Jessen (Elster)

Jessen is a municipality on the Schwarze Elster and lies in the eastern part of Saxony-Anhalt in the district of Wittenberg.

Geography

Jessen is an amalgamated municipality, and has the following subdivisions:

History

The first documentary evidence of Jessen's existence dates to 1217. On the night of 20 to 21 September 1729, much of the town was destroyed in a fire. After belonging to Saxony for centuries, Jessen became Prussian in 1816.

In 1945, it became part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt. In 1952, owing to East German administrative reforms, Jessen became a district capital in the Cottbus region (Cottbus is nowadays in Brandenburg). In 1990, Jessen once again became part of the newly-refounded state of Saxony-Anhalt. In 1992 came the amalgamation of the communities of Grabo, Gorsdorf-Hemsendorf, Lindwerder and Großkorga, and in 1993, Schweinitz, Gerbisbach, Klossa, Schöneicho, Steinsdorf and Dixförda. With the district reform in 1994, Jessen became part of Wittenberg district, as well as having a further three communities melded with it, namely Battin, Düßnitz and Kleindröben-Mauken. In 1999 came further amalgamations: Arnsdorf, Leipa and Ruhlsdorf mit Rehain. On 1 March 2004 came a further 12, among them Seyda, Holzdorf and Linda (Elster). Some of these formerly independent communities themselves each consisted of more than one centre, and so Jessen now has a total of 47 Stadtteile (constituent communities).

Economy and infrastructure

Established businesses are mostly small and mid-sized concerns in metalworking, building, dairy processing and drink production. There are also, however, bigger enterprises in agriculture.

Culture and Sightseeing

• Historic marketplace in Jessen
• Parish church of St. Nicolai in Jessen
• Schloss Jessen (stately home), since 1999 town council seat
• Parish church of St. Marien in Schweinitz
• Amtshaus in Schweinitz
• Gorsdorf village church
• Kleindröben village church
• Pretzsch-Mauken reaction ferry

Personalities

• Karl Lamprecht (25 February 1856 – 10 May 1915 in Leipzig), was Professor of History at the University of Leipzig, who is known today mainly for his rôle in the Methodenstreit.

Sundry

The town is Germany's twelfth-largest municipality by land area, and is thereby about 3 km² bigger than Munich.

References

External links

• Jessen