Landsberg, Saxony-Anhalt
Encyclopedia
Landsberg is a town in the Saalekreis
in the state
of Saxony-Anhalt
in Germany
with about 12,000 inhabitants. Landsberg lies in the Greater Halle
area.
The oldest known trace of settlement in what is now Landsberg dates from the New Stone Age
. The town's first documentary mention came in 961 as "civitas holm" in a document from Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
. In 1579, Landsberg was granted city rights by the dukes of Saxony.
Visible even far from the town is one of Landsberg's landmarks, the Double Chapel, built in the Romanesque
style up on a cliff. It is believed to date from the twelfth century, and once belonged to a castle of which only traces of wall now remain.
Known far beyond Landsberg is the Felsenbad ("Cliff Bath"), a swimming pool complex with diving platforms, a 50-m stretch of competition swimming lanes, and a vast shallow pool where non-swimmers may bathe.
Furthermore, the town is the namesake of the well known – in Germany – Landsberger Gemenge (roughly "Landsberg Batch"), a winter catch crop
made out of crimson clover
, Italian ryegrass
and fodder vetch, which is used as livestock fodder or silage
.
is first known to have appeared in the late 12th century, and the Margrave
s of the Wettin dynasty
, the local rulers since the 10th century, used it as their arms.http://www.ngw.nl/int/dld/l/landsbew.htm
Saalekreis
Saalekreis is a district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The district seat is Merseburg. It is bounded by the districts Kyffhäuserkreis , Mansfeld-Südharz, Salzlandkreis, Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Nordsachsen, Leipzig and Burgenlandkreis. The district-free city of Halle is completely surrounded by the...
in the state
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
of 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...
in 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...
with about 12,000 inhabitants. Landsberg lies in the Greater Halle
Halle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
area.
The oldest known trace of settlement in what is now Landsberg dates from the New Stone Age
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
. The town's first documentary mention came in 961 as "civitas holm" in a document from Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan...
. In 1579, Landsberg was granted city rights by the dukes of Saxony.
Visible even far from the town is one of Landsberg's landmarks, the Double Chapel, built in the Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
style up on a cliff. It is believed to date from the twelfth century, and once belonged to a castle of which only traces of wall now remain.
Known far beyond Landsberg is the Felsenbad ("Cliff Bath"), a swimming pool complex with diving platforms, a 50-m stretch of competition swimming lanes, and a vast shallow pool where non-swimmers may bathe.
Furthermore, the town is the namesake of the well known – in Germany – Landsberger Gemenge (roughly "Landsberg Batch"), a winter catch crop
Catch crop
In agriculture, a catch crop is a fast-growing crop that is grown simultaneously with, or between successive plantings of a main crop.For example, radishes that mature from seed in 25–30 days can be grown between rows of most vegetables, and harvested long before the main crop matures...
made out of crimson clover
Crimson clover
Trifolium incarnatum, known as Crimson clover or Italian clover, is a species of clover in the family Fabaceae, native to most of Europe. The species name incarnatum means "blood red"....
, Italian ryegrass
Ryegrass
Ryegrass is a genus of nine species of tufted grasses in the Pooideae subfamily of the Poaceae family. Also called tares , these plants are native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa, but are...
and fodder vetch, which is used as livestock fodder or silage
Silage
Silage is fermented, high-moisture fodder that can be fed to ruminants or used as a biofuel feedstock for anaerobic digesters. It is fermented and stored in a process called ensiling or silaging, and is usually made from grass crops, including corn , sorghum or other cereals, using the entire...
.
Coat of arms
Landsberg's coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is first known to have appeared in the late 12th century, and the Margrave
Margrave
A margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...
s of the Wettin dynasty
Wettin (dynasty)
The House of Wettin is a dynasty of German counts, dukes, prince-electors and kings that once ruled the area of today's German states of Saxony, the Saxon part of Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia for more than 800 years...
, the local rulers since the 10th century, used it as their arms.http://www.ngw.nl/int/dld/l/landsbew.htm
Sightseeing
- St. Crucis (Holy Cross) Double Chapel (right)
- City Hall
- Nicolaikirche (EvangelicalEvangelical Church in GermanyThe Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
church dating from the 13th to 15th centuries)