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Halle (Saale), or simply Halle (; from the 15th to the 17th century: ''Hall in Sachsen''; until the beginning of the 20th century: ''Halle an der Saale'' ; from 1965 to 1995: ''Halle/Saale'') is the largest city of the German
state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
of
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 ...
, the fifth most populous city in the area of former
East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
after (
East East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
)
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
,
Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
,
Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
and Chemnitz, as well as the 31st largest city of Germany, and with around 239,000 inhabitants, it is slightly more populous than the state capital of Magdeburg. Together with Leipzig, the largest city of
Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
, Halle forms the polycentric Leipzig-Halle conurbation. Between the two cities, in Schkeuditz, lies Leipzig/Halle International Airport. The Leipzig-Halle conurbation is at the heart of the larger
Central German Metropolitan Region The Central German Metropolitan Region (german: Metropolregion Mitteldeutschland) is one of the officially established metropolitan regions in Germany. It is centered on the major cities of Leipzig and Halle, extending over Central German parts ...
. Halle lies in the south of Saxony-Anhalt, in the
Leipzig Bay The Leipzig BayDickinson (1964), p. 29.North German Plain The North German Plain or Northern Lowland (german: Norddeutsches Tiefland) is one of the major geographical regions of Germany. It is the German part of the North European Plain. The region is bounded by the coasts of the North Sea and the Balt ...
, on the River Saale (a tributary of the Elbe), which is the third longest river flowing entirely in Germany after the Weser and the
Main Main may refer to: Geography * Main River (disambiguation) **Most commonly the Main (river) in Germany * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *"Spanish Main", the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territories in the 16th and 17th centuries ...
. The
White Elster The White Elster
Accessed on 16 Jan 2011. (, ) is a long river in central
Thuringian Thuringian is an East Central German dialect group spoken in much of the modern German Free State of Thuringia north of the Rennsteig ridge, southwestern Saxony-Anhalt and adjacent territories of Hesse and Bavaria. It is close to Upper Saxon sp ...
- Upper Saxon dialect area after Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz. Halle is an economic and educational center in central Germany. The
Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (german: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg), also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg and the largest and oldest university in ...
, with campuses in Halle and
Wittenberg Wittenberg ( , ; Low Saxon: ''Wittenbarg''; meaning ''White Mountain''; officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg (''Luther City Wittenberg'')), is the fourth largest town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Wittenberg is situated on the River Elbe, north o ...
, is the largest university in Saxony-Anhalt, one of the oldest universities in Germany, and a nurturing ground for the local
startup ecosystem A startup ecosystem is formed by people, Startup company, startups in their various stages and various types of organizations in a location (physical or virtual), interacting as a system to create and scale new Startup company, startup companies. ...
. The German National Academy of Sciences, commonly known as ''Leopoldina'', has its seat in Halle. The university hospital of Halle (''Universitätsklinikum Halle (Saale)'') is the largest hospital in the state.


Geography

Halle (Saale) is located in the southern part of
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 ...
in central
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 ...
, along the river
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 ...
which drains the surrounding plains and the greater part of the neighbouring Free State of Thuringia just to its south, and the Thuringian basin, northwards from the
Thuringian Forest The Thuringian Forest (''Thüringer Wald'' in German), is a mountain range in the southern parts of the German state of Thuringia, running northwest to southeast. Skirting from its southerly source in foothills to a gorge on its north-west side i ...
.
Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
, one of Germany's major cities, is only away. Its area is .


Climate

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
classifies its climate as
oceanic Oceanic may refer to: *Of or relating to the ocean *Of or relating to Oceania **Oceanic climate **Oceanic languages **Oceanic person or people, also called "Pacific Islander(s)" Places * Oceanic, British Columbia, a settlement on Smith Island, ...
(Cfb). However, it is close to being a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) or hot semi-arid climate (BSh), depending on whether mean annual temperature isotherm or mean temperature in the coldest month isotherm is applied. Using the most current climate data from April 2017 to March 2022, the annual precipitation is 17 mm too much to be classified as a cold or hot semi-arid climate. For example, using the climate data from September 2015 to August 2020, the climate would fulfill the requirements to be classified as a cold or hot semi-arid climate. Notwithstanding, the great variation of annual precipitation between the years allows agriculture and large trees to grow, surviving recurring
drought A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D.  Jiang, A.  Khan, W.  Pokam Mba, D.  Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...
periods and years like in the summers of
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
and
2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
with severe drought because of regularly occurring wet periods and years and absence of extremely hot temperatures with never reaching . With its vegetation, Halle is far from the steppe or semi-desert vegetation typical of hot or cold semi-arid climates.


History


Name

Halle's early history is connected with the harvesting of salt. The name of the river
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 ...
contains the Germanic root for salt, and salt-harvesting has taken place in Halle since at least the
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...
(2300–600 BC). From 1965 to 1995, the official name was Halle/Saale.


Middle Ages until industrialisation

The earliest documented mention of Halle dates from AD 806. It became a part of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg in the 10th century and remained so until 1680, when the
Margraviate of Brandenburg The Margraviate of Brandenburg (german: link=no, Markgrafschaft Brandenburg) was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 that played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe. Brandenburg developed out ...
annexed it together with Magdeburg as the
Duchy of Magdeburg The Duchy of Magdeburg (german: Herzogtum Magdeburg) was a province of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from 1680 to 1701 and a province of the German Kingdom of Prussia from 1701 to 1807. It replaced the Archbishopric of Magdeburg after its secula ...
, while it was an important location for
Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...
's
Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
in the 16th century. Cardinal
Albert of Mainz Cardinal Albert of Brandenburg (german: Albrecht von Brandenburg; 28 June 149024 September 1545) was a German cardinal, elector, Archbishop of Mainz from 1514 to 1545, and Archbishop of Magdeburg from 1513 to 1545. Biography Early career Bo ...
( Archbishop of Magdeburg from 1513 to 1545) also impacted on the town in this period. According to historic documents, the city of Halle became a member of the Hanseatic League at least as early as 1281. Halle became a center for Pietism, a movement encouraged by King Frederick William I of Prussia (reigned 1713–1740) because it caused the area's large
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
population to be more inclined to Fredrick William I's religion (
Calvinism Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
), as well as more loyal to the Prussian king instead of to the decentralized feudal system. By the 1740s Halle had established many orphanages as well as schools for the wealthy in the sober style Pietism encouraged. This Halle education was the first time the "modern education" system was established. The Halle Pietists also combatted poverty. During the War of the Fourth Coalition, French and Prussian forces clashed in the
Battle of Halle In the Battle of Halle on 17 October 1806 a French corps led by Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte fought the Prussian Reserve under Eugene Frederick Henry, Duke of Württemberg. The French defeated their opponents, forcing the Prussians to retreat no ...
on 17 October 1806. The fighting moved from the covered bridges on the city's west side, through the streets and market place, to the eastern suburbs. In 1815 Halle became part of the
Prussian 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 e ...
Province of Saxony.


