Zeitz

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Zeitz


Country	Germany
State	Saxony-Anhalt
District	Burgenlandkreis
Population	29,167 (30th June 2005)
Area	24.63 km²
Population density	1,184 /km²
Elevation	160 m
Coordinates	51°02′ N 12°09′ E
Postal code	06712
Area code	03441
Licence plate code	BLK
Mayor	Dieter Kmietczyk
Website	www.zeitz.de

Zeitz is an old town in the south of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, is situated on the river Weiße Elster in the middle of the triangle of the federal states Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony.

Zeitz was first recorded under the name Cici in the synode of Ravenna in 967. Between 968 and 1028 Zeitz was a bishops residence which has later been laid to Naumburg. But since the end of the 13th century the bishops were again residing in their castle to Zeitz. Zeitz has a lot of sights to offer which are predominantly situated along the "Street of Romanic" (point 52).

Moritzburg The residential baroque styled castle Moritzburg contains the oldest building of Zeitz called the cathedral of St. Peter and Paul. The oldest part of the cathedral is the crypt which originates from the second half of the 10th century. In the 17th century the dukes of Saxony-Zeitz used this crypt as a burial site. Today visitors still have the opportunity to see 13 tin coffins from the duke's family, including the coffin of Duke Moritz who was the founder of the duchy of Saxony-Zeitz.

Michaeliskirche The "Michaeliskirche" (first recorded in 1154), originally a Roman basilica, guards an Original Print of Martin Luther's 95 Theses from 1517. The church, as well as other buildings in Zeitz, is closely connected with the history of Martin Luther and his male descendants.

Town Hall The late gothic Town Hall (built between 1504 and 1509, reconstructed between 1907 and 1909) is the symbol of the city, and together with restored houses and 3 market-places it forms the medieval appearance of the city Zeitz.

Herrmannsschacht Traditionally connected with mining, Zeitz ownes the conceptionally oldest briquette-factory of the world, i. e. the Herrmannsschacht. Nowadays it is designed as a technical monument.

[edit] Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Zeitzer Land

Zeitz is the seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft ("collective municipality") Zeitzer Land, which consists of the following municipalities (population in 2005 between brackets):