Berga, Thuringia
Stadtteil of Berga-Wünschendorf in Thuringia, Germany
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Berga/Elster (German pronunciation: [ˈbɛʁɡa]) is a former town in the district of Greiz, in Thuringia, Germany. On 1 January 2024 it became part of the town Berga-Wünschendorf.[1] It is situated on the White Elster river, 14 km southeast of Gera.
Berga | |
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_COA.svg) Coat of arms | |
 Location of Berga | |
  Berga  Berga | |
| Coordinates: 50°45′N 12°10′E | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Thuringia |
| District | Greiz |
| Town | Berga-Wünschendorf |
| Area | |
• Total | 43.52 km2 (16.80 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 229 m (751 ft) |
| Population (2022-12-31) | |
• Total | 3,218 |
| • Density | 73.94/km2 (191.5/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 07980 |
| Dialling codes | 036623 |
| Website | Stadt-Berga.de |
History
Within the German Empire (1871–1918), Berga/Elster was part of the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
Berga concentration camp
During World War II, a slave labor camp called "Berga an der Elster"[2] was operated here to dig 17 tunnels for an underground ammunition factory. Workers were supplied by Buchenwald concentration camp and from a POW camp, Stalag IX-B; the latter contravened the provisions of the Third Geneva Convention and the Hague Treaties. Many prisoners died as a result of malnutrition, sickness (including pulmonary disease due to dust inhalation from tunnelling with explosives), and beatings,[3] including 73 American POWs.[4][5]
Personalities
- Hans Bastian I. von Zehmen (1598–1638), Saxon colonel of the Leibregiment, commander of Magdeburg
- Gerhard Schot (1866–1961), geographer and oceanographer, born in the district of Tschirma