"Bad Hersfeld - Home of the Oldest Party in Germany" Bad Hersfeld by Weissdorn

Saint Lullus (710-786) didn't have it easy as Bonifatius' cousin. Lullus wasn't even a German to begin with - he was English. His cousin convinced him that God's Holy Work was to disperse heathen believe in Charlemange's Empire and bring the light of Christ to everyone (whether or not they liked the idea). And the Chatten people in the Rhön were hard customers, so Bonifatius pulled in reinforcements from the homeland. What started off as a little wooden shack, that Lullus opened for God's Holy Business, grew to be one of the more impressive Romanic architectural landmarks of the day - the Charity Monastery Church in Bad Hersfeld.

Although Lullus, a Celtic Monk, then later Abby for the Bendictine Monastery, and finally Archbishop of Mainz, was not a martyr like his cousin was, he was a stickler for enforcing Catholic rules, and when he died they buried him in the Charity Church (Stiftskirche). Later he was sainted for bringing the Light of Christ into the Darkness of Chatten Germany, and every year the Bad Hersfelders celebrate during the festival period by renewing the Light of Christ Fire during an annual party, called Lullus or "Lols" by the locals. It's reputed to be THE oldest Folksfestival in Germany.

Go Live to Bad Hersfeld!

TRY a new road in Germany! If you want to see some of the most interesting half-timbered houses in Germany, try the TRAVELOGE The Half-Timbered House Road for a DIFFERENT ROAD to travel in Germany.

Or visit the individual pages:
Grünberg
Lich
Butzbach
Gelnhausen
Steinau an der Strasse
Fulda
Lauterbach
Schlitz