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Magdeburg has experienced three major devastations in its history. In 1207 the first catastrophe struck the city, with a fire burning down large parts of the city, including theOttonian cathedral.[4] TheCatholic Leaguesacked Magdeburg in 1631,[3] resulting in the death of 25,000 non-combatants, the largest loss of theThirty Years' War. DuringWorld War II theAllies bombed the city in 1945 and destroyed much of the city centre. Today, around 46% of the city consists of buildings from before 1950.[5]
After World War II, the city belonged to theGerman Democratic Republic from 1949 to 1990. Since then, many new construction projects have been implemented and old buildings have been restored.[6] Magdeburg celebrated its 1,200th anniversary in 2005.
EmperorOtto I and his wife Edith arrive near Magdeburg (Hugo Vogel 1898, Ständehaus Merseburg).
Founded byCharlemagne in 805 as Magadoburg (probably fromOld High Germanmagado forbig,mighty andburg forfortress[10]), the town was fortified in 919 by KingHenry the Fowler against theMagyars andSlavs. In 929 KingOtto I granted the city to his English-born wifeEdith asdower. Queen Edith loved the town and often resided there;[11] at her death she was buried in the crypt of theBenedictine abbey ofSaint Maurice, later rebuilt as the cathedral. In 937, Magdeburg was the seat of a royal assembly. Otto I repeatedly visited Magdeburg, establishing a convent here about 937[3] and was later buried in the cathedral. He granted the abbey the right to income fromtithes and tocorvée labour from the surrounding countryside.
In 1035 Magdeburg received a patent giving the city the right to hold trade exhibitions and conventions. This formed the basis ofGerman town law to become known as theMagdeburg rights. These laws were adopted and modified throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Visitors from many countries began to trade with Magdeburg. The town was burnt down in 1188.[3]
In the 13th century, Magdeburg became a member of theHanseatic League. With more than 20,000 inhabitants Magdeburg was one of the largest cities in theHoly Roman Empire. The town had active maritime commerce on the west (towardsFlanders), with the countries of theNorth Sea, and maintained traffic and communication with the interior (for exampleBraunschweig).[11]
The citizens constantly struggled against the archbishop, becoming nearly independent from him by the end of the 15th century. Around Easter 1497, the then twelve-year-oldMartin Luther attended school in Magdeburg, where he was exposed to the teachings of theBrethren of the Common Life. In 1524, he was called to Magdeburg, where he preached and caused the city's defection fromRoman Catholicism. TheProtestant Reformation had quickly found adherents in the city, where Luther had been a schoolboy. EmperorCharles V repeatedly outlawed the unruly town, which had joined theLeague of Torgau and theSchmalkaldic League.[11]
As it had not accepted theAugsburg Interim decree (1548), the city, by the emperor's commands, was besieged (1550–1551) byMaurice, Elector of Saxony, but it retained its independence. The rule of the archbishop was replaced by that of administrators belonging to Protestant dynasties. In the following years, Magdeburg gained a reputation as a stronghold of Protestantism and became the first major city to publish the writings ofMartin Luther. In Magdeburg,Matthias Flacius and his companions wrote their anti-Catholic pamphlets and theMagdeburg Centuries, in which they argued that theRoman Catholic Church had become the kingdom of theAntichrist.[11]
The city made an astonishingly quick recovery, due especially to the energy and dedication of its mayorOtto von Guericke, who was also a noted scientist. Just six years after the end of the terribly destructive war, Magdeburg was the scene of the famous scientific experiment known as TheMagdeburg hemispheres by which the existence ofvacuum – hithertohotly debated – was empirically proven, with enormous implications for the later developments of physics.[16]
In the 1680s, communes ofFrenchHuguenots andWalloons were founded in the city, which, as of 1700, constituted of 1,282 and 1,731 people, respectively.[17]
Magdeburg was heavily bombed by British and American air forces during the Second World War. The RAF bombing raid on the night of 16 January 1945 destroyed much of the city centre. The death toll is estimated at 2,000–2,500. Near the end ofWorld War II, the city of about 340,000 became capital of theProvince of Magdeburg.Brabag's Magdeburg/Rothensee plant that producedsynthetic oil fromlignite coal was a target of theOil Campaign of World War II. TheGründerzeit suburbs north of the city, called the Nordfront, were destroyed as well as some of the city's main streets with its Baroque buildings.
It was occupied by9th US Army troops on 18 April 1945 and was left to theRed Army on 1 July 1945.Post-war the area was part of theSoviet Zone of Occupation and many of the remaining pre-World War II city buildings were destroyed, with only a few buildings near the cathedral and in the southern part of the old city being restored to their pre-war state. Before thereunification of Germany, many survivingGründerzeit buildings were left uninhabited and, after years of degradation, waiting for demolition. From 1949 until German reunification on 3 October 1990, Magdeburg belonged to theGerman Democratic Republic.
