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{{short description|Town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany}}
{{for|the surname|Zeitz (surname)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Expand German|topic=geo|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox German place
|type              = Stadt
|image_photo       = Zeitz Schloss1.jpg
|image_caption     = [[Schloss Moritzburg (Zeitz)|Schloss Moritzburg]]
|image_coa         = Wappen Zeitz.png
|coordinates       = {{coord|51|2|52|N|12|8|18|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan        = Zeitz in BLK.svg
|state             = Sachsen-Anhalt
|district          = Burgenlandkreis
|elevation         = 160
|area              = 87.18
|postal_code       = 06711, 06712
|area_code         = 03441, 034423, 034426
|licence           = BLK, HHM, NEB, NMB, WSF, ZZ 
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 15 0 84 590
|website           = [http://www.zeitz.de/ German: Stadt Zeitz]
|mayor             = Christian Thieme<ref>[https://wahlergebnisse.sachsen-anhalt.de/wahlen/bmbm/index.html Bürgermeisterwahlen in den Gemeinden, Endgültige Ergebnisse], [[Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen-Anhalt]]. Retrieved 6 July 2023.</ref>
|leader_term       = 2023–30
|party             = CDU
}}

'''Zeitz''' ({{IPA|de|ˈtsaɪts|-|De-Zeitz.ogg}}; {{langx|hsb|Žič}}, {{IPA|hsb|ˈʒitʃ|pron}}) is a town in the [[Burgenlandkreis]] district, in [[Saxony-Anhalt]], Germany. It is situated on the river [[White Elster]], in the triangle of the federal states [[Saxony-Anhalt]], [[Thuringia]], and [[Saxony]].

==History==
First a Slavic pagan settlement later Christianized, Zeitz was first recorded under the [[Medieval Latin]] name ''Cici'' in the [[Synod of Ravenna]] in 967. Between 965 and 982, it was the chief fortress of the [[March of Zeitz]]. Zeitz was a bishop's residence between 968 and 1028, when it was moved to [[Naumburg]]. Beginning at the end of the 13th century, the bishops again resided in their castle at Zeitz.  The Herrmannsschacht (built in 1889) is one of the oldest brown coal brickette factories in the world. The city was captured by Swedish troops during the [[Thirty Years' War]] and was given to [[Electorate of Saxony]] in 1644. It was the centre of [[Saxe-Zeitz]] between 1657 and 1718, before returning to the Electorate (which became the [[Kingdom of Saxony]] in 1806). In 1815, it was given to the [[Kingdom of Prussia]], becoming district (kreis) centre of the Merseburg region (regierungsbezirk) of the [[Province of Saxony]] until 1944, when it became part of the Province of [[Halle-Merseburg]]. It became a county free city between 1901 and 1950. It was occupied by U.S. troops on 27 April 1945 and was transferred to [[Soviet]] control on 1 July 1945. It was a district centre in the Halle region of [[Saxony-Anhalt]] state in 1945–1952 and again in 1990–1994, and in [[Bezirk Halle]] between 1952 and 1990. It lost its status as county centre and became part of the Burgenlandkreis on 1 July 1994.

A bombing target of the [[Oil Campaign of World War II]], the [[Brabag]] plant northeast of Zeitz used [[lignite coal]] for the production of [[synthetic fuel]]s<ref name=Becker>{{cite journal |last=Becker |first=Peter W. |year=1981 |title=The Role of Synthetic Fuel in World War II Germany: implications for today? |journal=Air University Review |location=[[Maxwell AFB]] }}</ref> – [[forced labor]] was provided by the nearby [[Imre Kertész|Wille]] subcamp of [[Buchenwald concentration camp|Buchenwald]] in Rehmsdorf and Gleina.{{Citation needed|date=January 2008}} In the middle of the 1960s work started on the "Zeitz-Ost" residential area, and in the mid-1980s, housing estates such as the "Völkerfreundschaft" ({{langx|en|International Friendship}}) were built.

