- Gernrode
Infobox German Location
Art = Stadt
image_photo =
Wappen = Wappen Gernrode.svg
lat_deg = 51 |lat_min = 43 |lat_sec = 28
lon_deg = 11 |lon_min = 8 |lon_sec = 21
Lageplan =
Bundesland = Sachsen-Anhalt
Landkreis = Harz
Verwaltungsgemeinschaft = Gernrode/Harz
Höhe = 217
Fläche = 34.07
Einwohner = 3897
Stand = 2006-12-31
PLZ = 06507
Vorwahl = 039485
Kfz = HZ
Website = [http://vgm-gernrode-harz.de/ vgm-gernrode-harz.de]
Bürgermeister = Werner Grundmann
Partei = FDPGernrode is a town in
Germany , in the district of Harz,Saxony-Anhalt . The town was first mentioned in961 and became a city (received "Stadtrecht ") in1539 . Gernrode is 9 km south of Quedlinburg in theHarz mountains and has state recognition as aspa town , where one may take the cure and recuperate in general ("staatlich anerkannter Kur- und Erholungsort"). It is perhaps best known today for theOttonian / Romanesque church of St. Cyriacus, and as the start of theSelketalbahn narrow gauge railway .The city is also known as 'Gernrode/Harz', because of its location in the Harz mountains, and to distinguish it from the other Gernrode in the district of Eichsfeld in
Thuringia , also called 'Gernrode (Eichsfeld)'.Gernrode is the seat of the "
Verwaltungsgemeinschaft " ("collective municipality")Gernrode/Harz .History
Margrave Gero founded the convent of St. Cyriacus ("St. Cyriakus") in960 (within the grounds of the fortifications built about the same time). Gero also founded the collegiate church of St. Cyriacus for the convent, which theHoly Roman Emperor Otto I, the Great took under his special protection in961 . Gero brought backrelic s of St. Cyriacus for the church from his second trip toRome in963 . The convent was disbanded in1570 , when the last abbess married. The collegiate church of St. Cyriacus still contains the grave of Gero, and is one of the oldest and best preserved examples ofottonian and romanesque architecture in Germany. The church was restored from1858 to1874 .Additions to the church in the 11th and 12th centuries, include the west
crypt , side galleries, and the two-storeycloisters . There is a chapel from about this time period in the southernaisle of thenave with a copy of the grave of Christ (a representation of theHoly Sepulcher inJerusalem ), which is one of the oldest of its kind in Germany. The church was the first north of theAlps to have atriforium gallery in thenave , and also the first to have alternating columns and pillars (a hallmark of saxon churches).Emperor Barbarossa, who stayed in Gernrode in
1188 , donated a bell in that year to the St. Stephan church ("Stephanikirche", also known as the Market church or "Marktkirche"), the second historical church in the city. The church was built in1046 , and has been an elementary school since1847 .Gernrode received brewing rights in
1545 . Beer brewing has since stopped, but a distillery is still present in the city. The city was traditionally part of the duchy ofAnhalt and a district ofBallenstedt . From1037 to1740 lead andsilver were mined here. Matches and guns were also made in Gernrode.The
Protestant Reformation came to Anhalt and Gernrode in1521 . A Protestant elementary school was founded in1533 . The building was used as a school until1847 , and may be the oldest such school in Germany. Parts of Gernrode were burnt in theThirty Years' War (twice, in1631 and1635 ). It had 2,533Protestant inhabitants in1885 .In
1945 , at the end of theSecond World War , Gernrode was taken by American troops without a battle, followed by occupation by Soviet troops. Gernrode celebrated its 1,000th year in1961 and 450th year as a city in1989 . It was part ofEast Germany from1949 until German Reunification in1990 . In2001 , celebrations to honour Otto I were held.Gernrode today and the Selketalbahn
Gernrode is nationally recognized for its health facilities and is the seat of the integrated administrative region of [http://vgm-gernrode-harz.de Gernrode/Harz] .
Gernrode lies 215 m above sea level, at the foot of the
Stubenberg mountains. It is the starting point of theSelketalbahn (or "Selke valley railway"), anarrow-gauge railway which is interesting both technically and for tourists. The line was built in1887 and after initially climbing through the mountains, follows theSelke river valley and the line of theTrasse de Harz . The line passes through the communities ofMädgesprung (where the line joins the river Selke) andAlexisbad and beyond toStiege . The total length from Gernrode to Stiege is 35 km. There are branch lines toHarzgerode (from Alexisbad) andHasselfelde (from Stiege, where there is also a link to the narrow gaugeHarzquerbahn ). It is the oldest narrow-gauge railway in the Harz mountains and is served by a combination of old and more modern diesel locomotives. It is not just a tourist line, as freight is also transported. This line was extended to Quedlinburg in2006 , by rebuilding the standard gauge railway previously operated by theDeutsche Bahn .Newer attractions include the giant
cuckoo clock (whose cuckoo appears every fifteen minutes), which was listed in theGuinness Book of Records in1998 . This is part of a clock factory, which also incorporates a giant weather house indicating current weather conditions. Other local attractions include a 7.45 m giant woodthermometer , and the largestSkat table in the world.References
* Gordon McLachlan, "Germany: The Rough Guide", Rough Guide, 1992.
* J.J.M. Timmers, "A Handbook of Romanesque Art", Harper and Row, 1976.
*External links
* [http://www.gernrode.de/ Official website]
* [http://vgm-gernrode-harz.de/Tourismus/karteneu.jpgGeneral map of the region around Gernrode]
* [http://www.gernrode-info.de/Chronik/body_chronik.html Chronicles on Gernrode ] de icon
* [http://www.stiftskirche-gernrode.de/ Collegiate church of St. Cyriacus] de icon
* [http://www.cyriac-fhp.com/csx.htm St. Cyriacus at the Baths web site ]
* [http://www.selketalbahn.de/english/index.htm Friends of the Selketalbahn]
* [http://www.hsb-wr.de/graphic/stbprofi.gifElevation Profile of the Selketalbahn]
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