Halle (Saale), or simply Halle (), is the second largest city of the German state of

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt ( ; ) is a States of Germany, state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.17 million inhabitants, making it the List of German states ...

. It is the sixth-most populous city in the area of former

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

after (

East East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...

)

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

Chemnitz Chemnitz (; from 1953 to 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt (); ; ) is the third-largest city in the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Saxony after Leipzig and Dresden, and the fourth-largest city in the area of former East Germany after (East Be ...

and

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...

as well as the 31st-largest city of Germany. With around 226,000 inhabitants, it is less populous than the state capital,

. With Leipzig, the largest city of

Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

, Halle forms the

polycentric Polycentric is an English adjective, meaning "having more than one center," derived from the Greek words ''polús'' ("many") and ''kentrikós'' ("center"). Polycentricism (or polycentricity) is the abstract noun formed from polycentric. They may r ...

Leipzig-Halle conurbation. Leipzig/Halle International Airport lies between the two cities, in Schkeuditz. The Leipzig-Halle conurbation is at the heart of the larger Central German Metropolitan Region. Halle has been known by many names throughout its history. From the 15th to the 17th century: ''Hall in Sachsen''. From then until the beginning of the 20th century, the name Halle an der Saale was used, and still remains a more formal reference for the city. Additionally, from 1965 to 1995 the city was referred to as ''Halle/Saale''. Halle lies in the south of Saxony-Anhalt, in the Leipzig Bay, the southernmost part of the North German Plain, and is the largest city on the River Saale (a tributary of the

Elbe The Elbe ( ; ; or ''Elv''; Upper Sorbian, Upper and , ) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Republic), then Ge ...

), which is the third-longest river flowing entirely in Germany after the

Weser The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports o ...

and the Main. The

White Elster The White Elster (, ) is a river in central Europe. It is a right tributary of the Saale. The source of the White Elster is in the westernmost part of the Czech Republic, in the territory of Hazlov. After a few kilometres, it flows into easte ...

flows into the Saale in the southern borough of Silberhöhe. Halle is the fourth-largest city in the Thuringian- Upper Saxon dialect area after Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz. Halle is one of the main economic and educational centers of Central Germany. The Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, with campuses in Halle and

Wittenberg Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is the fourth-largest town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, in the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. It is situated on the River Elbe, north of Leipzig and south-west of the reunified German ...

, is the largest university in Saxony-Anhalt and one of the oldest universities in Germany. The university hospital of Halle ('' Universitätsklinikum Halle (Saale)'') is the largest hospital in the state. The German National Academy of Sciences (''Leopoldina'') has its seat in Halle. Halle is an important radio hub - Halle Radio Tower is Germany's second-tallest lattice tower, and at night many public German radio stations from all over the country switch to the broadcasting center of Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk in Halle which is responsible for the night program. The Halle tramway is one of the most extensive German tramway networks, and Halle (Saale) Hauptbahnhof is the second-most important hub of the

S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland Mitteldeutschland S-Bahn (), , represents an enlargement of the previous Leipzig-Halle S-Bahn. It is an Railway electrification system, electric rail public transit system operating in the metropolitan area of Leipzig-Halle, Germany. This S-Bahn ...

rapid transit network after Leipzig Hauptbahnhof. The Saale-Elster Viaduct, the longest bridge in Germany and longest high-speed rail bridge in Europe, which is part of the Erfurt–Leipzig/Halle high-speed railway, runs through the southern borough of Planena. The Nebra sky disc that was discovered in Nebra in the

Unstrut The Unstrut ( or ) is a river in Germany and a left tributary of the Saale. The Unstrut originates in northern Thuringia near Dingelstädt (west of Kefferhausen in the Eichsfeld area) and its catchment area is the whole of the Thuringian Ba ...

valley between Halle and

Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital (political), capital and largest city of the Central Germany (cultural area), Central German state of Thuringia, with a population of around 216,000. It lies in the wide valley of the Gera (river), River Gera, in the so ...

, is exhibited in the Halle State Museum of Prehistory. The city is the birthplace of German-British Baroque composer

George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...

, who was born in the Handel House that has been converted into a music museum. The Handel Monument in Halle is the only monument in Germany dedicated to him.

Geography

Halle (Saale) is located in the southern part of

in central Germany, along the river

Saale The Saale (), also known as the Saxon Saale ( ) and Thuringian Saale (), is a river in Germany and a left-bank tributary of the Elbe. It is not to be confused with the smaller Fränkische Saale, Franconian Saale, a right-bank tributary of the M ...

which drains the surrounding plains and the greater part of the neighboring

Free State of Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany's 16 states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Erfurt is the capital and la ...

just to its south, and the Thuringian basin, northwards from the

Thuringian Forest The Thuringian Forest (''Thüringer Wald'' in German language, German ) is a mountain range in the southern parts of the Germany, German state of Thuringia, running northwest to southeast. Skirting from its southerly source in foothills to a gorg ...

. Leipzig, one of Germany's major cities, is only away. Its area is .

