Gernrode bei Leinefelde
Encyclopedia
Gernrode is a municipality
in the district of Eichsfeld
in Thuringia
, Germany
. Its agricultural land is some of the most productive in the district and it therefore does not have any wooded areas.
in the southern foothills of the Harz
. It lies on both sides of the River Wipper
, between the Dün
and the Ohmgebirge, in the centre of the Eichsfelder Kessel (although it is not part of the administrative unit of that name
).
constituted a combined parish. In 1632, during the Thirty Years' War
, troops from Weimar burnt down the church and the majority of the houses. The Catholic Church of St. Stephen, built in 1654 (and enlarged in 1932) has a baroque
altar and is one of the largest and finest in Eichsfeld. The parish registers go back to 1662. In 1656, the population was reduced by war and plague to 382. The village recovered through migration from surrounding areas.
In 1802, with the rest of the then County of Eichsfeld, Gernrode became part of Prussia
and during the Napoleonic Wars
was temporarily part of the Kingdom of Westphalia
. In the 18th century, the town's economy benefited from flax processing, which was later commemorated in the municipal arms. In 1810, Gernrode had 820 residents.
In 1867, with the construction of the segment of the Halle–Kassel railway
between Nordhausen
and Arenshausen
, Gernrode became the site of one of the 3 stations in Eichsfeld, which, however, was later renamed after Niederorschel
because of confusion with Gernrode
in the Harz. On 9 December 2007, the station was renamed Gernrode - Niederorschel.
In 1878 a new school was built, followed by a Great Hall. After industrialisation reduced demand for hand weaving and fabric bleaching, the inhabitants found work in plywood production and mechanised weaving near the station, and in cigar factories. Gernrode is today one of the largest settlements in the District of Eichsfeld.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the district of Eichsfeld
Eichsfeld (district)
Eichsfeld is a district in Thuringia, Germany, and part of the historical region of Eichsfeld. It is bounded by the districts of Nordhausen, Kyffhäuserkreis and Unstrut-Hainich, and by the states of Hesse and Lower Saxony .-History:In medieval times the Eichsfeld, which is larger than the...
in Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, 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...
. Its agricultural land is some of the most productive in the district and it therefore does not have any wooded areas.
Geography
Gernrode is located in Upper EichsfeldEichsfeld
The Eichsfeld is a historical region in the southeast of Lower Saxony and northwest of Thuringia in the south of the Harz mountains...
in the southern foothills 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...
. It lies on both sides of the River Wipper
Wipper (Unstrut)
The Wipper is a river in Thuringia, Germany, left tributary of the Unstrut. It originates in the Eichsfeld area, northwestern Thuringia, near Leinefelde-Worbis. The total length of the Wipper is 95 km. The Wipper joins the Unstrut near Heldrungen. Towns along the Wipper include Bleicherode and...
, between the Dün
Dün
The Dün is a hill chain in northern Thuringia, in Eichsfeld. The highest point is near Vollenborn is at 520 m above sea level....
and the Ohmgebirge, in the centre of the Eichsfelder Kessel (although it is not part of the administrative unit of that name
Eichsfelder Kessel
Eichsfelder Kessel is a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district Eichsfeld, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft is in Niederorschel....
).
History
The ending -rode indicates that the village was founded sometime between the 8th and the 12th centuries. It is first mentioned, as Germenroth, in a document which may date to 1267. At this time it was governed by Haarburg, later by Haarburg-Worbis. During the Middle Ages, the course of the Wipper was changed, making possible the construction of 3 mills in the village. From 1586, Germenrode and KirchworbisKirchworbis
Kirchworbis is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany. Kirchworbis lies to the south of the Langenberg .Kirchworbis is first mentioned in a 1209 document as "Kirchworvece." The place became Prussian in 1802...
constituted a combined parish. In 1632, during the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, troops from Weimar burnt down the church and the majority of the houses. The Catholic Church of St. Stephen, built in 1654 (and enlarged in 1932) has a baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
altar and is one of the largest and finest in Eichsfeld. The parish registers go back to 1662. In 1656, the population was reduced by war and plague to 382. The village recovered through migration from surrounding areas.
In 1802, with the rest of the then County of Eichsfeld, Gernrode became part of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
and during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
was temporarily part of the Kingdom of Westphalia
Kingdom of Westphalia
The Kingdom of Westphalia was a new country of 2.6 million Germans that existed from 1807-1813. It included of territory in Hesse and other parts of present-day Germany. While formally independent, it was a vassal state of the First French Empire, ruled by Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte...
. In the 18th century, the town's economy benefited from flax processing, which was later commemorated in the municipal arms. In 1810, Gernrode had 820 residents.
In 1867, with the construction of the segment of the Halle–Kassel railway
Halle–Kassel railway
The Halle-Kassel Railway is a 218 km long main line operated by the Deutsche Bahn in Germany, which links Halle in Saxony-Anhalt with Kassel in the state of Hesse. It is mainly used by regional and east-west goods trains...
between Nordhausen
Nordhausen
Nordhausen is a town at the southern edge of the Harz Mountains, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Nordhausen...
and Arenshausen
Arenshausen
Arenshausen is a village in the Eichsfeld district of Thuringia, Germany....
, Gernrode became the site of one of the 3 stations in Eichsfeld, which, however, was later renamed after Niederorschel
Niederorschel
Niederorschel is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany. It includes the localities of Niederorschel, Oberorschel, and Rüdigershagen....
because of confusion with Gernrode
Gernrode
Gernrode is a town and a former municipality in Germany, in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt. The town was first mentioned in 961 and became a city in 1539. Since 1 January 2011, it is part of the town Quedlinburg...
in the Harz. On 9 December 2007, the station was renamed Gernrode - Niederorschel.
In 1878 a new school was built, followed by a Great Hall. After industrialisation reduced demand for hand weaving and fabric bleaching, the inhabitants found work in plywood production and mechanised weaving near the station, and in cigar factories. Gernrode is today one of the largest settlements in the District of Eichsfeld.
People born in Gernrode
- Heinrich Ernemann (1850-1928), industrialist.
- Rolf Berend (born 1943), politician.