World War II (1939–1945)

During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, KZ-Außenlager Birkhahn, a
subcamp Subcamps (german: KZ-Außenlager), also translated as satellite camps, were outlying detention centres (''Haftstätten'') that came under the command of a main concentration camp run by the SS in Nazi Germany and German-occupied Europe. The Nazi ...
of
Buchenwald Buchenwald (; literally 'beech forest') was a Nazi concentration camp established on hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within Germany's 1937 borders. Many actual or sus ...
was in Halle, where prisoners from Poland, Czechoslovakia, the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
, France, Netherlands and other nations were forced to work in the Siebel aircraft plants, making combat aircraft. The plant was later dismantled. In Ammendorf, a large factory owned by produced mustard gas. Near the end of World War II, there were two bombing raids carried out against the town: the first on 31 March 1945, the second a few days later. The first attack took place between the railway station and the city's centre, and the second bombing was in the southern district. It killed over 1,000 inhabitants and destroyed 3,600 buildings. Among them, the Market Church, St. George Church, the Old Town Hall, the municipal theatre, historic buildings on Bruederstrasse and on Grosse Steinstrasse, and the city cemetery. On 17 April 1945, American soldiers occupied Halle, and the Red Tower was set on fire by artillery and destroyed. The Market Church and the Church of St. George received more hits. However, the city was spared further damage because an aerial bombardment was canceled, after former naval officer Felix von Luckner negotiated the city's surrender to the American army. In July, the Americans withdrew and the city was occupied by the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...
.


German Democratic Republic (1949–1990)

After World War II, Halle served as the capital of the short-lived administrative region of Saxony-Anhalt until 1952, when the East German government abolished its "Länder" (states). As a part of
East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
(until 1990), it functioned as the capital of the administrative district (''Bezirk'') of Halle.


Since German unity (after 1990)

When
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 ...
was re-established as a '' Bundesland'' in 1990, Magdeburg, not Halle, became the capital. On 9 October 2019, two people were killed in a shooting incident at a synagogue in Halle. The Federal Prosecutor (Generalbundesanwalt) classified the attack as an act of
right-wing terrorism Right-wing terrorism, hard right terrorism, extreme right terrorism or far-right terrorism is terrorism that is motivated by a variety of different right-wing and far-right ideologies, most prominently, it is motivated by neo-Nazism, anti-com ...
stemming from
antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
; as a consequence security measures at Jewish facilities were increased.


Population

Population of foreign residents:


Politics


Mayor

The current mayor of Halle is
independent politician An independent or non-partisan politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent. Some politicians have political views th ...
Bernd Wiegand since 2012. The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 October 2019, with a runoff held on 27 October, and the results were as follows: ! rowspan=2 colspan=2, Candidate ! rowspan=2, Party ! colspan=2, First round ! colspan=2, Second round , - ! Votes ! % ! Votes ! % , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Bernd Wiegand , align=left,
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
, 35,419 , 44.3 , 41,273 , 61.4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Hendrik Lange , align=left, Left/ SPD/ Greens , 20,104 , 25.2 , 25,922 , 38.6 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Andreas Silbersack , align=left, FDP/ CDU , 18,310 , 22.9 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Daniel Schrader , align=left,
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
, 1,954 , 2.5 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Falko Kadzimirisz , align=left,
Free Voters Free Voters (german: Freie Wähler, FW or FWG) in Germany may belong to an association of people which participates in an election without having the status of a registered political party. Usually it involves a locally organized group of voters ...
, 1,613 , 2.0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Dörte Jacobi , align=left,
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
( PARTEI) , 1,598 , 2.0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Rolf Lennart Thiemann , align=left,
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
, 488 , 0.6 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Martin Bochmann , align=left,
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
( PARTEI) , 397 , 0.5 , - ! colspan=3, Valid votes ! 79,883 ! 99.4 ! 67,195 ! 99.1 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 451 ! 0.6 ! 625 ! 0.9 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 80,334 ! 100.0 ! 67,820 ! 100.0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 189,583 ! 42.4 ! 189,208 ! 35.8 , - , colspan=7, Source
City of Halle (Saale)


City council

The most recent city council election was held on 26 May 2019, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Party ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, The Left (Die Linke) , 55,951 , 17.8 , 7.3 , 10 , 4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , 54,831 , 17.4 , 7.7 , 10 , 4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) , 51,239 , 16.3 , 6.2 , 9 , 3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Alternative for Germany (AfD) , 44,028 , 14.0 , 9.4 , 8 , 5 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Social Democratic Party (SPD) , 35,489 , 11.3 , 7.9 , 6 , 5 , - , , align=left, Priority Halle (Hauptsache) , 21,637 , 6.9 , New , 3 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Free Democratic Party (FDP) , 16,904 , 5.4 , 1.1 , 3 , 1 , - , , align=left, With Citizens for Halle (MitBürger) , 14,051 , 4.5 , 1.1 , 3 , ±0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,
Die PARTEI (''Party for Labour, Rule of Law, Animal Protection, Promotion of Elites and Grassroots Democratic Initiative''), or Die PARTEI (''The PARTY''), is a German political party. It was founded in 2004 by the editors of the German satirical magazi ...
(PARTEI) , 10,760 , 3.4 , 2.5 , 2 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,
Free Voters Free Voters (german: Freie Wähler, FW or FWG) in Germany may belong to an association of people which participates in an election without having the status of a registered political party. Usually it involves a locally organized group of voters ...
(FW) , 6,568 , 2.1 , 1.4 , 1 , 1 , - , colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey, , - , , align=left, Team Schrader (Schrader) , 2,576 , 0.8 , New , 0 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, National Democratic Party (NPD) , 738 , 0.2 , 1.0 , 0 , 1 , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 314,722 ! 100.0 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Valid votes ! 106,352 ! 98.3 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Invalid votes ! 1,796 ! 1.7 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 108,148 ! 100.0 ! ! 56 ! ±0 , - ! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout ! 191,030 ! 56.6 ! 16.2 ! ! , - , colspan=7, Source
City of Halle (Saale)