City Structure and incorporations

The city is divided into five districts ('Stadtbezirke'): Central, North, East, South, and West. The city districts are in turn are divided into neighbourhoods ('Stadtteile'), which are further divided into quarters ('Stadtviertel'). The following municipalities and districts have been incorporated into the city of Halle (Saale) over the years. * 1817: Glaucha and Neumarkt * 1891: Gutsbezirk Freiimfelde * 1900: Giebichenstein, Trotha, Kröllwitz, and Gut Gimritz (on Peißnitz Island) * 1 July 1950: Town of Ammendorf (with the districts of Beesen, Burg in der Aue, Osendorf, Planena, and Radewell), Bruckdorf, Büschdorf, Diemitz, Dölau, Kanena, Lettin, Mötzlich, Nietleben, Passendorf, Reideburg, Seeben, Tornau, and Wörmlitz-Böllberg * 12 May 1967: Separation of the Halle-West development area north of Passendorf, which became an independent town under the name Halle-Neustadt, later a district-free city * 6 May 1990: Reintegration of Halle-Neustadt

Climate

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

classifies its climate as oceanic (Cfb). However, it is close to being a cold semi-arid climate (BSk). Using the most current climate data from April 2017 to March 2022, the annual precipitation is 17 mm too much to be classified as a cold semi-arid climate. For example, using the climate data from September 2015 to August 2020, the climate would fulfill the requirements to be classified as a cold semi-arid climate. Notwithstanding, the great variation of annual precipitation between the years allows agriculture and large trees to grow, surviving recurring drought periods and years like in the summers of

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

and

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

with severe drought because of regularly occurring wet periods and years and absence of extremely high temperatures - never reaching . With its vegetation, Halle is far from the steppe or semi-desert vegetation typical of cold semi-arid climates.

History

Name

Halle's early history is connected with the harvesting of salt. The name of the river

contains the Germanic root for salt, and salt-harvesting has taken place in Halle since at least the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

(2300–600 BC). From 1965 to 1995, the official name was Halle/Saale.

Middle Ages until industrialisation

The earliest documented mention of Halle dates from AD 806. It became a part of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg in the 10th century and remained so until 1680, when the

Margraviate of Brandenburg The Margraviate of Brandenburg () was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 that, having electoral status although being quite poor, grew rapidly in importance after inheriting the Duchy of Prussia in 1618 and then came ...

annexed it together with

as the Duchy of Magdeburg, while it was an important location for

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

in the 16th century. Cardinal Albert of Mainz ( Archbishop of Magdeburg from 1513 to 1545) also impacted on the town in this period. According to historic documents, the city of Halle became a member of the

Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Growing from a few Northern Germany, North German towns in the ...

at least as early as 1281. Halle became a center for

Pietism Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christianity, Christian life. Although the movement is ali ...

, a movement encouraged by King

Frederick William I of Prussia Frederick William I (; 14 August 1688 – 31 May 1740), known as the Soldier King (), was King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death in 1740, as well as Prince of Neuchâtel. Born in Berlin, he was raised by the Hugu ...

(reigned 1713–1740) because it caused the area's large

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

population to be more inclined to Fredrick William I's religion (

Calvinism Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteri ...

), as well as more loyal to the Prussian king instead of to the decentralized feudal system. By the 1740s Halle had established many orphanages as well as schools for the wealthy in the sober style Pietism encouraged. This Halle education was the first time the "modern education" system was established. The Halle Pietists also combatted poverty. During the

War of the Fourth Coalition The War of the Fourth Coalition () was a war spanning 1806–1807 that saw a multinational coalition fight against Napoleon's First French Empire, French Empire, subsequently being defeated. The main coalition partners were Kingdom of Prussia, ...

, French and Prussian forces clashed in the Battle of Halle on 17 October 1806. The fighting moved from the covered bridges on the city's west side, through the streets and market place, to the eastern suburbs. In 1815 Halle became part of the Prussian Province of Saxony.

World War II (1939–1945)

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, KZ-Außenlager Birkhahn, a subcamp of Buchenwald was in Halle, where prisoners from Poland, Czechoslovakia, the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, France, Netherlands and other nations were forced to work in the Siebel aircraft plants, making combat aircraft. The plant was later dismantled. In Ammendorf, a large factory owned by produced

mustard gas Mustard gas or sulfur mustard are names commonly used for the organosulfur compound, organosulfur chemical compound bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide, which has the chemical structure S(CH2CH2Cl)2, as well as other Chemical species, species. In the wi ...

. Near the end of World War II, there were two bombing raids carried out against the town: the first on 31 March 1945, the second a few days later. The first attack took place between the railway station and the city's centre, and the second bombing was in the southern district. It killed over 1,000 inhabitants and destroyed 3,600 buildings. Among them, are the Market Church, St. George Church, the Old Town Hall, the municipal theatre, historic buildings on Bruederstrasse and on Grosse Steinstrasse, and the city cemetery. On 17 April 1945, American soldiers occupied Halle, and the Red Tower was set on fire by artillery and destroyed. The Market Church and the Church of St. George received more hits. However, the city was spared further damage because an aerial bombardment was canceled, after former naval officer Felix von Luckner negotiated the city's surrender to the American army. In July, the Americans withdrew and the city was occupied by the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

German Democratic Republic (1949–1990)

After World War II, Halle served as the capital of the short-lived administrative region of Saxony-Anhalt until 1952, when the East German government abolished its "Länder" (states). As a part of

(until 1990), it functioned as the capital of the administrative district (''Bezirk'') of Halle.

