58-494: The Magdeburg–Thale railway is a predominantly single-track, non-electrified main line railway that connects Thale , in the northern Harz , with Magdeburg , the capital of Saxony-Anhalt . Its eastern section between Magdeburg and Halberstadt was opened in 1843 and it is one of the oldest railways in Germany . The Magdeburg-Halberstadt Railway Company ( German : Magdeburg-Halberstädter Eisenbahngesellschaft , MHE) opened
116-559: A heraldic animal in the House of Guelph goes back to Henry the Lion in the 12th century at least. However, Henry used only a single lion as his symbol. Later accounts by medieval writers that the two golden lions of Brunswick were granted to Henry by the English king, his father-in-law, are deemed fictional by modern historians. It was Henry's sons from his marriage with Matilda of England ,
174-448: A German version of the rules of football , and, together with August Hermann , also arguably organized the first football match in Germany between pupils from his school Martino-Katharineum in 1874. The Duchy of Brunswick Football Association (German: Fußballbund für das Herzogtum Braunschweig ) was founded in May 1904. Eintracht Braunschweig , founded in 1895, quickly became one of
232-476: A change of trains to/from Berlin Ostbahnhof , operating on Fridays to Sundays from Thale to Berlin once a day and from Berlin to Thale once on Saturdays and twice on Sundays. Duchy of Brunswick The Duchy of Brunswick ( German : Herzogtum Braunschweig ) was a historical German state that ceased to exist in 1918. Its capital was the city of Brunswick ( Braunschweig ). It was established as
290-561: A double set on the Magdeburg−Halberstadt section. While one portion continues to Thale, the second portion continues either to Blankenburg or Vienenburg . The intervening stations between Magdeburg and Oschersleben are served during the peak hour and every two hours during the non-peak with a travel time of about 40 minutes. The express trains to Halberstadt stop only in Oschersleben and Nienhagen (b. Halberstadt) , with
348-590: A regent ended in 1913. The Duke of Cumberland's eldest son having died in 1912, the elderly duke renounced Brunswick in favor of his youngest son, Ernest Augustus , who married Emperor Wilhelm II 's daughter, swore allegiance to the German Empire and renounced all claims to Hanover. Accordingly, he was allowed to ascend the throne of the duchy in November 1913. In the midst of the German revolutions of 1918 ,
406-670: A regent. With William's death in 1884, the Wolfenbüttel line came to an end. The Duke of Cumberland then proclaimed himself Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick . However, since he still claimed to be the rightful King of Hanover, the Federal Council ruled that he would violate the peace of the German Empire if he succeeded to Brunswick. Lengthy negotiations ensued, but were never resolved. Two regents were appointed: first, Prince Albert of Prussia until his death in 1906, and then Duke John Albert of Mecklenburg . The need for
464-539: A restaurant, was demolished in spring 2009. Thale Musestieg station was opened on 18 December 2001. The Thale station is a terminus built directly on the edge of the Harz. In 1907 an additional station was opened at Thale-Bodetal. From the Thale station there was once a connection through the Thale steel works to the adjacent line to Blankenburg. Of its three platforms only one is now used for scheduled services. Services on
522-842: A small woodland near the Fallstein . The Duchy of Brunswick was almost entirely surrounded by the Prussian Provinces of Hanover and Saxony , in the south-east it also bordered the Duchy of Anhalt and in the west the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont and the Prussian Province of Westphalia . The western part of the Duchy lay in the Weser Uplands , the central and southern parts in the northern Harz Foreland and
580-533: A travel time of about 43 to 48 minutes. On weekends, the Harz-Berlin-Express (HBX) provides a direct connection between the Harz and Berlin. During the weekend (Fridays to Sundays), the train from Thale leave in the late afternoon and is coupled in Halberstadt with a train portion that comes from Vienenburg. The journeys from Berlin Ostbahnhof to the Harz start on Saturdays and Sundays in
638-596: Is a station on the Magdeburg–Thale railway in the town of Thale in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt . The station is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a category 5 station . The only other station in Thale is the stop at Thale Musestieg , although there used to be three stations in Thale on a branch of the Blankenburg–Quedlinburg railway , which was opened in 1908 and was closed in the 1960s. The station
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#1732781045174696-436: Is also connected to the local tram and bus networks. The railway tracks in Halberstadt station were modernized in recent years. Wegeleben station used to have a lobby and a restaurant. After the change passenger numbers decreased and these facilities were closed. Further modifications were made, and in 2007 the station was modernized. It now has two platforms, a bypass track and new signalling systems. Quedlinburg station
