State of the Art: Thüringen and Sachsen-Anhalt

State of the Art is a series introducing Germany as a whole, but also highlighting an individual state or “Bundesland” every month.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Germany reunited in 1990. The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) included 11 states and Berlin, in its geographically isolated location. The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was comprised of the five states of Thüringen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Sachsen. They are sometimes still referred to as the “new states” after over 30 years of reunification.

This month our journey will lead us to Thüringen and Sachsen-Anhalt for a number of discoveries.

While West Germany was a free democratic country with an open market and experienced the “Wirtschaftswunder” (economic wonder) in the 1950’s, the states in the German Democratic Republic lived through an era of a planned economy, little to no technological development and tightly regulated travel behind the “Iron Curtain” in the post-war era. After the reunification, the German government initiated a number of large-scale projects to improve the infrastructure, such as new or upgraded roads, refurbishing of buildings in rubble and a renaissance of historical structures.

Bordering Niedersachsen, Hessen and Bayern, Thüringen officially named “Freistaat Thüringen” (Free State of Thuringia) is one of Germany’s smaller German states with an area of 16,000 squares kilometers and 2.1 million inhabitants. The capital is Erfurt with its Landtag (State Parliament) and Bodo Ramelow of the “Linke” (Left Party) is Minister President who has been in office since 2019.

Protestant reformation

Erfurt is also the largest city with 213,000 inhabitants and famous for its “Kramerbrücke” with medieval houses over the Gera River. Chandlers resided on the picturesque bridge during the Middle Ages where they ran their handcraft shops. Today it is a popular tourist attraction with quaint stores in semi-timbered facades with a colorful flower ambience.

The city is also famed for its cathedral where construction began in the 8th century. The structure plays a significant role in Christian history as Martin Luther, the initiator of the Protestant Reformation was ordained into priesthood in 1507. He studied law and was due to be a city official, but based on a personal encounter during a thunderstorm, he vowed to become a monk instead and entered the very strict Order of the Augustinians at Severi Church next to the cathedral two years earlier.

In 1510 he was sent to Rome by his order and shocked by the moral decay in the city, he soon became a strong critic of the church and, in particular, the common practice of the “sale of indulgences,” where one could ask forgiveness of sins with monetary generosity. On October 31, 1517, legend has it that the priest and scholar Martin Luther approached the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, and nailed a piece of paper to it containing the 95 revolutionary opinions that would begin the Protestant Reformation. He is also famous for translating the New Testament from Latin into German in 1522. Thanks to the invention of the printing press, his thoughts quickly spread and eventually led to his followers called “Lutherans” spreading his beliefs throughout Europe.

Puffy beans

For centuries Erfurt has been renowned for its rich vegetable gardens and especially for “Puffbohnen” (best translated as puff beans). The green beans are home to Mediterranean countries but grow especially well and large in the region due to its nutritious soil and mild climate. Babies born in Erfurt are given a plush bean to bring them luck and prosperity in life, while tourists can buy a souvenir as t-shirt or cup.

The city has a historic “Altstadt” with Patricians and semi-timbered edifices, several churches to visit, and idyllic squares and parks to enjoy an afternoon coffee or shopping tours.

In 1665 construction of the Petersberg Citadelle began, which is a bold fortress built in a star-shaped form and was therefore considered unconquerable. It thrones high above the city and invites visitors to a marvelous view over the countryside overlooking the Kommandantengarten, a large park at the end.

Barbarossa and Bach

A further place of interest in the state is the Kyffhäuser-Memorial in the mountain range of the same name. According to legend, Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa, who also resided in Kaiserslautern for a few years, is said to have been sleeping in the underground caves for centuries due to wake up and save the nation. The memorial is the third largest in Germany and was started in 1892 on the ruins of a former castle and depicts Barbarossa waking up along with Emperor Wilhelm I on his horse.

Johann Sebastian Bach, one of Germany’s most famous composers, was born in the town of Eisenach in 1685. A museum in his birth house with original living quarters during the Baroque era and a picturesque garden is located in the small city with over 250 artefacts. It is the largest Bach museum in the world and the adjacent new building offers floating “bubble chairs,” a musical instrument that you can walk into and interactive concerts along with Café Kontate for a break afterward.

The town also has a picturesque old section and the mighty Wartburg Castle nearby, which is of historical significance. The fortress 410 meters (1,200 feet) above the city was a place of exile for Martin Luther in 1521 after being excommunicated by the pope and outlawed by the emperor for undermining Catholic doctrine with his 95 theses.

During the East German era, there were only two models of cars available with waiting periods of up to 15 years. The more prestigious model “Wartburg” was named after the castle. Automobile production began as early as 1898 at the works in Eisenach and in 1956 the East German motor works VEB brought the model onto the market with a 50 horse-power engine. About 1.6 million cars were built with approximately 8,400 still registered in Germany today, an absolute precious jewel for fans of historic automobiles.

Goethe and Schiller

Weimar is another historic city in the state and well-known for its classic era with humanistic-cultural movements. The Goethe and Schiller memorials in front of the National Theater are in memory of the two poets and writers who lived in the city. Goethe’s house in a Baroque style where he resided for 50 years between his travels now houses the Goethe National Museum. The Schiller Museum is next to his former residence and the Bauhaus Museum displays works of Walter Gropius, an architect who developed a simplistic building style in the early 1900’s. The city also has several castles, parks, a Rococo hall with a library with over a million books and a historic town center for shopping and leisure.