Since German unity (after 1990)

When

was re-established as a in 1990,

, not Halle, became the capital. On 9 October 2019, two people were killed in a shooting incident at a synagogue in Halle. The Federal Prosecutor (Generalbundesanwalt) classified the attack as an act of

right-wing terrorism Right-wing terrorism, hard right terrorism, extreme right terrorism or far-right terrorism is terrorism that is motivated by a variety of different Right-wing politics, right-wing and far-right politics, far-right ideologies. It can be motivated ...

stemming from

antisemitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

; as a consequence security measures at Jewish facilities were increased.

Population

Halle has a population of about 242,000 and is the largest city in

State. In the

era, Halle had a lot of big industry with many workplaces. At the time Halle was one of the leading cities in East Germany, along with

and

. Halle reached its highest population in 1991 with about 305,000 people. Since

German reunification German reunification () was the process of re-establishing Germany as a single sovereign state, which began on 9 November 1989 and culminated on 3 October 1990 with the dissolution of the East Germany, German Democratic Republic and the int ...

, Halle's population began to decline due to its loss of industry, with many people moving to former

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

. Halle is now considered one of the poorest cities in Germany. Halle's foreign population began to grow in 2015 after refugees from Syria and other war torn countries moved to Halle. Population of foreign residents:

Politics

Mayor

The current mayor of Halle is

independent politician An independent politician or non-affiliated politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or Bureaucracy, bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent. Some politicia ...

Alexander Vogt since 2025. The most recent mayoral election was held on 2 February 2025, with a runoff held on 23 February, and the results were as follows: ! rowspan=2 colspan=2, Candidate ! rowspan=2, Party ! colspan=2, First round ! colspan=2, Second round , - ! Votes ! % ! Votes ! % , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Alexander Vogt , align=left,

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

, 16,706 , 19.1 , 60,758 , 51.8 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Egbert Geier , align=left, SPD , 32,418 , 37.1 , 56,465 , 48.2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Kerstin Godenrath , align=left, CDU , 13,588 , 15.5 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Andreas Wels , align=left,

, 9,989 , 11.4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Sven Macha , align=left,

, 6,531 , 7.5 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Dörte Jacobi , align=left,

( PARTEI) , 3,065 , 3.5 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Maik Weiderpas , align=left,

, 2,576 , 2.9 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Wolfgang Hoppe , align=left,

, 1,477 , 1.7 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Martin Bochmann , align=left,

( PARTEI) , 1.087 , 1.2 , - ! colspan=3, Valid votes ! 87,437 ! 99.4 ! 117,223 ! 98.4 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 553 ! 0.6 ! 1,924 ! 1.6 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 87,990 ! 100.0 ! 119,147 ! 100.0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 185,645 ! 47.4 ! 185,209 ! 64.3 , - , colspan=7, Source: https://wahlergebnisse.halle.de/OBW2025/ City of Halle (Saale)]

City council

The most recent city council election was held on 9 June 2024, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Party ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

Alternative for Germany Alternative for Germany (, AfD, ) is a Far-right politics in Germany (1945–present), far-right,Far-right: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Right-wing populism, right-wing populist and National conservatism, national-conservative p ...

(AfD) , 69,813 , 21.2 , 7.2 , 12 , 4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , 67,804 , 20.6 , 3.2 , 11 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, The Left (Die Linke) , 40,831 , 12.4 , 5.4 , 7 , 3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Social Democratic Party (SPD) , 39,081 , 11.9 , 0.6 , 7 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) , 37,541 , 11.4 , 4.9 , 6 , 3 , - , , align=left, Priority Halle (Hauptsache) , 18,032 , 5.5 , 1.4 , 3 , 1 , - , , align=left, With Citizens for Halle (MitBürger) , 13,627 , 4.1 , 0.3 , 2 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Free Democratic Party (FDP) , 11,852 , 3.6 , 1.8 , 2 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

Die PARTEI (''Party for Labour, Rule of Law, Animal Protection, Promotion of Elites and Grassroots Democratic Initiative''), or Die PARTEI (''The PARTY''), is a German political party. It was founded in 2004 by the editors of the German satirical magazine ...

(PARTEI) , 10,781 , 3.3 , 0.1 , 2 , 0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Volt Germany (Volt) , 8,999 , 2.7 , New , 2 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Free Voters (FW) , 6,011 , 1.8 , 0.3 , 1 , 0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, dieBasis , 3,569 , 1.1 , New , 1 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Schrader (

) , 1,592 , 0.5 , New , 0 , New , - ! colspan=2, Valid votes ! 329,535 ! 100.0 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Invalid ballots ! 1,799 ! 1.6 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Total ballots ! 113,268 ! 100.0 ! ! 56 ! ±0 , - ! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout ! 186,061 ! 60.9 ! 4.3 ! ! , - , colspan=7, Source
City of Halle (Saale)

Sights

* Halloren Chocolate Factory and visitors' centre, Germany's oldest chocolate factory still in use. * Giebichenstein Castle, first mentioned in 961, is north of the city centre on a hill above the Saale river, with a museum in the upper castle and the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design in the lower castle. * Moritzburg, a newer castle, was built between 1484 and 1503. It was the residence of the Archbishops of Magdeburg, was destroyed in the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

