Ströbeck
Encyclopedia
Ströbeck is a small village in Saxony-Anhalt
, Germany
, near the town Halberstadt
. village and a former municipality in the district of Harz
, in Saxony-Anhalt
, Germany
. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Halberstadt
. It is famous as the Schachdorf (chess village), due to a long historic connection with chess
. The village has about 1,200 citizens.
The first mention of the village in history was in the year 995. However, the main historic fact for which the village is known occurred possibly in 1011. According to legend, Arnulf, Bishop of Halberstadt
, imprisoned the duke Gunzelin
. He did this in the Wartturm, a tower in Ströbeck, and ordered the local farmers to guard him. Due to the boredom in his prison, Gunzelin created a chess set and taught his guards the game. The game became a tradition among the local people, even though at that time chess was only played by peers.
The local school is the only public school in Germany which teaches chess as part of the curriculum, and it has done so since 1823. As of 2004, the school is threatened to be closed due to too few pupils.
Ströbeck is part of the network Cultural Village of Europe and acted as a host village in 2006 (also see external link).
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, near the town Halberstadt
Halberstadt
Halberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road and the Magdeburg–Thale railway....
. village and a former municipality in the district of Harz
Harz (district)
- History :The district was established by merging the former districts of Halberstadt, Wernigerode and Quedlinburg as well as the city of Falkenstein as part of the reform of 2007.-Towns and municipalities:...
, in Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Halberstadt
Halberstadt
Halberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road and the Magdeburg–Thale railway....
. It is famous as the Schachdorf (chess village), due to a long historic connection with chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
. The village has about 1,200 citizens.
The first mention of the village in history was in the year 995. However, the main historic fact for which the village is known occurred possibly in 1011. According to legend, Arnulf, Bishop of Halberstadt
Bishopric of Halberstadt
The Bishopric of Halberstadt was a Roman Catholic diocese from 804 until 1648 and an ecclesiastical state of the Holy Roman Empire from the late Middle Ages...
, imprisoned the duke Gunzelin
Gunzelin, Margrave of Meissen
Gunzelin of Kuckenburg was the Margrave of Meissen from 1002 until 1009. He was the second son of Gunther of Merseburg, younger brother of Eckard I of Meissen, and half-brother of Boleslaus I of Poland....
. He did this in the Wartturm, a tower in Ströbeck, and ordered the local farmers to guard him. Due to the boredom in his prison, Gunzelin created a chess set and taught his guards the game. The game became a tradition among the local people, even though at that time chess was only played by peers.
The local school is the only public school in Germany which teaches chess as part of the curriculum, and it has done so since 1823. As of 2004, the school is threatened to be closed due to too few pupils.
Ströbeck is part of the network Cultural Village of Europe and acted as a host village in 2006 (also see external link).