| Saalfeld | |
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Saalfeld
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Location of the town of Saalfeld within Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district
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| Coordinates | |
| Administration | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Thuringia |
| District | Saalfeld-Rudolstadt |
| Town subdivisions | 14 |
| Mayor | Matthias Graul |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 48.75 km2 (18.82 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 235 m (771 ft) |
| Population | 27,008 (31 December 2010)[1] |
| - Density | 554 /km2 (1,435 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | SLF |
| Postal codes | 07301–07318 |
| Area code | 03671 |
| Website | www.saalfeld.de |
Saalfeld (German: Saalfeld/Saale) is a town in Germany, capital of the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district of Thuringia. It is situated by the Saale River, 48 km (30 mi) south of German cultural capital Weimar, between Nuremburg and Leipzig. The population of the district is 120,000, that of the tri-city area (together with Rudolstadt and Bad Blankenburg) is 70,000 and Saalfeld town proper is 28,000. It is best known internationally as the former capital of the branch of the House of Wettin (known amongst English-speakers as the Windsors) that is today's British royal family.
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Saalfeld is one of the ancient towns of Thuringia, founded by the 7th century. Between 1699 and 1826, it was one of two capitals of the Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld duchy. Like Coburg, its sister town to the south, Saalfeld is linked to many of Europe's royal families.
For example, Queen Victoria's mother was the Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, while Queen Victoria's husband Albert was also born into the house of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. At about the same period, the royal family of Belgium was founded by Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and the Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld married the crown prince of Russia.
The 1st Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld built Saalfeld Castle in 1677 to be the capital of his duchy. Saalfeld Castle, which has been renovated and is today the town administrative building, was home to four generations of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld dukes. The 4th Duke Ernst Frederick, was the last duke to be born in Saalfeld. His heirs, the 5th Duke Franz Frederick and the 6th Duke Ernst III Anton were the last dukes of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.
Ernst III Anton would go on to found the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha while Franz Frederick, in an unprecedented display of conquest through marriage, would put his children and grandchildren into the ruling houses in many European countries. The first was Leopold Friedrich; born Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and the youngest son of Franz Frederick; becoming King of the Belgians in 1831.
But most famous of all is the House of Windsor, as Franz Frederick was the grandfather of both Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband, Albert, Prince Consort. This bloodline continues unbroken from Queen Victoria through to Queen Elizabeth today. Other descendents of Franz Frederick include Wilhelm II, German Emperor, Alexandra, Empress consort of Russia, Victoria, Queen consort of Spain, Ferdinand II, King consort of Portugal, Carlota, Empress consort of Mexico, Ferdinand I, King of Bulgaria, Sofía, Queen consort of Spain, Princess of Greece and Denmark, Maud, Queen consort of Norway, and Marie, Queen consort of Romania.
In 1764, Ernst Frederick's moved the capital from Saalfeld to Coburg and in 1805, his son and heir the 5th Duke Franz Frederick would buy castle Rosenau as the new seat of the duchy. During the time of Ernst III Anton, the neighbouring royal line of Saxe-Gotha and Altenburg became extinct. Ernst Anton III received the duchy of Gotha but in exchange had to give up Saalfeld.
The city is still partly surrounded by old walls and bastions, and contains some interesting medieval buildings, among them being a palace, built at the start of the early modern era in 1679 on the site of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter, which was destroyed during the German Peasants' War (1525). Other notable edifices are the Gothic Church of St. John, dating from the beginning of the 13th century; the Gothic town hall, completed in 1537; and, standing on an eminence above the river, the Kitzerstein, a palace said to have been originally erected by the German King Henry I, although the present building is not older than the 16th century. But perhaps the most interesting relic of the past in Saalfeld is the ruin of the Hoher Schwarm, called later the Sorbenburg, said to have been erected in the 7th century.
The Battle of Saalfeld, part of the Napoleonic Wars, took place on October 10, 1806.
After the division of Germany, Saalfeld station became a border station on the Halle–Bamberg railway—one of two routes that could be taken by trains between Leipzig/Halle and Nuremberg. As a border station its steam locomotive shed assumed extra importance as Saalfeld essentially became the southern terminus of DDR train services. Due to the continued use of steam locomotives in East Germany after the end of steam working in West Germany, the area became a mecca for railway enthusiasts for some years. However, despite being very close to the Inner German border to the south, it was only accessible by a very roundabout route.
Saalfeld is situated between the mountains and lakes of the Thuringian Forest. As such, there is a wealth of outdoor options including hiking, skiing, fishing, hunting, rock climbing, sailing and many other sports.[2]
Thuringia, despite being one of the smaller states in Germany, is well known for its winter sports. Within about an hour's drive of Saalfeld, there are multiple options for skiing, nordic skiing, skating and indoor winter sports. In the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, more than half the gold medals taken by overall medal table winner Germany came from Thuringia athletes.[3] In the Winter Olympics 2010 in Vancouver, Germany placed second in the overall medal tally and again, half the gold medals came from Thuringia athletes. Over the last decade, Thuringia have won as many Winter Olympic gold medals as Switzerland and Russia, and more than France or China.
Saalfeld is also a popular base for hikers taking on the mountainous 168 km Rennsteig, Germany's most famous hiking trail.
Traditionally, Saalfeld was known for its silver mines. Today, Saalfeld has a number of prosperous industries, including the manufacture of machinery, bricks, paint, malt, cigars, hosiery and vinegar. Tourism and recreation-related activities make up a significant part of the local economy.[4] Other industries are brewing, printing and iron-founding, and there are ochre and iron mines in the area.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
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