754-571: Is also duplicated, as part of the upgrading of the Halle–Halberstadt railway for tilting train operations. The rest of the line is single track. Magdeburg's main railway station was opened in 1873. Oschersleben station is the most important station on the line to Halberstadt. It was built together with the construction of the line to Brunswick . The southern side of the V-shaped station (German: Keilbahnhof ) serves trains to Halberstadt and
812-639: The German Empire . In the 1870s, it became obvious that the then-senior branch of the ruling House of Welf would die with Duke William. By house law, a member of the House of Hanover would have ascended the ducal throne. However, the Hanoverians still refused to accept the Prussian annexation of their kingdom. As a result, Prussia was unwilling to let George V of Hanover or his son, Ernest Augustus, succeed to Brunswick. Berlin would only agree to
870-584: The Harz-Elbe Express and a freight train on the line on 29 January 2011 killed 10 people and injured 23. The halts of Hordorf, Krottorf and Groß Quenstedt have not been served since the timetable change on 9 December 2012. The track is not electrified, except for the short section between Magdeburg Hauptbahnhof and Magdeburg-Buckau . It has duplicated sections from Hadmersleben to shortly before Oschersleben and between Krottorf and Groß Quenstedt . The section between Halberstadt and Wegeleben
928-612: The Kingdom of Westphalia . The Congress turned it into an independent country as the Duchy of Brunswick . These acts were protested by the de facto and de jure Duke Charles II in annual protests until his death. His grandson Ulric de Civry (brother of Frédéric de Civry ) continued in full ducal regalia and claim maintaining these protests (against Prussia, Hanover, and even some parts of the Council of Vienna) until his assassination in 1935 at Geneva Switzerland. The underage Duke Charles ,
986-599: The Langenweddingen rail disaster occurred on the line, the worst in the history of East Germany . The accident involved a bi-level train hitting a tanker truck at a level crossing, resulting in an explosion that killed 94 people, many of them children on their way to a summer camp in the Harz mountains. In the 1970s, four pairs of trains per day ran on the Magdeburg–Halberstadt section to or from Berlin , with some coaches to or from Thale. On 29 October 1988,
1044-787: The Magdeburg – Halberstadt line on 15 July 1843. The extension from Halberstadt to Thale was opened in 1862. Its original terminus in Magdeburg was at the Elbbahnhof (Elbe station) on the Schleinufer, which had been built by the Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway Company ( Magdeburg-Leipziger Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft ). The Magdeburg Centralbahnhof (central station, called the Hauptbahnhof since 1895)
1102-568: The Prince of Calenberg and Celle averted the extinction of the line through a marriage with the low-born Eleonore d'Esmier d'Olbreuse, who from 1705 passed to her successors a united Lüneburg to said princes, later i.e. the Elector of Hanover . The princes of Wolfenbüttel maintained their supremacy over the subject vassal state of Lüneburg, but recognized its semi-sovereignty. The Wolfenbüttel principality had from 1807 to 1813 been held as part of
1160-709: The Royal Prussian State Railways . Some other railways of secondary importance were operated by the Brunswick State Railway Company , founded in 1884. In 1847, MTV Braunschweig was founded as the first sports club in Brunswick. Brunswick also played a pioneering role in the history of association football in Germany: Konrad Koch , a school teacher from Braunschweig, was the first to write down
1218-628: The Russian Empire , and 81 from Switzerland. In 1905, 450,760 people or 92.5% of the population adhered to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick . 26,504 (5.5%) people were Catholic , 4720 (0.97%) adhered to Reformed churches . 1815 (0.39%) people were of Jewish faith. In 1905, out of 1,000 residents 455 were working in the industrial sector , mining or construction , 289 were working in agriculture and forestry , 121 in commerce , 57.3 were employed in
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#17327810451741276-468: The civil service and 70 were working in miscellaneous other professions. The Duchy of Brunswick State Railway was the first state railway in Germany. The first section of its Brunswick–Bad Harzburg railway line connecting Braunschweig and Wolfenbüttel opened on 1 December 1838, as the first railway line in Northern Germany. In the 1870s, the Duchy of Brunswick State Railway merged with
1334-459: The coat of arms of Denmark to emphasise his kinship with the Danish kings. The dukes of Brunswick later added the blue lion to their arms as well, to show their own claim to the territory of Lüneburg. The white steed was said to be the emblem of the eighth century Saxon duke Widukind , who according to legend rode a black horse before his baptism and a white horse afterwards. In truth, the use of
