Göttingerode (; ) is a village in
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 ...
and district of
Bad Harzburg
Bad Harzburg (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Bad Harzborch'') is a spa town in central Germany, in the Goslar (district), Goslar district of Lower Saxony. It lies on the northern edge of the Harz mountains and is a recognised saltwater spa ...
in the
district of Goslar in
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...
. As of 2020, Göttingerode had a population of 902.
It gained international relevance owing to the discovery of the
Europasaurus in the
Langenberg chalk quarry in 1999.
Geography
Göttingerode is positioned north of the
Harz mountains
The Harz (), also called the Harz Mountains, is a Mittelgebirge, highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The nam ...
(in particular, the Goldberg and Adenberg) and south of the Langenberg, renowned for being part of the geologically relevant
Northern Harz Boundary Fault. The
Röseckenbach flows south of Göttingerode. Lush forests surround this town and give it a fairly idyllic touch. The village covers .
[Horst Voigt: ''40 Jahre Göttingerode. 1936 bis 1976.'' Bad Harzburg, September 1976. S. 8.]
The district is located between
Oker (Goslar) to the west,
Harlingerode to the north,
Schlewecke to the east and
Bündheim to the southeast.
History
Etymology
The name ''Göttingerode'' means “
Clearing of Godo's people” and might stem from a shortening of
Gotthard, or a root relating to
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic (abbreviated PGmc; also called Common Germanic) is the linguistic reconstruction, reconstructed proto-language of the Germanic languages, Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages.
Proto-Germanic eventually developed from ...
*gudą "God".
Early Göttingerode settlement
A first settlement mentioned in 1163 as ''Gotingeroht'' preceded the recent settlement. It was most certainly abandoned in 14th or 15th century and didn't extend the size of a few houses.
Other mentionings were:
*1181: ''Gothincheroth''
*13th century: ''Gottingerodde''
*1461/1470: ''Göttingerode''
*1578: ''Göttingeroda'' (after abandonment)
*1607: ''Gottingerode''
The church of this village was torn down in order to provide material for a brick kiln in
Oker. A hunting lodge was founded in 1680 on today's Göttingerode's territory.
New Göttingerode
As
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
attempted to achieve autarky on the import of ore, the
Rammelsberg
The Rammelsberg is a mountain, high, on the northern edge of the Harz range, south of the historic town of Goslar in the North German state of Lower Saxony. The mountain is the location of an important silver, copper, and lead mine. When it close ...
project was initiated, leading to the foundation of the
Harlingerode Zinc works. In order to provide living space for the required staff, the
Free State of Brunswick
The Free State of Brunswick () was a Administrative divisions of Weimar Germany, state of the German Reich in the time of the Weimar Republic. It was formed after the abolition of the Duchy of Brunswick in the course of the German revolution of ...
officially allowed the new foundation of a town south of the Langenberg under the name ''Göttingerode''. The village originated on March 21, 1935 as a part of the municipality of
Harlingerode.
The village's development was hampered by poor financial situation, air pollution, and instable land owing to the intensive operation of the
Hansa Pit until August 23, 1960.
In 1972, Göttingerode was incorporated into the city of Bad Harzburg according to the
Harzgesetz.
Traffic and Infrastructure
Göttingerode is tangent to the
Landesstraße L 501 (
Bundesstraße 6
The Bundesstraße 6 (abbr. B6) is a German federal highway running from Bremerhaven on the North Sea coast in a southeasterly direction through the states of Lower Saxony, Bremen, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony to Görlitz on the Polish border.
H ...
until 1983) in the south. Furthermore, the ''Kreisstraße'' (district road) leads across the Langenberg to Harlingerode in the north.
Two bus lines connect Göttingerode with
Goslar
Goslar (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Goslär'') is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the Goslar (district), district of Goslar and is located on the northwestern wikt:slope, slopes of the Harz ...
and Bad Harzburg city.
Pictures
Grube Hansa Gedenklore Göttingerode 1.jpg, Minecart
A minecart, mine cart, or mine car (or more rarely mine trolley or mine hutch), is a type of rolling stock found on a mine railway, used for transporting ore and materials procured in the process of traditional mining. Minecarts are sel ...
, formerly used in the Hansa Pit
Göttingerode Dorfgemeinschaftshaus.jpg, Community center and kindergarten, formerly elementary and middle school
RöseckenbachKalkabbau201707.jpg, Langenberg chalk quarry
Göttingerode Weichbild Kreisstraße.jpg, Road in Göttingerode
Literature
* Horst Voigt: ''40 Jahre Göttingerode. 1936 bis 1976.'' Bad Harzburg, September 1976.
* Alfred Breustedt: ''950 Jahre Harlingerode. 1053–2003.'' S. 22. (chronicle) Harlingerode 2003, .
References
{{Authority control
Villages in Lower Saxony
Goslar (district)
Bad Harzburg