Clausthal-Zellerfeld

Clausthal-Zellerfeld is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the southwestern part of the Harz mountains. Its population is approximately 15,000. The City is the location of the Clausthal University of Technology. The health resort is located in the Upper Harz at an altitude between 390 and 821 m above sea level.

Clausthal-Zellerfeld
Church in 2005
Coat of arms
Location of Clausthal-Zellerfeld within Goslar district
Clausthal-Zellerfeld
Clausthal-Zellerfeld
Coordinates: 51°48′18″N 10°20′08″E
CountryGermany
StateLower Saxony
DistrictGoslar
Subdivisions4 districts
Government
 • MayorBritta Schweigel (Ind.)
Area
 • Total43.71 km2 (16.88 sq mi)
Elevation
560 m (1,840 ft)
Population
 (2018-12-31)[1]
 • Total15,888
 • Density360/km2 (940/sq mi)
Time zoneCET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes
38678
Dialling codes05323
Vehicle registrationGS, BRL, CLZ
Websitewww.clausthal-zellerfeld.de

Geography

Clausthal-Zellerfeld is located on the Upper Harz Plateau. The environment is less mountainous compared to most of the Harz, but only hilly. As a result, the immediate surrounding area is less wooded and there are more meadow areas. Scattered in and around Clausthal-Zellerfeld are numerous dams and streams of the Upper Harz Water Regale.

The depression between Clausthal and Zellerfeld marks a natural "borderline".

Southwest extends the "Small Clausthal valley".

City districts

History

Clausthal-Zellerfeld originally consisted of two towns which were merged in 1924 to form an administrative unit. Clausthal is well known for the old Clausthal University of Technology and its magnificent buildings, while Zellerfeld is a typical tourist resort for hikers and winter sportsmen. Clausthal-Zellerfeld is the largest town in the area that is situated in the mountains rather than on the edge.

Mining in the area began in the 16th century. Modern wire rope was invented to service the iron mines in the 1830s by the German mining engineer Wilhelm Albert in the years between 1831 and 1834 for use in mining in the Harz Mountains in Clausthal. It was quickly accepted because it proved superior to ropes made of hemp or to metal chains, such as had been used before and soon found its way into diverse applications, including most notably, suspension bridges. The Innerste Valley Railway was inaugurated in 1877 and extended to Altenau in 1914. The large station building and 70 other buildings in the town were destroyed in an air raid on 7 October 1944.[2] 92 people lost their lives.

Mining activity halted in 1930 because the ore deposits were exhausted. Today, there are large remains of mines in the surrounding Harz region, some of which are now museums. The railway line was closed in 1976. The former railway station, which was rebuilt from 1961-1963 after being destroyed in 1944, houses the tourist information and the municipal library today.

The Clausthal University of Technology was established in 1775 for the education of mining engineers. Today, it is a technical university for teaching engineering, natural science (especially chemistry, materials science and physics) and business studies.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
182111,757—    
184814,739+25.4%
187114,080−4.5%
188513,917−1.2%
190513,758−1.1%
192512,973−5.7%
193311,855−8.6%
193911,788−0.6%
194615,786+33.9%
195017,643+11.8%
195615,585−11.7%
196115,849+1.7%
196816,468+3.9%
197015,714−4.6%
197516,690+6.2%
198016,270−2.5%
198516,250−0.1%
199017,061+5.0%
199516,703−2.1%
200015,413−7.7%
200515,075−2.2%
201014,579−3.3%
201112,798−12.2%
201212,772−0.2%
201312,923+1.2%
Former railway station

Politics

Town council

2006 local elections:

  • SPD: 19 seats
  • CDU: 9 seats
  • FDP: 3 seats
  • UWG: 2 seats (independent electors community)

Culture and sights
Dietzel House dating from 1674, which now also houses the tourist information office
  • Oberharzer Wasserwirschaft (Upper Harz Water Management)

Museums

Buildings
  • Plants of Upper Harz Water Regale
  • Market Church in Clausthal, the largest wooden church in Germany with 2,200 seats, built 1639-42. Tower dating from 1637.
  • Old pharmacy Bergapotheke in Zellerfeld, built in 1674, with wood carvings
  • Protestant Salvator Church in Zellerfeld, built 1674-83
  • Clausthal mint (1617–1849)
  • Oberbergamt building in Clausthal, built 1726-30
  • Dietzel House in Zellerfeld, dating from 1674
  • Former railway station, destroyed 1944 and rebuilt 1961-63
  • House where Robert Koch was born

Persons

People from Clausthal-Zellerfeld
House where Robert Koch was born
Robert Koch

Notable people associated with Clausthal-Zellerfeld
Arnold Sommerfeld 1897

International relations
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Twin towns – Sister cities

Clausthal-Zellerfeld is twinned with:

  • Steel headframe of Ottiliae shaft; Clausthal-Zellerfeld. This is the oldest still-existing headframe in Germany, built in 1876
  • Aula Academica
  • Salvatoris church
  • Mining Office
  • View on Marktkirche - Clausthal-Zellerfeld church in winter
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References
  1. Landesamt für Statistik Niedersachsen, LSN-Online Regionaldatenbank, Tabelle 12411: Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes, Stand 31. Dezember 2018.
  2. Evert Heusinkveld. Die Innerstetalbahn Langelsheim - Altenau, p. 11. Nordhorn 2007
  3. "L'Aigle découverte - Nos villes jumelles". Ville de L'Aigle. Archived from the original on 2013-08-01. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
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