Hohenroda

The municipality lies between the Rhön and the Thuringian Forest (ranges) in the so-called Kuppen Rhön. The highest elevation in the Hessian Skittles (a range of volcanic mountains), the Soisberg, stands at the western municipal limits.

The nearest major centres are Bad Hersfeld (some 20 km to the northwest) and Fulda (some 32 km to the southwest).

Hohenroda borders in the north on the municipality of Philippsthal (in Hersfeld-Rotenburg), in the east on the municipality of Unterbreizbach, in the southeast on the municipality of Buttlar (both in Thuringia's Wartburgkreis), in the south on the municipality of Eiterfeld (in Fulda district), in the west on the municipality of Schenklengsfeld and in the northwest on the municipality of Friedewald (both in Hersfeld-Rotenburg).

Hohenroda's districts are Ausbach, Glaam, Mansbach, Oberbreitzbach, Ransbach and Soislieden.

With municipal reform, the new community of Hohenroda came into being in 1971 and 1972 through the merger of the communities of Ausbach, Mansbach and Ransbach.

In the leadup to this, Glaam was amalgamated with Ransbach in 1968, while Oberbreitzbach and Soislieden were amalgamated with Mansbach in 1970.

The municipal election held on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results:

Mayor Andre Stenda (independent) was elected to office on 12 May 2013 with 70.7% of the vote.[2]

On the left, the von Mansbach family's arms

The community's Coat of arms might be described thus: Gyronny of six gules and argent, six leaves conjoined at the fess point counterchanged.

The six leaves symbolize the merger of the six former communities into the greater community. They are appletree leaves (which is not mentioned in the German blazon), referring to a variety of apple named after the centre of Ausbach, the Ausbacher Roter, which is often still found growing on orchard meadows. The tinctures silver and red come from the arms borne by the Lords of Mansbach, Electorate of Hesse and the community of Ransbach. The gyronny parting – the pattern of parting lines radiating from the escutcheon’s centre – likewise comes from the von Mansbach family’s arms.

The Renaissance palace (Geyso Schloss) in Mansbach

• Heimatstube (local history parlour) in the timber-frame wing of the Geyso-Schloss in Mansbach. This is where the coachmen lived-
• Heimatstube in the constituent community of Ausbach
• Museum in Ransbach
• Border documentation post on the former border with East Germany

• Baroque village church in Mansbach. Oldest parts are to be found in the choir, reassembling stones shaped to demons to shoo away bad forces. Using this foundation, in the 15th century, a gothic tracery was built. The nave origins from renaissance times, used as a castle for the villains. Small windows and thick walls are witnesses. In the late 17th century Christian Bamberger changed the room into what we see still today. There are to galleries, painted with pictures or citing the Holy Bible. The organ was built in late 18th century and is still almost original. The arched wooden ceiling is painted with angels playing baroque instruments and a sun, encircling Jahwes name, written in Hebrew. The church is the first of this type in Hessia.
• Unterhof (Blaues Schloss or Blue Palace) from 1569 (von Mansbach family’s residence)
• Schloss Geyso (1577–1578) in Mansbach

Sonnenuhrgebäude (Renaissance castle, fortified.

• Grasburg (system of pallisades and walls for refugees) near Mansbach (8th century) Celtic origin? But in the war of 1618–1648 people used to fortify hill tops as those to flee the enemy. Archeologic surveys happened in the 1930s. No evidence of every-day-live had been found. The conclusion is, that Grasburg was a hide-away place in time of dangers, that had been fortified. This is according to tales from Schenklengsfeld, a village in the neighborhood, telling villains tried to hide in holes called "Kroatenlöcher"(Croatian mercenaries fought in that war). Trenches and walls can be seen clear on that place, closing in a nearly circular section, one end touching a cliff, the other end allowing a narrow access through a gate.
• Mansbach Jewish graveyard. Mansbach had a flourishing Jewish community. The graveyard is a witness. Some stones were found in a little river, attached to regulate its flow. That stones were brought back to the graveyard.