Harzgerode is a town in the district of Harz

Harz (district)

- History :The district was established by merging the former districts of Halberstadt, Wernigerode and Quedlinburg as well as the city of Falkenstein as part of the reform of 2007.-Towns and municipalities:...

 in Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

.

Geography

Its localities include:

• Harzgerode
• Alexisbad
  Alexisbad
  Alexisbad is a small spa town of Germany, in the municipality of Harzgerode, and the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, lying in the outskirts of the Harz Mountains, 1000 ft. above sea level. It has its own station on the narrow-gauge steam railway from Gernrode to Harzgerode...
  
  
• Dankerode
  Dankerode
  Dankerode is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 August 2009, it is part of the town Harzgerode. It lies in the Unterharz, the eastern region of the Harz mountains, at an elevation of 420 m above the valley of the Wipper and has over 1000...
  
  
• Güntersberge
  Güntersberge
  Güntersberge is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 August 2009 it has been part of the borough of Harzgerode.- Geography :...
  
  
• Königerode
  Königerode
  Königerode is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 August 2009, it is part of the town Harzgerode....
  
  
• Mägdesprung
  Mägdesprung
  Mägdesprung is a village in the municipality of Harzgerode in the district of Harz. It nestles in the Harz Mountains at a height of 295 m.- History :There was a mill here below the Mägdetrappe until the Thirty Years' War...
  
  
• Neudorf
  Neudorf, Saxony-Anhalt
  Neudorf is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 September 2010, it is part of the town Harzgerode.- History :...
  
  
• Schielo
  Schielo
  Schielo is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 August 2009, it is part of the town Harzgerode. Basket weaving was common in the area and some houses still have roofs made of straw....
  
  
• Silberhütte
  Silberhütte (Harzgerode)
  Silberhütte is a village in the borough of Harzgerode in the district of Harz in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Its name means "silver works", a place where silver ore is smelted.- Geography :Silberhütte lies in the Selke valley of the Lower Harz....
  
  
• Siptenfelde
  Siptenfelde
  Siptenfelde is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 August 2009, it is part of the town Harzgerode....
  
  
• Straßberg

Harzgerode lies in the eastern part of the Harz Mountains, south of Quedlinburg

Quedlinburg

Quedlinburg is a town located north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In 1994 the medieval court and the old town was set on the UNESCO world heritage list....

. It is connected to Gernrode

Gernrode

Gernrode is a town and a former municipality in Germany, in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt. The town was first mentioned in 961 and became a city in 1539. Since 1 January 2011, it is part of the town Quedlinburg...

 by a narrow gauge railway called the Selke Valley Railway (Selketalbahn).

History

The settlement was built in connexion with the Benedictine abbey of Hagenrode in the Selke

Selke

-People:*Frank J. Selke, Canadian hockey manager*Margrit Selke, Agriculturist*Walter Selke, German physicist-Awards:*Frank J. Selke Trophy *Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy -Other uses:...

 valley, to which King Otto III granted market, minting and customs rights in 993. The following year the place was mentioned as Hazacanroth. It lost its minting rights by the 11th century, but its town rights were renewed in 1338.

With the renewed establishment Anhalt sovereignty in 1535, the town became the administrative centre of the double Amt for Harzgerode and Güntersberge. Around the same time Anhalt was split up again into separate principalities by the sons of Prince Joachim Ernest of Anhalt. As a result, the territory of the Ämter of Harzgerode / Güntersberge became the sixth Anhalt principality and Harzgerode became a residenz

Residenz

Residenz is a very formal, otherwise obsolete, German word for "place of living". It is in particular used to denote the building or town where a sovereign ruler resided, therefore also carrying a similar meaning as the modern expressions seat of government or capital...

town. The seat of the princes was the Harzgerode castle, built in the middle of the 16th century. The town was the residence of the principality

Principality

A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....

 of Anhalt-Bernburg-Harzgerode from 1635 to 1709.

Heinrichsberg Castle

Heinrichsberg Castle

Heinrichsberg Castle is a ruin north of Mägdesprung in the borough of Harzgerode in central Germany. It is not far from the B 185 federal road in the district of Harz in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.- History :...

 is located near the town quarter of Mägdesprung, as are the ruins of Anhalt Castle

Anhalt Castle

Anhalt Castle is a ruined medieval fortification near Harzgerode, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is sited on a hill, the Großer Hausberg, between Meisdorf and Mägdesprung in the Selke valley within the Harz mountains. It was built by Otto the Rich from nearby Ballenstedt around 1123...

 which gave the entire state its name.

On 1 August 2009 the towns of Güntersberge

Güntersberge

Güntersberge is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 August 2009 it has been part of the borough of Harzgerode.- Geography :...

 and Harzgerode (with their villages of Alexisbad

Alexisbad

Alexisbad is a small spa town of Germany, in the municipality of Harzgerode, and the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, lying in the outskirts of the Harz Mountains, 1000 ft. above sea level. It has its own station on the narrow-gauge steam railway from Gernrode to Harzgerode...

, Mägdesprung (Harzgerode) and Silberhütte

Silberhütte (Harzgerode)

Silberhütte is a village in the borough of Harzgerode in the district of Harz in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Its name means "silver works", a place where silver ore is smelted.- Geography :Silberhütte lies in the Selke valley of the Lower Harz....

) together with the municipalities of Dankerode

Dankerode

Dankerode is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 August 2009, it is part of the town Harzgerode. It lies in the Unterharz, the eastern region of the Harz mountains, at an elevation of 420 m above the valley of the Wipper and has over 1000...

, Königerode

Königerode

Königerode is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 August 2009, it is part of the town Harzgerode....

, Schielo

Schielo

Schielo is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 August 2009, it is part of the town Harzgerode. Basket weaving was common in the area and some houses still have roofs made of straw....

, Siptenfelde

Siptenfelde

Siptenfelde is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 August 2009, it is part of the town Harzgerode....

 and Straßberg became part of the new borough of Harzgerode. On 1 September 2010 Neudorf (Harz) was also incorporated.

Town fires

Due to its protected location the town did not suffer from many military conflicts, but it was repeatedly devastated by fire. Before 1503 there was a great conflagration. In 1635 (on Midsummer's Day) every building in the town was razed with the exception of seven houses. On 30 June 1722 42 houses burned down. On 23 October 1817 52 houses were razed.