Delitzsch

Delitzsch
View over old town
Coat of arms
Delitzsch
Location of Delitzsch within Nordsachsen district
Coordinates: 51°31′35″N 12°20′33″E / 51.52639°N 12.34250°E / 51.52639; 12.34250Coordinates: 51°31′35″N 12°20′33″E / 51.52639°N 12.34250°E / 51.52639; 12.34250
Country	Germany
State	Saxony
District	Nordsachsen
Government
• Mayor	Dr. Manfred Wilde (Ind.)
Area
• Total	83.57 km2 (32.27 sq mi)
Elevation	94 m (308 ft)
Population (2015-12-31)
• Total	24,850
• Density	300/km2 (770/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	04509
Dialling codes	034202
Vehicle registration	TDO, DZ, EB, OZ, TG, TO
Website	www.delitzsch.de

Delitzsch (German pronun­cia­tion: [ˈdeːlɪtʃ], Slavic: delč or delčz for hill) is a town in the Free State of Saxony in Germany. With more than 26,000 inhabitants, it is the largest town in the district of Nordsachsen.

Archaeological evidence outside the town limits points to a settlement dating from the Neolithic Age. The first documented mention of Delitzsch dates from 1166 and it later became the elector's residence in the 17th and 18th centuries. The old town is well preserved, with several plazas, citizens' and patrician houses, towers, a baroque castle and the town's fortifications.

Delitzsch and its surrounding area contain water areas, hiking and cycling networks and nature reserves.

Delitzsch is located in the northwestern part of Nordsachsen in Saxony, at an altitude of 94 meters above sea level. Due to its location on the border with Saxony-Anhalt, Delitzsch is the northernmost town in Saxony. It is situated on the north heath and recreation area Goitzsche which extends across the Saxony-Saxony-Anhalt border to Bitterfeld-Wolfen. To the east is the spa town of Bad Düben, which is the starting point for the Düben Heath.

The total size of the urban area is 83.57 square kilometres (32.27 square miles). The north-south extension is 10 kilometres (6 miles) and the east-west extension 8.3 kilometres (5.2 miles). The border communities are Löbnitz, Schönwölkau, Rackwitz and Neukyhna clockwise called from the north of town.

The graphic below shows the main towns and cities around Delitzsch and their distance from downtown Delitzsch. They are located in the districts Nordsachsen, Anhalt-Bitterfeld or in the cities of Leipzig and Halle on the Saale.

Delitzsch was founded as a town around 1200 AD (according to chronicles) and became recognized as a city in 1300 AD. Both before and after its founding, the city fought off many invaders: first the Slavic tribes who had lived there before the city was founded and then, later, in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), the Swedes. A legend arose from this final encounter with the Swedes, saying that when the Swedes reached the river Lober, the tower warden's daughter spied them and blew a trumpet, allowing the citizens of the town to get to safety and prepare, and as a result the invaders were defeated. Every year there is a historical fair (medieval style) to celebrate this victory over the Swedes and, during the fair, shopping centers are open on Sundays.