Heilbad Heiligenstadt is a

spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath in 1668. H ...

Thuringia Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million. Erfurt is the capital and larg ...

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 ...

. It is the capital of the

Eichsfeld The Eichsfeld ( or ; English: ''Oak-field'') is a historical region in the southeast of the state of Lower Saxony (which is called "Untereichsfeld" = lower Eichsfeld) and northwest of the state of Thuringia ("Obereichsfeld" = upper Eichsfeld) in th ...

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

Geography

Heiligenstadt is approximately 14 km east of the

tripoint A tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints as of 2020. Nearly half are situated in rivers, l ...

where the states of Thuringia,

Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major histor ...

and

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...

meet. It lies on the upper course of the river

Leine The Leine (; Old Saxon ''Lagina'') is a river in Thuringia and Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Aller and the Weser and is long. The river's source is located close to the town of Leinefelde in Thuringia. About downriver, t ...

(a tributary of the

Aller Aller may refer to: Places Rivers * Aller (Germany), a major river in North Germany *Aller (Asturian river), a river in Asturias, Spain *River Aller, a small river on Exmoor in Somerset, England Inhabited places in the United Kingdom *Aller, Devo ...

) that flows through the town from east to west and is joined near the centre of the town by the Geislede. South of the town is the Iberg, a 453.2 m tall peak located in the Heiligenstadt Stadtwald, which forms part of the Naturpark Eichsfeld-Hainich-Werratal.

Local subdivisions

* Bernterode * Flinsberg, the geographical centre of Germany. * Günterode * Kalteneber * Rengelrode

History

* Heiligenstadt was first mentioned in 973. * In 1022 it was acquired by the

archbishop of Mainz The Elector of Mainz was one of the seven Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire. As both the Archbishop of Mainz and the ruling prince of the Electorate of Mainz, the Elector of Mainz held a powerful position during the Middle Ages. The Archb ...

. * In 1227, the town received

town rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

from the archbishop of Mainz. * In 1333 it was destroyed by fire. * In 1525 it was captured by

Henry the Middle, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Henry the Middle, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (15 September 1468 – 19 February 1532) was Prince of Lüneburg from 1486 to 1520. Life Henry of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the son of Otto V of Lüneburg and Anne of Nassau-Siegen, was born in 1468. In 1 ...

. * In 1540 Heiligenstadt became the capital of

. * In the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...

of 1618–1648, the city was devastated several times. * In 1803 it came into possession of

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

. * In 1929 the salt-water hydropathic baths were built and in 1950 the town was designated a spa. * On 9 November 1938, the town synagogue was desecrated. The event is commemorated in a plaque on the building, which is now a residence. * In October 1989, demonstrations began in Heiligenstadt as part of the

Peaceful Revolution The Peaceful Revolution (german: Friedliche Revolution), as a part of the Revolutions of 1989, was the process of sociopolitical change that led to the opening of East Germany's borders with the West, the end of the ruling of the Socialist Unity ...

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

. * In 1994, Heiligenstadt became the capital of the new district of Eichsfeld, formed by the amalgamation of the districts of Heiligenstadt and Worbis.

Historical Population

Population ''(31 December)'': : Data since 1994: Thüringian state office of statistics

Name of the town

Despite the official designation of the town as a spa in 1929 and a 1950 decision by the town council to append the word ''Soleheilbad'' (salt-water spa) to its name, it remained officially "Heiligenstadt" (literally Holy City) during the East German years. In 1990 the city government still used only Heiligenstadt. However, the post office used Heilbad Heiligenstadt, as did postcard companies and the local savings bank. In fact between 1950 and 1990, the town had the distinction of being referred to in three different ways: as Heiligenstadt, Heilbad Heiligenstadt, or Heiligenstadt (Eichsf.) (for Eichsfeld). In 1990, the town council and especially the mayor began expanding the spa business and it took on increasing importance. In addition, after

German reunification German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...

, there were several Heiligenstadts in Germany. Initially the government declined to rename the town Heilbad Heiligenstadt because of a lack of evidence that it was a spa, but the town lodged an appeal and used the one and a half years before an official visit and the relative lack of oversight immediately after reunification to create spa facilities and integrate the word ''Heilbad'' into official usage. Permission for the renaming was then granted since the town was evidently a spa and using that name. Südharzreise 28 – Theodor Storm in Heiligenstadt

Südharzreise 28 – Theodor Storm in Heiligenstadt

Culture and sights

Theatre

* Eichsfeld Kulturhaus

Museums

Theodor Storm Hans Theodor Woldsen Storm (; 14 September 18174 July 1888), commonly known as Theodor Storm, was a German writer. He is considered to be one of the most important figures of German realism. Life Storm was born in the small town of Husum, on the ...