On 18 August 1976, the Protestant clergyman [[Oskar Brüsewitz]] from [[Rippicha]] burnt himself to death in front of the Michaeliskirche. This was a protest against the [[German Democratic Republic|DDR]] system.  
The town was an industrial centre until [[German Reunification]] made many companies in eastern Germany uncompetitive, and 20,000 people lost jobs or moved to other employment. The town still has a large sugar factory, and the nearby [[lignite]] mines ([[Profen coal mine|Profen]] and [[United Schleenhain coal mine|Schleenhain]]) and [[Lippendorf Power Station]], together employing 2,000 people from Zeitz.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wecker |first1=Katharina |title=Germany's mining communities brace themselves for post-coal era {{!}} DW {{!}} 01.06.2018 |url=https://p.dw.com/p/2ym4b |website=DW.COM |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180619044229/https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-mining-communities-brace-themselves-for-post-coal-era/a-44037149 |archive-date=2018-06-19 |date=1 June 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 1 July 2009 Zeitz absorbed the former municipalities [[Döbris]], [[Geußnitz]], [[Kayna]], [[Nonnewitz]] and [[Würchwitz]].<ref>[https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Laender-Regionen/Regionales/Gemeindeverzeichnis/Namens-Grenz-Aenderung/2009-januar-dezmber.html Gebietsänderungen vom 02. Januar bis 31. Dezember 2009], [[Statistisches Bundesamt]]</ref> On 1 January 2010 it absorbed [[Luckenau]] and [[Theißen]].<ref>[https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Laender-Regionen/Regionales/Gemeindeverzeichnis/Namens-Grenz-Aenderung/2010.html Gebietsänderungen vom 01. Januar bis 31. Dezember 2010], [[Statistisches Bundesamt]]</ref>

== Geography ==
The town Zeitz consists of Zeitz proper and the following ''Ortschaften'' or municipal divisions:<ref name=Hauptsatzung>[https://www.zeitz.de/output/download.php?fid=3429.53.1.PDF Hauptsatzung der Stadt Zeitz], October 2019.</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
*[[Geußnitz]]
*[[Kayna]]
*[[Luckenau]]
*[[Nonnewitz]]
*Pirkau
*[[Theißen]]
*[[Würchwitz]]
*Zangenberg
{{div col end}}

===Climate===
Zeitz has an [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfb''; [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]]: ''Dobk''). The annual precipitation is {{convert|601.7|mm|in|abbr=on}}, and the precipitation in summer is about twice that in winter.

The Zeitz weather station has recorded the following extreme values:<ref name=sklima/>
* Highest Temperature {{convert|39.0|C|F}} on 13 August 2003.
* Lowest Temperature {{convert|-26.8|C|F}} on 14 January 1987.
* Wettest Year {{convert|880.5|mm|in|abbr=on}} in 2002.
* Driest Year {{convert|302.5|mm|in|abbr=on}} in 1982.
* Highest Daily Precipitation: {{convert|84.0|mm|in|abbr=on}} on 21 July 1992.
* Earliest Snowfall: 14 October 2015.
* Latest Snowfall: 28 April 1985.

