CASSEL, the capital of the former electorate of Hesse-Cassel, now a portion of Prus sia, pleasantly situated on both sides of the Fulda, here a navigable river, 120 m. by rail, n.a.e. of Frankfort-on-the-Main. It contains (1875) 53,043 inhabitants, including military and servants and laborers connected with them. The oldest part of the town consists of a few very narrow, crooked streets, close on the banks of the Fulda; the more modern parts are on hills, which rise gently from the river. C. is partially walled. In Fried richs-Platz, the largest square in any German town, stands the elector's palace, a com paratively mean structure: a little below is the first story of a imerniticent palace com menced in 1820, and stopped in the following year by the death of the elector who projected it. Amongst the other public buildings and institutions, one of the most important is the Museum, Fredericianum, which has a library of 90,000 volumes and some valuable MSS. The picture gallery contains about 1400 paintings, including some excellent specimens of the best masters. In the cabinet of curiosities, there are exam
ples showing the gradual development and improvement of watch-making from the ear liest invention at Nuremberg to the present time. C. contains an observatory, and is the seat of a number of learned and scientific associations. From 1807 to 1813 it was the capital of the kingdom of Westphalia. The gardens of Willielnisliblie—which was assigned by the prevent emperor of Gerinauy to the late emperor Napoleon as a resi deuce after his fall at Sedan, in Sept., 1870—with their splendid fountains and cascades, and the colossal statue of Hercules, within the hollow of whose club eight persons can stand at one time, are only 3 in. from Cassel. There are manufactures of cotton, woolen, and silk fabrics, lace, and carpets. Under the name of Chassala, the town appear to have existed as early as the leth century.