Mansfeld Land

Mansfeld Land (German: Mansfelder Land) is a region in the southwestern corner of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. The region derives its name from the counts of Mansfeld, who ruled this region for about 1,000 years.

In the west and northwest, Mansfeld Land covered the eastern foothills of the Harz Mountains and is bounded in the east by the River Saale. To the north and south the territories of the two former county towns of Eisleben and Hettstedt form the boundary, whilst the territories of Sangerhausen and the town of Mansfeld form the border in the southwest to west.

Until the Second World War, Mansfeld Land was made up of the counties of Mansfelder Gebirgskreis (roughly northwest of a line from Annarode via Siersleben to Gerbstedt) and Mansfelder Seekreis (villages southeast of the line).

After the foundation of East Germany, these 2 counties were disbanded and transferred to the counties of Hettstedt and Eisleben, small areas of Mansfeld Land in the west went to Sangerhausen and in the south to Saalkreis and Querfurt.

Since the county reform of 2007, Mansfeld Land – after several years as the independent county of Mansfelder Land – has belonged to the county of Mansfeld-Südharz.

The extent of Mansfeld Land described above is roughly identical with the former County of Mansfeld.

Located not far from the Halle-Leipzig industrial region and the heavily industrial province of Halle, Mansfeld Land was one of the most important industrial conurbations in East Germany. Copper mining and the smelting of copper and its roughly 80 accessory metals played a major role. All copper mining, processing and manufacturing firms in the whole of East Germany were operated under the umbrella of the Mansfeld combine, Wilhelm Pieck, which also ran the Mansfeld Mining Railway. Prior to that it was the Mansfeld Company for Mining and Smelting (Mansfeld AG für Bergbau und Hüttenbetrieb).

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Wikipedia