1392-848: The successor state of the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel by the Congress of Vienna in 1815. In the course of the 19th-century history of Germany , the duchy was part of the German Confederation , the North German Confederation and from 1871 the German Empire . It was disestablished after the end of World War I , its territory incorporated into the Weimar Republic as the Free State of Brunswick . The title " Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg " ( German : Herzog zu Braunschweig und Lüneburg )
1450-537: The Duchy of Brunswick had a population of 494,339 people. According to the 1885 census, 84.90% (316,208 people) of the Duchy's inhabitants held citizenship of Brunswick, while 54,738 people (14.70%) were citizens of other German states . 1506 people (0.40%) were foreign nationals, among those 785 came from Austria-Hungary , 133 from the United Kingdom, 112 from the United States, 91 from Italy, 83 from
1508-451: The Duchy of Brunswick showed a crowned shield with the white horse on a red background. The Saxon steed was dropped from the coat of arms during the reign of William VIII. The greater coat of arms of the Duchy of Brunswick, as adopted in 1834, shows a shield with a ducal crown on top and surrounded by the insignia of the Order of Henry the Lion . Displayed on the shield are, from left to right,
1566-472: The Duchy of Brunswick was blue over yellow, and demonstrates a remarkable similarity with the Ukrainian national colours . The standard of the dukes of Brunswick given by Siebmachers Wappenbuch , Nuremberg 1878, shows the white horse on a red cloth - this, however, is today assumed to have been in error. The state flag introduced in 1912 was blue over yellow, with a crowned shield with the white horse on
1624-545: The Hanoverians becoming dukes of Brunswick under severe conditions, including swearing allegiance to the German constitution and renouncing all claim to Hanover. By a law of 1879, the Duchy of Brunswick established a temporary council of regency to take over at the duke's death. If Ernest Augustus–who had been created the Duke of Cumberland in the British peerage–were unable to succeed, the council would also be empowered to appoint
1682-753: The Harz mountains. The northern part was located on the border between the North German Plain and the Central Uplands of Germany. The Duchy's highest peak was the Wurmberg at 971 metres (3,186 ft). The major rivers that ran through Brunswick were the Weser, Aller, Leine , Oker , Bode and Innerste . The Duchy of Brunswick was subdivided into six districts ( Kreise ) in 1833. The districts were further subdivided into cities or towns ( Städte ) and more rural townships ( Ämter ). In 1910,
1740-582: The Prussian-led North German Confederation in 1866, his relationship to Prussia was strained, since Prussia refused to recognize Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover , his nearest male-line relative, as his heir. While the Kingdom of Hanover was annexed by Prussia in 1866, the Duchy of Brunswick remained sovereign and independent. It joined first the North German Confederation and in 1871
1798-600: The blue lion of Lüneburg, the two lions of Brunswick, and the arms of the Counts of Eberstein, Homburg, Diepholz (upper half), Lauterberg, Hoya and Bruchhausen, Diepholz (lower half), Honstein, Regenstein, Klettenberg and Blankenburg. The new lesser coat of arms introduced under William VIII was a return to the arms of Brunswick-Lüneburg, displayed on a crowned shield supported by two lions. The Latin inscriptions read IMMOTA FIDES ("unswerving faithfulness") and NEC ASPERA TERRENT ("they are not afraid of difficulties"). The flag of
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1856-406: The branches of Lüneburg and Brunswick (later Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, the later Duchy of Brunswick). In 1432 the Principality of Calenberg , the later Electorate of Hanover, split from Brunswick(-Wolfenbüttel), and in 1705 acquired the territory of Lüneburg. Both branches used in their arms the two lions of Brunswick, the blue lion of Lüneburg and the white steed of Saxony. The use of the lion as
1914-456: The duke had to abdicate, and the Free State of Brunswick was founded as a member state of the Weimar Republic . The Duchy of Brunswick consisted of several non-connected parts - three larger and seven smaller ones. The biggest and most populous of those was the area surrounding the cities of Braunschweig , Wolfenbüttel and Helmstedt as well as the Elm , which extended from the river Aller in
1972-467: The eldest son of Duke Frederick William (who had been killed in action), was put under the guardianship of George IV , the Prince Regent of the United Kingdom and Hanover. First, the young duke had a dispute over the date of his majority. Then, in 1827, Charles declared some of the laws made during his minority invalid, which caused conflicts. After the German Confederation intervened, Charles
2030-533: The future Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV and Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine , who adapted the Royal Arms of England to display their royal lineage. While Otto's coat of arms showed the three golden lions of England, Henry used only two. The two lions of Henry V then went on to become the symbol of the House of Guelph. The blue lion of Lüneburg was adopted by John I of Lüneburg , who based his coat of arms on