{{Weather box|width=auto
|location = Zeitz, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1952–present
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan record high C = 15.1
|Feb record high C = 19.8
|Mar record high C = 26.0
|Apr record high C = 31.2
|May record high C = 32.5
|Jun record high C = 37.9
|Jul record high C = 38.0
|Aug record high C = 39.0
|Sep record high C = 34.0
|Oct record high C = 29.0
|Nov record high C = 20.9
|Dec record high C = 18.3
|year record high C = 39.0
|Jan avg record high C = 11.2
|Feb avg record high C = 13.3
|Mar avg record high C = 18.3
|Apr avg record high C = 23.6
|May avg record high C = 27.8
|Jun avg record high C = 31.1
|Jul avg record high C = 32.9
|Aug avg record high C = 33.0
|Sep avg record high C = 27.5
|Oct avg record high C = 22.3
|Nov avg record high C = 15.3
|Dec avg record high C = 11.7
|year avg record high C = 35.0
|Jan high C = 3.5
|Feb high C = 4.9
|Mar high C = 9.0
|Apr high C = 14.6
|May high C = 19.1
|Jun high C = 22.3
|Jul high C = 24.8
|Aug high C = 24.7
|Sep high C = 19.6
|Oct high C = 14.0
|Nov high C = 7.9
|Dec high C = 4.4
|year high C = 14.1
|Jan mean C = 1.1
|Feb mean C = 1.8
|Mar mean C = 5.0
|Apr mean C = 9.6
|May mean C = 13.8
|Jun mean C = 17.0
|Jul mean C = 19.3
|Aug mean C = 19.0
|Sep mean C = 14.6
|Oct mean C = 9.9
|Nov mean C = 5.2
|Dec mean C = 2.0
|year mean C = 9.8
|Jan low C = -1.4
|Feb low C = -1.0
|Mar low C = 1.5
|Apr low C = 4.8
|May low C = 8.6
|Jun low C = 12.0
|Jul low C = 14.1
|Aug low C = 14.0
|Sep low C = 10.4
|Oct low C = 6.6
|Nov low C = 2.7
|Dec low C = -0.2
|year low C = 6.0
|Jan avg record low C = -11.0
|Feb avg record low C = -9.1
|Mar avg record low C = -4.6
|Apr avg record low C = -1.4
|May avg record low C = 2.7
|Jun avg record low C = 6.8
|Jul avg record low C = 9.4
|Aug avg record low C = 8.7
|Sep avg record low C = 4.9
|Oct avg record low C = -0.9
|Nov avg record low C = -3.8
|Dec avg record low C = -8.4
|year avg record low C = -13.0
|Jan record low C = -26.8
|Feb record low C = -23.7
|Mar record low C = -17.0
|Apr record low C = -7.0
|May record low C = -3.2
|Jun record low C = 1.8
|Jul record low C = 5.2
|Aug record low C = 2.8
|Sep record low C = -1.6
|Oct record low C = -6.8
|Nov record low C = -13.0
|Dec record low C = -25.2
|year record low C = -26.8
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 34.4
|Feb precipitation mm = 30.7
|Mar precipitation mm = 40.7
|Apr precipitation mm = 34.3
|May precipitation mm = 61.9
|Jun precipitation mm = 66.2
|Jul precipitation mm = 84.8
|Aug precipitation mm = 64.0
|Sep precipitation mm = 53.6
|Oct precipitation mm = 43.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 46.7
|Dec precipitation mm = 41.4
|year precipitation mm = 601.7
|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 18.2
|Feb precipitation days = 15.8
|Mar precipitation days = 17.0
|Apr precipitation days = 12.5
|May precipitation days = 14.2
|Jun precipitation days = 14.5
|Jul precipitation days = 15.2
|Aug precipitation days = 14.0
|Sep precipitation days = 12.9
|Oct precipitation days = 15.0
|Nov precipitation days = 16.7
|Dec precipitation days = 18.4
|year precipitation days = 184.4
|Jan snow depth cm = 7.8
|Feb snow depth cm = 6.3
|Mar snow depth cm = 4.3
|Apr snow depth cm = 0.5
|May snow depth cm = 0
|Jun snow depth cm = 0
|Jul snow depth cm = 0
|Aug snow depth cm = 0
|Sep snow depth cm = 0
|Oct snow depth cm = 0.4
|Nov snow depth cm = 2.4
|Dec snow depth cm = 6.4
|year snow depth cm = 12.6
|humidity colour = green
|Jan humidity = 81.2
|Feb humidity = 78.6
|Mar humidity = 74.2
|Apr humidity = 68.3
|May humidity = 69.5
|Jun humidity = 70.1
|Jul humidity = 68.3
|Aug humidity = 68.8
|Sep humidity = 75.0
|Oct humidity = 80.1
|Nov humidity = 83.7
|Dec humidity = 82.9
|year humidity = 75.0
|source 1 = [[Deutscher Wetterdienst]] / SKlima.de<ref name=sklima>{{cite web 
|url = http://sklima.de/datenbank_auswertung.php?tab=2
|title = Monatsauswertung 
|website = sklima.de 
|publisher = SKlima 
|language = de 
|access-date = 18 October 2024}}</ref>
}}