Sights

* Halloren Chocolate Factory and visitors' centre, Germany's oldest chocolate factory still in use. *
Giebichenstein Castle Giebichenstein Castle (german: Burg Giebichenstein) is a castle in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Halle (Saale) in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is part of the Romanesque Road (''Strasse der Romanik''). Being a Burgward in the 9th century, the castle becam ...
, first mentioned in 961, is north of the city centre on a hill above the Saale river, with a museum in the upper castle and the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design in the lower castle. * Moritzburg, a newer castle, was built between 1484 and 1503. It was the residence of the Archbishops of Magdeburg, was destroyed in the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...
, and was a ruin for centuries afterward. Partially reconstructed in 1901–1913, it is an art gallery today. The reconstruction was completed with the opening of new exhibition rooms designed by the Spanish architects Sobejano and Nieto in 2010. *''Neue Residenz'' (New Residence), an early Renaissance palace (1531–1537) *Market square with ** Market Church of St. Mary (Marktkirche), built in 1529–1554, using elements of two medieval churches, St. Gertrude's Church dating back to the 11th century and the older St. Mary's Church from the 12th century. The church has four steeples, the two western octagonal ones are called Blue Towers because of their dark blue slate roofing. The other two ''Hausmannstürme'' are connected by a bridge and on this bridge was the city's fire watch. The church owns the original death-mask of
Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...
. The Marktkirche's four towers is a landmark symbol of the city. **''Roter Turm'' (Red Tower), originally built as campanile of the older St. Mary's Church between 1418 and 1503, a landmark of Halle, with the steeples of St. Mary's Church forms the five towers marking the city's skyline. **''Roland'', originally (13th century) a wooden sculpture representing urban liberty (after an uprising in the city, a cage was placed around it between 1481 and 1513, a reminder of the restrictions). Today's sculpture is a sandstone replica made in 1719. **''Marktschlösschen'', late Renaissance building, gallery and tourist information office **Monument to George Frideric Handel, 1859 by Hermann Heidel **''Ratshof'' (Council's Yard), built in 1928/29 as a backyard building of the Old Town Hall (demolished in 1948/50 after the destruction of World War II, so the ''Ratshof'' is situated today directly on the market square). **''Stadthaus'', Renaissance-Revival building of 1891–1894 **''Yellow line'', which runs over the market square, marking a geological fault line, the ''Hallische Verwerfung''. * Handel House, first mentioned in 1558, birthplace of George Frideric Handel, a museum since 1948 * Wilhelm Friedemann Bach House, home of composer Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, now a museum *Old Market square with Donkey's Fountain (1906/13), referring to a local legend *Remains of the town fortifications: the Leipzig Tower (''Leipziger Turm'') (15th century) in the east and remains of the town wall to the south of the city centre. *Sculpture dedicated to Lenin in the Pestalozzi Park. *Francke Foundations, Baroque buildings (including Europe's largest surviving half-timbered building) and historical collections *''Stadtgottesacker'', a Renaissance cemetery, laid out in 1557, in the style of an Italian ''camposanto'' * ''Saline'' Museum is dedicated to Halle's salt-works and the corporation of salt workers ''(Halloren)'' *Cathedral ''(Dom)'', a steepleless building, was originally a church within a Dominican monastery (1271), converted into a cathedral by cardinal Albert of Hohenzollern. Since 1688, it has been the church of the Reformed parish. *Saint Maurice Church, late Gothic building (1388–1511) *Saint Ulrich Church, late Gothic church of the Servite Order (15th century), today used as a concert hall *Church of the former village of Böllberg (Romanesque, with late Gothic painted wooden ceiling) *Numerous bourgeois town houses, including the ''Ackerbürgerhof'' (15th – 18th centuries with remains from the 12th century), Christian Wolff’s House (today City Museum), Graseweg House (half-timbered building) * State Museum of Prehistory where the Nebra sky disk is exhibited *''Volkspark'' (1906/07), former meeting house of the Social Democrats *Theatres: **''
Halle Opera House The Halle Opera House () is an opera house in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt. Originally named the Halle Town Theatre (), the theatre was built in 1886. A bomb attack on 31 March 1945 destroyed much of the original building. Restorative work ensued a few ...
'' **''Neues Theater'' **''Puppentheather'' **''Thalia Theater'', the only theatre for children 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 ...
**''Steintor Bühne'' *Parks and gardens: **''Botanical Garden'' of the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, founded in 1698 in the former gardens of the Archbishops of Magdeburg, belonging to the Garden Dreams project **''Reichardts Garten'' is a historic park, part of the Garden Dreams project. Laid out in 1794 by
Johann Friedrich Reichardt Johann Friedrich Reichardt (25 November 1752 – 27 June 1814) was a German composer, writer and music critic. Early life Reichardt was born in Königsberg, East Prussia, to lutenist and ''Stadtmusiker'' Johann Reichardt (1720–1780). Johann Fr ...
(1752–1814) as an English garden, becoming the "accommodation of Romanticism". It changed ownership several times and the city of Halle bought the park in 1903 to give the public wider access. **''Peißnitz Island'' **''Pestalozzi Park'' **Zoological Garden ''(Bergzoo)'', situated on the ''Reilsberg'' hill. *''Galgenberge'', location of the gallows from the 14th to the end of the 18th century *''Klausberge'', porphyry hill, named after a chapel of the St. Nicholas' brotherhood, panoramic view over the Saale Valley,
Eichendorff Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff (10 March 178826 November 1857) was a German poet, novelist, playwright, literary critic, translator, and anthologist. Eichendorff was one of the major writers and critics of Romanticism.Cf. J. A. Cuddon: '' ...
's bench *''Dölauer Heide'' forest, including ''Bischofs Wiese'' with 35 graves dating back to about 2500–2000 BC, the
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...
period *Racecourse in the Passendorf Meadows *''
Halle-Neustadt Halle-Neustadt (; popularly known as ''HaNeu'' , like Hanoi) was a city in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). It was established as a new town on 12 May 1967, as an independent and autonomous city. The population in 1972 was 51,600 ...
'', to the west of Halle, built beginning 1964 (foundation stone ceremony 15 July 1964) as a socialist model city. Still has several monuments from the GDR, as a giant mural dedicated to Lenin.


