Clausthal-Zellerfeld

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Clausthal-Zellerfeld is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, in the southwestern Harz mountains. It has about 15,000 residents and covers around 43.7 square kilometers. The town sits on the Upper Harz Plateau, at elevations from about 390 to 821 meters, with a landscape that is less wooded and more pasture-filled than most of the Harz. Numerous dams and streams nearby belong to the Upper Harz Water Regale.

The town is made up of four districts and was created in 1924 when two towns, Clausthal and Zellerfeld, merged. Clausthal is famous for the Clausthal University of Technology, founded in 1775 to train mining engineers. Today it is a technical university teaching engineering, natural sciences, computer science and business. Zellerfeld is known as a tourist spot for hikers and winter sports.

Mining began here in the 16th century. In the 1830s, Wilhelm Albert invented a wire rope for mining that was soon used in other applications, including suspension bridges. The Innerste Valley Railway opened in 1877. In 1944, a bombing destroyed much of the town’s station and 92 people died. Mining declined and ended in 1930 when ore ran out. Today you can visit mining remains and museums in the Harz, and the old station building houses the tourist information center and the town library. The Langelsheim–Altenau railway operated from 1877 to 1976; now buses serve the area.

The economy centers on the university, research spin-offs, and tourism, especially in Altenau, Buntenbock, Schulenberg and Wildemann. The town has a health resort and acts as a base for Harz tourism. The mayor for 2021–2026 is Petra Emmerich-Kopatsch (SPD). The postal code is 38678, the area code 05323, and vehicle registrations include GS, BRL and CLZ.