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Clausthal-Zellerfeld is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the southwestern part of the Harz mountains. Its population is approximately 15,000, Clausthal-Zellerfeld is also the seat of the Samtgemeinde ("collective municipality") Oberharz.
[edit] Geography
[edit] City districts
- Buntenbock (since 1972)
- Clausthal
- Zellerfeld
[edit] History
Actually, it consists of two towns: Clausthal and Zellerfeld were merged in 1924 to form an administrative unit. Clausthal is well known for the old Clausthal University of Technology and its magnificent buildings, while Zellerfeld is a typical tourist resort for hikers and winter sportsmen. Clausthal-Zellerfeld is the largest town that is situated in the mountains rather than on the edge.
Mining in the area began in the 16th century. Modern Wire Cable (wire rope) was invented to service the Iron Mines in the 1830s by the German mining engineer Wilhelm Albert in the years between 1831 and 1834 for use in mining in the Harz Mountains in Clausthal. It was quickly accepted because it proved superior to ropes made of hemp or to metal chains, such as had been used before and soon found its way into diverse applications, including most notably, suspension bridges. Mining activity halted in 1930 because the ore deposits were exhausted and no longer economical. Today, there are large remains of mines in the surrounding Harz region, some of which are now tourable museums. The Clausthal University of Technology was established in 1763 for the education of mining engineers. Today, it is a technical university for teaching engineering.
[edit] Demographics
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1821 |
11,757 |
| 1848 |
14,739 |
| 1871 |
14,080 |
| 1885 |
13,917 |
| 1905 |
13,758 |
| 1925 |
12,973 |
|
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1933 |
11,855 |
| 1939 |
11,788 |
| 1946 |
15,786 |
| 1950 |
17,643 |
| 1956 |
15,585 |
|
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1961 |
15,849 |
| 1968 |
16,468 |
| 1970 |
15,714 |
| 1975 |
16,690 |
| 1980 |
16,270 |
|
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1985 |
16,250 |
| 1990 |
17,061 |
| 1995 |
16,703 |
| 2000 |
15,413 |
| 2005 |
15,075 |
|
[edit] Politics
[edit] Town council
2006 local elections:
- SPD: 19 seats
- CDU: 9 seats
- FDP: 3 seats
- UWG: 2 seats (independent electors community)
[edit] Culture and sights
Market Church in Clausthal
Dietzel House dating from 1674, which now also houses the tourist information office
- Oberharzer Wasserwirschaft (Upper Harz Water Management)
[edit] Museums
- Upper Harz Mining Museum
- GeoMuseum of Clausthal University of Technology
[edit] Buildings
- Market Church, the largest wooden church in Germany
- Clausthal mint (1617–1849)
- Dietzel House
[edit] Persons
[edit] People from Clausthal-Zellerfeld
[edit] Notable people associated with Clausthal-Zellerfeld
[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
[edit] References
Germany
