Merseburg

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Merseburg


Country	Germany
State	Saxony-Anhalt
District	Merseburg-Querfurt
Population	34,790 (2005)
Area	36.08 km²
Population density	964 /km²
Elevation	88 m
Coordinates	51°22′ N 12°0′ E
Postal code	06217
Area code	03461
Licence plate code	MQ
Mayor	Reinhard Rumprecht
Website	merseburg.de

Merseburg is a city in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle (Saale). It is the capital of the Merseburg-Querfurt district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg.

Merseburg is also the seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft ("collective municipality") of Merseburg, which consists of the following municipalities (with population as of 2005):

Beuna (Geiseltal) (1,046)
Geusa (1,499)
Merseburg (34,790)

1 History
2 Sights
3 Famous citizens
4 Twin towns
5 References

[edit] History

Merseburg was first mentioned in 850. King Henry the Fowler built a royal palace at Merseburg; in 934 he gained his great victory over the Hungarians in the vicinity.

Thietmar of Merseburg became the first archbishop of the newly created bishopric of Prague in Bohemia, appointed in 973. Prague had been part of the archbishopric of Mainz for a hundred years before that. From 968 until the Reformation, Merseburg was the seat of the bishop of Merseburg, and in addition to being for a time the residence of the margraves of Meissen, it was a favorite residence of the German kings during the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries. Fifteen diets were held here during the middle ages, when its fairs enjoyed the importance which was afterwards transferred to those of Leipzig. The town suffered severely during the Peasants' War and also during the Thirty Years' War. From 1657 to 1738 it was the residence of the dukes of Saxe-Merseburg; then it fell to the Electorate of Saxony, and in 1815 to Prussia.

Merseburg was badly damaged in World War II with nearly 65 percent of its population killed.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Merseburg was transformed into an industrial site, which is largely due to the pioneering work done by people like Bosch and Bergius who laid down the scientific fundamentals of the catalytic high-pressure ammonia synthesis from 1909 to 1913. Enterprises, too, blazed a trail in the course of the transformational process. Finally, a chemical park emerged which is one of the most modern sites of its kind in Europe with high ecological standards.

Merseburg is also the site where the Merseburg Incantations were rediscovered. Written down in Old High German, they are hitherto the only preserved German documents with a heathen theme. One of them is a charm to release warriors caught during battle, and the other one is a charm to heal a horse's sprained foot.

[edit] Sights

Among the noted buildings of Merseburg are the cathedral of St. John the Baptist (founded 1015, rebuilt in the 13th and 16th centuries) and the episcopal palace (15th century).

Photograph of the Palace Gardens

The Cathedral-and-Palace Ensemble with its fascinating palace garden (Schlossgarten), Merseburg House of Trades with a cultural stage and the German Museum of Chemistry, Merseburg, all bear witness to Merseburg’s history. The Merseburg Palace Festival with the Historical Pageant, the International Palace-Moat Concerts, Merseburg Organ Days and the Puppet Show Festival Week are highlights celebrated every year.