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Quedlinburg

Coordinates:51°47′30″N11°8′50″E/ 51.79167°N 11.14722°E/51.79167; 11.14722
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Quedlinburg
Town
Top: View over Quedlinburg. Middle: Market Square. Bottom:Quedlinburg Castle and Abbey
Coat of arms of Quedlinburg
Coat of arms
Location of Quedlinburg within Harz district
BallenstedtBlankenburg (Harz)DitfurtFalkensteinGroß QuenstedtHalberstadtHarslebenHarzgerodeHederslebenHuyIlsenburgNordharzOberharz am BrockenOsterwieckQuedlinburgSchwanebeckSelke-AueThaleWegelebenWernigerode
Quedlinburg is located in Germany
Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg is located in Saxony-Anhalt
Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg
Coordinates:51°47′30″N11°8′50″E/ 51.79167°N 11.14722°E/51.79167; 11.14722
CountryGermany
StateSaxony-Anhalt
DistrictHarz
Subdivisions7 Stadtteile
Government
•Mayor(2022–29)Frank Ruch[1](CDU)
Area
• Total120.42 km2(46.49 sq mi)
Elevation
123 m (404 ft)
Population
(2022-12-31)[2]
• Total23,313
• Density190/km2(500/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00(CET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+02:00(CEST)
Postal codes
06484, 06485
Dialling codes03946, 039485
Vehicle registrationHZ, HBS, QLB, WR
Websitewww.quedlinburg.de
Official nameCollegiate Church, Castle, and Old Town of Quedlinburg
CriteriaCultural: iv
Reference535
Inscription1994 (18thSession)
Area90 ha
Buffer zone270 ha

Quedlinburg(German pronunciation:[ˈkveːtlɪnbʊʁk]ⓘ) is a town situated just north of theHarzmountains, in thedistrict of Harzin the west ofSaxony-Anhalt,Germany.As an influential and prosperous trading centre during the early Middle Ages, Quedlinburg became a center of influence under theOttonian dynastyin the 10th and 11th centuries.[3]The castle, church and old town with around 2,100timberhouses,[4]dating from this time of influence, were added to theUNESCOWorld Heritage Listin 1994 because of their exceptional preservation and outstandingRomanesque architecture.[3]

Quedlinburg has a population of more than 24,000. The town was the capital of thedistrict of Quedlinburguntil 2007, when the district was dissolved. Several locations in the town are designated stops along a scenic holiday route, theRomanesque Road.

History

[edit]
Castle
Statue ofRoland
Restored houses in Quedlinburg Old Town, 2018

The town of Quedlinburg is known to have existed since at least the early 9th century, when there was a settlement known asGross Ordenon the eastern bank of the RiverBode.It was first mentioned as a town in 922 as part of a donation by KingHenry the Fowler(Heinrich der Vogler). The records of this donation were held by the abbey ofCorvey.

According to legend, Henry had been offered the German crown at Quedlinburg in 919 by Franconian nobles, giving rise to the town being called the "cradle of the German Reich".[5]: 85 

After Henry's death in 936, his widowSaint Matildafounded a religious community for women (Frauenstift) on the castle hill, where daughters of the higher nobility were educated. The main task of this collegiate foundation,Quedlinburg Abbey,was to pray for the memory of King Henry and the rulers who came after him. TheAnnals of Quedlinburgwere also compiled there. The first abbess was Matilda, a granddaughter of King Henry and St. Matilda.

The Quedlinburg castle complex, founded by King Henry I and built up byEmperor Otto Iin 936, was an imperialPfalzof the Saxon emperors. ThePfalz,including the male convent, was in the valley, where today the Roman Catholic Church ofSt. Wipertiis situated, while the women's convent was located on the castle hill.

In 973, shortly before the death ofEmperor Otto I,aReichstag(Imperial Convention) was held at the imperial court in whichMieszko,duke ofPolans,andBoleslav,duke ofBohemia,as well as numerous other nobles from as far away asByzantiumandBulgaria,gathered to pay homage to the emperor. On the occasion, Otto the Great introduced his new daughter-in-lawTheophanu,a Byzantine princess whose marriage toOtto IIbrought hope for recognition and continued peace between the rulers of the Eastern and Western empires.

In 994,Otto IIIgranted the right of market, tax, and coining, and established the first market place to the north of the castle hill.

The town became a member of theHanseatic Leaguein 1426. Quedlinburg Abbey frequently disputed the independence of the town, which sought the aid of theBishopric of Halberstadt.In 1477,Abbess Hedwig,aided by her brothersErnestandAlbert,broke the resistance of the town and expelled the bishop's forces. Quedlinburg was forced to leave the Hanseatic League and was subsequently protected by theElectorate of Saxony.Both town and abbey converted toLutheranismin 1539 during theProtestant Reformation.

