Verden an der Aller, also called
Verden (Aller) or simply
Verden (), is a town in
Lower Saxony,
Germany, on the River
Aller. It is the administrative centre of the district of
Verden. Verden is famous for the alleged massacre of
Saxons in
782, committed on the orders of
Charlemagne (the
Massacre of Verden), for its cathedral, and for its horse breeding.
History
The town of Verden is within the district of Verden and also in the federal state of Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) in Germany. Running through the town is the river Aller which is 263 km long and is one of Germany’s longer rivers.
Verden upon Aller belonged to the
Prince-Bishopric of Verden, established in 1180. On 12 March 1259 Prince-Bishop Gerhard of Verden granted the place
town privileges following the Bremian version of
German town law. In the 15
th c. Verden gained considerable independence as
Free Imperial City, immediately under the emperors (
Imperial immediacy), circumventing its former overlords the prince-bishops, who still held the cathedral and pertaining premises in town as an
immunity district.
By the
Peace of Westphalia Verden was
mediatised as regular city again within the Prince-Bishopric of Verden, which was transformed by the same contract into the
Principality of Verden. This again was first ruled in
personal union by the Swedish Crown - interrupted by a Danish occupation (1712-1715) - and from 1715 on by the
Hanoverian Crown. The
Kingdom of Hanover incorporated the principality in a
real union and the princely territory, including Verden upon Aller, became part of the new
Stade Region, established in 1823.
The town is most known for its large Lutheran church (former Catholic cathedral) (12th-15th century) and also famous for horse racing and auctions and is also called the (horse)riding town.
The town is situated in close proximity to the towns of Bremen (35 km) and Hannover (90 km). The picturesque old town is east of the river where the spectacular cathedral (German: Dom) towers above the pedestrianised high street.
In the Middle Ages there was a massacre of 4.500 Saxons, by order of Charlemagne because of their refusal to convert to the Christian faith. In the following century the north (with town hall and Johannis church) and the south (with the cathedral) parts of town joined together.
Until the Second World War, Verden was renowned for its trade and crafts and also its mounted division. During the Nazi Regime forced-labourers were used in a furniture factory in Verden.
From 1945 until 1993 latterly the 1st Armoured Division of the British Rhine Army was stationed in Verden. Refugees from the formers states of Silesia, East Prussia and Pomerania settled in and around the town.
Later in the 1960s foreign workers (
Gastarbeiter) started to arrive from southern Europe and Anatolia. After the fall of Communism more immigrants arrived from Eastern Europe.
One of the former British Barracks is now used to house the District administration and a new sporting stadium has been erected opposite.
Notable places
East of Verden, there is the 225 metre tall radio transmitter,
Kirchlinteln transmitter, used by Deutsche Telekom primarily for TV and mobile phone broadcasting.
The town hall and the cathedral are both places of interest, together with the pedestrianised high street, with its cafés and shops.
Twin Towns - Sister Cities
Verden is
twinned with:
See also
