Bad Dürrenberg is a spa town in the Saalekreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Saale, approx. 8 km southeast of Merseburg. It is known for its historic graduation tower (for extracting salt from brine), the largest one in Germany.

Bad Dürrenberg
Train station
Train station
Coat of arms of Bad Dürrenberg
Location of Bad Dürrenberg within Saalekreis district
SaxonyThuringiaBurgenlandkreisHalle (Saale)Anhalt-BitterfeldMansfeld-SüdharzSalzlandkreisBad DürrenbergBad LauchstädtBarnstädtBraunsbedraFarnstädtKabelsketalLandsbergLeunaWettin-LöbejünMerseburgMüchelnNemsdorf-GöhrendorfObhausenPetersbergQuerfurtSalzatalSchkopauSchraplauSteigraTeutschenthal
Bad Dürrenberg is located in Germany
Bad Dürrenberg
Bad Dürrenberg
Bad Dürrenberg is located in Saxony-Anhalt
Bad Dürrenberg
Bad Dürrenberg
Coordinates: 51°17′N 12°4′E / 51.283°N 12.067°E / 51.283; 12.067
CountryGermany
StateSaxony-Anhalt
DistrictSaalekreis
Government
 • Mayor (2022–29) Christoph Schulze[1] (CDU)
Area
 • Total36.13 km2 (13.95 sq mi)
Elevation
104 m (341 ft)
Population
 (2022-12-31)[2]
 • Total11,752
 • Density330/km2 (840/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
06231
Dialling codes03462
Vehicle registrationSK
Websitewww.stadt-bad-duerrenberg.de

Geography edit

The town of Bad Dürrenberg is located on the river Saale between the cities of Leipzig, Merseburg and Weißenfels. In the south of the town, the Ellerbach river flows into the Saale from the east.

Neighboring districts edit

The neighboring districts are Leuna to the north, Markranstädt in (Leipzig district) to the east, Lützen (Burgenlandkreis) to the south and, to the west, Weißenfels (Burgenlandkreis).

Town and hinterland edit

The following table shows the population of the town itself and those of the municipal divisions (Ortschaften) which were formerly independent municipalities.[3] Oebles-Schlechtewitz was absorbed into Bad Dürrenberg in 2008,[4] and Nempitz and Tollwitz in 2010.[5]

Town Population Areas  
Bad Dürrenberg 10,805 Bad Dürrenberg, Balditz, Goddula, Keuschberg, Kirchfährendorf, Lennewitz, Ostrau and Vesta
Nempitz 293 Nempitz
Oebles-Schlechtewitz 209 Oebles-Schlechtewitz
Tollwitz 1,175 Ellerbach, Kauern, Ragwitz, Teuditz, Tollwitz and Zöllschen

History edit

Late stone age to early 1700s edit

The area has been populated since Mesolithic times.

By 993, the oldest part of the town, the Keuschberg district, was occupied by Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor. Documentary evidence exists from 1197 for a fortified royal court.

From 1656 to 1738, the area of the town was part of the Bishopric of Merseburg, in turn part of the Secondary Principality of Saxony-Merseburg.[6]

Mid 1700s: Salt production edit

In 1741, Johann Gottfried Borlach began drilling for brine near Keuschberg. In 1763, he was successful; since then there has been a constant flow of brine with a salt content of nearly 11%. In 1765, a massive brine pumping tower, named after Borlach, was built above the first brine spring. Nearby graduation towers were constructed. The brine pumping tower now operates as a museum, honoring Borlach's achievements and documenting the history of salt production, the processing of Dürrenberg brine into evaporated table salt, and the development of Dürrenberg into a spa town[7]

1800s: Prussian era edit

In 1815, the twelve towns of today's Bad Dürrenberg became part of the German state of Prussia. In 1816, the towns were assigned to the Merseburg administrative district of the province of Saxony.[8]

In 1836, a 4.5 kilometer long Tollwitz-Dürrenberg railway with a gauge of 585 mm and the first 133 m long railway tunnel in Germany was built. On March 22, 1856, a railway line from Leipzig to Corbetha via Barneck, Markranstädt, Kötschau and Dürrenberg began operations.

The first bathhouse was built in 1845 and the first Saale bridge was built in 1920. In the same year, the Rössen tram route was extended in stages via Daspig and Spergau to Fährdorf, and six years later to Bad Dürrenberg train station.

