May 29, 2025, 5:22 am | Read time: 3 minutes
The Hessian town of Flieden promotes itself with a rather unique title. The community, which consists of five districts and has just over 8,000 residents, calls itself a kingdom. This designation, likely originally intended as a joke, has its roots in the town’s history and is now taken quite seriously by some.
In the Hessian district of Fulda, nestled between the Rhön and Vogelsberg mountains, lies a very special place. More precisely, it’s a community with just over 8,000 residents, consisting of five districts. We’re talking about the small town of Flieden. And it proudly promotes itself with a particularly grand title. Here, they confidently call themselves Germany’s only kingdom. Several legends surround the origin of this designation.
According to the official website of the Flieden community, it has existed for more than 1,200 years. It was first mentioned in a document in 806. In 1357, it became a toll station, and in 1867, Flieden got its own railway connection. This event is also what many associate with the creation of the unique “noble title.” Many workers from the community now had the opportunity to earn money in rapidly growing cities such as Frankfurt, and they seemingly left in droves.
The Origin of the Kingdom
And so it happened that on one weekend, an unusually large number of people at the ticket counter in Frankfurt requested a return ticket to Flieden. Surprised by the unusual demand, the ticket agent allegedly said, “Flieden must be an entire kingdom!” The man likely had no idea what he would set in motion with this statement. The people of Flieden decided to include a crown as a symbol in their community coat of arms from then on.
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Another version of the story of the Kingdom of Flieden is no less tongue-in-cheek. According to this version, during the Wars of Liberation against the French Emperor Napoleon, many young men from Hesse were conscripted. When reporting for duty, they were supposed to state where they came from. A young soldier heard his comrades give place names like Kingdom of Saxony, Kingdom of Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia. When it was his turn, he reportedly replied, “Johann Adam Klug, Kingdom of Flieden.”
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A Town Proudly Bears Its Title
Today, Flieden takes the matter of being Germany’s only kingdom quite seriously. As early as November 20, 1969, the then Hessian Minister President allowed the community to officially include the crown in its coat of arms. In 1995, they elected a king for the first time, who primarily has representative duties. He welcomes the current Minister President once a year. During the 1,200-year celebration of Flieden in 2006, a large festival was held, attended by self-proclaimed royals from all over Germany.
On its official website, the community promotes itself with the slogan “A Kingdom with a Future.” The current mayor, Christopher Gärtner, welcomes website visitors with “Welcome to the ‘Kingdom’ of Flieden.” They are particularly proud to be the only place in Germany to adorn themselves with this special title. Local groups such as the Riding and Driving Club or the local Business and Interest Forum also carry the moniker.