Friedrichsbrunn is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it th ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Since 23 November 2009, it is part of the town

Thale Thale () is a town in the Harz district in Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany. Located at the steep northeastern rim of the Harz mountain range, it is known for the scenic Bode Gorge stretching above the town centre. Geography The town is situated ...

History

At the location of Friedrichsbrunn there has been a well and a resting place along the road between

Quedlinburg Quedlinburg () is a town situated just north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. As an influential and prosperous trading centre during the early Middle Ages, Quedlinburg became a center of in ...

and

Nordhausen Nordhausen may refer to: * Nordhausen (district), a district in Thuringia, Germany ** Nordhausen, Thuringia, a city in the district **Nordhausen station, the railway station in the city * Nordhouse, a commune in Alsace (German: Nordhausen) * Narost ...

since the 11th century. In 1680, a Prussian border watch station was built at the well, which was known as the '' Ungetreuer Brunnen'' (Unfaithful Well). Between 1773 and 1775, King Friedrich the Great settled the area with 50 families and the place took the name Friedrichsbrunn. The first tourists spent their summer here in 1884. Before

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, two

sanitorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...

s, three larger hotels, and numerous bed and breakfasts were built in Friedrichsbrunn and it became known as a health resort. During the world wars, these facilities were used as military hospitals. In 1949, Friedrichsbrunn was recognized as a health and winter sports resort. Up to 1990, as many as 20,000 vacationers and patients came here each year. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, mass tourism declined. Former municipalities in Saxony-Anhalt Thale {{Harz-geo-stub