Entdecken Sie Wernigerode: Die schönste mittelalterliche 🏰 Stadt Deutschlands!

Wernigerode is a medium-sized town and (since September 2006) a state-recognized resort in the Harz district (Saxony-Anhalt). According to Hermann Löns, Wernigerode is also referred to as the colorful city on the Harz, as in the city's official motto since 1910. The coat of arms of the city of Wernigerode shows a three-towered castle in red with a gate and portcullis, including a trout. The first written mention of the city of Wernigerode can be found in documents from 1121, when Count Adalbert from Haimar near Hildesheim chose a place for his residence. At the same time, he began building a lowland fortress — a forerunner of today's castle. The etymology of the city's name is not completely clear. The Wernige root can be of both German and West Slavic origin. The ending -reuth, -roth, -rode, -rade comes from the word Rod, Rodung, which means "deforestation (forest)", that is, the city was built in a dense, forested area. In 1229, "Konrad, Berthold, Gebhard and Burkhard, the counts of the Slavic town of Treu, by God's grace" granted the village the right of town, in the manner of what existed in nearby Goslar. In 1277, the “Gambling House” (the future House of Soviets), a place for entertainment and ships, was first mentioned. Two years later, the citizens bought the city fortifications from the counts for 70 pounds in silver. 1343 - The Wernigerode Counts succeed in taking 23 villages from their neighbors, the Counts of Regenstein. Since 1326, the judge in the city has been one of the citizens. 1427 - the "Playhouse", today's town hall, is donated to the city. 1429 - the last male representative of the Counts of Wernigerode dies, the county becomes the property of the Counts of Stolberg, so a new line is founded - Stolberg-Wernigerode. At this time, the population lived from the extraction of copper, silver, cobalt and iron ore as well as from hunting and forestry. August 5-6, 1528 - 470 of 554 houses in the city burn out as a result of a fire. During the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) the city was occupied and robbed several times. 1714 - The county of Wernigerode is absorbed into the state of Brandenburg-Prussia. Production in the XVII - XVIII centuries is limited to the processing of agricultural products, at the end of the XVIII century there is a transition to manufactories. 1847 — A fire destroys the district - Hinterstrasse, Mittelstrasse, Heidestrasse. Only ten houses have survived, including the oldest house in the city, Hinterstrasse 48, which was built around 1400. The fire damage amounts to 100,000 thalers. 1872 - The Wernigerode-Halberstadt railway line goes into operation. 1899 - Construction of the Wernigerode-Nordhausen narrow-gauge railway (now part of the Harz narrow-gauge railway network) is completed. The city becomes a vacation spot and industry develops in it. 1918 - Mennonite preacher Jakob Krecker opens a Bible school for prisoners of war from Russia. With the Bible school in Wernigerode, the missionary association “Light in the East” (hereinafter “Light in the East”) also began to exist. Don't forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments and subscribe to our channel for more exciting travels through the most beautiful places in the world! 🌍 #Wernigerode #Middle Ages #Wernigerode Castle #Travel #History