, and was a ruin for centuries afterward. Partially reconstructed in 1901–1913, it is an art gallery today. The reconstruction was completed with the opening of new exhibition rooms designed by the Spanish architects Sobejano and Nieto in 2010. *''Neue Residenz'' (New Residence), an early Renaissance palace (1531–1537) *Market square with ** Market Church of St. Mary (Marktkirche), built in 1529–1554, using elements of two medieval churches, St. Gertrude's Church dating back to the 11th century and the older St. Mary's Church from the 12th century. The church has four steeples, the two western octagonal ones are called Blue Towers because of their dark blue slate roofing. The other two ''Hausmannstürme'' are connected by a bridge and on this bridge was the city's fire watch. The church owns the original death-mask of

. The Marktkirche's four towers is a landmark symbol of the city. **''Roter Turm'' (Red Tower), originally built as

campanile A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...

of the older St. Mary's Church between 1418 and 1503, a landmark of Halle, with the steeples of St. Mary's Church forms the five towers marking the city's skyline. **''Roland'', originally (13th century) a wooden sculpture representing urban liberty (after an uprising in the city, a cage was placed around it between 1481 and 1513, a reminder of the restrictions). Today's sculpture is a sandstone replica made in 1719. **''Marktschlösschen'', late Renaissance building, gallery and tourist information office **Monument to

, 1859 by Hermann Heidel **''Ratshof'' (Council's Yard), built in 1928/29 as a backyard building of the Old Town Hall (demolished in 1948/50 after the destruction of World War II, so the ''Ratshof'' is situated today directly on the market square). **''Stadthaus'', Renaissance-Revival building of 1891–1894 **''Yellow line'', which runs over the market square, marking a geological fault line, the ''Hallische Verwerfung''. * Handel House, first mentioned in 1558, birthplace of George Frideric Handel, a museum since 1948 * Wilhelm Friedemann Bach House, home of composer Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, now a museum *Old Market square with Donkey's Fountain (1906/13), referring to a local legend *Remains of the town fortifications: the Leipzig Tower (''Leipziger Turm'') (15th century) in the east and remains of the town wall to the south of the city centre. *Sculpture dedicated to

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...

in the Pestalozzi Park. *Francke Foundations, Baroque buildings (including Europe's largest surviving half-timbered building) and historical collections *''Stadtgottesacker'', a Renaissance cemetery, laid out in 1557, in the style of an Italian ''camposanto'' * ''Saline'' Museum is dedicated to Halle's salt-works and the corporation of salt workers ''(Halloren)'' *Cathedral ''(Dom)'', a steepleless building, was originally a church within a Dominican monastery (1271), converted into a cathedral by cardinal Albert of Hohenzollern. Since 1688, it has been the church of the Reformed parish. *Saint Maurice Church, late Gothic building (1388–1511) *Saint Ulrich Church, late Gothic church of the Servite Order (15th century), today used as a concert hall *Church of the former village of Böllberg (Romanesque, with late Gothic painted wooden ceiling) *Numerous bourgeois town houses, including the ''Ackerbürgerhof'' (15th – 18th centuries with remains from the 12th century), Christian Wolff's House (today City Museum), Graseweg House (half-timbered building) * State Museum of Prehistory where the

Nebra sky disk The Nebra sky disc (, ) is a bronze disc of around diameter and a weight of , having a blue-green patina and inlaid with gold symbols. These symbols are interpreted generally as the Sun or full moon, a lunar crescent, and stars, including a cl ...

is exhibited *''Volkspark'' (1906/07), former meeting house of the Social Democrats *Theatres: **'' Halle Opera House'' **''Neues Theater'' **''Puppentheather'' **''Thalia Theater'', the only theatre for children in

**''Steintor Bühne'' *Parks and gardens: **''Botanical Garden'' of the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, founded in 1698 in the former gardens of the Archbishops of Magdeburg, belonging to the Garden Dreams project **''Reichardts Garten'' is a historic park, part of the Garden Dreams project. Laid out in 1794 by Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1752–1814) as an English garden, becoming the "accommodation of Romanticism". It changed ownership several times and the city of Halle bought the park in 1903 to give the public wider access. **''Peißnitz Island'' **''Pestalozzi Park'' **Zoological Garden ''(Bergzoo)'', situated on the ''Reilsberg'' hill. *''Galgenberge'', location of the gallows from the 14th to the end of the 18th century *''Klausberge'', porphyry hill, named after a chapel of the St. Nicholas' brotherhood, panoramic view over the Saale Valley, Eichendorff's bench *''Dölauer Heide'' forest, including ''Bischofs Wiese'' with 35 graves dating back to about 2500–2000 BC, the

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

period *Racecourse in the Passendorf Meadows *'' Halle-Neustadt'', to the west of Halle, built beginning 1964 (foundation stone ceremony 15 July 1964) as a socialist model city. Still has several monuments from the GDR, as a giant mural dedicated to

Image gallery

File:Marktplatz Halle 2010.jpg, Market square File:Stadthaus-Halle.jpg, Stadthaus File:Vor dem Eingangsbereich - Stadtcenter Rolltreppe - Ladengeschäfte im Stadtzentrum von Halle Saale - panoramio.jpg, Old town File:Paulusviertel Pauluskirche.jpg, View over Paulusviertel File:Giebichenstein4.jpg, Giebichenstein Castle from Kröllwitz File:Moritzburg-neu.jpg, Moritzburg (Halle) File:Landesmuseums für Vorgeschichte Sachsen-Anhalt in Halle - Außenansicht.jpg, Halle State Museum of Prehistory File:Halle(Saale) Opernhaus asv2024-04 img1.jpg, Halle Opera House File:2014 04 Händelhaus.jpg, Handel House File:Neue Klausbrücke, im Hintergrund die 5 Türme - panoramio.jpg, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach House to the left File:2007-05 Halle (Saale) 02.jpg, Halloren Chocolate Factory File:ZooBlick.JPG, View to Reilberg of Zoo Halle File:Hochstraße Halle.jpg, View to Halle-Neustadt File:Halle (Saale), Blick auf Kröllwitz.jpg, View over Kröllwitz

