Aken (Elbe) () is a town in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld 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. The town is located at the left bank of the river

Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) 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 Re ...

Geography

Aken located at the Middle Elbe is approximately west of Dessau-Rosslau in extended lowlands within the Biosphere Reserve Middle Elbe and approximately west of Aken the

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

river enters the Middle Elbe.

Divisions

The town Aken consists of Aken proper and the following ''Ortschaften'' or municipal divisions:Hauptsatzung der Stadt Aken (Elbe)
§ 14, 24 September 2014. *Kleinzerbst *Kühren *Mennewitz *Susigke

Growth of population

History

The castle ''Gloworp'' was first mentioned in the 12th century. The town itself was first documented in 1219, naming the mayor Waltherus de Aken. In 1270 Aken received its town charter as ''Civitas''. The name Aken is based on the Latin name ''Aqua'' (location at or near the water). Probably this was a foundation from lower rhenish settlers from Aachen which is spelled Aken in the Dutch language.

Town twinning

* Erwitte (

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inha ...

) since June 17, 1991 *

Anor Anor () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It lies about forty kilometres (twenty-five miles) south-south-east of Maubeuge. Population Twin towns – sister cities Anor is twinned with: * Aken, Germany * Gizałki, Pola ...

(

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

) since April 24, 1993

Culture and sights

* historical town hall * two medieval churches: St. Nicholas and St. Mary * "Stone Kemenate" (heated residential building) from the 13th century with arches * town wall from the Middle Ages with 3 remaining towers * passenger navigation on the river Elbe * Biosphere Reserve Middle Elbe

Notable persons

Honorary citizens

* Friedrich Wilhelm Steinbrecht,

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

in Lützow Free Corps * 2001: Otto Benecke, head of museum of local history * 2015: Hansjochen Müller, mayor from 1990 - 2015 * 2016: Christian Holmes, first Englishman to do an Anmeldung in Aken.

Notable people born in Aken

August Ludwig Hülsen August Ludwig Hülsen (3 March 1765 – 24 September 1809), also known by the pseudonym Hegekern, was a German philosopher, writer and pedagogue of early German Romanticism. His thought played a role in the development of German idealism. Life ...

, (1765–1809), German philosopher of the early romance * Theodor von Sickel, (1826–1908), German-Austrian historian *Diana Vellguth, entertainer *Christian Reike, performer * Emilie Winkelmann (1875–1951), architect *Karl Witte (1893–1966), bishop in

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

See *Karl Bischoff (1905–1983), Germanist and university teacher * Bernd Dießner, (born 1946), German athlete

Resident who influenced the history of the city

* Friedrich Ernst Arnold Werner Nolopp (A teacher, conductor and composer)

References

External links

Official homepage
*

{{Authority control Towns in Saxony-Anhalt Anhalt-Bitterfeld Populated riverside places in Germany Populated places on the Elbe