schloss Wilhelmshöhe (1786-1801) now houses the state art collections, which include 17 Rembrandts and 11 van Dycks, as well as French and Italian masters. The castle's museum is also of interest.

Kassel hosts an annual music festival in October/November.