Map of Magdeburg, 1900
"Breiter Weg", approx. 1900
"Hasselbachplatz", approx. 1900
Sealing stamp (1850–1923)
City center after World War II
Magdeburg's centre has a number ofStalinist buildings from the 1950s.
Since German reunification
In 1990 Magdeburg became the capital of the new state ofSaxony-Anhalt within reunified Germany. Huge parts of the city and its centre were also rebuilt in a modern style. Its economy is one of the fastest-growing in the former East German states.[26]
In 2005 Magdeburg celebrated its 1200th anniversary.
The city was hit by the2013 European floods. Authorities declared a state of emergency and said they expected the Elbe river to rise higher than in 2002. In Magdeburg, with water levels of five metres (16 ft) above normal, about 23,000 residents had to leave their homes on 9 June.[27]
On 20 December 2024, at least five people were killed and more than 200 injured at theMagdeburg Christmas market whena car was driven into the crowd.[28] The suspect, who was arrested at the scene, was identified in German media as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a Saudi psychiatrist living in Germany since 2006.[29]
Intel will build its largest plant in Europe in the south of the city by 2027.[30]
Magdeburg is one of the major towns along theElbe Cycle Route (Elberadweg). Its area is 201.03 km2 (77.62 sq mi).[31]
Districts of Magdeburg
Districts
The city of Magdeburg is divided into 40Stadtteile (districts).[32] Three of these, the former municipalities Beyendorf-Sohlen, Pechau and Randau-Calenberge, have a special status asOrtschaften.[33] TheStadtteile of Magdeburg are:[32]
Alt Olvenstedt
Alte Neustadt
Altstadt
Barleber See
Berliner Chaussee
Beyendorfer Grund
Beyendorf-Sohlen
Brückfeld
Buckau
Cracau
Diesdorf
Fermersleben
Gewerbegebiet Nord
Großer Silberberg
Herrenkrug
Hopfengarten
Magdeburg-Industriehafen
Kannenstieg
Kreuzhorst
Leipziger Straße
Lemsdorf
Neu Olvenstedt
Neue Neustadt
Neustädter Feld
Neustädter See
Nordwest
Ottersleben
Pechau
Prester
Randau-Calenberge
Reform
Rothensee
Salbke
Stadtfeld Ost
Stadtfeld West
Sudenburg
Sülzegrund
Werder
Westerhüsen
Zipkeleben
Climate
Magdeburg has anoceanic climate (Köppen:Cfb;Trewartha:Dobk) according toKöppen climate classification. The weather is damp and chilly in winters, with 71.7 days per year in which the minimum temperature is below the freezing point, and 15.6 days with maximum temperature below the 0 °C (32 °F) mark.[34] Magdeburg is warm and relatively wet in summer and can sometimes become hot. Annually, 48.9 days have maximum temperature above 25 °C (77 °F), of which 12 days have daily maximum above 30 °C (86 °F).[34]
On average, there are 20.9 days withthunder and 0.8 days withhail, annually. Thunder is more common in spring and summer than other times of the year, while hail exclusively occurs in spring and summer months.[34]
The Magdeburg weather station has recorded the following extreme values:[35]
Its highest temperature was 38.2 °C (100.8 °F) on20 July 2022.
Its lowest temperature was −29.6 °C (−21.3 °F) on 27 January 1942.
Its greatest annual precipitation was 831.5 mm (32.74 in) in 1926.
Its least annual precipitation was 299.8 mm (11.80 in) in 1911.
The longest annual sunshine was 2,168.1 hours in 2018.
The shortest annual sunshine was 1,393.0 hours in 1984.
Climate data for Magdeburg (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1881–present)
Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions.Source:[36][circular reference][37]
As of 2021, Magdeburg has a population of about 237,000. Its population grew rapidly after the end of 19th century due to industrialization. In 1885, the population was 100,000, and doubled after only five years. Magdeburg reached its greatest population in 1940, at approximately 346,000. At that time the city was poised to become a giant metropolis, but the events of WWII changed its future. After the war, in theEast Germany era, Magdeburg recovered its industrial base to a degree, particularly theMachine industry, and became one of the important cities of East Germany. In 1991, when Magdeburg became the capital of the state ofSaxony-Anhalt, its population was about 275,000. After theGerman Reunification, the population of Magdeburg declined due to some loss of industries, when many residents moved to formerWest Germany. Since 2011, the population has stabilized at around 240,000.
The mayor of Magdeburg isindependent politician Simone Borris since 2022. The most recent mayoral election was held on 24 April 2022, with a runoff held on 8 May, and the results were as follows:
TheOtto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg (German: Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg) was founded in 1993 and is one of the newest universities in Germany. The university in Magdeburg has about 13,000 students in nine faculties. There are 11,700 papers published in international journals from this institute.
TheMagdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences was founded in 1991. There are 30 direct study programs in five departments in Magdeburg and two departments in Stendal. The university has more than 130 professors and approximately 4,500 students at Magdeburg and 1,900 at Stendal.