Industrial heritage

Salt, also known as ''white gold'', was extracted from four "Borns" (well-like structures). The four Borns/brine named Gutjahrbrunnen, Meteritzbrunnen, Deutscher Born and Hackeborn, were located around the Hallmarket (or "Under Market"), now a market square with a fountain, just across from the TV station, MDR. The brine was highly concentrated and boiled in ''Koten'', simple structured houses made from reed and clay. Salters, who wore a unique uniform with eighteen silver buttons, were known as ''Halloren'', and this name was later used for the chocolates in the shape of these buttons. The Halloren-Werke, the oldest chocolate factory in Germany, was founded in 1804. Old documents are on display and a chocolate room can be visited. Within

, Halle's chemical industry, now mainly shut down, was of great importance. The two main companies in the region were Buna-Werke and

Leuna Leuna () is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, eastern Germany, south of Merseburg and Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Halle, on the river Saale. The town is known for the ''Leuna works, Leunawerke'', at 13 km2 one of the biggest chemical industrial complexes i ...

, and Halle-Neustadt was built in the 1960s to accommodate the employees of these two factories.

Science and culture

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

composer

Georg Friedrich Händel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well-known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...

(later ''George Frideric Handel'') was born in Halle in 1685 and spent the first 17 years of his life in the city. The house where he lived is now a museum about his life. To celebrate his music, Halle has staged a Handel Festival since 1922, annually in June since 1952. The ''Franckesche Stiftungen'' (Francke Foundations) are home to the ', which was founded before the year 1116 and is one of the oldest boys' choirs in the world. The

University of Halle Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (), also referred to as MLU, is a public research university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg. It is the largest and oldest university in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. MLU offers German and i ...

was founded here in 1694. It is now combined with the

University of Wittenberg Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (), also referred to as MLU, is a public research university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg. It is the largest and oldest university in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. MLU offers German and i ...

and called the '' Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg''. The university's medical school was established by Friedrich Hoffmann. Its

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...

, the Botanische Garten der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, dates back to 1698. Halle's

German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (), in short Leopoldina, is the national academy of Germany, and is located in Halle (Saale). Founded on 1 January 1652, based on academic models in Italy, it was originally named the ''Academi ...

is the oldest and one of the most respected scientific societies in Germany. Halle is also home to Germany's oldest existing Protestant community church library, the Marienbibliothek, founded in 1552, it is the largest of its kind with 36,000 titles. The seat of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, one of the world's largest social anthropological research institutions and a part of the

Max Planck Society The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science (; abbreviated MPG) is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes. Founded in 1911 as the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, it was renamed to the M ...

, is in Halle. Halle was a centre of German

and played an important role in establishing the

church in North America, when Henry Muhlenberg and others were sent as missionaries to

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

in the mid-18th century. Muhlenberg is now called the first Patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America. He and his son, Frederick Muhlenberg, who was the first

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House or House speaker, is the Speaker (politics), presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the United ...

, were graduates of Halle University. The Silver Treasure of the ''Halloren'' is displayed occasionally at the Technical Museum Saline. It is a unique collection of silver and gold goblets dating back to 1266. The ancient craft of "Schausieden" (boiling of the brine) can be observed there too. The State Museum of Prehistory houses the

, a significant Bronze-Age find with astronomical significance. Halle Zoo contributes to the EAZA breeding programme, in particular for the Angolan lion and the Malaysian tiger. Halle is also known for its thriving coypu (or nutria) population, which is native to South America. With writers such as Heine, Eichendorff, Schleiermacher, Tieck and

Novalis Georg Philipp Friedrich Freiherr von Hardenberg (2 May 1772 – 25 March 1801), pen name Novalis (; ), was a German nobility, German aristocrat and polymath, who was a poet, novelist, philosopher and Mysticism, mystic. He is regarded as an inf ...

the town was a vibrant scene of the

German Romanticism German Romanticism () was the dominant intellectual movement of German-speaking countries in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, influencing philosophy, aesthetics, literature, and criticism. Compared to English Romanticism, the German vari ...

. Also

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...

was a regular guest at the house of his close friend Johann Friedrich Reichardt. German-American expressionist painter Lyonel Feininger worked in Halle on an invitation by the city from 1929 to 1931. As one of eleven views of the city termed ''Halle Cycle'', he painted in 1931 ''Die Türme über der Stadt'' (The towers above the city), which is now in the Museum Ludwig in Cologne. This painting appeared on a 55 eurocent stamp on 5 December 2002 as a part of the series "Deutsche Malerei des 20. Jahrhunderts" (German painting of the 20th century). File:Halleuniplatz.JPG, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg File:Halle (Saale) University Library Building (Feb-2006).jpg, University and State Library File:Kunst-Campus der Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle.jpg, Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design File:Leopoldina Halle (Saale) Draufsicht.jpg, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina File:Franckesche Stiftungen Innenhof 2015.jpg, Francke Foundations File:2007-07 Halle (Saale) 28.jpg, Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics at Weinberg Campus Technology Park File:Laternenfest 1.jpg, The Laternenfestival at Peißnitzisland