Literary Museum * Eichsfeld Heimatmuseum (local history collection) * Heiligenstadt (Ost) Station Museum * The

Borderland Museum Eichsfeld The Borderland Museum Eichsfeld is a history museum located in Central Germany at the former inner-German border between East and West Germany. It deals with the Cold War in general and the German division in specific. The museum exhibitions ...

is located a few miles outside the city of Heiligenstadt and deals with the inner-German border and the history of the GDR

Buildings and monuments

* Mainz Schloss, seat of the administrator for Eichsfeld when it was a dominion of the Archbishopric of Mainz * Klausmühle (1748 ''

Fachwerk Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...

'' mill on the site of the birthplace of

Tilman Riemenschneider Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1460 – 7 July 1531) was a German sculptor and woodcarver active in Würzburg from 1483. He was one of the most prolific and versatile sculptors of the transition period between late Gothic and Renaissance, a master ...

) * ''Einheitsdenkmal'' German Unity Monument in front of the town administration building, 2009

Churches and chapels

* St. Aegidius, also known as the ''Neustädter Kirche'' (new-town church): begun in the 13th century * St. Mary's, also known as the ''Altstädter Kirche'' (old-town church), ''Liebfrauenkirche'' (Our Lady's) and ''Propsteikirche'' (abbey church): a 14th-century monastic foundation which replaced a 13th-century Romanesque building * St. Anne's chapel, possibly built as an ossuary, facing the north portico of St. Mary's * St. Martin's, also known as the ''Bergkirche'' (mountain church) * Monastery of the

Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer The Redemptorists officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer ( la, links=no, Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris), abbreviated CSsR,is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men (priests and brother ...

and St. Gerhard's church, also known as the ''Paterkloster'' * St. Nicholas', also known as the ''Klausbergkirche'' * Klöppelsklus * Convent of the Sisters of Mary Magdalene Postel, with convent church and school church

Cemeteries

* The Jewish cemetery in Ibergstraße was last used for burial in 1940. The deportation of six Jewish residents to

Theresienstadt concentration camp Theresienstadt Ghetto was established by the Schutzstaffel, SS during World War II in the fortress town of Terezín, in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (German occupation of Czechoslovakia, German-occupied Czechoslovakia). Theresienstad ...

in September 1942 put an end to a Jewish community in the town which was first mentioned in writing in 1212 and which had built a synagogue and their own school in the 19th century. * The

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

cemetery and monument in Dingelstädter Straße commemorate 70 Soviet prisoners of war and impressed workers who died in the town due to forced labour during World War II.

Parks

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lied ...

Kurpark (spa park)

Regular events

Heiligenstadt, like the rest of Eichsfeld, is traditionally

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

, so there are several annual religious events, in particular the procession through the old town on

Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Palm Sunday marks the first day of Holy ...

with life-size figures from the

Passion of Christ In Christianity, the Passion (from the Latin verb ''patior, passus sum''; "to suffer, bear, endure", from which also "patience, patient", etc.) is the short final period in the life of Jesus Christ. Depending on one's views, the "Passion" m ...

, which attracts numerous believers from the region and the rest of Germany.

Ibergrennen

The Ibergrennen is an annual road race held since 1994 on the last weekend in June on Landesstraße 2022 (Holzweg) in the western foothills of the Iberg. Sponsored by the German Mountain Cup and German Mountain Championship, it has included sports and touring cars since 1998, when the road surface was renewed and the barriers reinforced. In 2000, the course was extended from 1.96 km to 2.05 km. The climb remains 200 m. It is thus one of the shortest mountain race routes in Germany, but not without challenges. The drivers' encampment is traditionally set up near the centre of Heiligenstadt, next to a filling station and a supermarket which is open on Sundays. The first race was held in 1925, but only for motorcycles. DUVAL Heiligenstadt

People associated with Heilbad Heiligenstadt

Honorary citizens

* Johann Vinzenz Wolf (1743–1826), Jesuit historianH. Scholle, ''Ein Denkmal für den Ehrenbürger der Stadt Heiligenstadt Johann Wolf in Kreuzebra'', Eichsfeld 9, Heimat- und Verkehrsverband Eichsfeld e.V, 1997 * 1991: Hugo Dornhofer, Christian labour union official and CDU politician

