Bitterfeld () is a town in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2007 it has been part of the town of Bitterfeld-Wolfen. It is situated approximately 25 km south of Dessau, and 30 km northeast of Halle (Saale).
History and description
thumb|Town hall
thumb|[[Bitterfeld Arch]]
The name Bitterfeld most likely comes from the Middle High German words bitter and Feld and so means "boggy land".
Bitterfeld was built by a colony of Flemish immigrants in 1153. The first documentary mention is from 1224. It was captured by the landgrave of Meissen in 1476, and belonged thenceforth to Saxony, until it was ceded to Prussia in 1815.
By 1900, Bitterfeld station was an important junction of the Berlin–Halle and the Magdeburg–Leipzig railways. The population at that time was 11,839; it manufactured drainpipes, paper roofing, and machinery, and had sawmills. There were also several coal mines in the vicinity. Owing to its pleasant situation and accessibility, it became a favoured residence of businessmen of Leipzig and Halle.
In the 21st century Bitterfeld is still an industrial town and it stages the annual United Metal Maniacs metal festival.
The former brown-coal open cast mine of Goitzsche, south-east of Bitterfeld, is a source of numerous fossils in Bitterfeld amber.
<gallery>
Bitterfeld-Wolfen Herz-Jesu-Kirche asv2023-06 img1.jpg|Catholic church
Bitterfeld Kirche.jpg|Evangelical church
Villa am Bernsteinsee.JPG|Villa am Bernsteinsee
Pegelturm Goitzschesee.jpg|Pegelturm tower in Goitzschesee lake
Bitterfeld Berufschulzentrum.jpg|Vocational school center "August von Parseval"
Pouch Giotzsche2.jpg|Großer Goitzschesee (lake)
</gallery>
Historical population
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;">
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+1840 to 1939
!Year !! Population
|-
|1840 || 4,649
|-
|1870 || 5,693
|-
|1880 || 6,531
|-
|1890 || 9,047
|-
|1925 || 18,384
|-
|1933 || 21,328
|-
|1939 || 23,949
|}
</div>
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;">
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+1946 to 1995
!Year !! Population
|-
|1946 || 32,833
|-
|1950 || 32,814
|-
|1960 || 31,687
|-
|1981 || 22,199
|-
|1984 || 21,279
|-
|1990 || 18,099
|-
|1995 || 16,868
|}
</div>
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;">
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+2000 to 2006
!Year !! Population
|-
|2000 || 16,507
|-
|2001 || 16,237
|-
|2002 || 15,985
|-
|2003 || 15.798
|-
|2004 || 15,755
|-
|2005 || 15,728
|-
|2006 || 15,709
|}
</div>
<div style="clear:both;"></div>
(from 1840 to 2006):