Eschwege (German pronunciation: [ˈɛʃveːɡə] ⓘ), the district seat of the Werra-Meißner-Kreis, is a town in northeastern Hesse, Germany.

The town lies on a broad plain tract of the river Werra at the foot of the Leuchtberg (mountain) northwest of the Schlierbachswald (range) and east of the Hoher Meißner.

The valley basin where the town is located includes a series of small lakes along the northern side of the river.

This name stems from an old Germanic language and means “Settlement near the ash trees at the water”.

This origin is noteworthy for showing that the town arose before Franks overran the area, which was some time between 500 and 700.

As far back as Merovingian times, a Frankish royal court arose here, which kept watch as a border defence over the ford (crossing) on the Werra leading into Thuringia, and which still stood in the 10th and 11th centuries.

The first documentary mention is found in a document from Emperor Otto II, in which he bequeathed the royal court and the settlement to his wife Theophanu.

From 1627 to 1632, this was Maurice's “old man’s seat” after he had abdicated, and from 1632 to 1655, Landgrave Frederick of Hesse-Eschwege, a sideline in the so-called Rotenburger Quart of the house of Hesse-Kassel, was resident here, although he did not actually live in the town until some time after 1646.

In the Thirty Years' War, Eschwege was sacked and widely laid waste by fire in 1637 by Imperial Croats under General Johann von Götzen.

Once their male line also died out in 1834, the whole Quart passed back to the main house of Hesse-Kassel.

After the Second World War ended in 1945, Eschwege belonged to the United States Zone of Occupation.

The US military administration set up a displaced persons camp to lodge Jewish citizens.

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.

At the time of founding, Eschwege was known as Eskiniwach, meaning “Settlement near the ash trees at the water”.

(in each case at 31 December) In Eschwege, there are four Protestant parishes in the main town and one each in the outlying centres of Albungen, Eltmannshausen, Niddawitzhausen, Niederdünzebach, Oberdünzebach, Niederhone and Oberhone.

In the persecution arising in the time of the Black Death, the Jewish community was wiped out.

In the 19th century, however, many Jewish trading, business and industrial operations arose, which earned great importance to the town's economic life.

After 1933, some of the Jewish community's members left Eschwege or emigrated as Jews were being stripped of their rights and subjected to reprisals.

The municipal election held on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results: Social Democrats and the FDP work together on town council.

Furthermore, Eschwege lies on the Regionalbahn line R7 (Göttingen–Eschwege–Bebra–Bad Hersfeld–Fulda) and belongs to the Nordhessischer Verkehrsverbund (“North Hesse Transport Association”, NVV).

This meant that Eschwege West station was bypassed and it was closed for scheduled passenger services.

Besides the customary institutions in a district seat, and those mentioned under “Culture and sightseeing”, there are a town library and the “espada” leisure pool.