Gardelegen

File:Stadtansicht Gardelegen.jpg

Gardelegen has a Roman Catholic and three Evangelical churches, a hospital, founded in 1285, and a high-grade school. There are considerable manufactures, notably agricultural machinery and buttons, and its beer has a great reputation.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Gardelegen was founded in the 10th century (first named 1196). The castle Isenschnibbe was owned by the House of Alvensleben from 1378 until 1857. On the neighboring heath Margrave Louis I. of Brandenburg gained, in 1343, a victory over Otto the Mild of Brunswick. In 1358 Gardelegen became a member of the Hanseatic League. It suffered considerably in the Thirty Years' War, and in 1757 barely avoided being burned by the French.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}Becker, H. (2011). Gardelegen: tausend Jahre einer Stadt. Sutton Verlag GmbH During World War I, Germany operated a special prisoner-of-war camp for ethnic Poles from the Russian Army, with the aim of subjecting them to propaganda and conscripting them into a planned German-controlled Polish army to fight against Russia (Poland was partitioned between Germany, Russia and Austria at the time).{{cite journal|last=Stanek|first=Piotr|year=2017|title=Niemieckie obozy jenieckie dla Polaków z armii rosyjskiej w latach I wojny światowej (1916–1918)|journal=Łambinowicki rocznik muzealny|location=Opole|language=pl|volume=40|pages=45|issn=0137-5199}} During the final stages of World War II, on 15 March 1945, 52 people lost their lives during an air raid.{{cite web | url=https://www.volksstimme.de/sachsen-anhalt/angriffe-in-der-region-570893 | title=Angriffe in der Region }} On 13 April 1945, the Isenschnibbe Barn at Gardelegen was the site of a massacre of more than 1,000 concentration camp inmates, many of them from Poland, the Soviet Union, France and from other countries, perpetrated by members of the SS, the Wehrmacht, the Volkssturm, other Nazi Organisations and local civilians.{{Cite book |title=Gardelegen 1945. The Massacre and its Aftermath. Catalogue of the permanent exhibition at Isenschnibbe Barn Memorial Gardelegen |publisher=Busche, Lukkas / Froese, Andreas |year=2022 |isbn=978-3-9813459-9-5 |location=Gardelegen / Leipzig / Magdeburg}} The majority of the murdered is unknown. The site of the massacre is now a memorial.{{cite web |title=Isenschnibbe Barn Memorial Gardelegen |url=https://gedenkstaette-gardelegen.sachsen-anhalt.de/fileadmin/Bibliothek/STGS/Isenschnibbe_Gardelegen/Flyer_Gardelegen_en.pdf |website=Stiftung Gedenkstätten Sachsen-Anhalt |access-date=18 December 2022}}

At the height of the Cold War, a USAF RB-66 reconnaissance aircraft was shot down by Soviet fighters near the town on 10 March 1964. The aircraft's crew bailed out and was rescued and eventually handed back to West Berlin by Soviet forces.[http://www.usmlm.org/home/coldwar/shootdowns/1964rb66downing.htm Dejá vu in Gardelegen] by Wolfgang Preisler

After having incorporated 5 former municipalities in 2009,[https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Laender-Regionen/Regionales/Gemeindeverzeichnis/Namens-Grenz-Aenderung/2009-januar-dezmber.html Gebietsänderungen vom 02. Januar bis 31. Dezember 2009], Statistisches Bundesamt 6 in 2010,[https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Laender-Regionen/Regionales/Gemeindeverzeichnis/Namens-Grenz-Aenderung/2010.html Gebietsänderungen vom 01. Januar bis 31. Dezember 2010], Statistisches Bundesamt and 18 in 2011,[https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Laender-Regionen/Regionales/Gemeindeverzeichnis/Namens-Grenz-Aenderung/2011.html Gebietsänderungen vom 01. Januar bis 31. Dezember 2011], Statistisches Bundesamt Gardelegen is now Germany's third largest city by area, trailing only Berlin and Hamburg. It is actually the largest municipality in area in what was formerly East Germany. The population however is small, with only about 22,000.

The town Gardelegen consists of Gardelegen proper and the following Ortschaften or municipal divisions:[https://www.gardelegen.de/output/download.php?fid=3524.705.1.PDF Hauptsatzung der Hansestadt Gardelegen], 2 July 2019.

