Braunlage is reminiscent: Lecture on the historical area exchange 1945!

Braunlage is reminiscent: Lecture on the historical area exchange 1945!

Braunlage, Deutschland - What actually happened in the Harz in 1945? A year full of upheavals and decisions that continue to sustainably sustainably. So also the division into occupation zones, which came into force on July 1, 1945 and brought brutal changes in the region. These upheavals were denied by the victorious powers after the Second World War and led to the division of the Blankenburg district on July 23, 1945. Braunlage became the district town of the newly created rest of the district and was therefore groundbreaking for many things in the region.

just six locations in this region remained in the British occupation zone, with Braunlage being the largest among them. It is interesting that the district of Blankenburg had this name until its dissolution in 1972. However, there were some sticking points during the division: the larger eastern part of the district fell to the Soviet occupation zone (SBZ) and was only connected to the British zone by a street and a railway line. This meant profound changes in everyday life for the residents.

a memorable change

The area exchange, which took place on July 23, 1945, is considered the largest of its kind in Germany with an impact on over 430 km² and around 36,000 people affected. The British were concerned about ensuring their energy supply, since in April 1945 large parts west of the Elbe were under control of the US Army. The British military government conducted negotiations on an area of territory in order to maintain its economic interests and to disclose this concerns. An important factor of 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 to avoid mass false. After the exchange, the region around Braunlage had now changed significantly, 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 historical time, the Museumsgesellschaft Braunlage invites you to a lecture on July 23, 2025. Friedemann Schwarz will talk about the events at that time that many are hardly known. The topic of the lecture is: "The forgotten date - as a Braunlage 80 years ago became a district town". It starts at 7:30 p.m. in the "Harzer barn", admission is free and offers an excellent opportunity to deal with this historical episode.

Overall, the history of the area 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 circumstances will never go out and lectures like that on July 23 will throw a light on the forgotten aspects of this era.

For more details about the area of territorial exchange and its background, you can Goslarer Nachrichten as well Wikipedia.