Transport history

Ludwig Wucherer made Halle an important rail hub in central Germany. In 1840 he opened the Magdeburg-Halle-Leipzig line, completing a connection between

and

. From 1841 to 1860, other lines to

Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in North Hesse, northern Hesse, in Central Germany (geography), central Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel (region), Kassel and the d ...

and

followed. The centrepiece of Halle's urban public transport system is the Halle (Saale) tramway network. It includes the world's first major electric-powered inner-city tram line, which was opened in 1891. Halle (Saale) Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station. Halle's prominence as a railway centre grew with the arrival of the Erfurt-Leipzig/Halle high-speed railway. Leipzig is also connected to this route, but since it is mostly a terminus station (the Leipzig City Tunnel, opened in 2013, is mostly used by suburban S-Bahn trains and unsuitable for the high-speed network) and the route via Halle is shorter, Halle is used as an intermediate stop by many Berlin-Munich trains. Leipzig/Halle Airport (opened in 1927) is an international airport located in Schkeuditz, Saxony, and serves both Leipzig, Saxony, and Halle, Saxony-Anhalt. it is Germany's 11th largest airport by passengers, handling more than 2.57 million mainly with flights to European leisure destinations. In terms of cargo traffic, the airport is the fifth-busiest in Europe and the second-busiest in Germany after

Frankfurt Airport Frankfurt Airport ( ) , is Germany's busiest international airport by passenger numbers, located in Frankfurt, Germany's fifth-largest city. Its official name according to the German Aeronautical Information Publication is Frankfurt Main Airpor ...

. Halle(Saale) Hauptbahnhof asv2024-04 img2.jpg, Halle (Saale) Hauptbahnhof, the main railway station File:Tram MGT6D Halle Moritzburgring 3.JPG, Tram in Halle File:Leipzig-Halle Airport Check-in.jpg, Leipzig/Halle Airport

Sports

The football team ''Hallescher FC Wacker 1900'' had some regional importance before World War II. In the German Championship ''Wacker'' reached the semi-finals in 1921, and the quarter-finals in 1928. The successor team became East German champions in 1949 and 1952 under the names of ''ZSG Union'' and ''BSG Turbine Halle''. From these evolved today's '' Turbine Halle'' and '' Hallescher FC''. In the era of the German Democratic Republic, the latter club (as ''Chemie Halle'' ) was a mainstay in the first division and won the Cup tournament in 1956 and 1962. The most prominent player was 72-times international Bernd Bransch, who was with ''Chemie'' in the 1960s and 1970s. These days, ''Hallescher FC'' usually plays in the third division. The general sports club ', originating from ''Chemie Halle'', created a notable number of Olympic gold medallists and world champions, mainly in nautical and watersports, e.g., swimmer Kornelia Ender won four Olympic gold medals in 1976 and Andreas Hajek won four rowing world championships between 1998 and 2001. The basketball team of the club – these days known as ''Lions'' and focusing on the woman's team which plays in the national first division – won five men's and 10 women's championships of the German Democratic Republic. The Hallescher FC's location is extremely close to a train station.

Notable people

Public service

* Clemens von Delbrück (1856–1921), conservative politician,

Vice-Chancellor of Germany The vice-chancellor of Germany, officially the deputy to the federal chancellor (), is the second highest ranking German cabinet member. The Chancellor of Germany, chancellor is the head of government and, according to the constitution, gives thi ...

1908–1916 * Helga Einsele (1910–2005), a criminologist, prison director and high-profile prisons reformer. * Gerhard Feige (born 1951), bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Magdeburg *

August Hermann Francke August Hermann Francke (; 22 March 1663 – 8 June 1727) was a German Lutheran clergyman, theologian, philanthropist, and Biblical scholar. His evangelistic fervour and pietism got him expelled as lecturer from the universities of Dresden and ...

(1663–1727), Lutheran Pietist theologian at the University of Halle and founder of the Halle Orphan House complex. * Hans-Dietrich Genscher (1927–2016), former Vice Chancellor and longest serving

Foreign Minister In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

, (1974 to 1992), was born in Reideburg, which belongs to Halle today * Gerald Götting (1923–2015), chairman of the East German Christian Democratic Union, 1966–1989. * Margot Honecker (1927–2016), First Lady of the

German Democratic Republic East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

, 1971–1989 * Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778–1852), theology student of University Halle 1796–1800, went into hiding using a porphyry cave along the river Saale. It became known as the "Jahn-Höhle" (Cave). * Christian Andreas Käsebier (1710–1757), intelligence operative for

Frederick the Great Frederick II (; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was the last Hohenzollern monarch titled ''King in Prussia'', declaring himself ''King of Prussia'' after annexing Royal Prussia ...

, robber and swindler, born and raised in Halle * Carl Lampert, (1894–1944), priest, beheaded by Nazis in World War II at Halle * Hans Litten (1903–1938), lawyer, represented opponents of the Nazis at trials from 1929 and 1932 * Johann David Michaelis (1717–1791), a Prussian biblical scholar and teacher. * Frederick Muhlenberg (1750–1801), the first

, graduated at Halle University. * George Müller (1805–1898), preacher and philanthropist, coordinator of orphanages in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

. * Cornelia Pieper (born 1959), a German politician, now German

consul general A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consu ...

