DEUTSCHLAND	GERMANY
Bundesland: Sachsen-Anhalt	Saxony-Anhalt
Landkreis: Harz

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Thale is situated at an elevation of 156 m on the rover Bode in the northeastern slopes of the Harz mountains of Saxony-Anhalt, about 18 km south of the district town Halberstadt. The municipality has a population of about 17,400 (2018).

The settlement of Thale probably emerged at the beginning of the 10th century. It was documented in 936 in connexion with the neighbouring Wendhusen Abbey, which had been founded around 825 AD as a chapter of canonesses. The village was first mentioned in a 1231 deed as Dat Dorp to dem Dale (from 1288 it was given the Latinised description de valle, and from 1303 as von Thale). In the late Middle Ages, the estates were held by the Saxon Counts of Regenstein, vassals of the Halberstadt prince-bishops. From 1445 the records show that there had been an ironworks in Thale. After the secularised Halberstadt territories were incorporated by Brandenburg-Prussia, a small hammer mill was established in 1686. Part of the Prussian Province of Saxony since 1815, the first wrought-iron wagon axle to be made in the German lands was manufactured here in 1831. In 1835 the oldest sheet steel enamel works in Europe was founded in Thale. Following the town's connexion to the railway network in 1862 with a line to Berlin the place flourished as did the number of workers. Whilst the iron industry had only 350 workers in 1872, by 1905 there were as many as 4,400. In particular, the production of enamel contributed to Thale's international renown; in its heyday, Thale produced no less than 10% of the world's production. Tourism blossomed from the 19th century onwards in connexion with the radon rich water of the Hubertus Spring, which had been opened up in 1836. In 1922 the resort was given town rights.

Glass no. 1452 [left] and no. 3774 [right: top picture] show views of the entrance to the Bode valley at Thale.

The Hexentanzplatz (witches' dance-floor) [left, no. 1452, and right, no. 3774: bottom right picture] is a picturesque rock formation 454 m above 3774 48 m above the Roßtrappe. The Hexentanzplatz is reputedly an Old Saxon cult site, at which celebrations were held in honour of the so-called Hagedisen (forest and mountain goddesses), particularly on the night of 1 May. The place did not become known as the Hexentanzplatz until the cult was banned by the invading Christian Franks. According to tradition the site was guarded by Frankish soldiers in order to enforce the ban and they were chased off by Saxons dressed as witches and riding on broomsticks. Another old Saxon cult site is found on the Brocken. Above the Hexentanzplatz are the remains of the Sachsenwall (“Saxon Dyke”), a wall of granite rocks and possibly part of a larger fortification, more than 1,500 years old. Since the middle of the 19th century there has been a mountain hotel of the same name on the Hexentanzplatz [top background right]. On the plateau is the Thale Mountain Theatre (Bergtheater Thale), one of the oldest open-air theatres in Germany with 1,350 seats, which was founded in 1903.

The Roßtrappe [left, no. 1765, and right, no. 3774: bottom left picture] is a 403 m high granite crag rising high over the Bode Gorge. It may be reached from Thale by road, on foot or on a chair lift. According to legend, a giant by the name of Bodo once followed the king’s beautiful daughter, Brunhilde, whom he wanted to marry against her will. Brunhilde escaped on a white stallion (German: Ross), but was suddenly confronted by a deep ravine. Her horse leapt in one bound to the rocks on the other side, but her pursuer fell into the depths below. The impression of the horse’s hoof may still be seen today. The giant Bodo gave his name to the small river, the Bode. Since the middle of the 19th century there has been a mountain hotel [right, no. 1765] with the same name at the entrance to the Roßtrappe.

[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thale, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thale; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexentanzplatz_(Harz); http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roßtrappe]