Image gallery

File:Marktplatz Halle 2010.jpg, Market square File:Stadthaus-Halle.jpg, Stadthaus File:Vor dem Eingangsbereich - Stadtcenter Rolltreppe - Ladengeschäfte im Stadtzentrum von Halle Saale - panoramio.jpg, Old town File:Paulusviertel Pauluskirche.jpg, View over Paulusviertel File:Giebichenstein4.jpg,
Giebichenstein Castle Giebichenstein Castle (german: Burg Giebichenstein) is a castle in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Halle (Saale) in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is part of the Romanesque Road (''Strasse der Romanik''). Being a Burgward in the 9th century, the castle becam ...
from Kröllwitz File:Moritzburg-neu.jpg, Moritzburg (Halle) File:Landesmuseums für Vorgeschichte Sachsen-Anhalt in Halle - Außenansicht.jpg, Halle State Museum of Prehistory File:Joliot-Curie-Platz - panoramio (3).jpg,
Halle Opera House The Halle Opera House () is an opera house in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt. Originally named the Halle Town Theatre (), the theatre was built in 1886. A bomb attack on 31 March 1945 destroyed much of the original building. Restorative work ensued a few ...
File:2014 04 Händelhaus.jpg, Handel House File:Neue Klausbrücke, im Hintergrund die 5 Türme - panoramio.jpg, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach House to the left File:2007-05 Halle (Saale) 02.jpg, Halloren Chocolate Factory File:ZooBlick.JPG, View to Reilberg of Zoo Halle File:Hochstraße Halle.jpg, View to
Halle-Neustadt Halle-Neustadt (; popularly known as ''HaNeu'' , like Hanoi) was a city in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). It was established as a new town on 12 May 1967, as an independent and autonomous city. The population in 1972 was 51,600 ...
File:Halle (Saale), Blick auf Kröllwitz.jpg, View over Kröllwitz


Industrial heritage

Salt, also known as ''white gold'', was extracted from four "Borns" (well-like structures). The four Borns/brine named Gutjahrbrunnen, Meteritzbrunnen, Deutscher Born and Hackeborn, were located around the Hallmarket (or "Under Market"), now a market square with a fountain, just across from the TV station, MDR. The brine was highly concentrated and boiled in ''Koten'', simple structured houses made from reed and clay. Salters, who wore a unique uniform with eighteen silver buttons, were known as ''Halloren'', and this name was later used for the chocolates in the shape of these buttons. The Halloren-Werke, the oldest chocolate factory in
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 ...
, was founded in 1804. Old documents are on display and a chocolate room can be visited. Within
East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
, Halle's chemical industry, now mainly shut down, was of great importance. The two main companies in the region were Buna-Werke and Leuna, and
Halle-Neustadt Halle-Neustadt (; popularly known as ''HaNeu'' , like Hanoi) was a city in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). It was established as a new town on 12 May 1967, as an independent and autonomous city. The population in 1972 was 51,600 ...
was built in the 1960s to accommodate the employees of these two factories.