Natives

(''c.'' 1460–1531), sculptor * Johann Melchior Birkenstock (1738–1809), Austrian politician and school reformer * Josepha von Siebold (1771–1849), gynaecologist, the first credentialled midwife in Germany. * Eduard Strecker (1822–1894), politician *

Ludwig Loewe Ludwig Loewe (27 November 1837 – 11 September 1886) was a German merchant, manufacturer, philanthropist and a member of the Reichstag. Loewe's companies became involved in the production of armaments, employing famous designers and creating not ...

(1837–1886), politician * Helene Keßler (1870–1957), writer, under the pseudonym Hans von Kahlenberg * Siegfried Loewenthal (1874–1951), chief justice in

West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...

1945–1951, honorary citizen of Heiligenstadt 1948–1951 * Horst Sannemüller (1918–2001), violinist and

leader Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...

of the Leipzig

Gewandhaus Orchestra The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (Gewandhausorchester; also previously known in German as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig) is a German symphony orchestra based in Leipzig, Germany. The orchestra is named after the concert hall in which it is bas ...

* Wilhelm Friese (1924–2008), professor of Scandinavian studies * Karl-Hermann Steinberg (1941-2021), chemist and politician * Wolfgang Thüne (born 1949), Olympic medallist in gymnastics * Joachim Knape (born 1950), professor of rhetoric *

Bernhard Germeshausen Bernhard Germeshausen (21 August 1951 – 15 April 2022) was an East German bobsledder who competed from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won four medals with three golds (Two-man: 1976, Four- ...

(born 1951), Olympic medallist in bobsleigh * Dietrich Klinge (born 1954), sculptor and graphic designer * Angelika Weiz (born 1954), singer * Dieter Althaus (born 1958), politician (CDU) Ministerpresident of Thuringia 2003–09 *

Peter Pysall Peter Pysall (born 26 June 1960) is a German former handball player. He competed in the Handball at the 1988 Summer Olympics, men's tournament at the 1988 Summer Olympics. References External links

* 1960 births Living people German ...

(born 1960), handball player and coach * Sebastian Haupt (born 1985), skeleton racer

Others

* Saint Aureus of Mainz (5th century), Bishop of Mainz: some of his remains were reinterred in Heiligenstadt and he is the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

of the town. * Burchard of Worms (''c.'' 965–20 August 1025), consecrated Bishop of Worms in Heiligenstadt in 1000. * Adolf I of Nassau (1353–1390), Archbishop of Mainz, died in Heiligenstadt. *

Athanasius Kircher Athanasius Kircher (2 May 1602 – 27 November 1680) was a German Jesuit scholar and polymath A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans ...

(1602–1680), Jesuit scholar, taught in Heiligenstadt. * Hadrian Daude (1704–1755), Jesuit theologian, taught in Heiligenstadt. * Friedrich Christian Adolf von Motz (1775–1830), Prussian statesman, was Director of Finance in Heiligenstadt. *

(1797–1856), poet and journalist, was baptised a Protestant in Heiligenstadt in June 1825. *

Johann Carl Fuhlrott Prof. Dr. Johann Carl Fuhlrott (31 December 1803, Leinefelde, Germany – 17 October 1877, Wuppertal) was an early German paleoanthropologist. He is famous for recognizing the significance of the bones of Neanderthal 1, a Neanderthal specimen dis ...

(1803–1877), natural historian, taught in Heiligenstadt. * Heinrich Maria Waldmann (1811–1896), theologian and teacher in Heiligenstadt, a representative in the

Frankfurt Parliament The Frankfurt Parliament (german: Frankfurter Nationalversammlung, literally ''Frankfurt National Assembly'') was the first freely elected parliament for all German states, including the German-populated areas of Austria-Hungary, elected on 1 Ma ...

of 1848/49. *

(1817–1888), author, judge in Heiligenstadt from 1856 to 1864. *

Friedrich Wilhelm Grimme Friedrich Wilhelm Grimme (25 December 1827, Assinghausen – 2 April 1887, Münster) was a German regional ( Sauerland) writer and poet. From 1847 he studied philology and theology at the University of Münster, followed by work as a schoolt ...

