Colbitz-Letzlinger Heide
Coordinates: 52 ° 26 ′ 0 ″ N , 11 ° 34 ′ 0 ″ E
The Colbitz-Letzlinger Heide is a heathland area in the transition area between the Altmark and Elbe-Börde-Heide regions in Saxony-Anhalt , north of Magdeburg , which is part of the southern ridge . The area is part of the natural spatial main unit group Wendland and Altmark .
geography
The Colbitz-Letzlinger Heide - the largest contiguous heathland area in Central Europe - extends from the Altmark in the north to the Ohre and Mittelland Canal in the south near the state capital Magdeburg. The towns and communities Gardelegen , Uchtspringe , Tangerhütte , Wolmirstedt , Haldensleben and Calvörde are located on the edge of the heath, the eponymous towns Colbitz and Letzlingen within the area. For several decades, an east-west crossing of the Colbitz-Letzlinger Heide was impossible over a length of 40 kilometers (from Uchtspringe to Haldensleben). A cross-connection (K 1142) from Colbitz (on the B 189 ) to Hütten (on the B 71 ) has been open for road traffic since 2004 , which shortens the necessary detours a little. The Colbitz-Letzlinger Heide is the largest non-agricultural open space in Germany. The degree of soil sealing is extremely low, and thus a natural water regime prevails . The heathland was also largely spared from forest monocultures.
The highest point is the Zackelberg at 139.4 meters above sea level .
Flora and fauna
In the Colbitz-Letzlinger Heide you can experience partially untouched nature. It is the largest uninhabited area in Germany. In May the gorse blooms over large areas , in summer the heather characterizes the area in which the largest closed linden forest in Europe, the Colbitzer Lindenwald , is located. Here, extensive mixed forests with 600-year-old oak and pine forests form an attractive landscape for visitors. It is a habitat for hoopoes , black grouse , tree falcons , golden and stag beetles , smooth snakes , adder and many other forest dwellers. The Colbitz-Letzlinger Heide is known for its abundance of edible mushrooms . In the areas on the eastern edge of the heather - in the source streams of the Tangier - trout have been returning for several years . The beaver is also at home between Dolle and Tangerhütte .
Military use
To a large extent, the region is still used by the German Armed Forces as a military training area in Altmark . The military development for the army as part of the armament of the Wehrmacht began in 1934 during the time of National Socialism . The villages of Schnöggersburg, Salchau and Paxförde in the heather were demolished in 1936 for the purpose of building the military training area. Before 1945, the area served in particular as a firing range for testing artillery weapons. Among other things, the largest Dora gun ever used was tested there, with the length of the shooting range being particularly suitable. From 1945 to 1994 the Colbitz-Letzlinger Heide was used by Soviet and Russian troops . After the heath compromise concluded in 1997 , the southern half was to be converted into civil use by 2006. In 2004, however, this agreement was changed in favor of full military use. Today the area is used by the armed forces and serves including the practice of asymmetric warfare in the Combat Training Center army . The recreated townscape of Stullenstadt is located on the military training area .
The six square kilometer cityscape of Schnöggersburg was built between 2012 and 2017 . This area is Europe's largest "anti-riot training center". The ghost town has more than 500 buildings, industrial plants, streets and a small airfield on an area of six square kilometers.
The citizens' initiative Offene Heide works together with nature conservation associations for a tourist use of the Colbitz-Letzlinger Heide and thus for a withdrawal of the Bundeswehr.
Affiliation
Politically and administratively, the heath belongs to the Altmark district of Salzwedel (Hanseatic town of Gardelegen ), to the district of Stendal ( administrative association Tangerhütte-Land and Hanseatic City of Stendal ) and to the district of Börde ( association municipality of Elbe-Heide ).
Web links
- The Magdeburg military training area details about the military use of the area from 1945
- Printed matter 13/3283 of December 7, 1995 Statement by the Federal Government on the Altmark Combat Training Center
- LEADER 2007 - 2013 of the local action group Colbitz-Letzlinger Heide
Individual evidence