Salzwedel
Encyclopedia
Salzwedel (ˈzaltsveːdəl, officially known as Hansestadt Salzwedel, is a town
in Saxony-Anhalt
, Germany
. It is the capital of the district (Kreis) of Altmarkkreis Salzwedel
, and has a population of approximately 21,500. Salzwedel is located on the German Framework Road
.
River in the northwestern part of the Altmark
. It is located between Hamburg
and Magdeburg
. Distances from Uelzen
are 44 km E, 12 km S of Lüchow, 41 km N of Gardelegen
and 24 km W of Arendsee
.
In 1968 test drillings reveal a significant reservoir of natural gas near the city.
, the settlement was first mentioned as a town in 1233. To the northeast of the old town (Altstadt), a new town (Neustadt) began development in 1247. In the Middle Ages
Salzwedel belonged to the Hanseatic League
from 1263 to 1518. As to religion Salzwedel belonged to the Diocese of Verden (till 1648).
The city from 1247 began developing as a reestablishment from the old part of the town. In 1701 it became part of the Kingdom of Prussia
. In 1713, the two towns Altstadt and Neustadt became one. Salzwedel became part of the Prussian Province of Saxony
in 1815 after the Napoleonic Wars
. In 1870 it received a railroad connection. The medieval part of the town remains the commercial and administrative center of the town until today.
As in other German cities during the time of Nazi Germany
under Adolf Hitler
, the Jewish segment of the population of the city was systematically disowned and driven out of the city.
In 1943, the Neuengamme concentration camp built a female subcamp in Salzwedel, capable of holding more than 1,000 female prisoners. Eventually more than 3,000 women were held there, both Jews and non-Jews. The guard staff at the camp included sixty SS men and women. One Aufseherin is known today by name, Lieselotte Darnstaedt, who was born in 1908. Darnstaedt also served at Ravensbrück before coming to Salzwedel. On April 29, 1945, the US Army liberated the Salzwedel women's subcamp, and also a men's camp nearby for male non-German political prisoners. They were shocked to find more than ninety corpses of women who had died of typhus, dysentery and malaria. At the beginning of 1945, prior to the arrival of American ground forces, Allied war planes attacked the main train station of Salzwedel, killing 300 people. The US Army eventually turned over control of the city to the Soviet Red Army
, causing Salzwedel to eventually become part of the German Democratic Republic
.
On November 9, 1989 the East-West German border crossing near Salzwedel was openend, along with East-West border crossings in the rest of the country, allowing East Germans residing in Salzwedel and elsewhere to travel freely to West Germany for the first time since the building of the Berlin Wall
. In 1990 Salzwedel received its first democratically elected city government.
The official name of the city was changed into Hansestadt Salzwedel on 1 April 2008, in reference to its history as a member of the Hanseatic League.
, later the wife of Karl Marx
.
, Salzwedeler (Altmärker) Wedding-Soup and Tiegelbraten (mutton).
(north to south) and 248
(west to east). Access to the nearest autobahn is A39
which is 59 km away in Wolfsburg
, the A250
is 80.9 km away in Lüneburg
, the A24
in Dreieck and the A241
is 81.4 km away.
It is linked by a railway which Amerikalinie (America Line) which restored in the 1990s linking Berlin
and Bremen. The line belongs to Stendal/Uelzen. Other stations in Wittenberge
near Arendsee and in Oebisfelde
.
with: Wesel
, Germany
, since 1990 San Vito dei Normanni
, Italy
, since 1990 Felixstowe
, United Kingdom
, since 1994
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 Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
, 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 the capital of the district (Kreis) of Altmarkkreis Salzwedel
Altmarkkreis Salzwedel
Altmarkkreis Salzwedel is a district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is bounded by the districts Gifhorn, Uelzen, Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower Saxony, and the districts of Stendal and Ohrekreis.- History :...
, and has a population of approximately 21,500. Salzwedel is located on the German Framework Road
German Framework Road
The German Timber-Frame Road is a German tourist route leading from the river Elbe in the north to Lake Constance in the south. Along the road you can find nearly 100 cities and towns with remarkable timber-framed houses...
.
Geography
Salzwedel is situated at the JeetzeJeetze
Jeetze is a village and a former municipality in the district Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Kalbe....
River in the northwestern part of the Altmark
Altmark
The Altmark is a historic region in Germany, comprising the northern third of Saxony-Anhalt. As the initial territory of the Brandenburg margraves, it is sometimes referred to as the "Cradle of Prussia", as by Otto von Bismarck, a native from Schönhausen near Stendal.- Geography :The Altmark is...