Science and culture

Baroque composer
Georg Friedrich Händel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...
(later ''George Frideric Handel'') was born in Halle in 1685 and spent the first 17 years of his life in the city. The house where he lived is now a museum about his life. To celebrate his music, Halle has staged a Handel Festival since 1922, annually in June since 1952. The ''Franckesche Stiftungen'' (Francke Foundations) are home to the ', which was founded before the year 1116 and is one of the oldest boys' choirs in the world. The
University of Halle Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (german: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg), also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg and the largest and oldest university in ...
was founded here in 1694. It is now combined with the University of Wittenberg and called the ''
Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (german: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg), also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg and the largest and oldest university in ...
''. The university's medical school was established by
Friedrich Hoffmann Friedrich Hoffmann or Hofmann (19 February 1660 – 12 November 1742) was a German physician and chemist. He is also sometimes known in English as Frederick Hoffmann. Life His family had been connected with medicine for 200 years before him. Bo ...
. Its
botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
, the Botanische Garten der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, dates back to 1698. Halle's German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina is the oldest and one of the most respected scientific societies in
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 ...
. Halle is also home to Germany's oldest Protestant church library, known as the , with 27,000 titles. The seat of the
Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology The Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology (German: ''Max-Planck-Institut für ethnologische Forschung'') is a scientific research institute founded in 1999 in Halle, Germany. It is one of the institutes of the Max Planck Society. Organiz ...
, one of the world's largest social anthropological research institutions and a part of the Max Planck Society, is in Halle. Halle was a centre of German Pietism and played an important role in establishing the
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
church in North America, when Henry Muhlenberg and others were sent as missionaries to
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
in the mid-18th century. Muhlenberg is now called the first Patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America. He and his son,
Frederick Muhlenberg Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg (; January 1, 1750 – June 4, 1801) was an American minister and politician who was the first Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and the first Dean of the United States House of Represen ...
, who was the first Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, were graduates of Halle University. The Silver Treasure of the ''Halloren'' is displayed occasionally at the Technical Museum Saline. It is a unique collection of silver and gold goblets dating back to 1266. The ancient craft of "Schausieden" (boiling of the brine) can be observed there too. The State Museum of Prehistory houses the Nebra sky disk, a significant (though unproven) Bronze-Age find with astronomical significance. Halle Zoo contributes to the
EAZA The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), is an organisation for the European zoo and aquarium community that links over 340 member organisations in 41 countries. EAZA membership is open to all zoos and aquaria across Europe that compl ...
breeding programme, in particular for the Angolan lion and the Malaysian tiger. Halle is also known for its thriving coypu (or nutria) population, which is native to
South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
. With writers such as Heine,
Eichendorff Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff (10 March 178826 November 1857) was a German poet, novelist, playwright, literary critic, translator, and anthologist. Eichendorff was one of the major writers and critics of Romanticism.Cf. J. A. Cuddon: '' ...
,
Schleiermacher Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher (; 21 November 1768 – 12 February 1834) was a German Reformed theologian, philosopher, and biblical scholar known for his attempt to reconcile the criticisms of the Enlightenment with traditional ...
, Tieck and Novalis the town was a vibrant scene of the German Romanticism. Also
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as t ...
was a regular guest at the house of his close friend
Johann Friedrich Reichardt Johann Friedrich Reichardt (25 November 1752 – 27 June 1814) was a German composer, writer and music critic. Early life Reichardt was born in Königsberg, East Prussia, to lutenist and ''Stadtmusiker'' Johann Reichardt (1720–1780). Johann Fr ...
. German-American expressionist painter
Lyonel Feininger Lyonel Charles Feininger (July 17, 1871January 13, 1956) was a German-American painter, and a leading exponent of Expressionism. He also worked as a caricaturist and comic strip artist. He was born and grew up in New York City, traveling to Germa ...
worked in Halle on an invitation by the city from 1929 to 1931. As one of eleven views of the city termed ''Halle Cycle'', he painted in 1931 ''Die Türme über der Stadt'' (The towers above the city), which is now in the Museum Ludwig in Cologne. This painting appeared on a 55 eurocent stamp on 5 December 2002 as a part of the series “Deutsche Malerei des 20. Jahrhunderts” (German painting of the 20th century). File:Halleuniplatz.JPG,
Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (german: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg), also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg and the largest and oldest university in ...
File:Halle (Saale) University Library Building (Feb-2006).jpg, University and State Library File:Kunst-Campus der Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle.jpg,
Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design (BURG) is the university of art and design in Halle an der Saale that was established in 1915. With a student body numbering over 1,000, BURG is one of the largest universities of art and design in Germany. It offers 20 art and design degree prog ...
File:Leopoldina Halle (Saale) Draufsicht.jpg,
German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (german: Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina – Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften), short Leopoldina, is the national academy of Germany, and is located in Halle (Saale). Founded ...
File:Franckesche Stiftungen Innenhof 2015.jpg, Francke Foundations File:2007-07 Halle (Saale) 28.jpg, Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics at Weinberg Campus Technology Park File:Laternenfest 1.jpg, The Laternenfestival at Peißnitzisland


Transport history

Ludwig Wucherer made Halle an important rail hub in central Germany. In 1840 he opened the Magdeburg-Halle-Leipzig line, completing a connection between Magdeburg and
Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
. In 1841–1860, other lines to
Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital and largest city in the Central German state of Thuringia. It is located in the wide valley of the Gera river (progression: ), in the southern part of the Thuringian Basin, north of the Thuringian Forest. It sits i ...
, Kassel and
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
followed. The centrepiece of Halle's urban public transport system is the Halle (Saale) tramway network. It includes the world's first major electric-powered inner-city tram line, which was opened in 1891. Halle (Saale) Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station. Halle's prominence as a railway centre grew with the arrival of the Erfurt-Leipzig/Halle high-speed railway. Leipzig is also connected to this route, but since it is a terminus station (though the
Leipzig City Tunnel The City Tunnel is a twin-bore railway tunnel for the city-centre S-Bahn in Leipzig. It links Leipzig Hauptbahnhof with the central Markt station, Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz station and Bayerischer Bahnhof. Construction began in July 2003. The fi ...
is currently under construction, the route will be shared with S-Bahn trains, making it unlikely that it will be used as a through station for Berlin-Munich trains), Halle is more likely to be used as an intermediate stop for Berlin-Munich trains. The completion of the Nuremberg–Erfurt high-speed railway also provided a further impetus to use the route. Leipzig/Halle Airport (opened in 1927) is an international airport located in Schkeuditz, Saxony, and serves both Leipzig, Saxony, and Halle, Saxony-Anhalt. it is Germany's 11th largest airport by passengers, handling more than 2.57 million mainly with flights to European leisure destinations. In terms of cargo traffic, the airport is the fifth-busiest in Europe and the second-busiest in Germany after
Frankfurt Airport Frankfurt Airport (; german: link=no, Flughafen Frankfurt Main , also known as ''Rhein-Main-Flughafen'') is a major international airport located in Frankfurt, the fifth-largest city of Germany and one of the world's leading financial centres ...
. File:Hbf Halle (Saale).jpg, Halle (Saale) Hauptbahnhof, the main railway station File:Tram MGT6D Halle Moritzburgring 3.JPG, Tram in Halle File:Leipzig-Halle Airport Check-in.jpg, Leipzig/Halle Airport


Sports

The football team ''Hallescher FC Wacker 1900'' had some regional importance before World War II. In the German Championship ''Wacker'' reached the semi-finals in 1921, and the quarter-finals in 1928. The successor team became East German champions in 1949 and 1952 under the names of ''ZSG Union'' and ''BSG Turbine Halle''. From these evolved today's '' Turbine Halle'' and ''
Hallescher FC Hallescher FC, sometimes still called by its former popular name Chemie Halle, is a German association football club based in Halle an der Saale, Saxony-Anhalt. The club currently plays in the 3. Liga, the third highest level in the German footb ...
''. In the era of the German Democratic Republic, the latter club (as ''Chemie Halle'' ) was a mainstay in the first division and won the Cup tournament in 1956 and 1962. The most prominent player was 72-times international Bernd Bransch, who was with ''Chemie'' in the 1960s and 1970s. These days, ''Hallescher FC'' usually plays in the third division. The general sports club ', originating from ''Chemie Halle'', created a notable number of Olympic gold medallists and world champions, mainly in nautical and watersports, e.g., swimmer Kornelia Ender won four Olympic gold medals in 1976 and Andreas Hajek won four rowing world championships between 1998 and 2001. The basketball team of the club – these days known as ''Lions'' and focusing on the woman's team which plays in the national first division – won five men's and 10 women's championships of the German Democratic Republic. The Hallesher FC's location is extremely close to a train station.