Aerial view of the University area
Campus Tower of the Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg
Magdeburg library
Building No.1 of the University of Applied Sciences in Magdeburg
Magdeburg is well known for theMagdeburg Christmas market, which is an attraction for 1.5 million visitors every year. Other events are theStadtfest,Christopher Street Day,Elbe in Flames, and theEuropafest Magdeburg.[38][39] The autumn fair (formerly men's fair) of Magdeburg goes back to Germany's oldest folk festival. The tradition dates back to September 1010, when the holy feast of the Theban Legion was celebrated in Magdeburg (then called Magathaburg).[40]
Event venues
TheGETEC ArenaView of the Lake-Stage in ElbauenparkMagdeburg Vertical-lift bridge (Hubbrücke)
Altes Theater am Jerichower Platz – Former theater, used for parties and large conferences
AMO – Culture and congress building
Buttergasse – Night club near the city centre at "Alter Markt" – house-, electro, pop and black music
Concert hall Georg Philipp Telemann at "Kloster unser lieben Frauen"
Factory – Former factory building, German and international pop, rock, metal, and indie music artists are featured
Festung Mark – Part of the former city fortification, now reconstructed for parties and conventions
Feuerwache – Former fire station, repurposed for events
GETEC Arena – Biggest multi-purpose hall in Saxony-Anhalt, home of handball teamSC Magdeburg
One of Magdeburg's most impressive buildings is theLutheran Cathedral of SaintsCatherine andMaurice with a height of 104 m (341.21 ft), making it the tallest church building of eastern Germany. It is notable for its beautiful and unique sculptures, especially the "Twelve Virgins" at the Northern Gate, the depictions ofOtto I the Great and his wifeEditha as well as the statues ofSt Maurice andSt Catherine. The predecessor of the cathedral was a church built in 937 within an abbey, called St. Maurice. Emperor Otto I the Great was buried here beside his wife in 973. St. Maurice burnt to ashes in 1207. The exact location of that church remained unknown for a long time. The foundations were rediscovered in May 2003, revealing a building 80 m (262.47 ft) long and 41 m (134.51 ft) wide.
The construction of the new church lasted 300 years. The cathedral of Saints Catherine and Maurice was the firstGothic church building in Germany. The building of the steeples was completed as late as 1520.
While the cathedral was virtually the only building to survive the massacres of the Thirty Years' War, it suffered damage in World War II. It was soon rebuilt and completed in 1955.
The square in front of the cathedral (also called theNeuer Markt, or "new marketplace") was occupied by an imperial palace (Kaiserpfalz), which was destroyed in the fire of 1207. The stones from the ruin were used for the building of the cathedral. The presumed remains of the palace were excavated in the 1960s.
Other sights
Unser Lieben FrauenMonastery (Our Lady), 11th century, containing the church of St. Mary. Today a museum for Modern Art. Home of the National Collection of Small Art Statues of the GDR (Nationale Sammlung Kleinkunstplastiken der DDR).
TheMagdeburger Reiter ("Magdeburg Rider", 1240), the first free-standing equestrian sculpture north of the Alps. It probably depicts the EmperorOtto I.
City hall (1698). This building had stood on the market place since the 13th century, but it was destroyed in the Thirty Years' War; the new city hall was built in aRenaissance style influenced by Dutch architecture. It was renovated and re-opened in Oct 2005.
Landtag; the seat of the government of Saxony-Anhalt with itsBaroque façade built-in 1724.
"Die Grüne Zitadelle" or The Green Citadel of Magdeburg, a large, pink building of a modern architectural style designed byFriedensreich Hundertwasser and completed in 2005.
Ingolf Huhn (born 1955), theatre and opera manager
Hartmann Wilhem Otto (1876–1960), immigrated to the US, where he changed his name to William Hartman and served as a Rough Rider in the Spanish–American War together with Theodore Roosevelt
Felix von Niemeyer (1820–1871), physician, royal Württemberg personal physician
Leo Nowak (born 1929), Roman Catholic bishop of Magdeburg (1990–2004)
Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard (born 1942), biologist, the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research in 1991 and the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1995
Oleh Kuznetsov (born 1963), Ukrainian football coach and former professional player
^abcd One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Löffler, Klemens (1910). "Magdeburg". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.).Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
^Muret, Eduard (1885).Geschichte der Französischen Kolonie in Brandenburg-Preußen, unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Berliner Gemeinde. Aus Veranlassung der Zweihundertjährigen Jubelfeier am 29. Oktober 1885 (in German). Berlin. pp. 237–245.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Megargee, Geoffrey P.; Overmans, Rüdiger; Vogt, Wolfgang (2022).The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945. Volume IV. Indiana University Press, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. p. 464.ISBN978-0-253-06089-1.
^"Magdeburg-Rothensee".aussenlager-buchenwald.de (in German). Retrieved24 November 2023.
^Megargee, Geoffrey P. (2009).The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945. Volume I. Indiana University Press, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. pp. 388–390.ISBN978-0-253-35328-3.
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