Artern (''Kreis Artern'') was a ''Kreis'' (district) in the ''Bezirk'' (district) of Halle in the
German Democratic Republic
East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
(GDR). From 1990 to 1994 it persisted as Landkreis Artern in the state of
Thüringen
Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany's 16 states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area.
Erfurt is the capital and lar ...
. It occupied land that is for the most part modern
Kyffhäuserkreis
The Kyffhäuserkreis is a district in the northern part of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are the districts Mansfeld-Südharz, Saalekreis and Burgenlandkreis in Saxony-Anhalt, and the districts Sömmerda, Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis and E ...
in Thüringen.
History
In 1952, the GDR undertook comprehensive reform in the division of its districts. Artern was formed out of the remaining part of the ''Landkreis'' (rural district) that had existed before the reform and was assigned to the newly formed ''Bezirk'' of Halle.
After the reunification of Germany, in 1990 Artern was assigned to the state of Thüringen, which had once again been founded, and through the districting reforms of the reunified Germany was included in Kyffhäuserkreis and in
Sömmerda (district)
Sömmerda ( German: ''Landkreis Sömmerda'') is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the north of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from the north clockwise) the districts Kyffhäuserkreis, the Burgenlandkreis in Saxony-Anhalt, the district Weim ...
.
Geography
Artern, which lay in the
Kyffhäuser
The Kyffhäuser (,''Duden - Das Aussprachewörterbuch, 7. Auflage (German)'', Dudenverlag, sometimes also referred to as ''Kyffhäusergebirge'') is a hill range in Central Germany, shared by Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, southeast of the Harz mou ...
, is traversed by the Helme and Unstrut. The largest settled areas near the district capital
Artern
Artern () is a town in the Kyffhäuserkreis district, Thuringia, Germany. The former municipalities Heygendorf and Voigtstedt were merged into Artern in January 2019.
Geography
Artern is situated at the confluence of the rivers Unstrut and H ...
were the cities
Bad Frankenhausen
Bad Frankenhausen (; officially: Bad Frankenhausen/Kyffhäuser) is a spa town in the German state of Thuringia. It is located at the southern slope of the Kyffhäuser mountain range, on an artificial arm of the Wipper river, a tributary of the U ...
,
Heldrungen
Heldrungen is a town and a former municipality in the Kyffhäuserkreis district, Thuringia, Germany. Since 1 January 2019, it is part of the town An der Schmücke.
Nearby rivers are the Unstrut and the Wipper.
It is known for its fortification ...
, and
Wiehe
Wiehe () is a town and a former municipality in the Kyffhäuserkreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. Since 1 January 2019, it is part of the town Roßleben-Wiehe. It is situated south of Sangerhausen, and north of Weimar.
Location
Wiehe is lo ...
and the parish of
Roßleben
Roßleben () is a town and a former municipality in the Kyffhäuserkreis district, with a population of 4,885 (2017). It is located in Thuringia, Germany. Since 1 January 2019, it is part of the town Roßleben-Wiehe. It is situated on the river U ...
. Other neighboring settled areas included the parishes of Bilzingsleben,
Borxleben
Borxleben is a village in the district Kyffhäuserkreis, in Thuringia, 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 ...
Esperstedt
Esperstedt () is a village and a former municipality in the Saalekreis district, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the municipality Obhausen.Gehofen,
Gorsleben
Gorsleben is a village and a former municipality in the district Kyffhäuserkreis, in Thuringia, Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea ...
,
Hauteroda
Hauteroda is a village and a former municipality in the district Kyffhäuserkreis, in Thuringia, Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea ...
Important firms in the district, among others, included
*VEB Kyffhäuserhütte Artern
*VEB Zuckerfabrik Artern
*VEB Kaliwerk Roßleben
*VEB Plastmaschinenwerk Wiehe
*VEB Brau- und Malzfabrik Sangerhausen, Werk Artern
*VEB Elektro Bad Frankenhausen
Kyffhäuserkreis
The Kyffhäuserkreis is a district in the northern part of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are the districts Mansfeld-Südharz, Saalekreis and Burgenlandkreis in Saxony-Anhalt, and the districts Sömmerda, Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis and E ...