Notable people


Public service

*
Clemens von Delbrück Clemens Ernst Gottlieb von Delbrück (; 19 January 1856, in Halle an der Saale – 17 December 1921, in Jena) was a German conservative politician. He was ennobled in 1916. Early life He was born into a common family, and attended high school in ...
(1856–1921) conservative politician, Vice-Chancellor of Germany 1908-1916 * Helga Einsele (1910-2005) a criminologist, prison director and high-profile prisons reformer. * Gerhard Feige (born 1951), bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Magdeburg * August Hermann Francke (1663–1727), Lutheran Pietist theologian at the University of Halle and founder of the Halle Orphan House complex. *
Hans-Dietrich Genscher Hans-Dietrich Genscher (21 March 1927 – 31 March 2016) was a German statesman and a member of the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), who served as Federal Minister of the Interior from 1969 to 1974, and as Federal Minister for Foreign Affa ...
(1927–2016), former Vice Chancellor and longest serving Foreign Minister, (1974 to 1992), was born in Reideburg, which belongs to Halle today * Gerald Götting (1923–2015) chairman of the East German Christian Democratic Union, 1966-1989. *
Margot Honecker Margot Honecker (née Feist; 17 April 1927 – 6 May 2016) was an East German politician who was an influential member of that country's Communist government until 1989. From 1963 until 1989, she was Minister of National Education (''Ministerin f ...
(1927–2016) First Lady of the
German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **G ...
, 1976–1989 * Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778–1852), theology student of University Halle 1796–1800, went into hiding using a porphyry cave along the river Saale. It became known as the "Jahn-Höhle" (Cave). * Christian Andreas Käsebier (1710–1757), intelligence operative for
Frederick the Great Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the S ...
, robber and swindler, born and raised in Halle * Carl Lampert, (1894–1944), priest, beheaded by Nazis in World War II at Halle * Hans Litten (1903–1938), lawyer, represented opponents of the Nazis at trials from 1929 and 1932 * Johann David Michaelis (1717–1791) a Prussian biblical scholar and teacher. *
Frederick Muhlenberg Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg (; January 1, 1750 – June 4, 1801) was an American minister and politician who was the first Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and the first Dean of the United States House of Represen ...
(1750–1801), the first Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, graduated at Halle University. *
George Müller George Müller (born Johann Georg Ferdinand Müller, 27 September 1805 – 10 March 1898) was a Christian evangelist and the director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England. He was one of the founders of the Plymouth Brethren m ...
(1805–1898), preacher and philanthropist, coordinator of orphanages in
Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
. * Cornelia Pieper (born 1959) a German politician, now German
consul general A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...
in Gdańsk, Poland. * Richard Raatzsch (born 1957), philosopher and professor of practical philosophy *
Princess Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg (10 October 1619 – 20 December 1680), was a princess of Saxe-Altenburg and, by marriage, duchess of Saxe-Gotha. She was born in Halle, the only daughter of Johann Philipp, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, and hi ...
(1619–1680), a princess of
Saxe-Altenburg Saxe-Altenburg (german: Sachsen-Altenburg, links=no) was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the House of Wettin in present-day Thuringia. It was one of the smallest of the German states with an area of 1323 square kilomete ...
* Fabian von Schlabrendorff (1907–1980), lawyer, officer, judge and member of the German resistance *
Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher Friedrich may refer to: Names *Friedrich (surname), people with the surname ''Friedrich'' *Friedrich (given name), people with the given name ''Friedrich'' Other *Friedrich (board game), a board game about Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' ...
(1768–1834), university preacher and professor of theology to the University of Halle, where he remained until 1807. * Fabian von Schlabrendorff (1907–1980) a jurist, soldier and member of the German resistance and judge of the German
Federal Constitutional Court The Federal Constitutional Court (german: link=no, Bundesverfassungsgericht ; abbreviated: ) is the supreme constitutional court for the Federal Republic of Germany, established by the constitution or Basic Law () of Germany. Since its in ...
. * Albrecht Schröter (born 1955), politician (SPD) and mayor of Jena from 2006 to 2018. * Gertrud Schubart-Fikentscher (1896-1985) first female professor of Law from 1948 for 17 years * Ullrich Sierau (born 1956), politician (SPD) and mayor of Dortmund from 2010 to 2020 *
John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg John Sigismund (german: Johann Sigismund; 8 November 1572 – 23 December 1619) was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern. He became the Duke of Prussia through his marriage to Duchess Anna, the eld ...
(1572–1619) a
Prince-elector The prince-electors (german: Kurfürst pl. , cz, Kurfiřt, la, Princeps Elector), or electors for short, were the members of the electoral college that elected the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. From the 13th century onwards, the prin ...
of the
Margraviate of Brandenburg The Margraviate of Brandenburg (german: link=no, Markgrafschaft Brandenburg) was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 that played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe. Brandenburg developed out ...
* Hans-Christian Ströbele (born 1939), politician (Greens) and member of the Bundestag *
Johann Friedrich Struensee Lensgreve Johann Friedrich Struensee (5 August 1737 – 28 April 1772) was a German-Danish physician, philosopher and statesman. He became royal physician to the mentally ill King Christian VII of Denmark and a minister in the Danish governmen ...
(1737–1772) a German physician, philosopher and statesman. *
Ľudovít Štúr Ľudovít Velislav Štúr (; hu, Stur Lajos; 28 October 1815 – 12 January 1856), known in his era as Ludevít Štúr, (pen names : B. Dunajský, Bedlivý Ludorob, Boleslav Záhorský, Brat Slovenska, Ein Slave, Ein ungarischer Slave, Karl Wi ...
(1815–1856), Slovak national leader, linguist and writer, studied at the University of Halle in 1838–1840 * Thomas Kesselhut