{{div col|colwidth=15em}}

• Algenstedt
• Berge
• Breitenfeld
• Dannefeld
• Estedt
• Hemstedt
• Hottendorf
• Jeggau
• Jeseritz
• Kloster Neuendorf
• Köckte
• Letzlingen
• Lindstedt
• Mieste
• Miesterhorst
• Peckfitz
• Potzehne
• Roxförde
• Sachau
• Schenkenhorst
• Seethen
• Sichau
• Solpke
• Wannefeld
• Wiepke
• Zichtau

{{div col end}}

Furthermore, the town Gardelegen contains the localities Ipse, Jävenitz, Jerchel, Kassieck, Lindenthal, Trüstedt, Weteritz, Zienau and Ziepel.

{{Weather box

| location = Gardelegen (1991–2020 normals)

| metric first = Y

| single line = Y

|collapsed = Y

|Jan high C = 3.8

|Feb high C = 5.3

|Mar high C = 9.2

|Apr high C = 15.2

|May high C = 19.4

|Jun high C = 22.7

|Jul high C = 25.1

|Aug high C = 24.5

|Sep high C = 20.0

|Oct high C = 14.3

|Nov high C = 8.0

|Dec high C = 4.7

| year high C = 14.4

|Jan mean C = 1.2

|Feb mean C = 1.8

|Mar mean C = 4.7

|Apr mean C = 9.2

|May mean C = 13.6

|Jun mean C = 16.9

|Jul mean C = 19.1

|Aug mean C = 18.4

|Sep mean C = 14.3

|Oct mean C = 9.7

|Nov mean C = 5.1

|Dec mean C = 2.3

|year mean C = 9.7

|Jan low C = -1.8

|Feb low C = -1.7

|Mar low C = 0.1

|Apr low C = 2.7

|May low C = 6.7

|Jun low C = 10.1

|Jul low C = 12.4

|Aug low C = 11.9

|Sep low C = 8.6

|Oct low C = 5.3

|Nov low C = 2.0

|Dec low C = -0.5

| year low C = 4.7

| precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 44.7

|Feb precipitation mm = 32.1

|Mar precipitation mm = 38.9

|Apr precipitation mm = 31.1

|May precipitation mm = 48.5

|Jun precipitation mm = 51.4

|Jul precipitation mm = 64.9

|Aug precipitation mm = 53.8

|Sep precipitation mm = 44.0

|Oct precipitation mm = 45.5

|Nov precipitation mm = 38.6

|Dec precipitation mm = 44.5

| year precipitation mm = 536.1

| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 16.3

|Feb precipitation days = 14.3

|Mar precipitation days = 15.4

|Apr precipitation days = 11.9

|May precipitation days = 12.6

|Jun precipitation days = 12.8

|Jul precipitation days = 14.1

|Aug precipitation days = 13.0

|Sep precipitation days = 11.6

|Oct precipitation days = 14.3

|Nov precipitation days = 15.6

|Dec precipitation days = 16.8

|year precipitation days = 168.5

|Jan sun = 47.9

|Feb sun = 71.4

|Mar sun = 118.2

|Apr sun = 179.4

|May sun = 216.5

|Jun sun = 221.3

|Jul sun = 215.9

|Aug sun = 204.3

|Sep sun = 152.9

|Oct sun = 106.9

|Nov sun = 49.3

|Dec sun = 38.7

|year sun = 1616.1

|Jan humidity = 86.2

|Feb humidity = 82.0

|Mar humidity = 77.5

|Apr humidity = 70.3

|May humidity = 68.8

|Jun humidity = 69.1

|Jul humidity = 69.3

|Aug humidity = 71.2

|Sep humidity = 77.6

|Oct humidity = 83.9

|Nov humidity = 88.3

|Dec humidity = 87.7

|unit snow days = 1.0 cm

|Jan snow days = 7.0

|Feb snow days = 6.1

|Mar snow days = 3.3

|Apr snow days = 0.2

|May snow days = 0

|Jun snow days = 0

|Jul snow days = 0

|Aug snow days = 0

|Sep snow days = 0

|Oct snow days = 0

|Nov snow days = 0.9

|Dec snow days = 4.7

|year snow days =

| source 1 = World Meteorological Organization{{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231012154106/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Germany/CSV/Gardelegen_10359.csv

| archive-date = 12 October 2023

| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Germany/CSV/Gardelegen_10359.csv