2088-567: The greater Duchy from the Wolfenbuettel principality till 1754, when temporarily the Brunswick principality was used as a capital to mitigate while the Brunswick wished to become an Imperial free city. The territory of Wolfenbüttel was recognized as a sovereign state by the Congress of Vienna in 1815. It had been a portion of the medieval Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg . The northern principality known as Lüneburg remained fragmented and largely under control of Wolfenbuettel. However, in 1702,
2146-463: The horse as a symbol for Saxony only goes back to the 14th century, when the House of Guelph, after the ducal title of Saxony had fallen to the House of Ascania , adopted the fictional "ancient" symbol to represent themselves as the true descendants of the old Saxon dukes. Due to the legend associated with it, the white horse became a very popular symbol among the population of Brunswick, even more so than
2204-411: The lands were reallocated among surviving members of the family; different dukes might also exchange territories. The unifying element of all these territories was that they were ruled by male-line descendants of Duke Otto I (ruled 1235–1252). After several early divisions, Brunswick-Lüneburg re-unified under Duke Magnus II (d. 1373). Following his death, his three sons jointly ruled the duchy. After
2262-500: The last scheduled steam-hauled train operated by East Germany railways ran between Thale and Halberstadt. In 1992, trains operated every two hours between Halberstadt, Berlin and Frankfurt (Oder) with trains stopping at all stations between Magdeburg and Thale; some additional services operated in busy periods. In 1995 long-distance services between Magdeburg and Halberstadt were stopped completely and were replaced by Regional-Express services, operating hourly. A collision between
2320-518: The leading football clubs in Northern Germany. To this day, the team plays in the colours blue and yellow, derived from the flag of Brunswick. The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg was formed out of the possessions of senior branch of the House of Brunswick. The House of Brunswick originated from the Italian House of Este . This family acquired the inheritance of the Guelph family by marriage — around
2378-537: The line have been operated since 11 December 2005 for an initial twelve years by Transdev Sachsen-Anhalt as part of the Nordharznetz (north Harz network). LINT 41 and LINT 27 sets have been used. The services run under the name of HEX ( Harz-Elbe-Express ) hourly in each direction, including on the weekend. Trains cross in Blumenberg, Halberstadt and Quedlinburg. The express train operates as
Magdeburg–Thale railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
2436-514: The line to Quedlinburg. The line between Magdeburg and Langenweddingen would be upgraded to be used by a service of the S-Bahn Mittelelbe (Central Elbe S-Bahn) and a new halt would be built at Gewerbegebiet Osterweddingen. In return, it is planned to drop the stop in Blumenberg. The upgrade started in 2015. Construction section 2.1 Oschersleben–Halberstadt was put into operation in 2016 and construction section 2.2 Blumenberg–Oschersleben
2494-520: The lions. Over time, the arms of smaller territories that had been acquired by the Dukes of Brunswick were added to the coat of arms. The coat of arms of the Duchy of Brunswick eventually consisted of a crown and shield, supported by two wild men , on which the blue lion of Lüneburg, the two golden lions of Brunswick, the Saxon steed and the arms of various counties were displayed. The lesser coat of arms of
2552-402: The morning and on Sundays in the evening. The Magdeburg–Halberstadt section is being raised to a consistent for a speed of 120 km/h. The time for trains running from Magdeburg to Halberstadt would be reduced to only 40 minutes. The Halberstadt–Wegeleben section is already upgraded for use by tilt trains and for operation at the higher speeds. 100 km/h can already be achieved on
2610-652: The murder of their brother Frederick I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg , brothers Bernard and Henry redivided the land, Henry receiving the territory of Wolfenbüttel. From 1432 forward the Principality of Wolfenbuettel became the capital of the Duchy of Brunswick and Luneburg. It is widely understood and confirmed that from the year 1546 forward there became two dynastic lines of the house of Este-Guelph Brunswick: "the senior", from Brunswick-Wolfenbuettel, and one called "the younger branch" from Calenburg-Hanover. The ruling monarchs of Brunswick and Lunenburg continued to govern
2668-538: The north to the Harz mountains in the south. The western part with the town of Holzminden extended from the river Weser in the east to the Harz Foreland in the west. The southern part with the town of Blankenburg was located in the Harz mountains. The Duchy's smaller exclaves were Thedinghausen near Bremen , Harzburg , Calvörde , Bodenburg and Östrum , Ostharingen near Goslar , Ölsburg near Peine and
