Cuxhaven
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| Country | Germany |
| State | Lower Saxony |
| District | Cuxhaven |
| Population | 52,271 (2005) |
| Area | 161.90 km² |
| Population density | 323 /km² |
| Elevation | 0-37.5 m |
| Coordinates | 53°51′ N 8°42′ E |
| Postal code | 27472-27478 |
| Area code | 04721-04724, 04727 |
| Licence plate code | CUX |
| Mayor | Arno Stabbert |
| Website | cuxhaven.de |
Cuxhaven is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, with about 55,000 inhabitants. It is located on the shore of the North Sea at the mouth of the Elbe River. Cuxhaven has a footprint of 14 km (east-west) by 7 km (north-south). It is the capital of the Cuxhaven district. It is a popular vacation spot on the North Sea.
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[edit] History
Cuxhaven is relatively young: it became a town on March 15, 1907. For over 600 years until 1937 Cuxhaven belonged to Hamburg.
[edit] Cuxhaven's role in German rocketry
Between 1945 and 1964 various experiments in rocketry were performed near Cuxhaven. On 2, 4, and 14 October 1945 one rocket of the type A4 (also known as the V-2 rocket) was launched from a site between Arensch and Sahlenburg in order to demonstrate the V-2 rocket to the Allied military. This action was called Operation Backfire. A layout plan of the starting point of Operation Backfire can be found here.
From 1957 to 1964 in the cotton wool area of Cuxhaven the German Rocket Society e.V. (later called the Hermann Oberth society e.V.), Ernst Mohr, and the Berthold-Seliger research and development company mbH launched approximately 500 rockets. The smallest of these rockets were used for sea rescue, whereas the largest were research rockets. The most remarkable rockets launched at this time in the tideland of Cuxhaven were the rockets of Ernst Mohr (maximum altitude: 50 kilometers, takeoff weight 150kg), the Kumulus and Cirrus of the Herrmann-Oberth-society, and the rockets of the Berthold Seliger research and development company;. The latter launched a three-stage rocket which attained a height of 120 kilometers for the first time on 2 May 1963 in the tideland of Cuxhaven. This was the only rocket developed in postwar Germany which reached space.
On 5 December 1963 the Berthold Seliger research and development company mbH gave a demonstration of their missiles to representatives from non-NATO states. Although the demonstrated rockets were not directly militarily usable, this action fuelled the distrust of the German authorities.
After a deadly accident at a rocket demonstration given by Gerhard Zucker in Braunlage on 7 May 1964, the authorities halted the experiments with a provisional order in June 1964, although neither the Berthold-Seliger research and development society mbH nor the Hermann Oberth society e.V. cooperated with Gerhard Zucker in any way.
[edit] Other information
A few kilometers off the Cuxhaven coast lies the island of Neuwerk. At low tide the water recedes so far from the coast that the island can be reached either by mudflat hiking or by horse carriage.
A modern landmark of Cuxhaven is the Friedrich-Clemens-Gerke Tower, a telecommunication tower built of concrete, which is not accessible to the public.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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This Lower Saxony location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
Bederkesa | Beverstedt | Cuxhaven | Hagen im Bremischen | Hemmoor | Langen | Loxstedt | Nordholz | Schiffdorf