Military

*
Reinhard Heydrich Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich ( ; ; 7 March 1904 – 4 June 1942) was a high-ranking German SS and police official during the Nazi era and a principal architect of the Holocaust. He was chief of the Reich Security Main Office (inclu ...
(1904–1942), a leading
Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
in
WWII World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and a main architect of the
Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...
*
Ludolf von Alvensleben Ludolf-Hermann Emmanuel Georg Kurt Werner von Alvensleben (17 March 1901 – 1 April 1970) was an SS functionary of Nazi Germany. He held positions of SS and Police Leader in occupied Poland and the Soviet Union, and was indicted for war crim ...
(1901–1970) an SS functionary, fled to Argentina after WWII * Oswald Boelcke (1891–1916), World War I German flying ace, born near Halle *
Karl von Eberstein Friedrich Karl Freiherr von Eberstein (14 January 1894 – 10 February 1979) was a member of the German nobility, early member of the Nazi Party, the SA, and the SS (introducing Reinhard Heydrich to Heinrich Himmler in July 1931). He was electe ...
(1894–1979)
German nobility The German nobility (german: deutscher Adel) and royalty were status groups of the medieval society in Central Europe, which enjoyed certain privileges relative to other people under the laws and customs in the German-speaking area, until the b ...
, early member of the Nazi Party, the SA and the SS. * Walter Eisfeld (1905–1940), Nazi SS concentration camp commandant *
Paul Götze Paul Götze (13 November 1903 – 24 January 1948) was an SS-''Rottenführer'' at Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps. Born in Halle, German Empire, Götze was a painter by profession. He joined the Nazi Party in 1937 and the SS i ...
(1903–1948), Nazi SS officer at Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps executed for war crimes * Johannes Hassebroek (1910–1977), Nazi SS commandant of Gross-Rosen concentration camp. *
Karl Freiherr von Müffling Friedrich Karl Ferdinand Freiherr von Müffling, nicknamed Weiss (12 June 177510 January 1851) was a Prussian ''Generalfeldmarschall'' and military theorist. He served as Blücher's liaison officer in Wellington's headquarters during the Battle of ...
(1775–1851), Prussian general field marshal.


Science

* Bernd Baselt (1934–1993), university professor, published a catalogue leading to the modern day opus designator ( HWV) which is used when referring to the works of George Frideric Handel. * Dorothea Christiane Erxleben of
Quedlinburg Quedlinburg () is a town situated just north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. As an influential and prosperous trading centre during the early Middle Ages, Quedlinburg became a center of in ...
(1715–1762) received her
Doctor of Medicine Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...
degree in 1754 from the Medical Department of Martin Luther University (MLU) * Georg Cantor (1845–1918), mathematician and professor at the university of Halle * Arthur Golf (1877–1941) an academic agronomist, focussed on ''colonial
agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...
'' * Siegwart Horst Günther (1925–2015), a German physician,'father of the anti-uranium-weapons movement in Germany', born in Halle *
Friedrich Hoffmann Friedrich Hoffmann or Hofmann (19 February 1660 – 12 November 1742) was a German physician and chemist. He is also sometimes known in English as Frederick Hoffmann. Life His family had been connected with medicine for 200 years before him. Bo ...
(1660–1742), a German physician and chemist. *
Christian Knaut Christian Knaut (August 16, 1656 – April 11, 1716) was a German physician, botanist and librarian born in Halle an der Saale. His older brother, Christoph Knaut (1638–1694) was also a physician and botanist. He studied medicine at the Unive ...
(1656–1716), doctor, botanist and librarian *
Andreas Libavius Andreas Libavius or Andrew Libavius was born in Halle, Germany c. 1550 and died in July 1616. Libavius was a renaissance man who spent time as a professor at the University of Jena teaching history and poetry. After which he became a physician a ...
(1550-1616), practised alchemy, wrote the book ''Alchemia,'' a chemistry textbook * Felix Jacob Marchand (1846–1928) a German pathologist, coined the term ''
atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis is a pattern of the disease arteriosclerosis in which the wall of the artery develops abnormalities, called lesions. These lesions may lead to narrowing due to the buildup of atheromatous plaque. At onset there are usually no s ...
'' * Leonhard Sohncke (1842–1897), mathematician and professor of physics * Georg Wilhelm Steller (1709–1746), a botanist, zoologist, physician and explorer of Siberia, Kamchatka and Alaska * Christian Friedrich von Völkner (1728–1796), German translator and historian in Russia


