Lautenthal
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The formerly free mining town ('' Bergstadt'') of Lautenthal in Germany is a state-recognised, climatic
spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to pre ...
with around 1,570 inhabitants and has been part of the borough of
Langelsheim Langelsheim () is a town in the Goslar (district), district of Goslar in Lower Saxony, Germany. Geography The municipality is situated between the river Innerste and its tributary the river Grane (river), Grane, on the northern edge of the Harz ...
since 1972.


Geography

Lautenthal lies in the
Innerste The Innerste () is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Leine river and in length. Origin of the name The river name is not related to the German word ''innerste'' meaning innermost. ''Innerste'', in earlier time ...
valley between
Clausthal-Zellerfeld Clausthal-Zellerfeld () is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the southwestern part of the Harz mountains. Its population is approximately 15,000. The town hosts the Clausthal University of Technology. The health resort is locate ...
and Langelsheim in the northwestern
Upper Harz The Upper Harz (, ) is the northwestern and higher part of the Harz mountain range in Germany. The exact boundaries of this geographical region may be defined differently depending on the context. In its traditional sense, the term Upper Harz cover ...
. The town is located at a height of about in a valley bowl, the surrounding mountains being up to . The two rivers of the
Innerste The Innerste () is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Leine river and in length. Origin of the name The river name is not related to the German word ''innerste'' meaning innermost. ''Innerste'', in earlier time ...
and the Laute flow through the town. Towards Langelsheim the Innerste is impounded by the Innerste Dam.


History

Mining of copper, lead and silver in the area around Lautenthal started about 1225. In the middle of the 14th century, however, the Harz was depopulated because of plague and mining came to an end. Mining in the Harz was started again in 1524. Lautenthal was founded in 1538 as a mining settlement on the river Laute, a small tributary of the Innerste, and had already been given the status of a town by 1580. Sixteen years later it became a free
mining town A mining community, also known as a mining town or a mining camp, is a community that houses miners. Mining communities are usually created around a mine or a quarry. Historical mining communities Australia * Ballarat, Victoria * Bendig ...
. The town was enlarged in 1560 and a rectangular market place was laid out. A comparatively large town hall was built in 1570. The building was transformed into a hotel later. In 1626, the town was plundered by the troops of
Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly (; ; ; February 1559 – 30 April 1632) was a field marshal who commanded the Catholic League's forces in the Thirty Years' War. From 1620 to 1631, he won an unmatched and demoralizing string of important victo ...
in the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
. The Protestant town church was built 1649-59. In 1690, 28 mines were operated in and around Lautenthal. In 1821, the town had 2.006 inhabitants. The railway line to Lautenthal, Innerste Valley Railway, was inaugurated in 1875 and extended to
Altenau Altenau () is a town and a former municipality in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Since 1 January 2015 it is part of the town Clausthal-Zellerfeld. It is situated in the middle of the Harz mountains, between Clausthal-Zellerf ...
in 1914. Railway bridges were built over the Laute and the Innerste. Tourism gradually developed creating more and more jobs. At the beginning of the 20th century, Lautenthal had 2.626 inhabitants. As of 30 June 2018, Lautenthal had a population of 1,570. With the closure of the mines in 1959 the town lost its significance and was incorporated into the borough of Langelsheim in 1972. In 1976 the railway line to Lautenthal was closed and the former railway station was transformed into a hotel.


Sights

* The former silver mine ''Lautenthals Glück'' was transformed into a museum in 1975. * Paul Gerhardt Church, a Protestant church in the old town centre, was built from 1649-59. Its altar and the organ date from 1719. * Originally, Lautenthal did not have a real Market Place, but an oblong street market on both sides of the oldest street ''Hahnenkleer Straße'', the high street. Several well-preserved half-timbered houses from the 18th and 19th centuries can be seen here.G. Ulrich Großmann: ''Hannover und Südniedersachsen'', p. 188. Köln 1999. * One of the half-timbered houses in Hahnenkleer Straße was a brewery called ''Zwergenbräu'' from 1660-1959. It was transformed into a brewery museum in 1960. * The present Market Place (''Marktplatz'') was laid out in 1560. In the Middle Ages, many inhabitants of Lautenthal worked as charcoal-burners who lived in small wooden huts in the forest in summer. A small charcoal-burner's hut, rebuilt in a traditional style, can be seen in the middle of the Market Place. The former Town Hall was built in 1570 and transformed into a hotel in 1658. It was inhabited by
Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
in 1784 and by King George V. in 1862. * The old clocktower was built in 1680 on a hill offering a scenic view of the town. Opposite, the former hospital is worth a look. * One of the tourist attractions of Lautenthal is the smallest house of the western Harz Mountains which can be seen in the lane ''An der Laute''. *The former railway station of Lautenthal was inaugurated in 1877. After the railway line had been closed in 1976, it was transformed into a hotel.


References


Sources

*


External links

*
Official home page of the Fremdenverkehrsvereins Bergstadt Lautenthal e. V.

Homepage of the former free mining town of Lautenthal im Oberharz
{{Authority control Spas in Lower Saxony Goslar (district)