First mention of our hometown, Rastenberg, appeared in 1070 and it has had a varied and interesting history with many ups and downs. For example, there are the mineral springs, which appear again and again and then run dry and have been doing so since 1646. Time after time, they gave our town fresh impetus and made this place famous as a health and holiday resort, which was widely known beyond the national borders. There was a Potash mine too. From the tapping of the shafts in 1907, to the shutdown in 1924, Rastenberg enjoyed strong growth again. Besides the mine railway they built a railway link to Weimar via Buttstädt. The railway line to Weimar still existed in 1932 but then was converted to the so-called ‘Zwecke’, a connection between Rastenberg and Buttstädt. In 1960 it all stopped.

    We lack space to do justice to the long and interesting history of our area. Greater scope and detail can be found on the Rastenberg website: (http://www.rastenberg.de)