Köthen

Köthen (former spelling: Cöthen) is a small town in Saxony-Anhalt that was once the residence of the petty principality of Anhalt-Köthen.

Understand
Köthen was first mentioned in a chronicle dating from 1115. It quickly became a market town and had a mint since 1160. Since 1295 the Princes of Anhalt had one of their residences at Köthen castle. When the principality was partitioned in 1396, Köthen became the capital of a separate, tiny state, that was raised to a Duchy in 1806 and existed until its re-unification with Anhalt-Dessau in 1853.

Lovers of classical music worldwide know Köthen because of Johann Sebastian Bach's stay there from 1717 to 1723, when he was Kapellmeister (conductor) of the princely court orchestra. He wrote much of his instrumental music there, including the Brandenburg Concertos, the preludes and fugues for The Well-Tempered Clavier, as well as his Cello Suites.

Samuel Hahnemann, creator of homeopathy, lived in Köthen from 1821 to 1835, when he was the duke's personal physician.

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Go next

 * Bernburg (20 km northwest), former residence of another part of Anhalt, picturesque castle and old town; 20 min by train.
 * Dessau (25 km northeast), both the Bauhaus school of architecture and design and the Dessau-Wörlitz "Garden Realm" are UNESCO World Heritage Sites; 20 min by train.
 * Halle (35 km south), 20–30 min by train.
 * Eisleben (55 km southwest), Martin Luther's place of birth and death.
 * Magdeburg (65 km northwest), 25–40 min by train.
 * Quedlinburg (70 km west), one of Germany's best preserved medieval old towns.
 * Leipzig (70 km), Johann Sebastian Bach's next stage of life as cantor of St Thomas' Church; 45 min by train.