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Derenburg | |
|---|---|
 Market square and St. Trinity Church | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location of Derenburg | |
  Derenburg  Derenburg | |
| Coordinates:51°52′N10°54′E / 51.867°N 10.900°E /51.867; 10.900 | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Saxony-Anhalt |
| District | Harz |
| Town | Blankenburg am Harz |
| Area | |
• Total | 37.25 km2 (14.38 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 164 m (538 ft) |
| Population (2021) | |
• Total | 2,466 |
| • Density | 66.20/km2 (171.5/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 38895 |
| Dialling codes | 039453 |
| Vehicle registration | HZ |
| Website | www.derenburg.de |
Derenburg is a town in thedistrict of Harz, inSaxony-Anhalt,Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it has been part of theBlankenburg am Harz municipality.[1] Its population is 2,466 (2021).[2]
The settlement is situated in the northern foothills of theHarz mountain range on theHoltemme river, some 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) east ofWernigerode, and 10 km (6.2 mi) west ofHalberstadt. It has access to theBundesstraße 6n highway at the nearbyHeimburg junction.
Derenburg is the site of agrave field dating back to theLinear Pottery culture about 5500–4500 BC. Archaeological excavations have revealed some ornaments made fromSpondylus shells fairly rare in this Northern region. Moreover, several largemenhirs in the area denote a prehistoric settlement.
Derenburg was probably founded under the rule of KingHenry the Fowler (d. 936 AD), who had a fortifiedKönigspfalz erected; the first likely mention of the settlement is in a 937 deed issued by his son and successorOtto I.[3] Then part of theEastphalian region of medievalSaxony, it was even the site of anImperial Diet convened by Otto's daughter AbbessMatilda of Quedlinburg in 993, while her nephew KingOtto III was on campaign inItaly. Derenburg Castle remained a preferred location of theOttonian dynasty until in 1008 KingHenry II ceded the estates toGandersheim Abbey under his aunt AbbessSophia. Subsequently, the comitalHouse of Regenstein was enfeoffed with the lordship and thePfalz of Derenburg lost its Imperial status.
From the 14th century onwards, the Lordship of Derenburg was affected by the conflicts between the Regenstein counts and thePrince-Bishops of Halberstadt. The town became notorious for theDerenburg witch trials conducted in 1555; furtherwitch-hunts continued up to the early 18th century. During theThirty Years' War, in 1623, Derenburg was devastated byImperial troops led by ColonelHeinrich von Schlick. With the secularisedPrincipality of Halberstadt, the town became part of the newly establishedKingdom of Prussia in 1701.
Derenburg istwinned withSchladen (part ofSchladen-Werla), Germany.
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