Crossen an der Elster is a village and municipality in the district

Saale-Holzland Saale-Holzland (official German language, German name: Saale-Holzland-Kreis) is a ''Kreis'' (Districts of Germany, district) in the east of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from the north clockwise) the district Burgenlandkreis in Sa ...

, in

Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Er ...

, in east-central

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 ...

. The

White Elster The White Elster (, ) is a river in central Europe. It is a right tributary of the Saale. The source of the White Elster is in the westernmost part of the Czech Republic, in the territory of Hazlov. After a few kilometres, it flows into easte ...

is the name of the small river which flows through the municipality, so 'Crossen on the Elster' would be the English equivalent. It is home to the Crossen Palace, a

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

building with an Italian-style decorated ballroom.

History

The first documented mention of Crossen was from 31 March 995. In 1937 the name of the town was changed to Krossen/Elster. From 1st January 1991 it was officially renamed to Crossen an der Elster.

Culture and sights

The main attraction is the

baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

castle; however it is not open to the public. In addition, there is the revamped church Michaelis's Church, which was first documented in 1320. File:050708-CrossenSchloß.jpg, Crossen castle (2008) File:Schloss Crossen Bergfried.JPG, Crossen castle with

bergfried ''Bergfried'' (plural: ''bergfriede''; English: ''belfry''; French: ''tour-beffroi''; Italian: ''torrione''; Castilian: ''torre del homenaje'') is a tall tower that is typically found in castles of the Middle Ages in German-speaking countries an ...

File:Crossen an der Elster, Kirche.JPG, St. Michaelis's Church

Monuments

There is a monument in the graveyard by an old linden tree in memory of the revolutionaries of

1848 1848 is historically famous for the wave of revolutions, a series of widespread struggles for more liberal governments, which broke out from Brazil to Hungary; although most failed in their immediate aims, they significantly altered the polit ...

. It was erected in the year 1948. Beside the school there is a memorial for the victims of fascism. It commemorates the resistance fighters of the area, including Communist Party member Willy Graumüller, who was murdered in

Bergen-Belsen Bergen-Belsen (), or Belsen, was a Nazi concentration camp in what is today Lower Saxony in Northern Germany, northern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen, Lower Saxony, Bergen near Celle. Originally established as a prisoner of war camp, ...

concentration camp. The ''Teisker-Siedlung'' street name is also named for him. In November 2016 a 'stumbling block' memorial was laid for Willy Graumüller.

Historical Population

Source: Central Statistics Office of Thuringia

Mayor

The honorary mayor Uwe Berndt (The Left) was elected in June 2014.

References

Municipalities in Thuringia Saale-Holzland-Kreis {{SaaleHolzland-geo-stub