Arts

* Conny Bauer (born 1943) & Johannes Bauer (1954–2016) jazz trombonists. * Johann Friedrich Bause (1738-1814) a copper engraver; primarily of portraits. * Ursula Brömme (1931–2001), operatic soprano * Thuon Burtevitz (born 1973), composer * Heinrich Andreas Contius (1708–1795) an organ builder in the Baltic States * Susanne Daubner (born 1962), German news and television presenter *
Lyonel Feininger Lyonel Charles Feininger (July 17, 1871January 13, 1956) was a German-American painter, and a leading exponent of Expressionism. He also worked as a caricaturist and comic strip artist. He was born and grew up in New York City, traveling to Germa ...
(1871–1956), painter of several famous images in Halle, incl. ''Der Dom in Halle.'' * Ernst Flügel (1844—1912) a German Romantic composer. *
Robert Franz Robert Franz Julius Knauth (28 June 1815 – 24 October 1892) was a German composer, mainly of lieder. Biography Franz was born in Halle, Germany, the son of Christoph Franz Knauth. In 1847, Christoph Knauth adopted his middle name Franz as his ...
(1815–1892) a German composer, mainly of lieder. * Moritz Goetze (born 1964), pop-artist, painter, sculptor, born and lives in Halle *
Georg Friedrich Händel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...
(1685–1759), Baroque composer, born and raised in Halle. * Carola Helbing-Erben (born 1952), textile artist * Claire Heliot (1866–1953) a German lion tamer. * Johann Georg Ludwig Hesekiel (1819–1874), author and journalist. * Nickel Hoffmann (1536–1592), mastermason, worked over 30 years in Halle, including the Market Church and the Composanto * Thomas Kesselhut, (born 1991) Twitch streamer known for Hearts of Iron IV, born and raised in Halle *
August Lafontaine August Heinrich Julius Lafontaine (5 October 1758 – 20 April 1831) was a German novelist. Biography Lafontaine was born and brought up in Brunswick, the son of the court painter Ludolph Lafontaine and his fifth wife, the court maid-in-waitin ...
(1758–1831), a writer of sentimental novels, then hugely popular, died in Halle * Georg Listing (born 1987), bassist from the Magdeburg-based band, Tokio Hotel * Johann Friedrich Naue (1787–1858), classical composer * Ursula Noack (1918–1988) a cabaret artiste, film and stage actress and chanson singer * Kai Pflaume (born 1967), German television presenter, born in Halle *
Johann Friedrich Reichardt Johann Friedrich Reichardt (25 November 1752 – 27 June 1814) was a German composer, writer and music critic. Early life Reichardt was born in Königsberg, East Prussia, to lutenist and ''Stadtmusiker'' Johann Reichardt (1720–1780). Johann Fr ...
(1752–1814), composer, writer and music critic, lived in Halle. He was a close friend of
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as t ...
* Samuel Scheidt (1587–1654), Baroque composer and organist, spent most of his life in Halle * Hellmut Schnackenburg (1902–1974), conductor * Daniel Gottlob Türk (1756–1813), classical composer, was born in Halle in 1750, and was a professor at the University of Halle * Anja Daniela Wagner (born 1969), operatic mezzo-soprano *
Paul Weigel Paul Weigel (18 February 1867 – 25 May 1951) was a German-American actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1916 and 1945. Selected filmography * '' Naked Hearts'' (1916) - Cecil's Father * '' Each Pearl a Tear'' (1916) - Roger ...
(1867–1951) a German-American actor, appearing in over 110 films between 1916 and 1945.


Sport

* Bernd Bransch (1944–2022) a footballer with 317 club caps and 64 for
East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
* Waldemar Cierpinski (born 1950), East German athlete and twice Olympic Champion, lives in Halle * Fritz Huschke von Hanstein (1911–1996) a German racing driver, worked for Porsche * Yoan Pablo Hernández (born 1984), Cruiserweight
boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...
champion (immigrated from
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
) * Marita Lange (born 1943), shot putter, silver medallist at the
1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...
* Lothar Milde (born 1934) East German discus thrower, silver medallist at the
1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...
* Jochen Pietzsch (born 1963) a former East German luger, he won gold in at the 1988 Winter Olympics and bronze in
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
. * Conny Pohlers (born 1978) a German former footballer with 67 caps with Germany women * Torsten Spanneberg (born 1975) an team bronze medal winner in the 4×100 m medley relay at the
2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...
* Andreas Wank (born 1988), German ski jumper, team gold medallist at the 2014 Winter Olympics * Ulrich Wehling (born 1952) a retired German skier who won the nordic combined event in the Winter Olympics three consecutive times, in 1972, 1976, and 1980. * Dariusz Wosz (born 1969) a German football coach and former player with 563 club caps and 17 for
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 ...


Twin towns – sister cities

Halle is twinned with: * Oulu, Finland (1968) * Linz, Austria (1975) *
Grenoble lat, Gratianopolis , commune status = Prefecture and commune , image = Panorama grenoble.png , image size = , caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...
, France (1976) *
Ufa Ufa ( ba, Өфө , Öfö; russian: Уфа́, r=Ufá, p=ʊˈfa) is the largest city and capital city, capital of Bashkortostan, Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Belaya River (Kama), Belaya and Ufa River, Ufa rivers, in the centre-n ...
, Russia (1977) *
Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. ...
, Germany (1987) *
Jiaxing Jiaxing (), alternately romanized as Kashing, is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province, China. Lying on the Grand Canal of China, Jiaxing borders Hangzhou to the southwest, Huzhou to the west, Shanghai to the northeast, and the p ...
, China (2009) * Savannah, United States (2011) * Gyumri, Armenia (2020)


Friendly cities

Halle also has friendly relations with: *
Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of . The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto, and Braga, it is the largest cit ...
, Portugal (1976) *
Hildesheim Hildesheim (; nds, Hilmessen, Hilmssen; la, Hildesia) is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany with 101,693 inhabitants. It is in the district of Hildesheim, about southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste River, a small tributary of the L ...
, Germany (1990)


Around Halle


Nearby towns

Halle (Saale) and Leipzig are the two centres of the
Central German Metropolitan Region The Central German Metropolitan Region (german: Metropolregion Mitteldeutschland) is one of the officially established metropolitan regions in Germany. It is centered on the major cities of Leipzig and Halle, extending over Central German parts ...
with more than 2.4 million people. File:Leipzig Fockeberg Zentrum.jpg,
Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
, Germany's eighth largest city File:Merseburger Schloss 2006.jpg,
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 ...
borders Halle File:Wittenberg,Luthers Hochzeit.jpg,
Wittenberg Wittenberg ( , ; Low Saxon: ''Wittenbarg''; meaning ''White Mountain''; officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg (''Luther City Wittenberg'')), is the fourth largest town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Wittenberg is situated on the River Elbe, north o ...
File:Lutherstadt_Eisleben_Markt.jpg,
Eisleben Eisleben is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is famous as both the hometown of the influential theologian Martin Luther and the place where he died; hence, its official name is Lutherstadt Eisleben. First mentioned in the late 10th century, E ...


References


Bibliography


External links

* * {{Authority control Cities in Saxony-Anhalt Members of the Hanseatic League