Fleming ( German: Fläming ) is a hilly region in eastern Germany , north and east of central Elba , as well as a cultural and historical area.
Content
Geography
Located in the southwest of the federal state of Brandenburg and the east of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt . It stretched over 100 km in the territory east of Magdeburg and to Dam , from the southeast to northwest. Fleming's width is from 30 to 50 km. In the area of Belzig and Uterbog, the region is divided into Upper Fleming (in the west) and Lower Fleming (in the east). The highest point above sea level - 201 m - in Hagelberg (Upper Fleming).
The Fleming Hills were formed during the ice age. Sandy soils, poorly favorable for agriculture. The Fleming region is sparsely populated, with the rural population predominantly engaged in the cultivation of rye and potatoes. Large areas of the hills are pine forests. In 1998, in Upper Fleming, near Hagelberg , a natural park-reserve with an area of 827 km² was formed.
History
Fleming was settled by colonial settlers from the Lower Rhine and the Netherlands in the XII century after the formation of the Brandenburg brand in 1157 , where they were given self-government and “Flemish law” was in effect. And Fleming got its name from the Flemings settled here in the Middle Ages ( lat. Flamingia ), which means "the country of Flamingi, Fleming."
For centuries, Fleming served as a borderland, a natural rampart between Germans and Slavs, and later between the Elector of Saxony and Brandenburg. Fierce battles took place here during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of Independence in Germany in 1813 against the French occupation. In 1815, Fleming became fully part of the Kingdom of Prussia .
In the 16th century, the Fleming area played a pivotal role in world history. Fleming, and in particular the city of Wittenberg ( German: Lutherstadt Wittenberg ), is the cradle of the Protestant Reformation . It was here that Martin Luther on October 31, 1517 , together with his assistant and fellow countryman Johann Schneider from Eisleben , attached the famous 95 theses of Luther to the doors of the palace church.
Sources
- Brockhaus 2002
Links
- Wikimedia Commons has media related to Upper Fleming Natural Park