Why does the name Magdala sound so familiar? This town in the Weimarer Land district of Thuringia carries a history as deep as its roots. Magdala’s story begins in 874 with its first written mention as Madaha. The name evolved through the ages. It changed from Madela to Madala and finally settled on Magdala.
Imagine the Magdala Water Castle. It once stood at the northeast corner of the old town. Alexander and Dietrich von Magdala resided here. They were vassals of the Counts of Orlamünde. The Wettins later took feudal authority. The Saxon Fraternal War brought destruction in 1450. The castle was destroyed in 1452. Today only remnants of walls and the moat remain.
Around 1284 Magdala received city rights. The Counts of Orlamünde granted them. The city lost significance after the Saxon Fraternal War.
Between 1535 and 1545 Magdala embraced Protestantism. The town hall stands as a landmark. It dates back to 1571. Look closely. The year is carved above the former entrance. It is in Renaissance style. Foundations from 1570 suggest a link to the city’s founding in 1288.
The town hall burned down in 1849. Parts of the inner city suffered too. The sturdy town hall walls survived. The rebuilt structure of 1850 retains its current look. A flood in 1613 claimed many lives in Magdala.
The domain covered 255 hectares. It belonged to the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Hubert Scheibe leased it in 1923.
Magdala has been home to notable people. August Wilhelm Dennstedt was a natural scientist, doctor, and author. He was also mayor of Magdala. Anton Sommer a poet worked temporarily as a house teacher in Magdala. Heinrich Friedrich Weber a physicist was a professor at the ETH Zürich.
Magdala is located 10 kilometers west of Jena. It is also 12 kilometers southeast of Weimar. In 2022 Magdala had a population of 1987. The mayor from 2022 to 2028 is Mario Haßkarl. The town covers an area of 20.53 square kilometers.