In 1697, ElectorFrederick Augustus Iof Saxony sold his rights to Quedlinburg to ElectorFrederick III of Brandenburgfor 240,000 thalers. Quedlinburg Abbey contestedBrandenburg-Prussia's claims throughout the 18th century, however. The abbey was secularized in 1802 during theGerman Mediatisation,and Quedlinburg passed to theKingdom of Prussiaas part of the Principality of Quedlinburg. Part of theNapoleonicKingdom of Westphaliafrom 1807 to 1813, it was included within the new PrussianProvince of Saxonyin 1815. In all this time, ladies ruled Quedlinburg as abbesses without "taking the veil"; they were free to marry. The last of these ladies was a Swedish princess, an early fighter for women's rights,Sofia Albertina.

During theNazi regime,the memory of Henry I became a sort of cult, asHeinrich Himmlersaw himself as the reincarnation of the "most German of all German" rulers. The collegiate church and castle were to be turned into a shrine forNazi Germany.The Nazi Party tried to create a new religion. The cathedral was closed in 1938 and during the war. The localcrematorywas kept busy burning the victims of theLangenstein-Zwiebergeconcentration camp.Georg Aywas local party chief from 1931 until the end ofWorld War II.During the war, Quedlinburg was the location of a subcamp of theBuchenwald concentration campand a subcamp of theMittelbau-Dora concentration camp.[6]American occupation during the last months of World War II brought back the Protestant bishop and the church bells, and the Nazi-style eagle was removed from the tower. However, in the 1980s, upon the death of one of the US military men, thetheft of medieval art from Quedlinburgcame to light.

Quedlinburg was administered withinBezirkHallewhile part of the CommunistEast Germanyfrom 1949 to 1990. It became part of the state ofSaxony-AnhaltuponGerman reunificationin 1990.

During Quedlinburg's Communist era, restoration specialists from Poland were called in during the 1980s to carry out repairs on the old architecture. Today, Quedlinburg is a center of restoration ofFachwerkhouses.

Quedlinburg is the setting for the acclaimed 2016Frantz,serving as a quintessential small German town in the wake of WWI, home to a family who is reeling from the death of a son in the war.

Geography

[edit]

Location

[edit]

The town is located north of theHarzmountains, about 123 m aboveNHN.The nearest mountains reach 181 m above NHN. The largest part of the town is located in the western part of theBoderiver valley. This river comes from theHarzmountains and flows into the riverSaale,a tributary of the riverElbe.The municipal area of Quedlinburg is 120.42 square kilometres (46.49 square miles). Before the incorporation of the two (previously independent) municipalities ofGernrodeandBad Suderodein January 2014,[7]it was only 78.14 square kilometres (30.17 square miles).

Divisions

[edit]

The town Quedlinburg consists of Quedlinburg proper and the followingOrtsteileor municipal divisions:[8]

Neighbouring communities

[edit]

Climate

[edit]

Quedlinburg has anoceanic climate(Cfb) resulting from prevailingwesterlies,blowing from the high-pressure area in the central Atlantic towards Scandinavia. Snowfall occurs almost every winter. January and February are the coldest months of the year, with an average temperature of 0.5 °C and 1.5 °C. July and August are the hottest months, with an average temperature of 17 °C (63 °F) and 18 °C (64 °F). The average annual precipitation is close to 438 mm with rain occurring usually from May to September. This precipitation is one of the lowest in Germany, which has an annual average hovering around 440 mm. In August 2010, Quedlinburg was the driest place in Germany, with only 72.4 L/m2.[9]

