Кведлинбург: Тарихы мен мұрасы бар ежелгі қала

Town in Saxony Anhalt, Germany

Quedlinburg is a town situated just north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony Anhalt, Germany. As an influential and prosperous trading centre during the early Middle Ages, Quedlinburg became a center of influence under the Ottonian dynasty in the 10th and 11th centuries. The castle, church and old town with around 2,100 timber houses, dating from this time of influence, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 because of their exceptional preservation and outstanding Romanesque architecture. American occupation during the last months of World War II brought back the Protestant bishop and the church bells, and the Nazi style eagle was removed from the tower. However, in the 1980s, upon the death of one of the US military men, the theft of medieval art from Quedlinburg came to light. Quedlinburg was administered within Bezirk Halle while part of the Communist East Germany from 1949 to 1990. It became part of the state of Saxony Anhalt upon German reunification in 1990. During Quedlinburg's Communist era, restoration specialists from Poland were called in during the 1980s to carry out repairs on the old architecture. Today, Quedlinburg is a center of restoration of Fachwerk houses. Quedlinburg is the setting for the acclaimed 2016 Frantz, serving as a quintessential small German town in the wake of WWI, home to a family who is reeling from the death of a son in the war.

The town is located north of the Harz mountains, about 123 m above NHN. The nearest mountains reach 181 m above NHN. The largest part of the town is located in the western part of the Bode river valley. This river comes from the Harz mountains and flows into the river Saale, a tributary of the river Elbe. The municipal area of Quedlinburg is Before the incorporation of the two (previously independent) municipalities of Gernrode and Bad Suderode in January 2014, it was only .

Quedlinburg has an oceanic climate (Cfb) resulting from prevailing westerlies, blowing from the high pressure area in the central Atlantic towards Scandinavia. Snowfall occurs almost every winter. January and February are the coldest months of the year, with an average temperature of 0.5 °C and 1.5 °C. July and August are the hottest months, with an average temperature of 17 °C (63 °F) and 18 °C (64 °F). The average annual precipitation is close to 438 mm with rain occurring usually from May to September. This precipitation is one of the lowest in Germany, which has an annual average hovering around 440  mm. In August 2010, Quedlinburg was the driest place in Germany, with only 72.4 L/m2.

The mayor is Frank Ruch (CDU), elected in 2022. Since December 1994, the old town of Quedlinburg and the castle mount with the Stiftskirche (collegiate church) are listed as one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. Quedlinburg is one of the best preserved medieval and Renaissance towns in Europe, having escaped major damage in World War II. In 2006, the Selke valley branch of the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways was extended to Quedlinburg from Gernrode, giving access to the historic steam narrow gauge railway, Alexisbad and the high Harz plateau. The castle and Stiftskirche St. Servatius still dominate the town like in the early Middle Ages. The church is a prime example of German Romanesque style. The treasure of the church, containing ancient Christian religious artifacts and books, was stolen by an American soldier but brought back to Quedlinburg in 1993 and is again on display here. The former Stiftskirche St. Wiperti was established in 936 when the Kanonikerstift St. Wigpertus (of male canons) was moved from the castle hill to make way for what became Quedlinburg Abbey. The church was built at the location of the first Ottonian Royal palace at Quedlinburg. Around 1020, a three aisled crypt was added to the basilica. The crypt, which survived all later alterations to the church, is also a designated stop on the Romanesque Road today.

The nearest airports to Quedlinburg are Hannover, northwest, and Leipzig/Halle Airport, southeast. Much closer, but only served by a few airlines, is Magdeburg Cochstedt. An airfield is located at Ballenstedt Assmussstedt for general aviation.

Regional trains operated by Deutsche Bahn and the private Transdev company run on the standard gauge Magdeburg–Thale line connecting Quedlinburg station with Magdeburg, Thale, and Halberstadt. In 2006, the Selke Valley branch of the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways was extended into Quedlinburg from Gernrode, giving access via the historic steam operated narrow gauge railway to Alexisbad and the High Harz plateau.

Quedlinburg is connected by regional buses to the surrounding villages and small towns. Additionally, there are long distance buses to Berlin.