HETTSTEDT

hettstedt, a town of germany, in prussian saxony, on the wipper, and at the junction of the railways berlin-blankenheim and hettstedt-halle, 23 m. n.w. of the last town. pop. (1905), 9230. it has a roman catholic and four evangelical churches, and has manufactures of machinery, pianofortes and artificial manure. in the neighbourhood are mines of argentiferous copper, and the surrounding district and villages are occupied with smelting and similar works. silver and sulphuric acid are the other chief products; nickel and gold are also found in small quantities. in the kaiser friedrich mine close by, the first steam-engine in germany was erected on the 23rd of august 1785. hettstedt is mentioned as early as 1046; in 1220 it possessed a castle; and in 1380 it received civic privileges. when the countship of mansfeld was sequestrated, hettstedt came into the possession of saxony, passing to prussia in 1815.