joined to the railway network on the Scherfede-Holzminden line, and was given its own station. In the First World War, 30 Eissen townsfolk lost their lives. In the Second World War, 71 Eissen townsfolk fell. On 1 April 1945, a Wehrmacht infantry company entrenched itself at the southern edge of the village, which drew fire from advancing US troops coming from Hohenwepel. The church and the Kornhaus were thereby heavily damaged and 47 properties were utterly destroyed. The whole of Eissen was damaged, but only two villagers were wounded and none killed. At the end, 14 German and 3 American soldiers had fallen, and 65 Wehrmacht soldiers had become prisoners of war. The rest withdrew along the railway line towards Borgholz. On 2 June 1984, passenger service on this railway line was discontinued, leaving Eissen without rail transport. Löwen The origin of the name Löwen (earlier Lovene) seems to be similar to that of the town of Venlo, namely from Lo or Loh (an old German word for forest) and Venn (marsh or wetland; the word is cognate with the English word fen), describing a boggy wood. This later shifted to Löwen – German for "lions" – but it seems unlikely that the name has anything to do with the big cats. Peckelsheim Peckelsheim had its first documentary mention in Corvey Abbey documents in the 10th century. It was granted town rights on 31 July 1318. The town was burnt down several times by town fires, but always built anew afterwards, even keeping its original town layout today, which can still be seen in the way the streets are arranged Owing to the fires, very few historic buildings are to be found in Peckelsheim. Main sights Buildings Buildings of the former Benedictine monastery of nuns in Willebadessen, founded in 1149 Moat-ringed stately home in Borlinghausen Lookout tower "Bierbaums Nagel" in the forest in the Eggegebirge near Borlinghausen Natural monuments Giant thousand-year-old oak in Borlinghausen on the way to Helmern, legendarily planted by Charlemagne Teutoniaklippen (cliffs) in Borlinghausen on the edge of the Eggegebirge Karlsschanze in Willebadessen Politics Town council Town council's 26 seats are apportioned as follows, in accordance with municipal elections held on 26 September 2004: CDU 18 seats Factional chairman: Hubertus Gockeln SPD 7 seats Factional chairman: Manfred Feierabend Greens 1 seat Coat of arms Willebadessen's civic coat of arms shows two figures, namely Saint Vitus and Bishop