Saxony-Anhalt

Land of early risers

Otto the First was the founding father of the European vision. The Reformation began in Wittenberg, where Martin Luther taught. The foundation stones of experimental physics were laid in Saxony-Anhalt, and colour film was invented here.

Saxony-Anhalt came into being as a federal state in 1947; its most important predecessors were the Prussian province of Saxony and the Free State of Anhalt. Saxony-Anhalt, which was dissolved in 1952 by the GDR, was re-established in 1990.

Industrialisation and change

The legacy of early industrialisation played a key role in the state’s economy for many years. Lignite mining provided the energy needed to fuel the commodities and chemicals industry, which flourished thanks to the state’s rich mineral deposits.

Luther monument outside Wittenberg’s parish church

Since reunification Saxony-Anhalt has developed into a business location and a centre for science with great innovative potential. Traditional branches, such as the chemicals industry, mechanical engineering and the agro-food business, are complemented by service-sector companies, together with firms working in new branches, such as biotechnology, renewable energies and the pharmaceuticals industry. Close ties to an education and research network comprising seven specialised technical colleges and a host of institutions outside the university context keep new ideas flowing.

Harz and Händel

Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm, the places where Luther lived and worked, the Bauhaus in Dessau and Halle’s Händel House all boast long traditions that still shape cultural life in Saxony-Anhalt today.

Home of classical modernism: the Bauhaus, Dessau

Not only are there eleven municipal theatres, but an energetic independent theatre scene has also developed here. Music festivals, such as Dessau’s Kurt Weill Festival, the Telemann Festival in Magdeburg, the state capital, and the Händel Festival in Halle are well-respected both in Saxony-Anhalt and further afield.

The glorious countryside in this relatively sparsely populated state is a magnet for tourists. Particular highlights include the area along the Elbe with its wide river valleys and the Harz Mountains, towering above the North German Plain at over 1,100 metres. South-east of the Harz lies the picturesque wine-growing Saale-Unstrut region, dotted with castles. Further to the north, the fertile Magdeburg Börde region borders the heaths and moors of the area known as the Old March.

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