The
Eichsfeld (English:
Oaksfield) is a historical region in the southeast of
Lower Saxony (which is called "Untereichsfeld" = lower Eichsfeld) and northwest of
Thuringia ("Obereichsfeld" = upper Eichsfeld) in the south of the
Harz mountains. Until 1803 the Eichsfeld was for centuries part of the
Archbishopric of Mainz, which is the cause of its current position as a
Catholic enclave in the predominantly
Protestant north of
Germany. Following German partition in 1945, the
West German portion became
Landkreis Duderstadt. A few small transfers of territory between the American and Soviet zones of occupation took place in accordance with the
Wanfried Agreement.