World War II. It was occupied by US Army troops for a short time after the war and is now a training center for the German Federal Police. Town’s historical names At the time of founding, Eschwege was known as Eskiniwach, meaning “Settlement near the ash trees at the water”. Older people living in town and nearby also say Eschewei or Ischewei. These names may stem from High German and come from Eschwege's original Germanic name. Amalgamations In 1936, Niederhone was amalgamated, and in 1973 in the course of municipal reform, the other six communities named above were also amalgamated. Population development (in each case at 31 December) Religion Churches In Eschwege there are four Evangelical parishes in the main town and one each in the outlying centres of Albungen, Eltmannshausen, Niddawitzhausen, Niederdünzebach, Oberdünzebach, Niederhone and Oberhone. Furthermore, there are two Catholic parishes in the main town (St. Elisabeth and Apostelkirche), a state church community (Bismarkstraße 7), an Evangelical Free Church parish (Baptists) and a New Apostolic parish, whose members attend services at the former synagogue (Vor dem Berge 4). Today (as at 31 December 2006), 13,967 of the town's 22,574 inhabitants (61.87%) belong to the Evangelical Church and 3,403 (15.07%) belong to the Catholic Church. The town's oldest church was built in the 10th century on the spot where now stands the Marktkirche (“Market Church”) Jewish community Already by the Middle Ages, there were Jews living in Eschwege (first reference in 1301). In the persecution arising in the time of the Black Death, the Jewish community was wiped out. In 1457, a Judengasse (“Jews’ Lane”) was mentioned, and from 1507 comes mention of the vicus iudaicus. The Judengasse lay in the town centre between Kohlenmarkt and Neuer Steinweg. In 1580, 30 Jewish inhabitants were counted in town. By the mid 18th century, this had risen to 171 (4.9% of the whole population). The families earned their livelihood at first almost exclusively from livestock trading and goods trading (textiles). In the 19th century, however, many Jewish trading, business and industrial operations arose, which earned great importance to the town's economic life. Even in public life, the Jewish inhabitants readily took part. The community belonged to the Lower Hesse (Kassel) Rabbinate Region, although it had its own district rabbinate. The Jewish population peaked in 1885, when there were 549. As early as 1838, a synagogue had been dedicated. Its interior was