Anhalt

Anhalt
/ahn"hahlt/, n.
a former state in central Germany, now part of Saxony-Anhalt.

* * *

Former German state in what is now central Germany.

The area around the upper Elbe River from which Anhalt was constituted was, in the 11th century, still part of the duchy of Saxony. It achieved separate territorial status in 1212. Subdivided and reunited frequently, it was finally reconstituted as the duchy of Anhalt by Leopold IV in 1863. It became part of the German Empire in 1871. Reconstituted after World War II as Saxony-Anhalt, it subsequently became part of East Germany and, in 1990, part of reunified Germany.

* * *

▪ former state, Germany
      former German state, which was a duchy from 1863 to 1918 and a Land (state) until 1945, when it was merged in Saxony-Anhalt. Saxony-Anhalt was a Land of the German Democratic Republic from 1949 to 1952, when it was broken up into Bezirke (districts), the former territories of Anhalt being divided between the Bezirke of Magdeburg and of Halle. Upon the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990, Saxony-Anhalt was reconstituted a Land and included the former Magdeburg Bezirk, most of the former Halle Bezirk, and a small part of Cottbus Bezirk.

      Territorially the duchy of Anhalt was divided into two major parts (the eastern one comprising Zerbst, Dessau, Köthen [Cöthen], and Bernburg, the western one being centred on Ballenstedt) and five smaller ones, all of them enclaves within the geographic boundaries of the Prussian province of Saxony.

      The level country around the upper Elbe River from which Anhalt was constituted was in the 11th century still part of the duchy of Saxony. It was united in the 12th century in the possession of Albert I the Bear, margrave of Brandenburg, and was made a separate county in 1212 under Albert's grandson Henry, who in 1218 took the title Fürst (prince). When he died in 1252, his three sons divided the Anhalt lands among themselves, thus inaugurating the three lines of Aschersleben, Bernburg, and Zerbst. The Aschersleben line died out in 1315. The remainder existed as Anhalt-Dessau and Anhalt-Köthen in the 16th century, but, beginning in 1603, it was divided into four parts: Dessau, Bernburg, Zerbst, and Köthen. Zerbst was absorbed by the other three in 1793, and in 1806, when the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved, the three surviving princes each assumed the title of duke. In 1863 all of Anhalt was united under Leopold IV of Anhalt-Dessau.

      Anhalt had become Protestant at the time of the Reformation, and, beginning in the 17th century, it came under Prussian influence. The reorganization of the Prussian army by Leopold I of Anhalt-Dessau in the early 18th century contributed to the later victories of Frederick II the Great. In 1807 the Anhalt dukes joined the Confederation of the Rhine set up by Napoleon and supported him until 1813. In 1815 they joined the German Confederation and in 1828 the Zollverein (Customs Union) organized by Prussia. In 1871 Anhalt became a state of the newly founded German Reich. Under the republican Weimar Constitution, adopted in 1919, Anhalt became a Land of the German Reich.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Anhalt — Wappen Flagge …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • ANHALT — ANHALT, former German state, now part of the Land of Saxony Anhalt, Germany; until the 12th century part of the duchy of Saxony, later becoming an independent principality. Jews living in the towns of Bernburg, Aschersleben, Koethen, and Zerbst… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Anhalt — • Vicariate Apostolic comprising the territory of the German Duchy of Anhalt Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Anhalt     Anhalt     † …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Anhalt [3] — Anhalt (Gesch.). I. Älteste Geschichte bis 1212. Nach der Sage geboten Anfangs in der Gegend des nachmaligen A. die Beringer, von denen der Bär im anhaltschen Wappen stammen soll. Der Sohn Beringers VII., Graf Esiko von Ballenstädt, um die Mitte… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Anhalt [2] — Anhalt (Geogr.). I. Land in NDeutschland, jetzt aus 3 Herzogthümern unter 2 Regenten bestehend, zusammengesetzt aus dem bei Weitem größern östlichen u. dem kleinern westlichen Theil u. aus 3 unbedeutenden Enclaven, ist fast überall vom… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Anhalt [4] — Anhalt (Genealogie). I. Anhalt Dessau Köthen (Evangelischer Confession): Prinz Friedrich, Sohn des Herzogs Leopold Friedrich Franz (st. 1817) u. der Luise Henriette Wilhelmine, geb. Prinzessin von Schwedt, geb. 27. Decbr. 1769, vermählt 1792 mit… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Anhalt — (s. Karte »Provinz Sachsen«), zum Deutschen Reiche gehöriges Herzogtum, 1863 durch Vereinigung der Herzogtümer A. Dessau Köthen und A. Bernburg gebildet (s. unten, Geschichte), umfaßt sämtliche seit 1603 getrennt gewesene anhaltische Lande. Diese …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Anhalt [1] — Anhalt (Alt A.), verfallene Stammburg u. gemeinschaftlicher Besitz der Herzöge von Anhalt, auf dem Hausberge, 11/2 Stunde von Ballenstädt in Anhalt Bernburg, erbaut 905 von Esiko IV., Grafen von Ballenstädt, vollendet 1110 von Otto dem Reichen,… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Anhalt — Anhalt, Herzogtum, deutscher Bundesstaat, benannt nach der Burg A. auf dem Hausberge im Unterharz, fast ganz von der preuß. Prov. Sachsen eingeschlossen, 2299 qkm, (1900) 316.085 E. (11.699 Katholiken, 1605 Israeliten), besteht aus zwei… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Anhalt — /ˈanhalt/ (say ahnhahlt) noun See Saxony Anhalt …  

  • Anhalt — [än′hält΄] region of central Germany, formerly a German state and now part of the state of Saxony Anhalt …   English World dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”