Wolfen (German pronunciation: [ˈvɔlfn̩] ) is a town in the district Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2007 it is part of the town Bitterfeld-Wolfen. It is situated approximately 6 kilometres northwest of Bitterfeld, and 20 kilometres south of Dessau.
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History
The first documentary mention of Wolfen was as Wulffen in 1400 in a fee (feudal tenure). The place name was named after a founder whose name began with Wolf. In 1846 lignite was found in the region which was mined and the current Silver Lake was developed from this mine. Later the area became a center of the German chemical industry.
In the early 1930s, an early photographic plate was produced by Agfa in Wolfen, and by 1936 the same company commercialized the more technically advanced Agfacolor Neu color transparency film, which had been developed in Wolfen.
During World War II hundreds of women, children, and men from countries under Nazi domination were forced to work in the IG-Farben factories. After the war, the rights to the Agfa brandname were lost to the West German company, and the Wolfen company's products were rebranded ORWO (ORiginal WOlfen). ORWO was one of the worldwide trademarks of East Germany (the GDR). During the GDR years, Wolfen became a dormitory community for people working at the Bitterfeld and Wolfen industrial plants (Filmfabrik Wolfen, Chemiekombinat Bitterfeld (including the former IG Farben factory, Farbenfabrik, Wolfen)), and the lignite mining company, BKK Bitterfeld (today: MIBRAG).
After German reunification, the whole area suffered from disinvestment, deindustrialization, and depopulation. Unemployment became a serious problem. As a result, the population decreased by approximately 50%. Since the 1990s industrial employment has rebounded, with investments by Bayer (the headquarters of Viverso is in the town), Hereaus, Q-Cells and Guardian Industries. Significant local concerns include Organica Feinchemie GmbH Wolfen.
Historical Population
As of 31 December, unless otherwise noted
Data since 1995: Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen-Anhalt
Notable people
Wolfgang Haubold (born 1937), chemist and university's president
Heinz Zander (born 1939), painter, draughtsman, graphic artist, illustrator and writer
Lioba Winterhalder (1945–2012), set and costume designer
Wolfgang Böhme (born 1949), handball player and coach
Paul Werner Wagner (born 1948), literary scholar
Petra Wust (born 1952), graduate engineer economist, Mayor of Wolfen and Bitterfeld-Wolfen
Frank Lienert-Mondanelli (born 1955), actor and director
Michael Stein (born 1956), pop singer
Roger Pyttel (born 1957), swimmer
Bernhard Hoff (born 1959), athlete and olympian
Ulf Langheinrich (born 1960), visual artist and composer
Manfred Wilde (born 1962), historian and Mayor of the City of Delitzsch
Thomas Konietzko (born 1963), president, German Canoe Federation, Vice President, ICF
Axel Andrae (born 1965), bassoonist
Ralph Bock (born 1967), molecular biologist
Iris Junik (1968–2009), actress
René Tretschok (born 1968), professional football player and coach (Hallescher FC, Borussia Dortmund, Hertha BSC, FC Grün-Weiß Wolfen)