Salzwedel
The Nicolaus Gercken Family Foundation is incorporated in Salzwedel. The foundation maintains an office in the historic former post office of Salzwedel Neustadt at Große St. Ilsen Straße 22.
Salzwedel is a jewel of Northern German brick-gothic architecture, complemented by about 600 half timber houses. The Jeetze and the Dumme flow through Salzwedel to the majestic Elbe river. They are criss-crossed by dozens of small, scenic bridges. Salzwedel lies merely 20 meters above sea level. An art museum, a city museum (Danneil Museum), a venue for concerts and performances, several historic churches, and a multitude of shops, restaurants and hotels make Salzwedel a preferred travel destination all year round.
Salzwedel is located 60 km North of Wolfsburg, 140 km South of Hamburg and 200 km West of Berlin. Salzwedel ist easy to reach by train, car and bike. Lake Arendsee is located a mere 25 km from Salzwedel. Just a few km North of Salzwedel, the iron curtain separating Western and Eastern Europe was located. Today the former border fortification zone is a national nature reserve called the Green Ribbon (Grünes Band Deutschlands). North and West of the Green Ribbon, the Wendland is located. The Wendland is worth a visit. It is the home of many scenic villages laid out in spherical patterns around the village centers. The Wendland has a unique cultural scene.
Salzwedel is known for her layered cakes, the Baumkuchen. Only a few certified bakeries may carry the slogan “Salzwedler Baumkuchen”. Read more about Baumkuchen under the menu “Baumkuchen”.
Salzwedel is the capital of Altmarkkreis (county) Salzwedel and has 25 000 inhabitants. Her economy is dominated by industry, craftsmen, retailers, the service sector, the exploration of gas fields and by agricultural farms and cooperatives.
The birthplace of Jenny Marx, the noblewoman and wife of the penniless social theoretician Karl Marx, is located in Salzwedel. Find it on the city tour in the menu “With Nicolaus’ eyes”. The utopians referencing Marx have done irreparable damage to the Gercken Family Foundation. Marx projected an unrealistic image of the nature and destination of mankind. He underestimated the power of freedom, of social cohesion, of the rule of law and of governmental redistribution of private income in a social maket economy. Much more inspiring fairy tales – pardon this humerous jab – than those of Marx can be experienced in the fairy tale park (Märchenpark), the play barn and the garden of pleasant scents which are located a mere 3km to the South of Salzwedel.
