--- title: "Willingshausen" url: "https://www.deutsche-maerchenstrasse.com/en/start/discover/cities-villages-regions/translate-to-english-willingshausen" description: "Over the past 200 years, more than 300 artists have come to Willingshausen, making it one of Europe's oldest artists' colonies." language: "en" breadcrumb: "Root > start > Discover > Cities, Villages and Regions > Willingshausen" --- Willingshausen ============== Home to One of Europe's Oldest Artists' Colonies ------------------------------------------------ The municipality of **Willingshausen** was established in 1974 during Hesse's municipal reform through the merger of the formerly independent communities of Antrefftal, Leimbach, Loshausen, Ransbach, Steina, and Wasenberg. Willingshausen lies in the southern part of the **Schwalm** cultural region, renowned for its distinctive dialect (*Schwälmer Platt*), its colourful traditional **Schwalm costume**, and the unique character of its people. Inspired by the region's picturesque landscapes, more than **300 artists** have come to Willingshausen and the Schwalm over the past two centuries, making it one of Europe's oldest and most renowned artists' colonies. ### **Willingshausen for Fairy Tale Enthusiasts** Although many people believe that **Little Red Riding Hood** originated in the Schwalm region, the tale actually has French roots and first appeared in the fairy tale collection of **Charles Perrault** (1628–1703). Nevertheless, there is a fascinating connection between the Brothers Grimm and the Schwalm. Through Wilhelm Grimm's close friendship with the **von Schwertzell** family—particularly Fritz von Schwertzell, whom he met while studying in Kassel and later in Marburg—and through visits to Willingshausen as well as their brother, the artist **Ludwig Emil Grimm**, the Brothers Grimm became well acquainted with the traditional Schwalm costume. The striking resemblance between the bright red bonnet worn by young women in the traditional costume and **Little Red Riding Hood's** famous cap is remarkable. It is therefore hardly surprising that the people of the Schwalm proudly regard their homeland as the true **Little Red Riding Hood Country**. Fritz's sister, **Wilhelmine von Schwertzell**, also collected fairy tales and maintained an extensive correspondence with Wilhelm Grimm. Seventy-five of her letters have survived. The recently published collection **Schwälmer Sagenborn** contains around **50 fairy tales and legends** set in the villages of today's municipality of Willingshausen, while approximately **140 stories** are associated with the Schwalm region as a whole. Another connection to the Grimm fairy tales is found in the work of **Otto Ubbelohde**, whose celebrated illustrations appeared in numerous Grimm editions. The distinguished graphic artist was a frequent guest of Professor **Wilhelm Thielmann** in Willingshausen. ### **Willingshausen for Holidaymakers and Day Visitors** A visit to Willingshausen offers much more than its famous artists' village alone, although the district of Willingshausen enjoys international recognition in the art world. Artists such as **Carl Bantzer** helped establish the village's artistic reputation. Since 1996, the **Willingshausen Artists' Scholarship** has continued this tradition, while the **Willingshausen Painting Symposium**, launched in 2019, has expanded it onto a European stage. The results of these artistic initiatives are presented in exhibitions and at the **Malerstübchen** gallery. Each of the municipality's villages has its own distinctive character: - **Gungelshausen** is associated with *Giselle Tszara*. - **Leimbach** is home to the Fleckenbühl community. - **Loshausen** is known for its white stork nesting sites and music festivals. - **Merzhausen** features a cultural heritage trail with the Wipper Stones and sites connected to Jewish history. - **Ransbach** is home to a modern biogas plant. - **Steina** is known for the Melanchthon School. - **Wasenberg** boasts an impressive church and an innovative district heating network. - **Zella** is famous for its dialect theatre and the traditional **Brühtrog Race**. Many of the individual villages also maintain their own websites, offering further information about local attractions and events. ### Contact on site **Tourist-Information Willingshausen** Merzhäuser Straße 1 34628 Willingshausen Deutschland Tel.: E-Mail: info@willingshausen-touristik.de Webseite: #### Discover Willingshausen ##### Historical Tidbit Willingshausen is first mentioned in documents in 1106 as Willichashuson. Willingshausen owes its foundation as the oldest painters' colony in Europe (according to recent research already in 1824) to Gerhardt von Reutern (1794-1865) and Ludwig Emil Grimm.