Wernigerode ( German pronunciation: [ˌvɛɐnɪɡəˈʁoːdə] ) is a town in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 2007, it was the capital of the district of Wernigerode. [3 ] Its population was 32,181 in 2020.
Wernigerode was a district (Kreis) in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The neighboring districts were (from north clockwise) Halberstadt, Quedlinburg, the district Nordhausen in Thuringia and the district Goslar in Lower Saxony.
Wernigerode Castle was first built at the beginning of the 12th century (1110-1120) as a Romanesque architecture medieval fortress for German emperors to have a secure spot to stop during their hunting trips to the Harz.
The County of Wernigerode (German: Grafschaft Wernigerode) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire which arose in the Harzgau region of the former Duchy of Saxony, at the northern foot of the Harz mountain range.