Bitterfeld (German pronunciation: [ˈbɪtɐfɛlt]) is a town in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2007 it has been part of the town of Bitterfeld-Wolfen. It is situated approximately 25 km south of Dessau, and 30 km northeast of Halle (Saale). At the end of 2016, it had 40,964 inhabitants.[1]
The name Bitterfeld most likely comes from the Middle High German words bitter and Feld and so means "boggy land".[2]
Bitterfeld was built by a colony of Flemish immigrants in 1153. The first documentary mention is from 1224. It was captured by the landgraveofMeissen in 1476, and belonged thenceforth to Saxony, until it was ceded to Prussia in 1815.[3]
By 1900, Bitterfeld station was an important junction of the Berlin–Halle and the Magdeburg–Leipzig railways. The population at that time was 11,839; it manufactured drainpipes, paper roofing, and machinery, and had sawmills. There were also several coal mines in the vicinity. Owing to its pleasant situation and accessibility, it became a favoured residence of businessmen of Leipzig and Halle.[3]
During the East German (GDR) era, it gained notoriety for its chemical industry complex which caused remarkably severe pollution, even by GDR standards. On 24 April 1959, it also was a scene for the Bitterfeld Conference, locally known as the "Bitterfelder Weg". This conference sought to connect the working class with the artists of the day to form a socialist national culture.[4]
In the 21st century Bitterfeld is still an industrial town and it stages the annual United Metal Maniacs metal festival.[5]
The former brown-coal open cast mine of Goitzsche, south-east of Bitterfeld, is a source of numerous fossils in Bitterfeld amber.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1840 | 04,649 |
| 1870 | 05,693 |
| 1880 | 06,531 |
| 1890 | 09,047 |
| 1925 | 18,384 |
| 1933 | 21,328 |
| 1939 | 23,949 |
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1946 | 32,833[EW 1] |
| 1950 | 32,814[EW 2] |
| 1960 | 31,687 |
| 1981 | 22,199 |
| 1984 | 21,279 |
| 1990 | 18,099[EW 3] |
| 1995 | 16,868 |
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 16,507 |
| 2001 | 16,237 |
| 2002 | 15,985 |
| 2003 | 15.798 |
| 2004 | 15,755 |
| 2005 | 15,728 |
| 2006 | 15,709[EW 4] |
(from 1840 to 2006):[6]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bitterfeld". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 13.
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location (link){{citation}}: CS1 maint: location (link)51°37′26″N 12°19′48″E / 51.62389°N 12.33000°E / 51.62389; 12.33000