Bad Gandersheim is a city in southern
Lower SaxonyLower Saxony lies in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen Bundesländer of Germany...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
, located in the district of
NortheimNortheim is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Holzminden, Hildesheim, Goslar, Osterode and Göttingen, and the state of Hesse .- History :...
. Population 11,026
(2004). The city includes the following surrounding villages: Ackenhausen, Altgandersheim, Clus, Dankelsheim, Dannhausen, Ellierode, Gehrenrode, Gremsheim, Hachenhausen, Harriehausen, Heckenbeck, Helmscherode, Seboldshausen, Wolperode, Wrescherode.
The mayor is Heinz-Gerhard Ehmen. He was re-elected on September 24, 2006 for a further eight-year term.
The city dates back to 852, when
Gandersheim AbbeyGandersheim Abbey is a former house of secular canonesses in the present Bad Gandersheim in Lower Saxony, Germany. It was founded in 852 by Liudolf, Duke of Saxony, founder of the dynasty of the Liudolfings...
, a house of secular canonesses, was created in nearby Brunshausen by
Liudolf, Duke of SaxonyLiudolf was a Saxon count, son of one count Brun and his wife Gisla von Verla ; later authors called him duke of the Eastern Saxons and count of Eastphalia...
and his wife Oda. The first abbey church (
Stiftskirche) in the town proper was begun in 856. In 990 the abbey received the market and tax rights. During the 10th century, Gandersheim was one of the most important towns of
SaxonyThe mediæval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
; the first German poet
HrosvitHrotsvitha, also known as Hroswitha, Hrotsvit, Hrosvit, and Roswitha was a 10th century German canoness of the Benedictine Order, as well as a dramatist and poet who lived and worked in Gandersheim, in modern-day Lower Saxony...
lived and worked here until 973. In 1159 Gandersheim was first mentioned as a city.
When a mineral spring was discovered in 1240,
Pope Gregory IXPope Gregory IX, born Ugolino di Conti, was pope from March 19, 1227 to August 22, 1241.The successor of Pope Honorius III , he fully inherited the traditions of Pope Gregory VII and of his uncle Pope Innocent III , and zealously continued their policy of Papal supremacy.-Early life:Ugolino was...
initiated the erection of the
Holy SpiritIn Christianity, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. In mainstream Christian beliefs he is the third person of the Trinity. As part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is equal with God the Father and with God the Son....
hospital. Around 1330, the Dukes of Brunswick built a castle as a secular counterbalance to the abbey church. This building serves today as the magistrates' court and youth correctional facility.
In the late 19th century, the city began to become known for the curative powers of its mineral springs and in 1932 the Gandersheim received the official right to call itself a
spa townA spa town — or simply a spa — is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
, thus 'Bad' Gandersheim, on account of these springs.
In the summer of 1926 there was a three-day "Roswitha Memorial Celebration in 1000-year old Gandersheim". This was the first time the medieval author was used as a symbolic figure for the city. Similar celebrations took place in 1930 and 1933; these had clear national-socialistic themes — 'German Culture' versus 'Jewish-Communist Decadence'.
In 1952, the city celebrated the 1100 year jubilee of the founding of the monastery by Liudolf. A history play "The Song of Gandersheim" was presented on the market square. This was the unofficial prelude to the summer festival
Gandersheimer Domfestspiele, which has been presented yearly on the plaza in front of the Stiftskirche since 1959. Since this time, it has established itself as Lower Saxony's largest professional summer theater festival. In 2006, its four major productions were attended by approximately 55,000 theater visitors.
Bad Gandersheim has many half-timbered houses and is located on the
German Framework RoadThe German Framework Road is a German tourist route leading from the river Elbe in the north to Lake Constance in the south. Along the road you can find nearly 100 cities and towns with remarkable timber-framed houses. It is divided into seven sections, leading through the following states of...
(Deutsche Fachwerkstraße).
Twin towns
RotselaarRotselaar is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish-Brabant, near the convergence of the Demer and the Dijle. Since January 1, 1977 the municipality comprises the towns of Rotselaar proper, Werchter and Wezemaal. On January 1, 2006 Rotselaar had a total population of 15,068...
,
Flemish BrabantFlemish Brabant is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Belgian provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, Liège, Walloon Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders. Flemish Brabant also completely surrounds the Brussels-Capital Region. Its capital is Leuven...
,
BelgiumThe Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO...
SkegnessSkegness is a seaside town and civil parish within the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910...
,
LincolnshireLincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Rutland, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, and the East Riding of Yorkshire. It also borders Northamptonshire for just 19 metres, England's shortest county boundary...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
External links