Magdeburg

MAGDEBURG (Magdeburg), a city in the GDR, administrative center of the Magdeburg district. 271,9 thousand inhabitants (1971). An important node of the railway and automobile. roads, a river port on the Elbe River, near the intersection with it of the Middle German Canal and the Elbe - Havel Canal. One of the largest prom. and bargaining.-transp. nodes of the country. A large center of heavy engineering (Magdeburg Heavy Engineering Plant named after Ernst Telman, K. Liebknecht, G. Dimitrov, etc.); M. presents general mechanical engineering, production of equipment for chemical, light, food. industrial, agricultural machinery; instrument making; river shipbuilding (in the suburb of Rotense). There are chemical, food. (sah., meat) prom-st. M. - an important cultural center; med. academy, higher school of heavy engineering, special schools of applied engineering, water engineering.

M. was first mentioned in 805. Since 968 - the center of the Magdeburg Archdiocese, one of the most important strongholds of Christianization and Germanization of the Poles and the Baltic States. Slavs. In Moscow, the first urban law in Europe, the so-called Magdeburg law, was formed, which became widespread in the Center and East. Europe. The rich merchants of M. played a prominent role in the Hanseatic League. In 1524, the Reformation was carried out in Moscow. In May 1631, during the Thirty Years' War of 1618-48, M. was almost completely destroyed. The new flourishing of M. dates back to the time of the burgomastership in 1646-81 of O. Gerick. In 1680 M . passed into the possession of the Brandenburg-Prussian electors. Since the 19th century - a large industrial. centre. During the 2nd World War of 1939-45, an illegal antifash operated in Moscow. a group associated with the organization of A. Zefkov. In January 1945, M. suffered greatly from the raids of the Anglo-Amer. aviation. After the war, he joined the Soviet Union. the zone of occupation of Germany (until 1949).

Layout and architecture. M. grew up around two parallel streets and the district of the Old Bridge over the Elbe. Early Gothic. Cathedral of St. Mauricius und Katharina (1209-1520, bronze, tombstones of the 12th century, rich cam. sculpture of the 13th century, paintings of the 15th century), Romanesque church of the Liebfrauenkirche (1064-1160, Gothic. vaults - 1220-30). Intensively built up in the 20th century . According to the projects of B. Taut (ch. arch. in 1921-24) residential complexes and a meeting hall were built (1922, together with I. Gederits). It has been restored since 1948. The ensemble of buildings on the Centralerplatz Square (1954, architect E. Hinsche, I. Kramer, etc.), the International Hotel (1963, architect X. Scharlipp et al.). The project of building the center is being carried out (1969, architect X. Mikhalk). Fig. see vol. 6, Table XIII (pp. 384-385).