Albersdorf

Infobox German Location
Name = Albersdorf
image_photo =
Wappen = Albersdorf Wappen.pnglat_deg = 54 |lat_min = 8 |lat_sec = 44
lon_deg = 9 |lon_min = 17 |lon_sec = 15
Lageplan = Albersdorf in HEI.pngBundesland = Schleswig-Holstein
Kreis = Dithmarschen
Amt = Mitteldithmarschen
Höhe = 42
Fläche = 17.13
Einwohner = 3588
Stand = 2005-09-30
PLZ = 25767
Vorwahl = 04835
Kfz = HEI
Gemeindeschlüssel = 01 0 51 001
Adresse-Verband = Bahnhofstraße 23
25767 Albersdorf
Website = [http://www.albersdorf.de/ www.albersdorf.de]
Bürgermeister = Manfred Trube
Partei = CDU

Albersdorf is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated near the Kiel Canal, approx. 14 km southeast of Heide. The place was first mentioned in 1281 under the name "Aluerdesdorpe", meaning "village of the old custodian." Albersdorf is part of the Amt Mitteldithmarschen.

Geography

There are many tumuli from the Neolithic and the Bronze Age in this region. It is situated in the east of the Dithmarschen, close to the Kiel Canal. The area is called a "geest"—a sandy heathland with numerous hills and forrests. Albersdorf is a spa town visited for its pure air. It is therefore a popular touristic centre of the Dithmarschen.

Economy

The biggest employer in Albersdorf is the Bundeswehr with more than 780 jobs. However, in November 2004 it was published that the army base would be closed in the future.

Culture

The Archeologic-Ecological Center tries to recreate the cultural landscape of the Neolithic 5,000 years ago, on the area of 40,000 m². The aim is to create a pasture, settled by the first farmers. In 1999 the center has opened a stone age village in which visitors are shown the technics of that time. In the town centre there is the spa park with an open air stage for 2,000 people.

In Albersdorf there is the oldest folk high school on German soil, which is still open today. At the time it was founded, Holstein was under Danish administration. In the rest of Germany, folk high schools were not introduced until the formation of the Weimar Republic in 1919.

Notable events

For more than a century now, Albersdorf celebrates the "Pfingstvolksfest" (pentecost festival), visited by several thousand people each year.