Bad Zwesten is a municipality in the Schwalm-Eder district of Hesse, Germany.

Bad Zwesten
Bad Zwesten, at right the Hardtwald Clinic
Bad Zwesten, at right the Hardtwald Clinic
Coat of arms of Bad Zwesten
Location of Bad Zwesten within Schwalm-Eder-Kreis district
KasselFulda (district)Hersfeld-RotenburgKassel (district)Marburg-BiedenkopfWaldeck-FrankenbergVogelsbergkreisVogelsbergkreisWerra-Meißner-KreisKnüllwaldHomberg (Efze)FrielendorfSchwarzenbornNeukirchenOberaulaOttrauSchrecksbachWillingshausenSchwalmstadtGilserbergJesbergNeuentalBad ZwestenBorkenMorschenMalsfeldWabernFelsbergSpangenbergMelsungenKörleGuxhagenEdermündeGudensbergNiedensteinFritzlar
Bad Zwesten is located in Germany
Bad Zwesten
Bad Zwesten
Bad Zwesten is located in Hesse
Bad Zwesten
Bad Zwesten
Coordinates: 51°03′N 09°11′E / 51.050°N 9.183°E / 51.050; 9.183
CountryGermany
StateHesse
Admin. regionKassel
DistrictSchwalm-Eder-Kreis
Subdivisions5 Ortsteile
Government
 • Mayor (2023–29) Achim Siebert[1]
Area
 • Total39.45 km2 (15.23 sq mi)
Elevation
210 m (690 ft)
Population
 (2022-12-31)[2]
 • Total3,832
 • Density97/km2 (250/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
34596
Dialling codes05626
Vehicle registrationHR
Websitewww.badzwesten.de

Geography

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Location

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Bad Zwesten lies about 8 km southeast of Bad Wildungen on the river Schwalm, which belongs to the Eder watershed. North of the community begins the Kellerwald-Edersee Nature Park.

Constituent communities

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  • Betzigerode
  • Niederurff
  • Oberurff-Schiffelborn
  • Wenzigerode
  • Zwesten (administrative seat)

History

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Zwesten had its first documentary mention about the year 800. In 1913 came the discovery of a mineral spring, which in 1960 was officially declared a recognized Heilquelle (≈health spring).

Within the framework of municipal reform in Hesse, the formerly independent communities of Betzigerode, Niederurff, Oberurff-Schiffelborn, Wenzigerode, and Zwesten were amalgamated into the new, united community of Zwesten in 1972. In 1992, the community was granted official recognition as a spa, allowing it to prefix the designation BadGerman for "bath" – to its name.

Politics

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Municipal council

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Municipal representation consists of 23 members.

  • CDU 6 seats
  • SPD 10 seats
  • Greens 3 seats
  • FWG (citizens' coalition) 2 seats
  • Bürgerliste (citizens' coalition) 2 seats

(as of municipal elections on 26 March 2006)

Economy

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Hardtwald Clinic II above the community

The spa of Bad Zwesten bases its burgeoning prosperity on its Löwensprudel ("Lion's Fizzy Water"). In this spa town, two clinics are to be found, Hardtwald Clinics I and II with about 650 beds.

Transport

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Bad Zwesten lies at the crossroads of Federal Highways (Bundesstraßen) B 3 and B 485. About 5 km from the community is the Borken/Bad Zwesten interchange with Autobahn A 49 (KasselFritzlarMarburg).

The community belongs to the North Hesse Transport Network (Nordhessischer Verkehrsverbund) which, among other things, runs a hailed shared taxi to Borken railway station on the Main-Weser Railway.

Literature

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  • Martin Opfer: Zwesten : Betzigerode, Niederurff, Oberurff, Schiffelborn und Wenzigerode ; Bilder und Texte erzählen, wie es damals war, Wartberg-Verlag, Gudensberg-Gleichen 1989, ISBN 3-925277-31-5

References

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