Querfurt () is a town in the
Saalekreis district, or ''Kreis'', in southern
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 the ...
,
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 located in a fertile area on the
Querne
The Salza is a river of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Saale in Salzmünde.
The upper section of the Salza carries the name Querne. Its source is near the village , a district of the town Querfurt. It flows through Querfu ...
, west from
Merseburg
Merseburg () is a town in central Germany in southern Saxony-Anhalt, situated on the river Saale, and approximately 14 km south of Halle (Saale) and 30 km west of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a dioces ...
. In 2020, the town had a population of 10,454. The town Querfurt consists of Querfurt proper and the following 8 ''Ortschaften'' or municipal divisions: Gatterstädt, Grockstädt, Leimbach, Lodersleben, Schmon, Vitzenburg, Weißenschirmbach and Ziegelroda.
[Hauptsatzung der Stadt Querfurt]
October 2015.
History
For some time, Querfurt was the capital of a
principality covering nearly , with a population of about 20,000. The ruling family having become extinct in 1496, it passed to that of
Mansfeld
Mansfeld, sometimes also unofficially Mansfeld-Lutherstadt, is a town in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.
Protestant reformator Martin Luther grew up in Mansfeld, and in 1993 the town became one of sixteen places in ...
. In 1635, according to the terms of the
Peace of Prague, it was ceded to the
Elector of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony, also known as Electoral Saxony (German: or ), was a territory of the Holy Roman Empire from 1356–1806. It was centered around the cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz.
In the Golden Bull of 1356, Emperor Charles ...
,
John George I, who handed it over to his son
Augustus of Saxe-Weissenfels; in 1746, it was united once more with Saxony. It was incorporated into
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 1815.
Querfurt is known as the birthplace of
Saint Bruno of Querfurt
Bruno of Querfurt ( 974 – 14 February or 9/14 March 1009), also known as ''Brun'' and ''Boniface'', was a Christian missionary bishop and martyr, who was beheaded near the border of Kievan Rus and Lithuania for trying to spread Christianity. ...
File:Querfurt_castle.jpg, Castle
File:Querfurt_castle_south_gate.jpg,
File:Querfurt_Nordostrondell.jpg,
File:Querfurt_Schiessgraben.jpg, Town walls
File:Querfurt_defence_tower.jpg, Defence tower
File:Querfurt_Friedenseiche.jpg, Oak of peace
File:Querfurt_Grundschule_Rossplatz.jpg, Elementary school
Notable people
*
Jacob Christian Schäffer
Jacob Christian Schäffer, alternatively Jakob, (31 May 1718 – 5 January 1790) was a German dean, professor, botanist, mycologist, entomologist, ornithologist and inventor.
Biography
From 1736 to 1738 he studied Theology at the Universit ...
(1718-1790), a Protestant minister, naturalist, pioneer of the washing machine and the wood paper
*
Georg Muche
Georg Muche (8 May 1895 – 26 March 1987) was a German painter, printmaker, architect, author, and teacher.
Early life and education
Georg Muche was born on 8 May 1895 in Querfurt, in the Prussian Province of Saxony, and grew up in the Rhön ...
(1895-1987), Bauhaus artist, painter and graphic artist
*
Walter Herrmann
Walter Herrmann Heinrich (born June 26, 1979) is an Argentine former professional basketball player. He is listed at 6'9" and 225 lbs. He was a key member of the senior men's Argentine national basketball team that won the gold medal durin ...
(1910-1987), physicist
*
Ulrich Willerding Ulrich Willerding (born 8 July 1932 in Querfurt, Germany) is a professor emeritus of botany at the Göttingen University, Germany. He is also an instructor at a local high school. Willerding is one of the leading European palaeo-ethnobotanists.Frà ...
(born 1932), botanist
*
Dietmar Demuth
Dietmar Demuth (born 14 January 1955) is a German former footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, ...
(born 1955), football player and coach
*
Jan Seyffarth
Jan Seyffarth (born 12 July 1986, in Querfurt, Bezirk Halle) is a German racing driver. He has competed in such series as the FIA GT3 European Championship, Rolex Sports Car Series and Porsche Supercup
The Porsche Supercup (officially known a ...
(born 1986), racing driver
Other personalities associated with the town
*
Johann Gottfried Schnabel
Johann Gottfried Schnabel (November 7, 1692 – ) was a German writer best known for his novel ''Insel Felsenburg''. He published his works under the pen name Gisander.
Schnabel was born in Sandersdorf near Bitterfeld, Germany. Orphaned in 1694, ...
(born 1692, died between 1751 and 1758), German writer; settled down in 1719 as a barber in Querfurt.
*
Julius von Kirchmann
Julius Hermann von Kirchmann (5 November 1802 – 20 October 1884) was a German jurist and philosopher.
Biography
Kirchmann was educated at Leipzig and Halle. In 1846 he was made state's attorney in the criminal court of Berlin, and two years ...
(1802-1884), lawyer and politician, law court official in Querfurt
*
Hans Schomburgk (1880-1967), explorer and pioneer of German wildlife films
References
External links
Official Website of the City of Querfurt
Saalekreis
{{Saalekreis-geo-stub