Gdańsk Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. With a population of 486,492, Data for territorial unit 2261000. it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. Gdań ...

, Poland. * Richard Raatzsch (born 1957), philosopher and professor of practical philosophy * Princess Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg (1619–1680), a princess of Saxe-Altenburg * Fabian von Schlabrendorff (1907–1980), lawyer, officer, judge and member of the German resistance * Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher (1768–1834), university preacher and professor of theology to the University of Halle, where he remained until 1807. * Fabian von Schlabrendorff (1907–1980), a jurist, soldier and member of the German resistance and judge of the German Federal Constitutional Court. * Albrecht Schröter (born 1955), politician (SPD) and mayor of Jena from 2006 to 2018. * Gertrud Schubart-Fikentscher (1896–1985), first female professor of law from 1948 for 17 years * Ullrich Sierau (born 1956), politician (SPD) and mayor of Dortmund from 2010 to 2020 * John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg (1572–1619), a

Prince-elector The prince-electors ( pl. , , ) were the members of the Electoral College of the Holy Roman Empire, which elected the Holy Roman Emperor. Usually, half of the electors were archbishops. From the 13th century onwards, a small group of prince- ...

of the

* Hans-Christian Ströbele (born 1939), politician (Greens) and member of the Bundestag * Johann Friedrich Struensee (1737–1772) a German physician, philosopher and statesman. *

Ľudovít Štúr Ľudovít Štúr (; 28 October 1815 – 12 January 1856), also known as Ľudovít Velislav Štúr, was a Slovak revolutionary, politician, and writer. As a leader of the Slovak nationalism, Slovak national revival in the 19th century and the c ...

(1815–1856), Slovak national leader, linguist and writer, studied at the University of Halle in 1838–1840

Military

* Max von Bahrfeldt (1856–1936),

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

n General, local historian, and world renown numismatist, died here in 1936 *

Reinhard Heydrich Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich ( , ; 7 March 1904 – 4 June 1942) was a German high-ranking SS and police official during the Nazi era and a principal architect of the Holocaust. He held the rank of SS-. Many historians regard Heydrich ...

(1904–1942), a leading

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

WWII World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and a main architect of the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

* Ludolf von Alvensleben (1901–1970), an SS functionary, fled to Argentina after WWII * Oswald Boelcke (1891–1916), World War I German flying ace, born near Halle * Karl von Eberstein (1894–1979),

German nobility The German nobility () and Royal family, royalty were status groups of the Estates of the realm, medieval society in Central Europe, which enjoyed certain Privilege (law), privileges relative to other people under the laws and customs in the Ger ...

, early member of the Nazi Party, the SA and the SS. * Walter Eisfeld (1905–1940), Nazi SS concentration camp commandant * Paul Götze (1903–1948), Nazi SS officer at Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps executed for war crimes * Johannes Hassebroek (1910–1977), Nazi SS commandant of Gross-Rosen concentration camp. * Karl Freiherr von Müffling (1775–1851), Prussian general field marshal.

Science

* Bernd Baselt (1934–1993), university professor, published a catalogue leading to the modern day opus designator ( HWV) which is used when referring to the works of

. * Dorothea Christiane Erxleben of Quedlinburg (1715–1762) received her

Doctor of Medicine A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin language, Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of ph ...

degree in 1754 from the Medical Department of Martin Luther University (MLU) *

Georg Cantor Georg Ferdinand Ludwig Philipp Cantor ( ; ; – 6 January 1918) was a mathematician who played a pivotal role in the creation of set theory, which has become a foundations of mathematics, fundamental theory in mathematics. Cantor establi ...

(1845–1918), mathematician and professor at the university of Halle * Arthur Golf (1877–1941), an academic agronomist, focussed on ''colonial agriculture'' * Siegwart Horst Günther (1925–2015), a German physician,'father of the anti-uranium-weapons movement in Germany', born in Halle * Friedrich Hoffmann (1660–1742), a German physician and chemist. * Christian Knaut (1656–1716), doctor, botanist and librarian * Andreas Libavius (1550–1616), practised alchemy, wrote the book ''Alchemia'', a chemistry textbook * Felix Jacob Marchand (1846–1928), a German pathologist, coined the term ''

atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis is a pattern of the disease arteriosclerosis, characterized by development of abnormalities called lesions in walls of arteries. This is a chronic inflammatory disease involving many different cell types and is driven by eleva ...

'' * Leonhard Sohncke (1842–1897), mathematician and professor of physics * Georg Wilhelm Steller (1709–1746), a botanist, zoologist, physician and explorer of Siberia, Kamchatka and Alaska * Charles Tanford (1921–2009), American protein chemist, born in Halle as Karl Tannenbaum * Christian Friedrich von Völkner (1728–1796), German translator and historian in Russia

Arts

* Conny Bauer (born 1943) & Johannes Bauer (1954–2016) jazz trombonists. * Johann Friedrich Bause (1738–1814), a copper engraver; primarily of portraits. * Ursula Brömme (1931–2001), operatic soprano * Thuon Burtevitz (born 1973), composer * Heinrich Andreas Contius (1708–1795) an organ builder in the Baltic States * Susanne Daubner (born 1962), German news and television presenter * Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956), painter of several famous images in Halle, incl. ''Der Dom in Halle.'' * Ernst Flügel (1844–1912), a German Romantic composer. * Robert Franz (1815–1892), a German composer, mainly of lieder. * Moritz Götze (born 1964), artist, painter, sculptor, born and lives in Halle *

(1685–1759),

composer, born and raised in Halle. * Carola Helbing-Erben (born 1952), textile artist *

Claire Heliot Klara Haumann (née Pleßke; 3 December 1866 – 9 June 1953), known professionally as Claire Heliot, was a German Lion taming, lion tamer. Biography Klara Pleßke was born in Halle (Saale), Halle on 3 December 1866. Her father was a government ...

