1365Chapel and cemetery on the Frauenberg

On June 5, 1365, a document was issued at the then seat of the chancellery of Landgrave Henry II in Kassel, which, bearing the seals of the landgrave and the pastor Stephan von Alsfeld, contained a donation from the landgrave to the “dear faithful, the aldermen and the community of our town of Alsfeld”. The landgrave gave the town the land on the hill next to the watchtower “die Warte”, called “Silbirbul”, as well as the right to build a cemetery and a chapel there “for the worship of Almighty God and his mother, the glorious Virgin Mary, and for the salvation of their own souls and those of their ancestors”.

There were several reasons for the town and its priest Stephan, who also held the position of rentmaster and was a confidant of the landgrave, to want a new cemetery outside the town walls. Firstly, the increase in population, secondly, the fact that the burial space in the churchyard had become too small due to the conversion of Walpurgis Church into a hall church and thirdly, the fear of burials within the city walls in view of the increasing number of plague epidemics; the last one in 1348/49 had claimed a large number of victims. (MNic)