(1827–1887), author and botanist, was director of the Catholic '' gymnasium'' in Heiligenstadt. * Werner Hagedorn (1831–1894), surgeon, educated in Heiligenstadt. *

Anton Thraen Anton Karl Thraen (17 January 1843, Holungen, Province of Saxony – 18 February 1902, Dingelstädt) was a German astronomer and named two minor planets, 442 Eichsfeldia and 443 Photographica. Biography Thraen was born on 17 January 1843 in Ho ...

(1843–1902), astronomer, educated in Heiligenstadt. * Karl Wisniewski (1844–1904), composer, worked in Heiligenstadt from 1885 on. * Hermann Iseke (1856–1907), poet * Andreas Huke (1876–1962), politician, worked and lived in Heiligenstadt. * Ludolf Hermann Müller (1882–1959), Protestant Bishop of Saxony, had been a minister in Heiligenstadt. * Karl Paul Haendly (1891–1965), author and politician, died in Heiligenstadt. *

Erich Gerberding Erich Gerberding (15 Oktober 1921 – 24 May 1986) was a German actor. After 1945 Gerberding had at first stage engagements in Gera Gera is a city in the German state of Thuringia. With around 93,000 inhabitants, it is the third-largest ...

(1921–1986), actor, member of the Heiligenstadt theatre. *

Johannes Dyba Johannes Dyba (15 September 1929 – 23 July 2000) was a German prelate of the Catholic Church who led the Diocese of Fulda from 1983 until his death. He spent his earlier career in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. Biography Johannes Dyba w ...

(1929–2000), Bishop of Fulda, educated in Heiligenstadt. *

Joachim Meisner Joachim Meisner (25 December 1933 – 5 July 2017) was a German cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was the immediate past Archbishop of Cologne, serving from 1989 until his resignation was accepted by Pope Francis in 2014. He previously serve ...

(born 1933), Archbishop of Cologne, previously chaplain at St. Egidius' church in Heiligenstadt. *

Georg Sterzinsky Georg Maximilian Sterzinsky (9 February 1936 – 30 June 2011) was a German cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and the Archbishop of Berlin. Early life Sterzinsky was born in Warlack (earlier also Wurlacken, Warlaucken, now Worławki, Olsz ...

(born 1936), Archbishop of Berlin, previously chaplain at St. Egidius' church in Heiligenstadt. * Heinz-Josef Durstewitz (born 1945), Catholic dissenter in the GDR, now Provost of Heiligenstadt. *

Reinhard Hauke Reinhard is a German, Austrian, Danish, and to a lesser extent Norwegian surname (from Germanic ''ragin'', counsel, and ''hart'', strong), and a spelling variant of Reinhardt. Persons with the given name * Reinhard of Blankenburg (after 1107 – 1 ...

(born 1953), Auxiliary bishop of Erfurt, previously chaplain at St. Egidius' church in Heiligenstadt. * Manfred Grund (born 1955), politician, active in Heiligenstadt.

References

Sources

* Johann Vinzenz Wolf. ''Geschichte und Beschreibung der Stadt Heiligenstadt mit Urkunden''. Göttingen: Beyersche Universitätsdruckerei, 1800
At Google Books
* Hans Patze (Ed.) "Heiligenstadt". In: ''Thüringen: Handbuch der historischen Stätten Deutschlands'', Volume 9. Stuttgart: Alfred-Kröner-Verlag, 1989. . pp. 186–190. * Carl Duval. "Heiligenstadt". In: ''Das Eichsfeld''. Repr. Hannover-Dören: Harro von Hirschheydt Verlag, 1979. . pp. 422–489. * Karl J. Hüther. ''Vom Jesuitenkolleg zum Staatlichen Gymnasium in Heiligenstadt''. Heiligenstadt: F.W. Cordier,1995. . * Enno Bünz. "Heiligenstadt als geistliches Zentrum des Eichsfeldes. Das Kollegiatstift St. Martin und seine Kanoniker". ''Zeitschrift des Vereins für Thüringische Geschichte'' 62 (2008) 9-48. * Bernhard Opfermann. ''Gestalten des Eichsfeldes: Ein biographisches Lexikon''. Heiligenstadt: Cordier, 1999, .

External links

www.heilbad-heiligenstadt.de
- official homepage of Heilbad Heiligenstadt {{Authority control Spa towns in Germany Eichsfeld (district) Holocaust locations in Germany