Quedlinburg, in the Land of Sachsen-Anhalt, was a capital of the East Franconian German Empire at the time of the Saxonian-Ottonian ruling era. It has been a flourishing trading township since the middle ages. The number and high class of the timber-framed buildings make Quedlinburg an extraordinary exemplar of a medieval European town. The Collegiate Church of St Servatius is one of the masterpieces of Romanesque architecture. The significance of Quedlinburg rests on three main elements: the conservation of the medieval street pattern; the riches of built-up vernacular buildings, particularly timber-framed houses of the 16th and 17th centuries, and the significant Romanesque collegiate church of St Servatius.