Falkenstein/Harz () is a town in the

Harz The Harz (), also called the Harz Mountains, is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' der ...

district, in

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 ...

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 ...

. It was created in 2002 by merging the town of Ermsleben with the former municipalities of Endorf, Meisdorf, Neuplatendorf, Pansfelde, Reinstedt und Wieserode. The new community was named after Falkenstein Castle.

Geography

The town is situated on the northeastern edge of the

mountain range, about west of

Aschersleben Aschersleben () is a town in the Salzlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated approximately 22 km east of Quedlinburg, and 45 km northwest of Halle (Saale). Geography Aschersleben lies near the confluence of the ...

. The municipal area stretches from the lower Selke valley down to the northern Harz foothills. Reinstedt, Ermsleben and Meisdorf were stops on the Frose–Quedlinburg railway line which was closed in 2004. Falkenstein Castle is a point on the southern route of the

Romanesque Road The Romanesque Road () is a scenic route in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt in central-east Germany. It is part of the Transromanica network, a major European Cultural Route since 2006. Route The route takes the form of a figure-of-eight, ...

. Until the Saxony-Anhalt administrative reform of 2007, Falkenstein belonged to

Aschersleben-Staßfurt Aschersleben-Staßfurt was a district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany until 2007. It was bounded by (from the northeast and clockwise) the districts of Schönebeck, Bernburg, Mansfelder Land, Quedlinburg and Bördekreis. History The two districts ...

district.

History

While the settlements of Endorf, Reinstedt and Wieserode in the Saxon

Schwabengau The Schwabengau (modernized name; originally: Suavia, Suevon, Nordosquavi) was an early medieval shire ('' Gau'') in the Eastphalia region of the medieval Duchy of Saxony. Ruled by the House of Ascania, it became the nucleus of the later Princi ...

were already mentioned in the 10th century, Ermsleben is documented as ''Anegremislebo'' in a 1045 deed, then a possession held by the ''

edelfrei The term ''edelfrei'' or ''hochfrei'' ("free noble" or "free knight") was originally used to designate and distinguish those Germanic noblemen from the Second Estate (see Estates of the realm social hierarchy), who were legally entitled to atone ...

'' Lords of Konradsburg Castle. In 1070 one

Egeno I of Konradsburg Egeno I of Konradsburg (also ''Conradsburg'') was one of the free knights (''Edelfrei'') of Konradsburg, in the northeast of the Harz (Mittelgebirge), Harz region of Germany, near Ermsleben. In 1070, Egeno I claimed publicly that he knew of a consp ...

accused the mighty Saxon count

Otto of Nordheim Otto of Nordheim (c. 1020 – 11 January 1083) was Duke of Bavaria from 1061 until 1070. He was one of the leaders of the Saxon revolt of 1073–1075 and the Saxon revolt of 1077–1088 against King Henry IV of Germany. Life Family Otto was bo ...

of a conspiracy against King Henry IV. About ten years later, his grandson Egeno II killed the

Ascanian The House of Ascania () was a dynasty of German rulers. It is also known as the House of Anhalt, which refers to its longest-held possession, Anhalt. The Ascanians are named after Ascania (or Ascaria) Castle, known as ''Schloss Askanien'' in ...

count Adalbert II of Ballenstedt; for the atonement, his castle was converted into a

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

abbey. About 1120 the Konradsburg dynasty erected Falkenstein Castle as new ancestral seat. Under the rule of the Ascanian count

Henry I Henry I or Henri I may refer to: :''In chronological order'' * Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936) * Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955) * Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018) * Henry I of France (1008–1060) * Henry ...

( 1170 – 1252), the Schwabengau estates became the nucleus of the

Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt ( ; ) 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 2.17 million inhabitants, making it the 8th-largest state in Germany by area an ...

principality, named after

Anhalt Castle Anhalt Castle () is a ruined medieval fortification near the town of Harzgerode in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Location The castle is located in the eastern, lower part of the Harz mountain range (''Unterharz''). The ruins stand on the Großer Hausbe ...

in the upper Selke valley. Ermsleben already appeared as a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

(''oppidum'') in 1298. When the

Princes of Anhalt-Aschersleben A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The fe ...

became extinct in 1315, their estates fell to the Bishops of Halberstadt. In 1437 the Falkenstein lands passed to the

House of Asseburg The House of Asseburg, original German name ''von der Asseburg'', is an old Lower Saxony, Lower Saxon aristocratic family which had its origin in Wolfenbüttel and Asseburg (castle), Asseburg. During the 12th and 13th centuries the lords of Wolfe ...

as a fief. Attacked and plundered in the

German Peasants' War The German Peasants' War, Great Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt () was a widespread popular revolt in some German-speaking areas in Central Europe from 1524 to 1525. It was Europe's largest and most widespread popular uprising befor ...

of 1525, Ermsleben was vested with

market rights A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

by Emperor

Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...

in 1530. While its citizens turned

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

and the Halberstadt prince-bishopric was ruled by

Brandenburg Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...

and Brunswick-Lüneburg administrators, the town was devastated 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 ...

. According to the 1648

Peace of Westphalia The Peace of Westphalia (, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought peace to the Holy Roman Empire ...

, it became part of the secularized

Principality of Halberstadt The Principality of Halberstadt () was a state of the Holy Roman Empire ruled by Brandenburg-Prussia. It replaced the Bishopric of Halberstadt after its secularization in 1648. Its capital was Halberstadt. In 1807, the principality was made a ...

, a province of Brandenburg-Prussia.

Politics

Seats in the town council (''Stadtrat'') as of 2014 local elections: *

Christian Democratic Union of Germany The Christian Democratic Union of Germany ( , CDU ) is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is the major party of the centre-right in German politics. Friedrich Merz has been federal chairman of the CDU since 31 ...

(CDU): 8 *''Bürgerforum Falkenstein'' (

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 ...

): 3 *

Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany ( , SPD ) is a social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the party's leader since the 2019 leadership election together w ...

(SPD): 2 * The Left: 2 *''Alternative Junges Forum und Robin Hood'' (independent): 2 *''Kommunale Wählervereinigung'' (independent): 1 *''Wir Reinstedter'' (independent): 1 *Individual candidate: 1

Notable people

Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim (2 April 1719 – 18 February 1803) was a German poet, commonly associated with the Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment and Rococo#Literature, Rococo movements. Life Gleim was born at the small town of Ermsleben in t ...

(1719–1803), poet, born in Ermsleben *

Werner Sombart Werner may refer to: People * Werner (name), origin of the name and people with this name as surname and given name Fictional characters * Werner (comics), a German comic book character * Werner Von Croy, a fictional character in the ''Tomb Rai ...

(1863–1941), economist and sociologist, born in Ermsleben

References

{{Authority control Towns in Saxony-Anhalt Towns in the Harz