Town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Jessen (German pronunciation: [ˈjɛsn̩] ⓘ) is a municipality on the Black Elster river and lies in the eastern part of Saxony-Anhalt in the district of Wittenberg.
Geography
Jessen is an amalgamated municipality, and has the following 44 subdivisions (Ortsteile):[3]
- Arnsdorf
- Battin
- Buschkuhnsdorf
- Dixförda
- Düßnitz
- Gentha
- Gerbisbach
- Glücksburg
- Gorsdorf
- Grabo
- Großkorga
- Hemsendorf
- Holzdorf
- Jessen (Elster)
- Kleindröben
- Kleinkorga
- Klöden
- Klossa
- Kremitz
- Leipa
- Linda
- Lindwerder
- Lüttchenseyda
- Mark Friedersdorf
- Mark Zwuschen
- Mauken
- Mellnitz
- Mönchenhöfe
- Morxdorf
- Mügeln
- Naundorf
- Neuerstadt
- Rade
- Rehain
- Reicho
- Rettig
- Ruhlsdorf
- Schadewalde
- Schöneicho
- Schützberg
- Schweinitz
- Seyda
- Steinsdorf
- Zwuschen
History
The first documentary evidence of Jessen's existence dates to 1217. On the night of 20 to 21 September 1729, much of the town was destroyed in a fire. After belonging to Saxony for centuries, Jessen became Prussian in 1815.
From 1815 to 1844, Jessen was part of the Prussian Province of Saxony and from 1944 to 1945 of the Province of Halle-Merseburg.
In 1945, it became part of the Province (since 1947, State) of Saxony-Anhalt. In 1952, owing to East German administrative reforms, Jessen became a district capital in Bezirk Cottbus. In 1990, Jessen once again became part of the newly-refounded state of Saxony-Anhalt. In 1992 came the amalgamation of the communities of Grabo, Gorsdorf-Hemsendorf, Lindwerder and Großkorga, and in 1993, Schweinitz, Gerbisbach, Klossa, Schöneicho, Steinsdorf and Dixförda. With the district reform in 1994, Jessen became part of Wittenberg district, as well as having a further three communities melded with it, namely Battin, Düßnitz and Kleindröben-Mauken. In 1999 came further amalgamations: Arnsdorf, Leipa and Ruhlsdorf mit Rehain. On 1 March 2004 came a further 12, among them Seyda, Holzdorf and Linda (Elster). Some of these formerly independent communities themselves each consisted of more than one centre, and so Jessen now has a total of 47 Stadtteile (constituent communities).
Economy and infrastructure
Established businesses are mostly small and mid-sized concerns in metalworking, building, dairy processing and drink production. There are also, however, bigger enterprises in agriculture.
Sundry
The town is Germany's twelfth-largest municipality by land area, and is thereby about 3 km² bigger than Munich.
