Wust, Saxony-Anhalt

Wust
Ortsteil of Wust-Fischbeck
Wust
Coordinates
Administration
Country Germany
State Saxony-Anhalt
District Stendal
Municipality Wust-Fischbeck
Basic statistics
Area 47.52 km2 (18.35 sq mi)
Elevation 31 m  (102 ft)
Population 873  (31 December 2006)
 - Density 18 /km2 (48 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate SDL
Postal code 39524
Area code 039323
Website www.elb-havel-land.de

Wust is a village and a former municipality in the district of Stendal, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the municipality Wust-Fischbeck.

Geography and History

The village is situated in the northern Saxony-Anhalt not far from the river Elbe, near the old town Tangermünde which was a favourite place of Kaiser Karl IV in 14th century. Wust consists of Wust, Sydow, Wusterdamm, and Melkow. In the last centuries the squires of Wust were the noblemen von Katte, their most famous member was Hans Hermann von Katte( youth friend of the later king Frederick II of Prussia ) who spent his childhood in Wust. The family v. Katte was related to the squires of the near village Schönhausen, the v. Bismarcks.

The Summer School for English language, literature, theatre and music is a yearly event during summer vacations in the small village Wust in Germany, Saxony-Anhalt. It is held in two courses, each lasting two weeks; there are levels for beginners and for pupils with intermediate and advanced knowledge of the English language. Alongside the English lessons are other activities, such as workshops for art, photography, music, and sport games. Participants also can take part in the theatre play, the climax of the school activities after 4 weeks. Since the mid-2000s, Shakespearian plays have been performed, including Richard III and Love's Labours Lost, but also the more recently written Ten and the 2006 play The Storyteller(Der Märchenerzähler). Concerts and readings in the Romanesque Wust church or in the surrounding villages and towns are an important part of the overall "Sommerschule" experience, both for participants and the community as a whole. The instructors are mainly students from the UK and the United States. The main goal besides promotion of education is cultural exchange between Germany and Anglo-Saxon countries.

Sight seeings

The romanesque church which is constructed from brick with a baroque interior is included in the northern route of the Street of Romanesque sight-seeing tour. Attached to the apse of the church but with a separate entrance lies the crypt with the mortal remains of the squires, called the Kattegruft was built in 1706/07. The manor house of the squires now serves as elementary school. The summer school has also taken place here since 1991. The old barn building ( the "Kornspeicher") is now a rustic place for exhibitions and concerts.

External links