Bitterfeld-Wolfen

Bitterfeld-Wolfen
Town
View over Bitterfeld Großer Goitzschesee Bitterfeld Arch Building 041
Coat of arms
Location of Bitterfeld-Wolfen within Anhalt-Bitterfeld district
Bitterfeld-Wolfen Bitterfeld-Wolfen
Coordinates: 51°37′N 12°19′E
Country	Germany
State	Saxony-Anhalt
District	Anhalt-Bitterfeld
Government
• Mayor (2023–30)	Armin Schenk
Area
• Total	87.55 km2 (33.80 sq mi)
Highest elevation	90 m (300 ft)
Lowest elevation	75 m (246 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)
• Total	37,894
• Density	430/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	06731–06749
Dialling codes	03493, 03494
Vehicle registration	ABI
Website	www.bitterfeld-wolfen.de

Bitterfeld-Wolfen (German pronunciation: [ˈbɪtɐfɛltˌvɔlfn̩] ) is a town in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated in south-eastern Saxony-Anhalt, west of the river Mulde, in an area dominated by heavy industry and lignite mining. The town was formed by merger of the towns of Bitterfeld and Wolfen and the municipalities of Greppin, Holzweißig and Thalheim on 1 July 2007.

Geography

Bitterfeld-Wolfen is 25 kilometres (16 mi) northeast of Halle (Saale) and about 35 kilometres (22 mi) north of Leipzig. Eastward lies the Muldestausee lake, southward the Goitzsche lake with docks and westwards the lido of Sandersdorf. The town lies in a nature reserve, Bitterfelder Bergbaurevier.

Neighbouring municipalities

Adjoining municipalities are from the north and clockwise Raguhn-Jeßnitz, Muldestausee, Delitzsch, Sandersdorf-Brehna and Zörbig.

Climate

Climate diagram of Bitterfeld

The average air temperature in Bitterfeld is 10.0 °C (50.0 °F) and the yearly rainfall 518 millimetres (20.4 in).

History

Town fusion

On 1 July 2007 the independent towns of Wolfen and Bitterfeld and the municipalities of Greppin, Thalheim and Holzweißig were merged to form the present-day town of Bitterfeld-Wolfen. Bobbau was absorbed in September 2009.

Historical Population

(of the present-day town)

Year/Date Inhabitants 1964 ¹ 74,747 1971 ¹ 74,369 1981 ¹ 73,719 31 December 1985 75,274 31 December 1989 76,147 3 October 1990 72,218 31 December 1990 71,916 31 December 1995 67,060

Date Inhabitants 31 December 2000 57,435 31 December 2001 55,200 31 December 2002 53,457 31 December 2003 52,013 31 December 2004 50,779 31 December 2005 49,899 31 December 2006 49,030 31 December 2007 47,928 31 December 2008 46,971 31 December 2009 45,968

Date Inhabitants 31 December 2010 45,171 31 December 2011 ² 42,800 31 December 2014 ³ 41,793

¹ Census results
² 2011 Census
³ Source: Bitterfeld-Wolfen Town Hall

Source: Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen-Anhalt

Bitterfeld

Main article: Bitterfeld

The town seen from Pouch

Bitterfeld has approximately 15,000 inhabitants (2006). It was first documented in 1224. Part of the Electorate of Saxony, it came to the Prussian Province of Saxony in 1815. Until the administrative reform of 2007 it was the capital of the district of Bitterfeld.

Wolfen

Main article: Wolfen, Germany

Wolfen has approximately 24,000 inhabitants (2006). It is located north of Bitterfeld. Wolfen was first documented around 1400. The discovery of lignite in 1846 and the construction of an Agfa dye factory in 1895 brought industry and population growth.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Bitterfeld-Wolfen is twinned with:

• Vierzon, France (1959)
• Villefontaine, France (1990)
• Witten, Germany (1994)
• Dzerzhinsk, Russia (1996)
• Kamienna Góra, Poland (2006)
• Marl, Germany (2007)

See also

• Bitterfeld-Wolfen (Verwaltungsgemeinschaft)