Halle is the fourth-largest city in the Thuringian-Upper Saxon dialect area after Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz.

Halle (Saale) is located in the southern part of Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany, along the river Saale which drains the surrounding plains and the greater part of the neighboring Free State of Thuringia just to its south, and the Thuringian basin, northwards from the Thuringian Forest.

The name of the river Saale contains the Germanic root for salt, and salt-harvesting has taken place in Halle since at least the Bronze Age (2300–600 BC).

Halle became a center for Pietism, a movement encouraged by King Frederick William I of Prussia (reigned 1713–1740) because it caused the area's large Lutheran population to be more inclined to Fredrick William I's religion (Calvinism), as well as more loyal to the Prussian king instead of to the decentralized feudal system.

[9] During the War of the Fourth Coalition, French and Prussian forces clashed in the Battle of Halle on 17 October 1806.

The fighting moved from the covered bridges on the city's west side, through the streets and market place, to the eastern suburbs.

On 17 April 1945, American soldiers occupied Halle, and the Red Tower was set on fire by artillery and destroyed.

After World War II, Halle served as the capital of the short-lived administrative region of Saxony-Anhalt until 1952, when the East German government abolished its "Länder" (states).

The Federal Prosecutor (Generalbundesanwalt) classified the attack as an act of right-wing terrorism stemming from antisemitism; as a consequence security measures at Jewish facilities were increased.

Since German reunification, Halle's population began to decline due to its loss of industry, with many people moving to former West Germany.

Population of foreign residents: The current mayor of Halle is independent politician Bernd Wiegand since 2012.

The brine was highly concentrated and boiled in Koten, simple structured houses made from reed and clay.

The Franckesche Stiftungen (Francke Foundations) are home to the Stadtsingechor zu Halle [de], which was founded before the year 1116 and is one of the oldest boys' choirs in the world.

Halle's German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina is the oldest and one of the most respected scientific societies in Germany.

[citation needed] Halle is also home to Germany's oldest existing Protestant community church library, the Marienbibliothek, founded in 1552, it is the largest of its kind with 36,000 titles.

Halle was a centre of German Pietism and played an important role in establishing the Lutheran church in North America, when Henry Muhlenberg and others were sent as missionaries to Pennsylvania in the mid-18th century.

He and his son, Frederick Muhlenberg, who was the first Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, were graduates of Halle University.

Halle Zoo contributes to the EAZA breeding programme, in particular for the Angolan lion and the Malaysian tiger.

With writers such as Heine, Eichendorff, Schleiermacher, Tieck and Novalis the town was a vibrant scene of the German Romanticism.

As of 2018[update] it is Germany's 11th largest airport by passengers, handling more than 2.57 million mainly with flights to European leisure destinations.

The football team Hallescher FC Wacker 1900 had some regional importance before World War II.

The successor team became East German champions in 1949 and 1952 under the names of ZSG Union and BSG Turbine Halle.

In the era of the German Democratic Republic, the latter club (as Chemie Halle ) was a mainstay in the first division and won the Cup tournament in 1956 and 1962.

The general sports club SV Halle [de], originating from Chemie Halle, created a notable number of Olympic gold medallists and world champions, mainly in nautical and watersports, e.g., swimmer Kornelia Ender won four Olympic gold medals in 1976 and Andreas Hajek won four rowing world championships between 1998 and 2001.