. It is located between Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
. Distances from Uelzen
Uelzen
Uelzen is a town in northeast Lower Saxony, Germany, and capital of the county of Uelzen. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, a Hanseatic town and an independent municipality....
are 44 km E, 12 km S of Lüchow, 41 km N of Gardelegen
Gardelegen
Gardelegen is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Milde, 20 m. W. from Stendal, on the main line of railway Berlin-Hanover....
and 24 km W of Arendsee
Arendsee
Arendsee is a municipality in the Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is named after the lake Arendsee, located north of the town.-Geography:...
.
In 1968 test drillings reveal a significant reservoir of natural gas near the city.
History
The castle of Salzwedel in the Altmark was first documented in 1112. As part of the Margraviate of BrandenburgMargraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
, the settlement was first mentioned as a town in 1233. To the northeast of the old town (Altstadt), a new town (Neustadt) began development in 1247. In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
Salzwedel belonged to the Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
from 1263 to 1518. As to religion Salzwedel belonged to the Diocese of Verden (till 1648).
The city from 1247 began developing as a reestablishment from the old part of the town. In 1701 it became part of the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
. In 1713, the two towns Altstadt and Neustadt became one. Salzwedel became part of the Prussian Province of Saxony
Province of Saxony
The Province of Saxony was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1945. Its capital was Magdeburg.-History:The province was created in 1816 out of the following territories:...
in 1815 after 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...
. In 1870 it received a railroad connection. The medieval part of the town remains the commercial and administrative center of the town until today.
As in other German cities during the time of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
under Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, the Jewish segment of the population of the city was systematically disowned and driven out of the city.
In 1943, the Neuengamme concentration camp built a female subcamp in Salzwedel, capable of holding more than 1,000 female prisoners. Eventually more than 3,000 women were held there, both Jews and non-Jews. The guard staff at the camp included sixty SS men and women. One Aufseherin is known today by name, Lieselotte Darnstaedt, who was born in 1908. Darnstaedt also served at Ravensbrück before coming to Salzwedel. On April 29, 1945, the US Army liberated the Salzwedel women's subcamp, and also a men's camp nearby for male non-German political prisoners. They were shocked to find more than ninety corpses of women who had died of typhus, dysentery and malaria. At the beginning of 1945, prior to the arrival of American ground forces, Allied war planes attacked the main train station of Salzwedel, killing 300 people. The US Army eventually turned over control of the city to the Soviet Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
, causing Salzwedel to eventually become part of the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
.
On November 9, 1989 the East-West German border crossing near Salzwedel was openend, along with East-West border crossings in the rest of the country, allowing East Germans residing in Salzwedel and elsewhere to travel freely to West Germany for the first time since the building of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
. In 1990 Salzwedel received its first democratically elected city government.
The official name of the city was changed into Hansestadt Salzwedel on 1 April 2008, in reference to its history as a member of the Hanseatic League.
Culture and sights
Main sights
Salzwedel's sites of interest include the historic part of town, encompassed by the historic city wall and town gates. The city also contains the birth house of Jenny von WestphalenJenny von Westphalen
Baroness Johanna Bertha Julie "Jenny" von Westphalen was the wife of the philosopher Karl Marx. They became engaged in 1836 and married in 1843. They had six children.- Background :...
, later the wife of Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
.
- numerous half-timbered houses
- town gates (Neuperver Gate, Stonegate) and medieval city fortifications
- remains of a castle (Castle Tower and Garden)
- Townhall (former monastery)
- Townhall Tower
- The Monk Church
- gothic Brickchurches St.Marien, St.Katharina und St.Lorenz
- another churches: St. Georg and Holy-Spirit-Church
- former Townhall, today's local court of Salzwedel
- Fairy-Tale Garden
- Johann-Friedrich-Danneil-Museum
- "Baumkuchen" Bakeries
Festivals
- Parkfestival, music event taking part in a 2-year-rhythm with the participation of national and international artists like Die PrinzenDie PrinzenDie Prinzen is a German music group. The band is made up of former members of the Thomanerchor and a former member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor.-Overview:Early albums consist of a cappella music...
, Nina HagenNina HagenNina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...
, Joe CockerJoe CockerJohn Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
, Reamon, Heather NovaHeather NovaHeather Nova, is a Bermudian singer-songwriter and poet. She has released eight full-length albums and has found lasting success in Germany where two of her albums South and Storm have made their way into the Top-5 of German official album chart.-Biography:Heather Nova was born in Bermuda...
, Leningrad CowboysLeningrad CowboysThe Leningrad Cowboys is a Finnish rock band famous for humorously making rock and roll covers of popular songs, exaggerated pompadour hairstyles, long, pointy shoes, often featuring a Russian military band, the Alexandrov Ensemble.-Beginnings:...