| title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020

| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = 12 October 2023}}

}}

There are various well-preserved half-timbered houses in Main Street (Ernst-Thälmann-Straße) and Nicolaistraße as well as a part of the medieval city wall which deserve a visit.Karl Baedeker: Deutschland 2000, p.101. Ostfildern 2000 In the northern part of the historical centre, St. Georg is a sightworthy gothic chapel which was mentioned for the first time in 1362 as a part of a hospital. It was renovated and enlarged in 1734, and today it is used for exhibitions and concerts.Matthias Puhle: Die Hanse - 16 Städtebilder in Sachsen-Anhalt, p. 27. Dössel (Saalekreis) 2008 In the Middle Ages, the hospital was outside the town, which was surrounded by moats and walls, as people with infectious diseases were treated there.{{cite web | url=https://www.gardelegen.de/Tourismus/Kulturangebote/Sehensw%C3%BCrdigkeiten/index.php?object=tx,3524.1.1&ModID=9&FID=3524.616.1&NavID=3524.80&La=1 | title=Hospital St. Georg / Hansestadt Gardelegen }} Originally, Gardelegen had three gates when it was surrounded by a medieval town wall. Salzwedel Gate dating from 1565 is a well-preserved gate in the north, a part of Stendal Gate is left in the southeast but Magdeburg Gate in the southwest was demolished completely.Matthias Puhle: Die Hanse - 16 Städtebilder in Sachsen-Anhalt, p. 26. Dössel (Saalekreis) 2008

St. Nicolai Church dating from the 14th century was heavily damaged by bombs on 15 March 1945.Matthias Puhle: Die Hanse - 16 Städtebilder in Sachsen-Anhalt, p. 29. Dössel (Saalekreis) 2008 The nave is still in ruins, and the tower was renovated. There are plans to transform the nave into a concert hall. St. Spiritus is a renaissance building dating from 1591 which belonged to a monastery that was mentioned for the first time in 1319. It was a hospital where sick and elderly people were looked after. St. Mary's Church was built around 1200 in a romantic style with five naves and enlarged in the 14th century, and the Town Hall is an impressive baroque structure which was built from 1526-1522.Karl Baedeker: Deutschland 2000, p.102. Ostfildern 2000

Gardelegen Rathaus 11.jpg|Town Hall

GardelegenThälmannstr.jpg|Main Street (Ernst-Thälmann-Straße)

GardelegenNicolaistr.jpg|Nicolai Street and St. Nicolai Church

GardelegenSalzwedelerTor.jpg|Medieval Salzwedel Gate

GardelegenSt.Georg.jpg|St. Georg's Chapel

GardelegenHospital3.jpg|Former Hospital St. Spiritus

GardelegenStendalerTor.jpg|Medieval Stendal Gate

GardelegenStadtmauer.jpg|Medieval town wall

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}

Gardelegen is twinned with:{{cite web |title=Partnerstädte|url=https://www.gardelegen.de/die-stadt/partnerstaedte/|website=gardelegen.de|publisher=Gardelegen|language=de|access-date=2021-03-10}}

• {{flagicon|POL}} Darłowo, Poland
• {{flagicon|GER}} Gifhorn, Germany
• {{flagicon|GER}} Waltrop, Germany

File:Joachim-Lange.jpg

• Christian Francken (1550–1611), Jesuit and Unitarian theologian
• Joachim Lange (1670–1744), theologian
• Johann Wilhelm Weinmann (1683–1741), chemist and botanist
• Christoph August Tiedge (1752–1841), poet
• Otto Reutter (1870–1931), comedian, singer and actor
• Werner Preuss (1884–1919), officer
• Christa Stubnick (1933–2021), sprinter
• Raymond Hecht (born 1968), javelin thrower

• Richard Sonnenfeldt (1923–2009), American engineer and author, grew up in Gardelegen. He was the chief U.S. interpreter at the Nuremberg Trial.
• Helmut Sonnenfeldt (1926–2012), American government official, grew up in Gardelegen. He was closely associated with Henry Kissinger.

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website}} {{in lang|de}}

{{EB1911|wstitle=Gardelegen|volume=11|page=459}}

{{Commons category}}

{{Cities and towns in Altmarkkreis Salzwedel (district)}}

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Category:Towns in Saxony-Anhalt

Category:Altmarkkreis Salzwedel

Category:Members of the Hanseatic League