theran church was erected in 1892-1897, a
post office (Renaissance) in 1881, and new administrative offices and
law courts in 1876-1880. The municipal (or Murhard) library, in the
Hanau park, contains 118,000 volumes. The most noticeable of the modern
public monuments are those to the emperor William I. (1898), to the
musician Spohr (1883), and the Lowenbrunnen (1881). In the Karlsaue, a
favourite public promenade lying just below the Schone Aussicht, are the
Orangerie and the marble baths. Cassel is the headquarters of the XI.
German army corps, and has a large garrison. It is a favourite residence
for foreigners and retired officers and government officials. The
industries embrace engine-building, the manufacture of railway carriages
and plant, scientific instruments, porcelain, tobacco and cigars,
lithography, jute-spinning, iron-founding, brewing and gardening.

On a slope of the Habichtswald Mountains, 3 m. W. of Cassel, and
approached by an avenue, is the summer palace of Wilhelmshohe, erected
in 1787-1794. Napoleon III. resided here, as a prisoner of war, after
the battle of Sedan. The surrounding gardens are adorned with fountains,
cascades, lakes and grottos, the principal fountain sending up a jet of
water 180 ft. high and 12 in. in diameter. Here also is an interesting
building called the Lowenburg, erected in 1793-1796 in the style of a
fortified castle, and containing among other things portraits of Tudors
and Stuarts. The principal curiosity is the Karlsburg cascade, which is
placed in a broad ravine, thickly wooded on both sides. A staircase of
900 steps leads to the top. On one of the landings is a huge
rudely-carved stone figure of the giant Enceladus, and at the top is an
octagon building called the Riesenschloss, surmounted by a colossal
copper figure of the Farnese Hercules, 31 ft. high, whose club alone is
sufficiently capacious to accommodate from eight to ten persons. In
different parts of the park, and especially from the Octagon, charming
views are obtained. The park was first formed by the landgrave Frederick
II., the husband of Mary, daughter of George II. of England, and was
finished by his successor the landgrave William, after whom it was
named.

The earliest mention of Cassel is in 913, when it is referred to as
Cassala. The town passed from the landgraves of Thuringia to the
landgraves of Hesse in the 13th century, becoming one of the principal
residences of the latter house in the 15th