Fulda is an electoral constituency (German: Wahlkreis) represented in the Bundestag. It elects one member via first-past-the-post voting. Under the current constituency numbering system, it is designated as constituency 173. It is located in eastern Hesse, comprising the Fulda district and the southeastern part of the Vogelsbergkreis district.
Fulda was created for the inaugural 1949 federal election. Since 2005, it has been represented by Michael Brand of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Geography Fulda is located in eastern Hesse. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the entirety of the Fulda district, as well as the Vogelsbergkreis district excluding the municipalities of Alsfeld, Antrifttal, Feldatal, Gemünden (Felda), Homberg (Ohm), Kirtorf, Mücke, and Romrod.
History Fulda was created in 1949. In the 1949 election, it was Hesse constituency 9 in the numbering system. In the 1953 through 1976 elections, it was number 134. From 1980 through 1998, it was number 132. In 2002 and 2005, it was number 176. In the 2009 election, it was number 175. In the 2013 through 2021 elections, it was number 174. From the 2025 election, it has been number 173.
Originally, the constituency comprised the independent city of Fulda and the districts of Landkreis Fulda, Lauterbach, and Schlüchtern. In the 1976 election, it comprised the district of Fulda excluding the municipalities of Burghaun, Eiterfeld, Hünfeld, Nüsttal, and Rasdorf; the municipalities of Bad Soden-Salmünster, Birstein, Brachttal, Schlüchtern, Sinntal, Steinau, Wächtersbach, Züntersbach, and the Gutsbezirk Spessart area from the Main-Kinzig-Kreis district; and the municipalities of Freiensteinau, Grebenhain, Herbstein, Lauterbach, Lautertal, Schlitz, Schotten, Ulrichstein, and Wartenberg from the Vogelsbergkreis district. In the 2002 election, it acquired borders very similar to its current configuration, but including the municipalities of Birstein, Schlüchtern, Sinntal, and Steinau an der Straße from Main-Kinzig-Kreis district, and the municipality of Schwalmtal from Vogelsbergkreis district. It acquired its current borders in the 2013 election.
Election Name Borders 1949 Fulda Fulda city Landkreis Fulda district Lauterbach district Schlüchtern district 1953 134 1957 1961 1965 1969 1972 1976 Fulda district (excluding Burghaun, Eiterfeld, Hünfeld, Nüsttal, and Rasdorf municipalities) Main-Kinzig-Kreis district (only Bad Soden-Salmünster, Birstein, Brachttal, Schlüchtern, Sinntal, Steinau, Wächtersbach, and Züntersbach municipalities and the Gutsbezirk Spessart area) Vogelsbergkreis district (only Freiensteinau, Grebenhain, Herbstein, Lauterbach, Lautertal, Schlitz, Schotten, Ulrichstein, and Wartenberg municipalities) 1980 131 1983 1987 1990 1994 1998 2002 176 Fulda district Vogelsbergkreis district (excluding Alsfeld, Antrifttal, Feldatal, Gemünden (Felda), Homberg (Ohm), Kirtorf, Mücke, Romrod, and Schwalmtal municipalities) Main-Kinzig-Kreis district (only Birstein, Schlüchtern, Sinntal, and Steinau an der Straße municipalities) 2005 2009 175 2013 174 Fulda district Vogelsbergkreis district (excluding Alsfeld, Antrifttal, Feldatal, Gemünden (Felda), Homberg (Ohm), Kirtorf, Mücke, and Romrod municipalities) 2017 2021 2025 173
Members Due to Fulda area being strongly Catholic, the constituency is considered a Christian Democratic Union (CDU) safe seat and has been held continuously by the party since its creation. It was first represented by Anton Sabel from 1949 to 1957, followed by Hermann Götz from 1957 to 1976. Alfred Dregger then served from 1976 to 1998, when he was succeeded by Martin Hohmann. Hohmann was expelled from the CDU group in 2003 for antisemitic comments, and served as an independent for the rest of his term. Michael Brand was elected in 2005, and re-elected in 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2021.
Election Member Party % 1949 Anton Sabel CDU 43.0 1953 53.4 1957 Hermann Götz CDU 59.6 1961 54.1 1965 54.9 1969 56.6 1972 55.9 1976 Alfred Dregger CDU 58.9 1980 56.0 1983 61.8 1987 57.7 1990 56.7 1994 55.1 1998 Martin Hohmann CDU 49.5 2002 54.0 Ind. 2005 Michael Brand CDU 39.1 2009 49.8 2013 58.3 2017 45.2 2021 38.1 2025 43.3
Election results
2025 election
2021 election
2017 election
2013 election
2009 election
2005 election
Notes
References