Bernburg, now the county seat of the Salzlandkreis in Saxony-Anhalt, is located on the middle Saale River. For centuries, the town served as a hub along the historic trade route between Magdeburg and Halle. The town was first mentioned in a document in 961 as “Brandanburg.” As part of the Principality of Anhalt, the town served as the seat of the House of Anhalt-Bernburg during the Middle Ages.

The striking Renaissance castle stands atop a rocky outcrop overlooking the Saale River and was built starting in the 16th century on the site of earlier medieval structures. Today it houses a museum dedicated to the history of the city and the region.

In the 20th century, Bernburg also became known as a center of the chemical industry. During the Nazi era, the local state hospital served as one of the killing centers under the Nazi “Aktion T4” program. A memorial on the grounds of the former sanatorium and nursing home now commemorates these crimes.