Climate data for Quedlinburg
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 2
(36) 		4
(39) 		8
(46) 		13
(55) 		19
(66) 		21
(70) 		22
(72) 		23
(73) 		19
(66) 		13
(55) 		6
(43) 		3
(37) 		13
(55)
Daily mean °C (°F) 0.5
(32.9) 		1.5
(34.7) 		4.5
(40.1) 		8.0
(46.4) 		13.5
(56.3) 		15.5
(59.9) 		17.0
(62.6) 		18.0
(64.4) 		14.0
(57.2) 		9.5
(49.1) 		3.5
(38.3) 		1.5
(34.7) 		8.9
(48.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −1
(30) 		−1
(30) 		1
(34) 		3
(37) 		8
(46) 		10
(50) 		12
(54) 		13
(55) 		9
(48) 		6
(43) 		1
(34) 		0
(32) 		5
(41)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 23
(0.9) 		22
(0.9) 		28
(1.1) 		38
(1.5) 		53
(2.1) 		57
(2.2) 		47
(1.9) 		54
(2.1) 		33
(1.3) 		27
(1.1) 		30
(1.2) 		26
(1.0) 		438
(17.3)
Average rainy days 11 9 10 10 10 11 10 10 9 9 11 12 122
Averagerelative humidity(%) 87 83 82 74 67 71 72 69 78 82 87 86 78
Mean monthlysunshine hours 47.2 66.9 107.5 136.7 182.6 172.2 186.4 183.6 139.0 104.9 63.2 42.1 1,432.3
Source 1: Deutscher Wetterdienst, Normalperiode 1961–1990[10]
Source 2: Zoover[11]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
YearPop.±%
17868,382—
180710,476+25.0%
182011,507+9.8%
183012,001+4.3%
184013,431+11.9%
185213,886+3.4%
186114,835+6.8%
187116,800+13.2%
188018,437+9.7%
189020,761+12.6%
190023,378+12.6%
191027,233+16.5%
191928,190+3.5%
193930,320+7.6%
194635,142+15.9%
195035,555+1.2%
195533,125−6.8%
196030,965−6.5%
196530,840−0.4%
197030,829−0.0%
197529,711−3.6%
198028,585−3.8%
198529,394+2.8%
199028,663−2.5%
199525,844−9.8%
200024,114−6.7%
200522,607−6.2%
2009*21,203−6.2%
Source:[12]

Governance

[edit]

The mayor is Frank Ruch (CDU), elected in 2022.[1]

Town twinning

[edit]
See also:List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Quedlinburg istwinnedwith:

Attractions

[edit]

In the centre of the town are a wide selection ofhalf-timberedbuildings from at least five different centuries (including a 14th-century structure, one of Germany's oldest), while around the outer fringes of the old town are examples ofJugendstilbuildings, dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The old town of Quedlinburg is among the largest in Germany with a size of around 90 hectares. 2000 half-timbered houses can be found here. The oldest, the "Ständerbau", dates back from 1347.

Another famous building is called "Klopstockhaus", the birthplace of poetFriedrich Gottlieb Klopstock.[13]

Since December 1994, the old town of Quedlinburg and the castle mount with theStiftskirche(collegiate church) are listed as one ofUNESCO'sWorld Heritage Sites.[14]Quedlinburg is one of the best-preserved medieval and Renaissance towns in Europe, having escaped major damage in World War II.

In 2006, the Selke valley branch of theHarz Narrow Gauge Railwayswas extended to Quedlinburg fromGernrode,giving access to the historic steamnarrow gauge railway,Alexisbad and thehigh Harzplateau.

The castle andStiftskirche St. Servatiusstill dominate the town like in the early Middle Ages. The church is a prime example of GermanRomanesque style.The treasure of the church, containing ancient Christian religious artifacts and books, was stolen by an American soldier but brought back to Quedlinburg in 1993 and is again on display here.

The formerStiftskirche St. Wipertiwas established in 936 when theKanonikerstift St. Wigpertus(of male canons) was moved from the castle hill to make way for what became Quedlinburg Abbey. The church was built at the location of the first Ottonian Royal palace at Quedlinburg. Around 1020, a three-aisled crypt was added to the basilica. The crypt, which survived all later alterations to the church, is also a designated stop on the Romanesque Road today.[5]: 91 

  • Castle
    Castle
  • St. Nikolai church
    St. Nikolai church
  • Market with Town Hall
    Market with Town Hall
  • Quedlinburg old town
    Quedlinburg old town
  • Breits Straße (Old town)
    Breits Straße (Old town)
  • Half-timbered house
    Half-timberedhouse
  • Münzenberg
    Münzenberg
  • Spa Bad Suderode
    SpaBad Suderode
  • St Cyriacus Church Gernrode
    St Cyriacus ChurchGernrode


Infrastructure

[edit]

Transport

[edit]
A narrow-gauge steam train of theSelke Valley Railwayconnects with aTransdev Harz-Berlin-Expresstrain on theline from MagdeburgatQuedlinburg station.

Air

[edit]

The nearest airports to Quedlinburg areHannover,120 kilometres (75 miles) northwest, andLeipzig/Halle Airport,90 kilometres (56 miles) southeast. Much closer, but only served by a few airlines, isMagdeburg-Cochstedt.An airfield is located at Ballenstedt-Assmussstedt forgeneral aviation.

Railway

[edit]

Regional trains operated byDeutsche Bahnand the privateTransdevcompany run on thestandard-gaugeMagdeburg–Thale lineconnectingQuedlinburg stationwithMagdeburg,Thale, and Halberstadt.

In 2006, theSelke Valley branchof theHarz Narrow Gauge Railwayswas extended into Quedlinburg from Gernrode, giving access via the historic steam-operated narrow-gauge railway to Alexisbad and the High Harz plateau.

