Helmstedt

Helmstedt , 26.000 inhabitants, is located in Lower Saxony in the north of Germany, on the axis Hanover - Berlin, in the middle of a large Natural park.

History

Helmstedt developed near the Abbey of the Benedictines of St-Ludger which was founded around year 800 by the Liudger missionary, the first bishop of the diocese. There was always a close relationship with the Abbey of Werden (today a district of Essen). Helmstedt is mentioned for the first time in a document going back to 952 under the name of " Helmonstede". In 1247 Helmstedt receives the urban rights. The area of Helmstedt was part of Derlingau and septentrional Thuringe. During the Middle Ages, the counties were replaced the areas ( Gau ). Under the reign of Lothaire III of Supplimbourg the possessions of Helmstedt fell to the hands from the Guelfes. At this point in time the area of Helmstedt integrated the Duché of Brunswick-Lunebourg.

Helmstedt and the surroundings are rich in archaeological vestiges. The oldest human traces were discovered during lignite extraction in a career with open sky. With the Mesolithic era, the agrarian cultures had been established on fertile muddy grounds. The hunters of the north of Helmstedt lived on less rich grounds. The first agglomerations were built as of the 6th millenium before JC. The first rural culture in the north of the limit of the loess deposits was characterized by its particular ceramics in the form of cups from funnel.

Christianity and Reform

The installation of the Abbey of St-Ludger refers to the evangelization around year 800 in Helmstedt. The city was a long time the only catholic municipality of the area. In 1530, in Stephani-Kirche with Helmstedt, the first evangelic conference took place. The reform ran up in the Helmstedt city against the resistance of the Abbey of St-Ludger and the Duke Heinrich which were catholic. The periphery remained catholic but the duke Jules of Brunswick introduced the reform with Helmstedt after its accession with the throne of Brunswick in 1568, and thus in the sector of the district.

University of Helmstedt

The university was founded on October 15th, 1576 by the Duke Julius of Brunswick; his/her son Heinrich Julius was the first vice-chancellor. The university considerably marked the life of the town of 1576-1810 which had even become meanwhile member of the Hanse. Scientists and large theologists marked the university like humanistic the George Calixte. The school of philosophy trained the scientist Hermann Conring, specialist in medicine, theology, philosophy and lawyer at the same time. In 1805, Christoph Beireis which received in Helmstedt a pulpit of medicine and surgery, had visits of Goethe. The university influenced the urban development during almost 234 years. The university complex, with the Juleum like principal building, constitutes a famous architectural unit. Important modifications are made during the French occupation of 1806 to 1813. Jerome Bonaparte, the brother of Napoleon, reigned then on the Kingdom of Westphalia, where Helmstedt is. On its order (December 10th, 1809), the university was closed. Interventions of many important university members, whose professor of Henke theology, remained unfruitful.

The iron curtain

At the end of the Second world war, the Helmstedt district was attached to the British zone of occupation after the departure of the Americans. For a long time, in the east of Helmstedt, the city lived with separation between the the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the German Democratic republic (GDR). The crossing of frontiers Helmstedt-Born by the highway of Berlin knew sad re-elected. The familiar, friendly and economic relations between the east and the west were stopped. When on November 9th, 1989 the border was again open, Helmstedt knew an massive arrival of visitors. Here, the joy was particularly large at the time of the frontier opening and the reunification of Germany.

Helmstedt today

The cultural life is illustrated by the activities of multiple orchestras, choral societies and troops theatrical. Among the practiced sports, is distinguished the gliding. Community life is dynamic: associations of gardeners, gunner-hunters… The local economy is characterized by many SME. In addition to the tertiary sector, a Volkswagen factory and a powerplant employ most of the population.

Monuments

  • Important Romance monuments Abbey of the Benedictines of St-Ludger as well as the vaults Saint-Peter and Saint-Johannes

  • University of Helmstedt
  • Town hall
  • Museum of the frontier zone of Helmstedt
  • Megaliths

Famous characters

Demography

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Twinnings

Literature

  • Melsene Johansen, Helgard Helmich: Helmstedt , Sutton Verlag, Erfurt 2004, ISBN 3-89702-758-5
  • Hans-Ehrhard Müller: Helmstedt - die Geschichte einer deutschen Stadt , 2. Aufl. 2004
  • Hans Haase: Die Universität Helmstedt 1576-1810 , Bremen/Wolfenbüttel 1976.
  • Otto Stelzer: Helmstedt und das Land um den Elm , 2. Aufl. 1964.
  • Helmstädt (Helmstedt), in: Meyers Konversationslexikon , 4. Aufl. 1888-90, Bd. 8, S. 368.

Netography

  • Stadt Helmstedt

  • Ortsteil Emmerstedt
  • Helmstedt-Citytour (Foto-Gallery)
  • LANDKARTE von Helmstedt
  • Landkreis Helmstedt
  • Helmstedt, Juleum, Kreis- und Heimatmuseum
  • Projekt Grenzenlos - Erinnerung year die deutsche Teilung

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