# Alexisbad > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alexisbad > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alexisbad.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexisbad > Source revision: 1329276745 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Borough of Harzgerode in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Please help improve this article by citing more sources. Find sources: "Alexisbad" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2025) You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in German. (December 2025) Click [show] for important translation instructions. 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(Learn how and when to remove this message) Borough of Harzgerode in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany Alexisbad Borough of Harzgerode Former Reichsbahn recreation home Location of Alexisbad Alexisbad Show map of Germany Alexisbad Show map of Saxony-Anhalt Coordinates: 51°38′58″N 11°7′1″E / 51.64944°N 11.11694°E / 51.64944; 11.11694 Country Germany State Saxony-Anhalt District Harz Town Harzgerode Elevation 310 m (1,020 ft) Population • Total 52 Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET) • Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST) Postal codes 06493 Dialling codes 039484 Vehicle registration HZ, QLB **Alexisbad** is a small [spa town](/source/Spa_town), part of [Harzgerode](/source/Harzgerode) in the [district of Harz](/source/Harz_(district)), [Saxony-Anhalt](/source/Saxony-Anhalt), [Germany](/source/Germany). ## Geography Alexisbad about 1900 Alexisbad is located about 2 km (1.2 mi) northwest of the Harzgerode town centre on the [Bundesstrasse 185](/source/Bundesstrasse_185) road to [Ballenstedt](/source/Ballenstedt). It is situated in the valley of the [Selke](/source/Selke_(river)) river and its [Schwefelbach](/source/Schwefelbach) and [Friedenstalbach](/source/Friedenstalbach) tributaries, in the lower eastern outskirts of the [Harz](/source/Harz) mountain range, about 310 m (1,020 ft) above [sea level](/source/Sea_level). The settlement is surrounded by the [Harz/Saxony-Anhalt Nature Park](/source/Harz%2FSaxony-Anhalt_Nature_Park). In earlier years, the spa town was known for its [medicinal](/source/Medicinal) waters, of which the Alexisbrunnen, an [iron](/source/Iron)-rich [spring](/source/Spring_(hydrosphere)), is used for [drinking water](/source/Drinking_water), while the Selkebrunnen supplies the [baths](/source/Bathing).[1] It has its own station on the [narrow gauge](/source/Narrow_gauge_railway) steam railway section from [Gernrode](/source/Gernrode) to [Harzgerode](/source/Harzgerode), which is part of the historic [Selke Valley Railway](/source/Selke_Valley_Railway) network operated by the [Harz Narrow Gauge Railways](/source/Harz_Narrow_Gauge_Railways) company.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] ## History The Selke valley is the site of the former [Benedictine](/source/Order_of_Saint_Benedict) *Hagenenrod* Abbey, a filial monastery of [Nienburg Abbey](/source/Nienburg_Abbey) founded in 975. The Nienburg monks obtained market, minting and customs rights by King [Otto III](/source/Otto_III%2C_Holy_Roman_Emperor) in 993. About 1000, the local [Schwabengau](/source/Schwabengau) counts of [Ballenstedt](/source/Ballenstedt), progenitors of the noble [House of Ascania](/source/House_of_Ascania), served as *[Vogt](/source/Vogt)* protectors. Though the estates were placed under protection by [Pope Alexander III](/source/Pope_Alexander_III) in 1179, the monks later resettled to [Naumburg](/source/Naumburg) and the premises, devastated during the [German Peasants' War](/source/German_Peasants'_War) in 1525, decayed. When the Ascanian [Princes of Anhalt](/source/Principality_of_Anhalt) had the region developed as a [mining](/source/Mining) area, a gallery was excavated for [pyrite](/source/Pyrite) in 1692. Mining was resumed under Prince [Frederick Albert of Anhalt-Bernburg](/source/Frederick_Albert%2C_Prince_of_Anhalt-Bernburg) from 1759 onwards, and [sulfur](/source/Sulfur) was produced by [destillation](/source/Destillation). The healing properties of the waters were first examined in 1766, however, initial attempts to establish a medical care and spa business were not successful. Alexius of Anhalt, c. 1795 In 1809 Prince Frederick Albert's successor Duke [Alexius Frederick Christian Anhalt-Bernburg](/source/Alexius_Frederick_Christian%2C_Duke_of_Anhalt-Bernburg) had the waters again analyzed by the physician [Karl Ferdinand von Graefe](/source/Karl_Ferdinand_von_Graefe), who stressed the content of [iodine](/source/Iodine), [fluorine](/source/Fluorine), and [iron](/source/Iron). A spa town including a casino was laid out according to plans by [Carl Friedrich Schinkel](/source/Carl_Friedrich_Schinkel), who also designed a [tea house](/source/Tea_house) for Alexius' consort [Marie Friederike](/source/Marie_Friederike_of_Hesse-Kassel), which later was turned into a [Protestant](/source/Protestant_Church) chapel at the behest of Duchess [Friederike of Anhalt-Bernburg](/source/Princess_Friederike_of_Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Gl%C3%BCcksburg). Alexisbad soon became a fashionable health resort. Among the first guests was the composer [Carl Maria von Weber](/source/Carl_Maria_von_Weber) in 1820. On 12 May 1856, the *[Verein Deutscher Ingenieure](/source/Verein_Deutscher_Ingenieure)* (Association of German Engineers, VDI) was founded here during a vacation of several academics. ## Tourism Köthen Hut The economy of the village is dominated by [tourism](/source/Tourism). There are several hotels, pensions and restaurants. Hiking trails lead into the attractive local countryside. Typical destinations are: - The Betrothal Urn (*Verlobungsurne*) - a monument at a good viewing point above the town (checkpoint 177 in the [Harzer Wandernadel](/source/Harzer_Wandernadel) hiking system). - The *Luisentempel*, a [monopteros](/source/Monopteros) built in 1823 on a prominent rock above Alexisbad and named after [Princess Luise of Anhalt-Bernburg](/source/Princess_Luise_of_Anhalt-Bernburg) (1799–1882) - The Köthen Hut (*Köthener Hütte*), checkpoint 195 in the [Harzer Wandernadel](/source/Harzer_Wandernadel) hiking system. The hut may be reached on a steep zigzag path that runs from the B 185 road below where there is a small, unsigned, parking bay. Otherwise walkers need to start from Alexisbad, Harzgerode or Mägdesprung. ## Notable people The author [Walter Kempowski](/source/Walter_Kempowski) (1929–2007) spent his summer holidays in Alexisbad in 1939. He perpetuated the resort as *Sophienbad* in his 1971 autobiographic novel *[An Ordinary Youth](/source/An_Ordinary_Youth)*. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-EB1911_1-0)** One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the [public domain](/source/Public_domain): [Chisholm, Hugh](/source/Hugh_Chisholm), ed. (1911). "[Alexisbad](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Alexisbad)". *[Encyclopædia Britannica](/source/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica_Eleventh_Edition)*. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 577. Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Alexisbad](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Alexisbad). v t e Town of Harzgerode Dankerode Güntersberge Bärenrode Friedrichshöhe Harzgerode Alexisbad Mägdesprung Silberhütte Königerode Neudorf Siptenfelde Straßberg Authority control databases VIAF GND --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alexisbad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexisbad) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexisbad?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.