Dessau-Roßlau (German pronunciation: [ˈdɛsaʊ ˈʁɔslaʊ] ) is a kreisfreie Stadt (independent town) in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is situated at the confluence of the rivers Elbe and Mulde. The town was formed by merging the towns of Dessau and Roßlau as part of the 2007 regional boundary reform of Saxony-Anhalt (Kreisreform Sachsen-Anhalt). The reform involved a reduction in the number of rural districts in the state from 21 to 11, in anticipation of a continued population decline.
Dessau-Roßlau is the third largest town of Saxony-Anhalt by population, after Magdeburg and Halle (Saale). Its area is 245.0 km2 (94.6 sq mi).
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Dessau
Dessau is the largest population centre within Dessau-Roßlau, with approximately 79,000 inhabitants (2021). Most of the town is located on the left bank of the river Mulde, south of its confluence with the river Elbe. Dessau was first mentioned in 1213, and became the capital of a small state (Anhalt-Dessau) in the 14th century. Between 1863 and 1918, it was the capital of Anhalt. Since the second half of the 19th century, Dessau has been an industrial town. With the famous art and architecture school Bauhaus, located in Dessau between 1925 and 1932, and the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm, the town features two UNESCO World Heritage Sites.