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

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Annaburg is situated at an elevation of 75 m in the east of the district Wittenberg of the state of Saxony-Anhalt, about 35 km southeast of the district town, Lutherstadt Wittenberg. The municipality of Annaburg has a population of about 6,900 (2015).

In the 13th century, the Ascanians built a hunting lodge on the site of today's Annaburg. This stately edifice, however, burnt down in 1422. Duke (Elector) Albrecht III of Saxe-Wittenberg found himself inside the lodge when it caught fire. He and his wife escaped through a window but hed died a few days later as a result of his injuries. This actually influenced the region's history, as Albrecht had no heir. With his death, the Saxon Ascanian dynasty came to an end and the electoral dignity was transfered to margrave Friedrich IV of Meißen from the Wettin dynasty (Elector Friedrich I of Saxony). Until 1572, Annaburg was called Lochau (first mentioned as Lochaw in 1339) and was, until it was abolished for good in 1821, the seat of the Amt of Annaburg. In 1573, the new residence, built for Anna of Denmark and Norway, wife of Elector August of Saxony, and with it the entire town was renamed Annaburg in her honour. After losing town rights in the 17th century, they were granted Annaburg once again in 1939. In 2011, Annaburg proper, the city of Prettin and the municipalities Axien, Bethau, Groß-Naundorf, Labrun, Lebien and Plossig (until then parts of the administrative union Annaburg-Prettin) were merged into the present city of Annaburg.

Annaburg castle [left] was built from around 1500 by Elector Friedrich III of Saxony in place of the older hunting lodge named Lochau (see above). The new castle again served mainly as hunting lodge and thus was used as an accessory residence next to the residence castle at Torgau. Elector August of Saxony had the castle rebuilt in 1572–1575 as residence and hunting lodge as well as for being a future dowager residence for his wife Anna, Princess of Denmark and Norway. From then on, both castle and town were named Annaburg. The castle is reckoned to be a major work of the Saxon residence architecture of the Renaissance period. As Anna was very much interested in medicine, gardening etc., the castle also became home of the first Saxon court pharmacy. Between 1762 and 1821 the castle was used as a military school. Today, large parts of the complex are used for residential purposes.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annaburg, de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annaburg; https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verwaltungsgemeinschaft_Annaburg-Prettin; https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Annaburg]