==Main sights==
Zeitz's sights are predominantly situated along the [[Romanesque Road]] (point 52).  
* ''[[Schloss Moritzburg (Zeitz)|Schloss Moritzburg]]'', a [[baroque]]-style castle with the {{ill|Zeitz Cathedral|de|Zeitzer Dom|lt=cathedral of St. Peter and Paul}}. The 10th-century crypt displays 17th-century tin coffins including that of [[Maurice, Duke of Saxe-Zeitz]].<ref>[https://www.kath-zeitz.de/?mm=3&me=71 Die Krypta des Domes], Kath. Pfarrgemeinde St. Peter und Paul Zeitz.</ref>
* ''Michaeliskirche'' (1154), originally a Romanesque basilica and contains a 1517 original of [[Martin Luther]]'s [[95 Theses]].
* Town Hall (1509, rebuilt in 1909). It is a Gothic structure that, together with restored houses and three marketplaces, provides Zeitz's medieval appearance.
* ''Herrmannsschacht'', a technical monument in a former brick factory.

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Zeitz is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web|title=Partnerstädte|url=https://www.zeitz.de/de/partnerstaedte.html|website=zeitz.de|publisher=Zeitz|language=de|access-date=2021-02-18|archive-date=25 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200325183540/https://www.zeitz.de/de/partnerstaedte.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|MNG}} [[Darkhan (city)|Darkhan]], Mongolia (1989)
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Detmold]], Germany (1990)
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Kaliningrad]], Russia (1995)
*{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Tosu, Saga|Tosu]], Japan (1998)
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Prescott, Arizona|Prescott]], United States (2014)

==Notable people==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Christian August of Saxe-Zeitz]] (1666–1725), Archbishop of [[Esztergom]]
*[[Anna Magdalena Bach]] (1701–1760), second wife of [[Johann Sebastian Bach|J. S. Bach]]
*[[Clemens Denhardt]] (1852–1929), Africa explorer
*[[Gustav Denhardt]] (1856–1917), African explorer
*[[Kurt Floericke]] (1869–1934), natural scientist, naturalist and author 
*[[Ewald André Dupont]] (1891–1956), film director and screenwriter
*[[Walter Krüger (Wehrmacht general)|Walter Krüger]] (1892-1973), general
*[[Heinrich Troeger]] (1901–1975), jurist and SPD politician
*[[Ewald Riebschläger]] (1904–1993), water jumper, European Champion
*[[Karl Walther]] (1905–1981), painter
*[[Gotthard Handrick]] (1908–1978), fighter pilot and athlete, Olympic champion
*[[Fritz Gödicke]] (1919–2009), football coach
*[[Horst Wende]] (1919–1996), bandleader, arranger and composer
*[[Heinz-Günther Lehmann]] (1923–2006), swimmer, European champion
*[[Manfred Kaiser]] (1929–2017), footballer and coach
*[[Rudolf Drößler]] (1934 – 2022), author and science journalist
*[[Bernd Bauchspiess]] (born 1939), footballer
*[[Hans Zierold]] (born 1938), swimmer
*[[Klaus Trummer]] (born 1945), canoeist
*[[Jürgen Kretschmer]] (born 1947), canoeist
*[[Martina Falke]] (born 1951), canoeist
{{div col end}}

==See also==
*[[Geußnitz]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Zeitz|short=x}}

{{Cities and towns in Burgenlandkreis (district)}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Zeitz| ]]
[[Category:Burgenlandkreis]]
[[Category:Oil campaign of World War II]]