Dessau-Roßlau

Dessau-Roßlau (German pronunciation: [ˈdɛsaʊ̯ ˈʁɔslaʊ̯] ⓘ) is a kreisfreie Stadt (urban district) in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is situated at the confluence of the rivers Elbe and Mulde. The town was formed by merger of the towns of Dessau and Roßlau as part of the 2007 regional boundary reform of Saxony-Anhalt (Kreisreform Sachsen-Anhalt). The reform involved a reduction in the number of rural districts in Sachsen-Anhalt from 21 to 11, in anticipation of a continued population decline.

Dessau-Roßlau
Town
Aerial view of Dessau
Aerial view of Dessau
Flag of Dessau-Roßlau
Flag
Coat of arms of Dessau-Roßlau
Coat of arms
Location of Dessau-Roßlau
Dessau-Roßlau is located in Germany
Dessau-Roßlau
Dessau-Roßlau
Dessau-Roßlau is located in Saxony-Anhalt
Dessau-Roßlau
Dessau-Roßlau
Coordinates: 51°50′N 12°15′E
CountryGermany
StateSaxony-Anhalt
DistrictUrban district
Government
 • Lord mayor (2021–28) Robert Reck[1]
Area
 • Total245.0 km2 (94.6 sq mi)
Elevation
61 m (200 ft)
Population
 (2021-12-31)[2]
 • Total78,731
 • Density320/km2 (830/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
06811-06849
06861, 06862
Dialling codes0340 (Dessau)
034901(Roßlau)
Vehicle registrationDE, RSL
Websitewww.dessau-rosslau.de

Dessau-Roßlau is the third largest town of Saxony-Anhalt by population, after Magdeburg and Halle. Its area is 245.0 km2 (94.6 sq mi).[3]

Dessau
The river Mulde with the "Johannbau" in the background
Main article: Dessau

Dessau is the largest population centre within Dessau-Roßlau, with approximately 79,000 inhabitants (2021). Most of the town is located on the left bank of the river Mulde, south of its confluence with the river Elbe. Dessau was first mentioned in 1213, and became the capital of a small state (Anhalt-Dessau) in the 14th century. Between 1863 and 1918, it was the capital of Anhalt. Since the second half of the 19th century, Dessau has been an industrial town. With the famous art and architecture school Bauhaus, located in Dessau between 1925 and 1932, and the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm, the town features two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The town could be referred to as one of the birthplaces of the "Jet Age" because the Junkers factory that designed the Jumo 004 jet engine for the German Me 262 jet fighter (operational from mid-1944) was designed there. As the western shore of the Elbe-Mulde rivers was the stopping point for U.S. troops in World War II, the capture of the town allowed the U.S. Army to evacuate Junkers employees to the west before Russia occupied the area on 1 July 1945. Several engineers of the jet engine development team at Junkers ended up at the Lycoming engine plant in Stratford, Conn., building gas turbine engines for the U.S. Army from 1952 on.

Roßlau
Main article: Roßlau

Roßlau has approximately 13,000 inhabitants (2006). It is located on the right bank of the Elbe, near its confluence with the Mulde, about 7 kilometers north of the centre of Dessau. Roßlau was first mentioned in 1215. Before it merged with Dessau, it was part of the district Anhalt-Zerbst.

Governance

Municipal assembly

Seats in the municipal assembly (Stadtrat) as of the May 2019 elections:[4]

Mayor

The Lord Mayor (Oberbürgermeister) of Dessau-Roßlau is Robert Reck, elected in June 2021 for a term of seven years.[1]

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

Dessau-Roßlau is twinned with:[5]

References
  1. Bürgermeisterwahlen in den Gemeinden, Endgültige Ergebnisse, Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen-Anhalt, accessed 8 July 2021.
  2. "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden – Stand: 31. Dezember 2021" (PDF) (in German). Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen-Anhalt. June 2022.
  3. "Tabellen Bodenfläche". Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen-Anhalt. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  4. Kommunalwahlen in Sachsen-Anhalt am 26. Mai 2019, Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen-Anhalt, accessed 9 July 2021.
  5. "Unsere Städtepartnerschaften". dessau-rosslau.de (in German). Dessau-Roßlau. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
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