Bus

[edit]

Quedlinburg is connected by regional buses to the surrounding villages and small towns. Additionally, there are long-distance buses to Berlin.

Media, literature, and film

[edit]

TheMitteldeutsche Zeitung(Central German Newspaper) maintains a local newsroom in Quedlinburg. In addition, the newspapersSuperSonntag(SuperSunday),Wochenspiegel(Weekly Mirror), andHarzer Kreisblatt(Harz District Newspaper) are published locally.

The local public broadcaster isMitteldeutscher Rundfunk(MDR;Central German Broadcasting), whose regional office is located inHalberstadt.

Regionalfernsehen Harz (RFH; Harz Regional Television) broadcasts on the localcable televisionnetwork.

A number of novels have been set in Quedlinburg and the surrounding area, such asWilhelm Raabe'sDer Schüdderump.The first part ofTheodor Fontane's novel Cécile (1887) takes place in Quedlinburg and Thale, as do the various novels ofDorothea Christiane ErxlebenandJulius Wolff'sThe Robber Count: A Story of the Harz Country(1884). Other novels set in the area include Gerhard Beutel'sDer Stadthauptmann von Quedlinburg(1972),Helga Glaesener'sDu süße sanfte Mörderin(You Sweet, Gentle Murderess; 2000), and ten novels byChristian Amlingabout the fictional private investigator Irenäus Moll.[15]

Because of its historical architecture, Quedlinburg has been used as the backdrop for various film and television projects. Several episodes (64, 67--70, 76) of the seriesÄrger im Revier(Trouble in the Precinct) broadcast byRTL Zweiwere filmed in Quedlinburg.[16]From 2012 to 2017, theARDdaytime seriesHeiter bis tödlich: Alles Klarawas filmed in the city and its vicinity, with 48 episodes over three seasons.[17]The following films were partially filmed in Quedlinburg:[18][19]

Notable people

[edit]
Carl Ritter 1857
Julius Wolff

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abBürgermeisterwahlen in den Gemeinden, Endgültige Ergebnisse,Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen-Anhalt,accessed 10 November 2022.
  2. ^"Bevölkerung der Gemeinden – Stand: 31. Dezember 2022"(PDF)(in German).Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen-Anhalt.June 2023.
  3. ^ab"Collegiate Church, Castle and Old Town of Quedlinburg".UNESCO World Heritage Centre.United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.Retrieved25 June2022.
  4. ^Welterbestadt, Quedlinburg-."Fachwerkmuseum im Ständerbau".Quedlinburg - Welterbestadt(in German).Retrieved22 May2024.
  5. ^abAntz, Christian, ed. (2001).Strasse der Romanik (German).Verlag Janos Stekovics.ISBN3-929330-89-X.
  6. ^Megargee, Geoffrey P. (2009).The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945. Volume I.Indiana University Press, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. pp. 409, 995.ISBN978-0-253-35328-3.
  7. ^Gebietsänderungen vom 01. Januar bis 31. Dezember 2014,Statistisches Bundesamt
  8. ^Hauptsatzung der Welterbestadt QuedlinburgArchived20 January 2022 at theWayback Machine,December 2018.
  9. ^Press release of the Deutsche Wetterdienst(pdf, German)
  10. ^"Deutscher Wetterdienst, Normalperiode 1961–1990"(in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst.
  11. ^"Zoover data by DWD".December 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 26 April 2019.Retrieved12 December2010.
  12. ^"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population"(PDF).Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen-Anhalt – Bevölkerung der Gemeinden nach Landkreisen; Stand: 31. Dez. 2009. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 16 July 2011.
  13. ^"Quedlinburg Germany | Top 12 sights to see".www.furnishedinside.com.12 June 2020.Retrieved12 June2020.
  14. ^"Unesco World heritage list".
  15. ^"Entry on buechertreff.de".Archived from the original on 27 March 2019.Retrieved9 April2023.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  16. ^"Episode guide on fersehserien.de".Archived from the original on 27 March 2019.Retrieved9 April2023.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  17. ^"Website forAlles Klarafrom ARD ".Archived from the original on 26 November 2017.Retrieved9 April2023.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. ^"List of 17 DEFA Films".Archived from the original on 31 March 2013.Retrieved9 April2023.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  19. ^"30 film titles in IMDb".IMDb.Archived from the original on 20 December 2015.Retrieved9 April2023.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  20. ^StadtlandliebeatIMDbEdit this at Wikidata
  21. ^Schiebinger, L. (1990): "The Anatomy of Difference: Race and Sex in Eighteenth-Century Science" p. 399,Eighteenth Century Studies23(3) pp. 387–405

Further reading

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[edit]
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