Alsfeld was first mentioned in an official document in 1069.
Excavations in the Walpurgiskirche have discovered that a Roman church existed here already in the 9th and 10th centuries.
It is therefore estimated that the town was founded in Carolingian times.
Between 1180 and 1190 the Counts of Thuringia built a castle along the historic trading route of the Kurze Hessen.
That location favored the development of Alsfeld and it was subsequently documented as a town as early as 1222.

Since 1247 Alsfeld has been part of Hesse and in 1254 the town joined the Rheinischer Städtebund.
Hermann II built himself a castle here in 1395 and for a time turned the town into his official residence.
The city enjoyed rising prosperity due its favourable geographical location and the policies of the Landgrave of Hesse.
 Trades and handcrafts flourished and Alsfeld developed into a wealthy, industrious community on the “Street through the short Hesse”.
 Evidence of this is the church, monastery, towers, town hall and water supply system.
Alsfeld was, for a time, the residence of the Landgrave Hermann II of Hesse, who built a castle here in around 1395.
 Of great importance were the guilds, which gained influence over local government through the so-called “Korebrief” (constitution).
From 1567 Alsfeld belonged to Hesse-Marburg and from 1604 on to Hesse-Darmstadt.

In the 16th century, the citizen's creativity brought about a “golden age” in architecture and design, resulting in the erection of the town hall (1512 - 1516), the wine house (1538) and the wedding house (1564 -1571) - all unique buildings.
 The many half-timbered buildings, which are still in existence today, are what make the market place so singularly attractive.
 Together with the medieval streets and their typical character, the city is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the upper Hessian cities.
 In those days the population of Alsfeld was about 2500 – 3000.

An important building in the Sackgasse area of the old town is the Minnigerode Haus.
Built in 1687 it has an imposing facade complete with two historic painted medallions attesting to the origin of the house, and gargoyles including the head of a lion.
Inside is an imposing spiral staircase created from the trunk of a single tree.
 During the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the house was inhabited by the Jewish Wallach family known to have founded the Wallach Brewery, and a timber yard.
Originally restored in 1975, today the house is again under restoration and will open after 2020 as a town museum.
During the 19th century the town had a vibrant Jewish community at the heart of which was a large synagogue that was destroyed by the National Socialists on Kristallnacht, 1938.
 The Torah scroll, the wooden Ark in which it was stored, and a unique wooden clock recording times of Jewish prayer services were rescued at the time of the fire and are displayed in the Minnigerode Haus.
A well-maintained Jewish cemetery adjacent to a Christian cemetery lies on the outskirts of the town.

Whereas the geographical position of Alsfeld had been to its advantage, it also led to its demise.
 The city was centred on important trade routes and the following 30 Years War (1618–1648) resulted in plunder (1622), starvation (1626), plague (1635), occupation (1640 and 1643-1646) and the destruction of 226 residential buildings and 80 cottages (1646).
By 1648 only 1120 people were still living in the city (mainly women and children).
 The economic and social fall of the city created a population of struggling smallholders, active in crafts and trades and also agriculture.
Many of the fine buildings fell into disrepair.

It wasn't until the 19th century, in 1832, that Alsfeld was to experience a renewed rise as the district capital.
 Railway construction (1870) and the industrial revolution resulted in the fundamental transformation of the smallholding system.
 Motorway connections (1938) and further industrialization ensured that the location regained its previous geographic and economic importance.
Thankfully the historical town centre w
Alsfeld was first mentioned in an official document in 1069. Excavations in the Walpurgiskirche have discovered that a Roman church existed here already in the 9th and 10th centuries. It is therefore estimated that the town was founded in Carolingian times. Between 1180 and 1190 the Counts of Thuringia built a castle along the historic trading route of the Kurze Hessen. That location favored the development of Alsfeld and it was subsequently documented as a town as early as 1222.
Since 1247 Alsfeld has been part of Hesse and in 1254 the town joined the Rheinischer Städtebund. Hermann II built himself a castle here in 1395 and for a time turned the town into his official residence. The city enjoyed rising prosperity due its favourable geographical location and the policies of the Landgrave of Hesse.  Trades and handcrafts flourished and Alsfeld developed into a wealthy, industrious community on the “Street through the short Hesse”.  Evidence of this is the church, monastery, towers, town hall and water supply system. Alsfeld was, for a time, the residence of the Landgrave Hermann II of Hesse, who built a castle here in around 1395.  Of great importance were the guilds, which gained influence over local government through the so-called “Korebrief” (constitution). From 1567 Alsfeld belonged to Hesse-Marburg and from 1604 on to Hesse-Darmstadt.
In the 16th century, the citizen's creativity brought about a “golden age” in architecture and design, resulting in the erection of the town hall (1512 - 1516), the wine house (1538) and the wedding house (1564 -1571) - all unique buildings.  The many half-timbered buildings, which are still in existence today, are what make the market place so singularly attractive.  Together with the medieval streets and their typical character, the city is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the upper Hessian cities.  In those days the population of Alsfeld was about 2500 – 3000.
An important building in the Sackgasse area of the old town is the Minnigerode Haus. Built in 1687 it has an imposing facade complete with two historic painted medallions attesting to the origin of the house, and gargoyles including the head of a lion. Inside is an imposing spiral staircase created from the trunk of a single tree.  During the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the house was inhabited by the Jewish Wallach family known to have founded the Wallach Brewery, and a timber yard. Originally restored in 1975, today the house is again under restoration and will open after 2020 as a town museum. During the 19th century the town had a vibrant Jewish community at the heart of which was a large synagogue that was destroyed by the National Socialists on Kristallnacht, 1938.  The Torah scroll, the wooden Ark in which it was stored, and a unique wooden clock recording times of Jewish prayer services were rescued at the time of the fire and are displayed in the Minnigerode Haus. A well-maintained Jewish cemetery adjacent to a Christian cemetery lies on the outskirts of the town.
Whereas the geographical position of Alsfeld had been to its advantage, it also led to its demise.  The city was centred on important trade routes and the following 30 Years War (1618–1648) resulted in plunder (1622), starvation (1626), plague (1635), occupation (1640 and 1643-1646) and the destruction of 226 residential buildings and 80 cottages (1646). By 1648 only 1120 people were still living in the city (mainly women and children).  The economic and social fall of the city created a population of struggling smallholders, active in crafts and trades and also agriculture. Many of the fine buildings fell into disrepair.
It wasn't until the 19th century, in 1832, that Alsfeld was to experience a renewed rise as the district capital.  Railway construction (1870) and the industrial revolution resulted in the fundamental transformation of the smallholding system.  Motorway connections (1938) and further industrialization ensured that the location regained its previous geographic and economic importance. Thankfully the historical town centre w
Alsfeld