Jessen (Elster)

Jessen is a municipality on the Black Elster river and lies in the eastern part of Saxony Anhalt in the district of Wittenberg.

The first documentary evidence of Jessen's existence dates to 1217. On the night of 20 to 21 September 1729, much of the town was destroyed in a fire. After belonging to Saxony for centuries, Jessen became Prussian in 1815. From 1815 to 1844, Jessen was part of the Prussian Province of Saxony and from 1944 to 1945 of the Province of Halle Merseburg. In 1945, it became part of the Province (since 1947, State) of Saxony Anhalt. In 1952, owing to East German administrative reforms, Jessen became a district capital in Bezirk Cottbus. In 1990, Jessen once again became part of the newly refounded state of Saxony Anhalt. In 1992 came the amalgamation of the communities of Grabo, Gorsdorf Hemsendorf, Lindwerder and Großkorga, and in 1993, Schweinitz, Gerbisbach, Klossa, Schöneicho, Steinsdorf and Dixförda. With the district reform in 1994, Jessen became part of Wittenberg district, as well as having a further three communities melded with it, namely Battin, Düßnitz and Kleindröben Mauken. In 1999 came further amalgamations: Arnsdorf, Leipa and Ruhlsdorf mit Rehain. On 1 March 2004 came a further 12, among them Seyda, Holzdorf and Linda (Elster). Some of these formerly independent communities themselves each consisted of more than one centre, and so Jessen now has a total of 47 Stadtteile (constituent communities).

Established businesses are mostly small and mid sized concerns in metalworking, building, dairy processing and drink production. There are also, however, bigger enterprises in agriculture.

The town is Germany's twelfth largest municipality by land area, and is thereby about 3 km2 bigger than Munich.