, MadsenMadsen-People:*Barbara Madsen, American Judge, Washington Supreme Court Justice*Birger Madsen, Norwegian professional football defender*Bo Madsen, guitarist of the Danish rock band Mew*Chris Madsen, Danish-American lawman of the Old West...
, BlackmailBlackmailIn common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
, CityCityA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
and so on. - Smack-Festival, one of the biggest Hard-Rock-Festivals in Saxony-AnhaltSaxony-AnhaltSaxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
.
Cuisine
The delicacies of the town are BaumkuchenBaumkuchen
Baumkuchen is a kind of layered cake. It is a traditional dessert in many countries throughout Europe and is also a popular snack and dessert in Japan...
, Salzwedeler (Altmärker) Wedding-Soup and Tiegelbraten (mutton).
Transport
Salzwedel is accessed by route 71Bundesstraße 71
The Bundesstraße 71 is one of the longer German federal roads numbered in the 60s and 70s series. It begins at the B 6 in Bremerhaven by the Unterweser and ends in Könnern near Halle in Saxony-Anhalt...
(north to south) and 248
Bundesstraße 248
The Bundesstraße 248 is a German federal highway that runs from Northeim to Dannenberg where it ends in the town at its junction with the B 191. Shortly before, the road branches and a short section, the B 248a, runs over B 191 as far as the B 216 at Streetzer roundabout...
(west to east). Access to the nearest autobahn is A39
Bundesautobahn 39
is an autobahn in northern Germany. It currently connects the cities of Salzgitter, Braunschweig and Wolfsburg, with a planned extension to Lüneburg.The A 39 begins north of Wolfsburg and ends at the A 7 close to Salzgitter...
which is 59 km away in Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the River Aller northeast of Braunschweig , and is mainly notable as the headquarters of Volkswagen AG...
, the A250
Bundesautobahn 250
is an autobahn in north Germany, which is colloquially referred to as the Maschener Autobahn . It begins near Hamburg and runs in an easterly direction for 28 kilometres to Lüneburg, where it becomes the B 4 and later the B 209...
is 80.9 km away in Lüneburg
Lüneburg
Lüneburg is a town in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is located about southeast of fellow Hanseatic city Hamburg. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, and one of Hamburg's inner suburbs...
, the A24
Bundesautobahn 24
is an autobahn in northern Germany that connects the large metropolitan regions of Hamburg and Berlin. It was one of the three transit access roads to West Berlin during the Cold War....
in Dreieck and the A241
Bundesautobahn 241
was an autobahn in Germany. It led around Schwerin and is now part of the A 14.An extension of the autobahn to the A 20 had been planned in 1992, but failed to be realized due to financial and environmental factors...
is 81.4 km away.
It is linked by a railway which Amerikalinie (America Line) which restored in the 1990s linking Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Bremen. The line belongs to Stendal/Uelzen. Other stations in Wittenberge
Wittenberge
Wittenberge is a town of twenty thousand people on the lower Elbe in the district of Prignitz , Brandenburg, Germany.-History:...
near Arendsee and in Oebisfelde
Oebisfelde
Oebisfelde is a village and a former municipality in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Oebisfelde-Weferlingen. It is accessed by Bundesstraße 188.- Geography :...
.
People
- Stephan Praetorius (1536–1604), pastor
- Jenny von WestphalenJenny von WestphalenBaroness Johanna Bertha Julie "Jenny" von Westphalen was the wife of the philosopher Karl Marx. They became engaged in 1836 and married in 1843. They had six children.- Background :...
(1814–1881), wife of Karl MarxKarl MarxKarl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement... - Friedrich MeineckeFriedrich MeineckeFriedrich Meinecke was a liberal German historian, probably the most famous German historian of his generation. As a representative of an older tradition still writing after World War II, he was an important figure to the end of his life.-Life:Meinecke was born in Salzwedel in the Province of Saxony...
(1862–1954), historian - Doris MaletzkiDoris MaletzkiDoris Maletzki is a retired East German sprinter who specialized in the 200 metres.She won a gold medal in 4 x 100 metres relay at the 1974 European Championships, together with teammates Christina Heinich, Bärbel Eckert and Renate Stecher...
(born 1952), sprinter
International relations
Salzwedel is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Wesel
Wesel
Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
, 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...
, since 1990 San Vito dei Normanni
San Vito dei Normanni
San Vito dei Normanni is an Italian town of 19,947 inhabitants of the province of Brindisi in Puglia. The inhabitants are called Sanvitesi and the town is sometimes referred to as San Vito....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, since 1990 Felixstowe
Felixstowe
Felixstowe is a seaside town on the North Sea coast of Suffolk, England. The town gives its name to the nearby Port of Felixstowe, which is the largest container port in the United Kingdom and is owned by Hutchinson Ports UK...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, since 1994