Dessau

Dessau is a district in the city of Dessau-Roßlau, located in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. It sits where the rivers Mulde and Elbe meet. Until July 1, 2007, Dessau was its own independent city. As of December 2020, about 67,747 people lived there. The area has a rich history and is part of the beautiful landscape of eastern Germany.

Geography

Dessau is located where the river Mulde flows into the river Elbe, which causes floods every year. The biggest flood happened in 2002, when the Waldersee area was almost fully covered with water. The southern part of Dessau reaches a wooded region named Mosigkauer Heide. The highest point is Scherbelberg, a former rubbish dump that stands 110 meters tall in the southwest part of the town. Dessau is surrounded by many parks and palaces, making it one of the greenest towns in Germany.

History

Dessau was first mentioned in the year 1213. It became important in 1570 when the Principality of Anhalt was founded, and Dessau became its capital within the Holy Roman Empire. Later, the state split into smaller parts, with Dessau serving as the capital of Anhalt-Dessau.

Dessau is well-known for being the second home of the Bauhaus school. The school moved there in 1925 after it had to close in Weimar. Famous artists taught there, including Walter Gropius, Paul Klee, and Wassily Kandinsky. However, the school closed in 1932 when control changed, and it moved before closing forever in 1933.

During World War II, much of Dessau was damaged by air raids, but it was rebuilt and became an important industrial city in East Germany. After Germany reunited in 1990, many old buildings were restored.

The composer Kurt Weill was born in Dessau, and the city holds a festival in his honor each year. Other notable people born there include the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn and Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, a famous military leader for the Kingdom of Prussia.

Sights

Castles and gardens

The Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz is a special garden that is recognized as a World Heritage Site. It shows beautiful landscape design from the 1700s in an English style. Other places to see include the Zoo at Mausoleumspark, Wallwitzburg, Rondell, and parts of the Dessau Palace. There are also several palaces and parks such as Georgium, Kühnau, Mosigkau, and Luisium.

The Bauhaus

Dessau has many examples of Bauhaus architecture, a famous style from the early 1900s. The Bauhaus Dessau school building, designed by Walter Gropius, is one of the most important modern buildings from that time and is part of a World Heritage Site. Other notable buildings include the Dessau-Törten Estate, the Stahlhaus (Steel House) designed by Georg Muche, and several homes and public buildings designed by architects like Carl Fieger.

Churches

Dessau has many churches to visit, including St. Mary's Church, St. John's Church, Georgenkirche, Petruskirche, Auferstehungskirche, Pauluskirche, Christuskirche, Propsteikirche St. Peter and Paul, Dreieinigkeit, and St. Josef.

Other sights

Other interesting places in Dessau include the Townhall built in 1901, palaces that are now used as libraries, the General post office, a New water tower, the Umweltbundesamt, and a Footbridge crossing the river Mulde.

Culture

Dessau has many places where you can learn about art, history, and enjoy shows. There are theatres like the Anhaltisches Theater, and several museums including the City history museum, the Anhalt Art Gallery, and the Hugo Junkers Technical Museum. You can also visit beautiful palaces such as Mosigkau Palace and Oranienbaum Palace, each with its own special park.

The city has its own newspapers and magazines, such as the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung and the Wochenspiegel. Local radio stations like MDR and SAW broadcast news and music, and there are local TV stations such as RAN 1 and Offener Kanal Dessau.

Transport

Public transport

The Dessau tramway network has three lines and many bus routes. Public transport in Dessau moves around 6 million people each year.

Railway stations

Dessau Hauptbahnhof, the main station, connects to Magdeburg, Berlin, Leipzig, Halle, Bitterfeld, and Lutherstadt Wittenberg. The line from Berlin opened on September 1, 1840. The Dessau-Bitterfeld line was electrified in 1911, becoming Germany’s first fully electrified long-distance railway. Regional trains stop at stations like Dessau-Süd, Dessau-Alten, Dessau-Mosigkau, and Rodleben. The Dessau-Wörlitzer-Eisenbahn links Dessau to Wörlitz, a town 15 km east, with stops at Dessau-Waldersee and Dessau-Adria.

Roads

In 1938, the autobahn A9 (Munich-Berlin) was built southeast of Dessau. The two exits are Dessau-Ost and Dessau-Süd. Dessau is also on federal roads B 184 and B 185.

Airfield

The airfield of Dessau (ICAO: EDAD) lies northwest of the town. It has a runway that is 1000 m long. The Hugo Junkers Technical Museum is nearby.

Water

The Leopoldshafen harbour hosts international motorboat racing each year. The Wallwitzhafen is a private spot for pleasure boats, and the Elbehafen near the Grain House is for cruisers. The closest harbour for goods is in Rosslau.

Bikes

Dessau sits in the flat Saxon Lowland. Its bike paths total about 146 km and link all the main parks and attractions.

Sports

Dessau is a great place for sports! People there enjoy playing soccer, cycling, handball, volleyball, gymnastics, table tennis, and tennis. Many years ago, a soccer team from Dessau named SG Waggonbau Dessau won a big cup in 1949. The handball team has played in top leagues for many years. Today, Dessau has about 80 sports clubs with more than 13,500 members. Besides the usual sports, people in Dessau also enjoy aikido, badminton, basketball, canoeing, chess, climbing, dancing, fishing, horse riding, karate, judo, motorboat riding, rowing, sailing, skydiving, squash, swimming, water polo, and wrestling.

• Numerous sports fields (more than 10)
• Skittle alleys (6)
• Tennis courts (3)
• Boathouses (3)
• Indoor swimming pools (2)
• Paul-Greifzu-Stadion (22,000 capacity)
• Speedskating course
• Zuckerturm climbing tower
• Anhalt Arena Dessau (3,600 capacity)
• Airfield Dessau
• Rifle range

Governance

The borough of Dessau was first mentioned in 1372. A leader called the Schultheiss, chosen by a count, helped run the town with some helpers. Over time, the way the town was managed changed a few times. By 1852, the town leader was called a mayor. During a difficult time in history, the mayor was chosen by a certain group of people. After World War II, the town leaders were chosen by the people again. Since 1994, the group that helps run the town is called the Stadtrat, and the mayor is chosen directly by the people.

In 2007, Dessau became part of the municipality of Dessau-Roßlau.

Mayor

Peter Kuras was elected mayor of Dessau-Roßlau in June 2014 with most of the votes.

Town Council (Stadtrat)

The group that helps run the town includes members from different groups of people.

Town twinning

Dessau has partnerships with other towns.

Education

Dessau has several schools and learning places. There is Anhalt University of Applied Sciences where students can study subjects like architecture and design. The city also has a Learning Centre from the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

There are three vocational school centres named after Hugo Junkers, and three grammar schools including ones named after Walter Gropius and Liborius, as well as a school called "Philantropinum".

European subsidies

Dessau is part of a special program called EU-URBAN. This program helps cities solve problems with the environment, money, and community needs. Dessau has many projects that get help from this program.

Notable people

Academics

• Peter Lebrecht Schmidt (1933–2019), a German scholar who studied old books and languages.

Business

Dessau has been home to many important people in different fields. Some were bankers and industrialists, like Georg Arnhold, Eduard Arnhold, and Max Arnhold. Others were princes and leaders, such as George III, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, and Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau.

Many scientists and artists also lived in Dessau. Scientists included Moses Mendelssohn, a philosopher, and Hans von Ohain, who designed the first jet engine. Artists included Wilhelm Müller, a poet, and Kurt Weill, a composer who worked with Bertolt Brecht.

The city has also seen notable athletes, like Ameli Koloska, who competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics, and Danny Fuchs, a former professional football player.