The people living at Kassel or who are born there are separated into three groups: a Kasseler is everyone who moved to the city and is living there. When you go to the residents’ registration office to register officially you get a folder with a letter from the mayor telling you that you now officially belong to this group.
People born at Kassel are called Kasselaner and if you are born there at least in second generation you are a Kasseläner. These two status are granted even if you live outside the city. It just signals how strong your roots to Kassel are.
The origin of this classification cannot be named and it is common believe that it just came up in the middle of the 20th century. From 2007 on the mayor of the city grants the special status ‘Kasseläner honoris causa‘ to those Kasseler that made important contributions to the city.