(1866–1953), a German lion tamer. * Johann Georg Ludwig Hesekiel (1819–1874), author and journalist. * Nickel Hoffmann (1536–1592), mastermason, worked over 30 years in Halle, including the Market Church and the Composanto * August Lafontaine (1758–1831), a writer of sentimental novels, then hugely popular, died in Halle * Georg Listing (born 1987), bassist from the

-based band, Tokio Hotel * Johann Friedrich Naue (1787–1858), classical composer * Ursula Noack (1918–1988), a cabaret artiste, film and stage actress and chanson singer * Kai Pflaume (born 1967), German television presenter, born in Halle * Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1752–1814), composer, writer and music critic, lived in Halle. He was a close friend of

* Samuel Scheidt (1587–1654),

composer and organist, spent most of his life in Halle * Hellmut Schnackenburg (1902–1974), conductor * Daniel Gottlob Türk (1756–1813), classical composer, was born in Halle in 1750, and was a professor at the University of Halle * Anja Daniela Wagner (born 1969), operatic mezzo-soprano * Paul Weigel (1867–1951), a German-American actor, appearing in over 110 films between 1916 and 1945.

Sport

* Bernd Bransch (1944–2022), a footballer with 317 club caps and 64 for

* Waldemar Cierpinski (born 1950), East German athlete and twice Olympic Champion, lives in Halle * Fritz Huschke von Hanstein (1911–1996), a German racing driver, worked for

Porsche Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in luxury, high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Th ...

* Yoan Pablo Hernández (born 1984), Cruiserweight

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

champion (immigrated from

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

) * Marita Lange (born 1943), shot putter, silver medallist at the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Mexico 1968 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 October 1968, in Mexico City, Mexico. These were the first Ol ...

* Lothar Milde (born 1934), East German discus thrower, silver medallist at the

* Jochen Pietzsch (born 1963), a former East German

luge A luge () is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds Supine position, supine (face-up) and feet-first. A luger begins seated, propelling themselves initially from handles on either side of the start ramp, then steers by using the Ca ...

r, he won gold in at the

1988 Winter Olympics The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Calgary 1988 were a multi-sport event held from February 13 to 28, 1988, with Calgary, Calgary, Alberta as the main host city. This marks the m ...

and bronze in

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

. * Conny Pohlers (born 1978), a German former footballer with 67 caps with Germany women * Torsten Spanneberg (born 1975), an team bronze medal winner in the medley relay at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

* Andreas Wank (born 1988), German ski jumper, team gold medallist at the 2014 Winter Olympics * Ulrich Wehling (born 1952), a retired German skier who won the Nordic combined event in the Winter Olympics three consecutive times, in 1972, 1976, and 1980. * Dariusz Wosz (born 1969), a German football coach and former player with 563 club caps and 17 for

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Twin towns – sister cities

Halle is twinned with: * Oulu, Finland (1968) *

Linz Linz (Pronunciation: , ; ) is the capital of Upper Austria and List of cities and towns in Austria, third-largest city in Austria. Located on the river Danube, the city is in the far north of Austria, south of the border with the Czech Repub ...

, Austria (1975) *

Grenoble Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...

, France (1976) * Ufa, Russia (1977) *

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...

, Germany (1987) *

Jiaxing Jiaxing (), alternately romanized as Kashing, is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province, China. Lying on the Grand Canal of China, Jiaxing borders Hangzhou to the southwest, Huzhou to the west, Shanghai to the northeast, and the p ...

, China (2009) *

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

, United States (2011) *

Gyumri Gyumri (, ) is an urban municipal community and the List of cities and towns in Armenia, second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th centur ...

, Armenia (2023)

Friendly cities

Halle also has friendly relations with: *

Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ), officially the City of Coimbra (), is a city and a concelho, municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2021 census was 140,796, in an area of . The fourth-largest agglomerated urban area in Po ...

, Portugal (1976) *

Hildesheim Hildesheim (; or ; ) is a city in Lower Saxony, in north-central Germany with 101,693 inhabitants. It is in the district of Hildesheim (district), Hildesheim, about southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste River, a small tributary of t ...

, Germany (1990)

Around Halle

Nearby towns

Halle (Saale) and Leipzig are the two centres of the Central German Metropolitan Region with more than 2.4 million people. File:Leipzig Fockeberg Zentrum.jpg,

, Germany's eighth largest city File:Merseburger Schloss 2006.jpg, Merseburg borders Halle File:Wittenberg,Luthers Hochzeit.jpg,

File:Lutherstadt_Eisleben_Markt.jpg, Eisleben

References

Bibliography

External links

* * {{Authority control Cities in Saxony-Anhalt Members of the Hanseatic League Urban districts of Saxony-Anhalt