Thesaurus

The city of Giessen is located on the Lahn River between the mountains of Westerwald and Vogelsberg in the state of Hessen in west-central Germany. The settlement was founded there in the 12th century when a castle was built on the site to protect three existing villages: Selters, Aster, and Kroppach. Giessen was ruled by Hesse from 1267, by Hesse-Marburg from 1567, and by Hesse-Darmstadt from1604. Surviving historic structures include the remains of the old castle, the new castle built in 1533-37, and the Schiffenberg Monastery. It boasts several educational institutions, notably the Giessen University where the famous chemist Justus von Liebig studied. Local industries include the manufacture of tobacco products, machinery, pottery, rubber, and textiles. The 2004 estimated population was 73,700.