Köthen (Anhalt)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- The title of this article contains the character ö. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Koethen.
| Köthen | |
|---|---|
| Image:Köthen.png | Image:Koethen.png |
|
| |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Saxony-Anhalt |
| District | Köthen |
| Population | 30,345 (2005) |
| Area | 78.42 km² |
| Population density | 387 /km² |
| Elevation | 80 m |
| Coordinates | 51°45′ N 11°58′ E |
| Postal code | 06366 |
| Area code | 03496 |
| Licence plate code | KÖT |
| Mayor | Kurt-Jürgen Zander (SPD) |
| Website | www.koethen-anhalt.de |
Köthen (Anhalt) is a small town in central Germany, about 30 km north of Halle. It is located at .
Today, Köthen has a college, a teacher-training institute, an airport, and rail links. Lignite is mined, and sugar-beets are grown in the surrounding area. Industry includes high-tech engineering, as well as chemical, foodstuffs and textile productions.
Efforts are being made to counter the sinking population (25,000 in 2004 from the 38,600 0f 1966) numbers by incorporating more and more outlying villages.
[edit] History
The first mention of the city dates to 1115; in 1194 it was known as a market town, becoming the seat of the counts of Ballenstedt. Köthen was chartered in 1200.
For over two centuries (1603-1847), it was the capital of the principality of Anhalt-Köthen.
The town has long been known to classical music enthusiasts as the place of origin of Johann Sebastian Bach's best-known secular works, including the Brandenburg concertos and the Well-Tempered Clavier. Bach worked in Köthen from 1717 to 1723 as Kapellmeister for Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen. It is also the birthplace of the composer Carl Friedrich Abel who, together with Johann Christian Bach, founded the "Bach-Abel Concerts" in London, the first subscription concert series in England.
Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, practiced in Köthen from 1821 to 1834 and published many of his best-known works.
[edit] Main sights
Architecture of note includes:
- The 15th-century St. James' Church with the tombs of the reigning princes.
- The St. Agnus Church, where the composer Johann Sebastian Bach worshipped. It possesses masterpieces by Lucas Cranach the Elder.
- The palace of the reigning princes (1597-1604) (now museum) features a Versailles-style Hall of Mirrors as well as the actual rooms where much of J. S. Bach's secular music was first performed.de:Köthen (Anhalt)
eo:Köthen (Anhalt) fr:Köthen (Anhalt) nl:Köthen (stad) pl:Köthen (Anhalt) ru:Кётен fi:Köthen (Anhalt) vo:Köthen