20th century edit

During the times of the Weimar Republic, Dürrenberg was adversised as a spa town, with reference to the existing graduation towers (then 1,821 m long) for bathers to “stay in dust-free, ozone-rich air soaked in salt” and described the health resort as a “brine bath”.[9]

In 1930, the Greater Municipality Dürrenberg was created through the merger of the rural communities Dürrenberg, Keuschberg, Porbitz-Poppitz, Ostrau, Lennewitz and Balditz. Dürrenberg has been called Bad Dürrenberg since it was awarded the title "Bad" (spa) in 1935.

During the Second World War, foreign forced laborers were employed by companies in Bad Dürrenberg.[10]

On November 30, 1946, the municipality of Bad Dürrenberg was granted town charter. The district president Otto Gotsche made the announcement at a ceremonial meeting of the city council on January 6, 1946. The certificate was handed over to Mayor Paul Drese. On April 15, 1947, the city was given its coat of arms, which is still used today; it features the brine-pumping tower.[11]

Beginning in 1950, towns including Kirchfährendorf, Goddula-Vesta, Oebles-Schlechtewitz, Tollwitz, Spergau, and Nempitz were incorporated into the Bad Dürrenberg administrative community.

The production of evaporated salt was discontinued in 1963. Bathing operations were discontinued in 1964.

21st century edit

A new brine well was put into operation on June 24, 2000. In 2003, the former drinking hall in the spa gardens was renovated and then reopened for brine applications. In 2008 the city was awarded the title of "state-recognized resort".

Events and festivals edit

Each year on the last weekend of June the town has a festival held over a period of three days, which is known as Brunnenfest (Well Celebration).

Population development edit

Historical population (as of 31 December unless otherwise noted). Values since 2010 also include neighboring villages which were annexed by the town.

Year Inhabitants
1990 13,0081
1995 12,214
2000 11,902
2005 11,391
2006 11,287
2012 11,844
2015 11,763
30 June 2016 11,931

1 3 October

 
Bad Dürrenberg Borlach museum

Mayors edit

  • Kurt Eckart (SPD), May–June 1945
  • Karl Herfurth (KPD), July 1945 – 1946
  • Paul Drese (SED), 1946-1947
  • Fritz Singer, 1948-1952
  • Kurt Boose, from 1951 (deputy)
  • Gerry Chisel (SED), from 1952 acting / Edmund Jatz
  • Martha Wessler (SED), 1953-1976
  • Liselotte Wehowski (SED), 1976-1986
  • Frank Klappach (SED), 1986-1988
  • Karin Zeisler (SED), 1988-1990
  • Thomas Heilmann (CDU), 1990-2001
  • Jürgen Elste (FDP), 2001-2008
  • Árpád Nemes (CDU), 2008-2015
  • Christoph Schulze (CDU), since 2015

Personality edit

Sons and daughters of the town edit

 
SPD-Party convent 1990, Ibrahim Böhme
  • Ibrahim Böhme (1944–1999), politician
  • Lars-Broder Keil (born 1963), journalist and author
  • Andreas Ihle (born 1979), world champion and Olympic champion in canoe racing

Those associated with the town edit

 
Novalis

Twin towns – sister cities edit

Gallery edit

References edit

  1. ^ Bürgermeisterwahlen in den Gemeinden, Endgültige Ergebnisse, Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen-Anhalt, accessed 10 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden – Stand: 31. Dezember 2022" (PDF) (in German). Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen-Anhalt. June 2023.
  3. ^ Hauptsatzung, Stadt Bad Dürrenberg, October 2019.
  4. ^ Gebietsänderungen vom 01.01. bis 31.12.2008, Statistisches Bundesamt
  5. ^ Gebietsänderungen vom 01. Januar bis 31. Dezember 2010, Statistisches Bundesamt
  6. ^ Karlheinz Blaschke, Uwe Ulrich Jäschke: Kursächsischer Ämteratlas, Leipzig 2009, ISBN 978-3-937386-14-0, S. 84 f.
  7. ^ Vollständiger Artikel auf Suite101.de über Bad Dürrenberg an der Saale
  8. ^ Der Landkreis Merseburg im Gemeindeverzeichnis 1900
  9. ^ Reichs-Bäder-Adressbuch. Nach amtlichen Quellen bearbeitet. [Sonderausgabe im Kupfertiefdruck]', Berlin (1928), S. 40, OCLC 183309541
  10. ^ Siehe Frank Falla Archive (auf Englisch).
  11. ^ Archived (Date missing) at stadt-bad-duerrenberg.de (Error: unknown archive URL)