theme of the festival is based on the culture and cuisine of the town and its home country. Tourist information and special souvenirs from the guest town and country are also available. On 3 October, a festive event to celebrate the Day of German Unity is held with its twin towns of Stolberg (Rhineland) and Hardegsen (Solling). In early November the Johann Gottfried Schnabel Society holds its annual general meeting. This literary, scholarly club researches the life and works of the well-known 18th century author, Johann Gottfried Schnabel. On the 1st Advent Sunday there is an Advent concert in St. Martin's Church and a fairy tale Advent event in the alleys of the town. On the 2nd or 3rd Advent Sunday the Stolberg Christmas market opens in the historic hunting lodge (Jägerhof). Memorials 1969 memorial in the Tyrahöhe cultural park to 11 concentration camp prisoners, who were murdered by SS men during a death march in the spring of 1945. Transport links Road Motorists can approach the town from the Harz Mountains to the north and the Kyffhäuser Hills to the south, leaving the A 38 motorway at the Berga junction. Rail Until December 2011, Stolberg was linked via the Berga-Kelbra-Stolberg line to the main line from Halle to Kassel, where good connexions were possible at Berga-Kelbra station. On weekdays there were bus services from the station and, at weekends, the Burgenlandbahn ran local rail services. In addition, in the summer there were through trains from Leipzig and Magdeburg via Sangerhausen directly to Stolberg. These excursion services ran on weekends, once in the morning to Stolberg and once in the afternoon back towards Leipzig and Magdeburg. Scheduled train services to Stolberg were cancelled, however, in December 2011, by the public transport company of Saxony-Anhalt (NASA), due to low utilization of the trains. Personalities Georg Aemilius (1517–1569), theologian and botanist Johann Gottfried Schnabel (pseudonym: Gisander; 1692–1751/8), German author Johann Arnold Zeitfuchs (1671–1742), chronicler, theologian and Christian author Sons and daughters of the town Hans von Werthern (1443–1533), knight, privy councillor of the reigning dukes of Saxony, Amtmann and owner of the Barony of Brücken Thomas Müntzer (1489–1525), revolutionary theologian and peasants' leader Tilemann Plathner (1490–1551), superintendent and first Evangelical minister in Stolberg Countess Anna of Stolberg (1504–1574), 28th abbess of the imperial abbey at Quedlinburg Countess Juliana of Stolberg (1506–1580), mother of William of Orange Count Henry of Stolberg (1509–1572), reigning