Glass and more

Jena, the second largest city has been the home of the Carl Zeiss works since 1846. The company specializes in optical lenses, from eyeglasses to camera and microscope lenses. They even exported their high-quality products during the East German era. The city is characterized by typical East German architecture with its high-rise concrete buildings which can still be seen from afar when driving past it. After restoration and beautification projects, the city center is now well worth a stop and has become a bustling hub for international businesses.

A fascinating place to visit is the Marienglashöhle, a cave originally opened for ore mining. At the end of the 17th century miners found crystals, also known as “Maria’s glass.” The cave is open to visitors near Friedrichroda and sometimes concerts are held there underground. The region has been famous for its glass blowing industry since the 17th century and the Thüringer Wald is a forest area great for hiking. The Erzgebirge, a low mountain range is renowned for its artistic hand-made wood carvings, such as a “Weihnachtskarussel” (Christmas carousel) or candle arches, especially for holiday ornaments.

Hundertwasser and a land of windmills

Sachsen-Anhalt is Thüringen’s neighbor state to the north and east and slightly larger with an area of 20,000 square kilometers and 2.2 million inhabitants.

Magdeburg with 236,000 residents is the capital and the largest city in the state that recently celebrated its 1,200-year anniversary. Reiner Hasseloff of the Christian Democratic Union is the Minister President, who has been in office since 2011, and head of the State Parliament.

The city calls itself “Ottostadt” based on Otto the Great, the first “Holy Roman Emperor” who was buried in the cathedral. During the Late Middle Ages Magdeburg was a very wealthy city and member of the Hanseatic League situated along the Elbe River.

Sachsen-Anhalt has traditionally been a land of windmills with over one hundred historic mills remaining to date. Many of them were inspired by Dutch windmills as early as the 17th century to grind wheat from the far stretching farmlands. Since the landscape is rather flat and extremely windy, the state houses over 2,900 modern turbines in giant wind parks today and can produce up to 5,295 mega watts of energy, which corresponds to five coal fired facilities.

Apart from its well restored historic city center in varying styles, there is a special section dedicated to architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, originally from Vienna, Austria. The Green Citadel is a street designed by the artist who believed in combining the existence of architecture with the well-being of the residents inside the building. His colorful, often round and playfully designed buildings, which might remind visitors of a fairytale landscape for adults, can be viewed on Breiten Weg. Bridal couples can get married in the Turret Tower high above the roofs of the city.

Chemicals, films and beaches

Large conveyor structures, gray industrial facades and highly contaminated grounds are a reminder of the hub of the chemical industry in Bitterfeld during the East German era. Efforts are being made to sanitize the area and the city center has eventually evolved into a delightful place to be. A large coal mining area was cleared and intended to be turned into a lake in 2006, but due to heavy rains and a dam break of the Mulde River, the area was flooded within two days in 2002. Known as Goitzsche it now serves as a popular spot for sailing and windsurfing with leisure spots, beaches and cafés along the shore. Bitterfeld formerly was also home to the East German movie making industry, including broadcast studios and the production of equipment, such as cameras, films and projectors. The area around the city is also home to one of Germany’s largest solar parks.

Sachsen-Anhalt is a rather rural state with farms and dairy pastures and there are numerous smaller towns. Many of the small villages though are literally dying out and have become overly geriatric, with young people moving away. Many lost their jobs after the reunification when almost all state run businesses and production sites were closed and people sought employment in West German areas or in larger cities such as Berlin, Leipzig or Dresden.

Some works such as potassium, salt and ore mines were rescued and the state has a number of large mounds with the valuable resources piled up along the newly constructed autobahn routes.

A green belt, gardens and a nostalgic train

A positive effect of the 40-year separation was that a wide band of green developed along the 1,400- kilometer route along the inner German border. A unique pristine landscape evolved into a habitat for 1,200 rare or endangered species of animals and plants. This biotope remained untouched after the border opening and is now referred to as “Grünes Band” (green belt) which can be explored on bike, wandering or hiking, or even on horse-back.

Another recreational area is the Harz, a low mountain range, with its highest peak being the “Brocken,” a flat mountain at 1,000 meters. A nostalgic steam-driven train built in 1899 will slowly crawl up the steep incline to take visitors up to a fascinating world of wildflowers and a great view over the landscape. The Harz is also known for a special type of cheese with a very intense flavor.

Sachsen-Anhalt boasts a number of castles and palaces, natural parks and forests, great for hiking, biking or leisure vacations along smaller lakes or the Elbe River.

The picturesque city of Wernigerode has century long close ties to the people of Böhmen and Sudetenland (now in the Czech Republic) and many descendants have maintained their traditions and offer delicacies from their homeland in cafés and restaurants. Czech or a dialect thereof is still widely spoken among elderly citizens.

Environmental protection

The last stop on our journey through the state will lead us to Dessau, the city that calls itself the “Bauhausstadt im Gartenreich” (Bauhaus city in the realm of gardens). Dessau is home to several elegant parks and gardens within and around the city, some with palaces to explore. The Bundesumweltamt (federal environmental authority) is located in Dessau-Rosslau. It was opened in 2005 and built in a simplistic, but environmentally friendly style with greenery inside and out.

The eastern states in Germany have experienced a world of changes in the last 32 years after reunification. Incomes and pensions are still generally lower than in the western states, but things are picking up. International companies have set up manufacturing sites and opened new employment opportunities to its residents. Increased tourism has also become a gaining factor in the last three decades, offering a world to explore in the “new states” with lots of old history.