Köthen was chartered in 1200. For over two centuries (1603-1847), it was the capital of Anhalt-Köthen. Architecture of note includes the 15th-century St. James' Church and the residence palace (1597-1604).
Today, the town has a university, a teacher-training institute, an airport, and rail links. Lignite is mined, and sugar-beets are grown. The population in 1971 was under 40,000.