Braunlage remembers: Lecture on the historical exchange of territories in 1945!

Braunlage remembers: Lecture on the historical exchange of territories in 1945!

What actually happened in the Harz in 1945? A year full of upheavals and decisions that still resonate today. This also applies to the division into occupation zones, which came into force on July 1, 1945 and brought brutal changes to the region. These upheavals were agreed upon by the victorious powers after the Second World War and led to the division of the Blankenburg district on July 23, 1945. At that time, Braunlage became the district town of the newly created remaining district and was thus pioneering for many things in the region.

Just six towns in this region remained in the British occupation zone, with Braunlage being the largest among them. It is interesting that the Blankenburg district had this name until it was dissolved in 1972. However, there were a few sticking points in the division: the larger eastern part of the district fell into the Soviet Occupation Zone (SBZ) and was only connected to the British zone by a road and a railway line. For the residents, this meant profound changes to everyday life.

A memorable change

The territorial exchange, which took place on July 23, 1945, is considered the largest of its kind in Germany, affecting over 430 km² and affecting around 36,000 people. The British were concerned about securing their energy supply, as large parts west of the Elbe were already under the control of the US Army in April 1945. Thus, the British military government negotiated an exchange of territory to protect its economic interests and address these concerns. An important factor in this exchange was the Harbke power plant, which was of great importance for the British zone.

On July 23, 1945 at 8:00 a.m. local time, the exchange took place as planned, and many places in the Blankenburg district, including Blankenburg itself, were affected. These measures were not made public in order to avoid mass exodus. After the exchange, the region around Braunlage was now greatly changed, but the western part of the Blankenburg district remained independent and retained its identity until its dissolution in 1972.

Let the memory live

At this historic point in time, the Braunlage Museum Society invites you to a lecture on July 23, 2025. Friedemann Schwarz will talk about the events of that time, which are hardly known to many people. The topic of the lecture is: “The forgotten date – when Braunlage became the district town 80 years ago”. It starts at 7:30 p.m. in the “Harzer Scheune”. Admission is free and offers an excellent opportunity to engage with this historical episode.

Overall, the history of territorial exchange in the Harz and the upheavals that occurred in 1945 show how fragile realities and identities can be. It remains to be hoped that interest in these historical facts never dies out and that lectures like the one on July 23rd will shed light on the aspects of this era that were thought to have been forgotten.

For more details about the area swap and its background, you can see Goslarer Nachrichten and Wikipedia.