2726-484: The northern side formerly served trains to Jerxheim and Brunswick and the trains of the Oschersleben–Schöningen railway . The station building is located between the tracks and originally contained the customs and passport control facilities for travelling between the Duchy of Brunswick and the Kingdom of Prussia . After the division of Germany after 1945, the route to Jerxheim was closed and in consequence
2784-543: The northern side of the station lost most of its purpose. Until 1991, a few daily passenger trains shuttled from there to the border town of Gunsleben. In recent years a few trains from Magdeburg terminated on the north side of the station. Meanwhile, the tracks and the large reception hall on the north side are virtually unused. Halberstadt station is a major transfer point to the northern Harz rail network. There are interchanges to Halle , Magdeburg, Hanover , Thale, Hildesheim , Goslar and Blankenburg . Halberstadt station
2842-403: The revolution of 1830, liberal reforms were made and a new constitution was adopted on 12 October 1832. While the number of voters was limited by a system of census suffrage to about 40% of Brunswick's male population, the parliament of Brunswick was granted more rights than in most other German states at the time and the duke's budget and powers were significantly limited. While William joined
2900-472: The train to the other, it was necessary to close the two crossings near the station. Today, however, the line is only operated with diesel multiple units. The Harz-Elbe-Express runs with Alstom Coradia LINT diesel multiple units (LINT 27 and LINT 41 classes). The line is not electrified. The station is served hourly by the Harz-Elbe-Express . On weekends the Harz-Berlin-Express runs without
2958-475: The year 1000 — of Azzo II with Kunigunde of Altdorf , daughter of Welf II . Again important possessions were gained in (Lower) Saxony by the marriage of Henry the Black to Wulfhilde of Saxony (d 1126), daughter of the last member of the House of Billung , who had been Dukes of Saxony for five generations. They were made Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1235. In 1269 the house of Brunswick-Lüneburg divided into
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#17327810451743016-610: Was built in 1863 as a through station. In 2004 the Frose–Quedlinburg line closed. In 2006 the extension of the metre gauge Selke Valley Railway was opened from Gernrode by adapting the abandoned standard gauge line. Thus, it is possible to change to narrow gauge trains to Gernrode and Eisfelder Talmühle . Platform 1 west from 1908 to 1969 served the line to Thale Bodetal and Blankenburg . Neinstedt station formerly had two platform tracks and freight tracks, but now has only one track. The former station building, which included
3074-527: Was forced to accept those laws. His administration was considered corrupt and misguided. In the aftermath of the July Revolution in 1830, Charles had to leave the country. His absolutist governing style had alienated the nobility and bourgeoisie , while the lower classes were disaffected by the bad economic situation. During the night of 7–8 September 1830, the ducal palace in Braunschweig
3132-460: Was held, from 1235 on, by various members of the Welf (Guelph) family who ruled several small territories in northwest Germany. These holdings did not have all of the formal characteristics of a modern unitary state, being neither compact nor indivisible. When several sons of a duke competed for power, the lands often became divided between them; when a branch of the family lost power or became extinct,
3190-514: Was not built until the 1870s. The Magdeburg–Oschersleben section also served long-distance traffic until the division of Germany . A pair of express trains ( Durchgangszug ) on the Frankfurt – Kreiensen – Berlin route and an Aachen –Berlin service ran on the section in 1929/30. In the same period a pair of long-distance trains used Fernschnellzug on the Basel – Berlin used the line. In 1967,
3248-467: Was opened in 1862. At first it was called Thale station, but in 1907 it was renamed Thale Hauptbahnhof to distinguish it from the nearby Thale Bodethal station on the Blankenburg–Quedlinburg railway. Until 2003 there was a turntable at the end of the station. Thale originally had three platforms. Today only one platform is used. Formerly, when locomotives were repositioned from one end of
3306-430: Was planned to be completed on 27 March 2017. The new bridge over the B 246 to the east of the Oschersleben (Bode) station has been usable since March 2017 and the road under it to be opened in November 2017. The opening of construction section 1 Magdeburg–Blumenberg was scheduled for 2018. Overall, the Magdeburg–Halberstadt upgrade is estimated to cost €55 million. Thale Central Station Thale Hauptbahnhof
3364-610: Was stormed by an angry mob, set on fire and destroyed completely. Charles fled the country, but without abdicating. When Charles' brother William VIII arrived in Brunswick on 10 September, he was received joyfully by the people. William originally considered himself only his brother's regent, but after a year declared himself ruling duke. Charles made several desperate attempts, unsuccessfully, to depose him. William left most government business to his ministers, and spent most of his time outside of his state at his possessions in Oels . After
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