Clausthal-Zellerfeld
Encyclopedia
Clausthal-Zellerfeld is a town
in Lower Saxony
, Germany
. It is located in the southwestern part of the Harz
mountains. Its population
is approximately 15,000, Clausthal-Zellerfeld is also the seat of the Samtgemeinde ("collective municipality") Oberharz.
and its magnificent buildings, while Zellerfeld is a typical tourist resort
for hikers
and winter sportsmen. Clausthal-Zellerfeld is the largest town in the area that is situated in the mountains rather than on the edge.
Mining
in the area began in the 16th century. Modern wire rope
was invented to service the iron
mine
s in the 1830s by the German mining engineer Wilhelm Albert
in the years between 1831 and 1834 for use in mining in the Harz Mountains
in Clausthal. It was quickly accepted because it proved superior to ropes made of hemp or to metal chains, such as had been used before and soon found its way into diverse applications, including most notably, suspension bridge
s. Mining activity halted in 1930 because the ore
deposits were exhausted and no longer financially valuable. Today, there are large remains of mines in the surrounding Harz region, some of which are now tourable museum
s. The Clausthal University of Technology
was established in 1763 for the education
of mining engineers. Today, it is a technical university for teaching engineering
.
Year
Inhabitants
1961
15,849
1968
16,468
1970
15,714
1975
16,690
1980
16,270
Year
Inhabitants
1985
16,250
1990
17,061
1995
16,703
2000
15,413
2005
15,075
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is located in the southwestern part of the Harz
Harz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
mountains. Its population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
is approximately 15,000, Clausthal-Zellerfeld is also the seat of the Samtgemeinde ("collective municipality") Oberharz.
History
Actually, Clausthal-Zellerfeld consists of two towns: Clausthal and Zellerfeld were merged in 1924 to form an administrative unit. Clausthal is well known for the old Clausthal University of TechnologyClausthal University of Technology
The Clausthal University of Technology is an institute of technology in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Lower Saxony, Germany...
and its magnificent buildings, while Zellerfeld is a typical tourist resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
for hikers
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and winter sportsmen. Clausthal-Zellerfeld is the largest town in the area that is situated in the mountains rather than on the edge.
Mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
in the area began in the 16th century. Modern wire rope
Wire rope
thumb|Steel wire rope Wire rope is a type of rope which consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a helix. Initially wrought iron wires were used, but today steel is the main material used for wire ropes....
was invented to service the iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
s in the 1830s by the German mining engineer Wilhelm Albert
Wilhelm Albert
Wilhelm August Julius Albert was a German mining administrator, best remembered as the first person to record observations of metal fatigue....
in the years between 1831 and 1834 for use in mining in the Harz Mountains
Mining in the Upper Harz
Mining in the Upper Harz region of central Germany was a major industry for several centuries, especially for the production of silver, lead, copper, and, latterly, zinc as well. Great wealth was accumulated from the mining of silver from the 16th to the 19th centuries, as well as from important...
in Clausthal. It was quickly accepted because it proved superior to ropes made of hemp or to metal chains, such as had been used before and soon found its way into diverse applications, including most notably, suspension bridge
Suspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
s. Mining activity halted in 1930 because the ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
deposits were exhausted and no longer financially valuable. Today, there are large remains of mines in the surrounding Harz region, some of which are now tourable museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s. The Clausthal University of Technology
Clausthal University of Technology
The Clausthal University of Technology is an institute of technology in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Lower Saxony, Germany...
was established in 1763 for the education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
of mining engineers. Today, it is a technical university for teaching engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
.
Demographics
EWLINE
|
|
| Year | Inhabitants |
|---|---|
| 1933 | 11,855 |
| 1939 | 11,788 |
| 1946 | 15,786 |
| 1950 | 17,643 |
| 1956 | 15,585 |
Town council
2006 local elections:- SPDSocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
: 19 seats - CDUChristian Democratic Union (Germany)The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
: 9 seats - FDPFree Democratic Party (Germany)The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
: 3 seats - UWG: 2 seats (independent electors community)
Culture and sights
- Oberharzer Wasserwirschaft (Upper Harz Water Management)
Buildings
- Plants of Upper Harz Water RegaleUpper Harz Water RegaleThe Upper Harz Water Regale is a system of dams, reservoirs, ditches and other structures, much of which was built from the 16th to 19th centuries to divert and store the water that drove the water wheels of the mines in the Upper Harz region of Germany...
- Market Church, the largest wooden church in Germany
- Clausthal mint (1617–1849)
- Dietzel House
People from Clausthal-Zellerfeld
- Georg Philipp TelemannGeorg Philipp TelemannGeorg Philipp Telemann was a German Baroque composer and multi-instrumentalist. Almost completely self-taught in music, he became a composer against his family's wishes. After studying in Magdeburg, Zellerfeld, and Hildesheim, Telemann entered the University of Leipzig to study law, but eventually...
(1681–1767), composer - Robert KochRobert KochHeinrich Hermann Robert Koch was a German physician. He became famous for isolating Bacillus anthracis , the Tuberculosis bacillus and the Vibrio cholerae and for his development of Koch's postulates....
(1843–1910), microbiologist - Otto Erich HartlebenOtto Erich HartlebenOtto Erich Hartleben was a German poet and dramatist from Clausthal, known for his translation of Pierrot Lunaire.-Childhood, Education and Marriage:...
(1864–1905), poet and dramatist - Dietrich GrönemeyerDietrich GrönemeyerDietrich H. W. Grönemeyer is a German professor of medicine and one of the inventors of Microtherapy. He grew up in Bochum with his two brothers. One of them, Herbert Grönemeyer, is a popular musician....
(born 1952), physician
Notable people associated with Clausthal-Zellerfeld
- Johann Friedrich Ludwig HausmannJohann Friedrich Ludwig HausmannJohann Friedrich Ludwig Hausmann was a German mineralogist.-Biography:He was born in Hanover and educated in Göttingen, where he obtained a Ph.D...
(1782–1859), mineralogist - Wilhelm AlbertWilhelm AlbertWilhelm August Julius Albert was a German mining administrator, best remembered as the first person to record observations of metal fatigue....
(1787–1846), mining administrator and inventor - Friedrich Adolph RoemerFriedrich Adolph RoemerFriedrich Adolph Roemer , German geologist, was born at Hildesheim, in the Kingdom of Westphalia.His father was a lawyer and councillor of the high court of justice. In 1845 he became professor of mineralogy and geology at Clausthal, and in 1862 director of the School of Mines...
(1809–1869), geologist - Arnold SommerfeldArnold SommerfeldArnold Johannes Wilhelm Sommerfeld was a German theoretical physicist who pioneered developments in atomic and quantum physics, and also educated and groomed a large number of students for the new era of theoretical physics...
(1868–1951), theoretical physicist