Saxony-Anhalt

I

Introduction

Saxony-Anhalt (German, Sachsen-Anhalt), state in eastern Germany, bounded on the north-east and east by the state of Brandenburg, to the south-east by Saxony, to the south-west by Thuringia, and to the west and north-west by Lower Saxony. The state has an area of 20,447 sq km (7,895 sq mi).

II

Physical Geography

Saxony-Anhalt can be divided into two contrasting geographical regions: the rich and fertile lowlands of the North German Plain in the north and central areas of the state, and the rocky plateaux of the Central Highlands, in the south and west. In the north of the state is the Altmark, an area of low-lying sandy heathland and pine forests that extends across the northern border into Lower Saxony. The loess lowlands of the Magdeburger Börde occupy the central region of the state, between Magdeburg and the River Saale. In the west of the state is the Harz mountain range, rising to an average elevation of 640 m (2,100 ft) above sea level. The highest point in Saxony-Anhalt, Brocken (1,142 m/3,747 ft), is located in the Hochharz National Park, close to the border with Lower Saxony. The principal rivers are the Elbe, Saale, Bode, Aller, and Unstrut. The state is also crossed by several canal systems—the Mittelland Canal system, which opened in 1938 and has a total length of 467 km (290 mi), joins the Elbe near Magdeburg, connecting the river with the Dortmund-Ems Canal in North Rhine-Westphalia.

III

Population

The state has a population of 2,523,000 (2004 estimate). With a population density of 123 people per sq km (319 per sq mi), Saxony-Anhalt is the least densely populated of all the German states. The majority of the population is concentrated in the industrialized south; the north is more typically rural, with fewer large-scale urban settlements. Magdeburg (population, 2005 estimate, 226,700) is located at the heart of Saxony-Anhalt and is the state capital; other important cities include Dessau (2005 estimate, 77,400), Halberstadt (2005 estimate, 39,900), Halle (2005 estimate, 238,500), Naumburg (2005 estimate, 29,800), Stendal (2005 estimate, 37,000), and Zeitz (2005 estimate, 29,400).

IV

Education and Culture

Two important institutions of higher education are located in Saxony-Anhalt. Halle is the site of the University of Halle (1694), which in 1817 was merged with the University of Wittenberg (1502). Widely known as a centre of Protestant theology, the university was renamed the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg in 1933. The Otto von Guericke University (1993) is in Magdeburg; the institution is named after 17th-century scientist Otto von Guericke, who was born in the city in 1602.

Saxony-Anhalt is rich in cultural, historical, and ecclesiastical heritage and several buildings, landmarks, and other places of note are located in the state. The Old Town of Quedlinburg was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. Several Bauhaus buildings in the city of Dessau were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1996, and in 2000 the landscaped 18th-century Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz was also named a World Heritage Site. In the city of Wittenberg there are many architectural landmarks associated with the Protestant Reformation. Particularly noteworthy is the Schlosskirche (Castle Church), on the door of which Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses opposing the granting of indulgences in order to raise money for the building of St Peter's in Rome. Within the church are the tombs of Luther and of the German religious reformer Melanchthon. Luther's rooms, the Schlosskirche, and the parish church were collectively named as a World Heritage Site in 1996.