Zwickau
Encyclopedia
Zwickau (ˈtsvɪkaʊ) in Germany
, former seat of the government of the south-western region of the Free State of Saxony, belongs to an industrial and economical core region. Nowadays it is the capital city of the district of Zwickau. The city is situated in a valley at the foot of the Erzgebirge mountains and is also part of the so-called Saxon triangle metropolitan area
, an economic network which includes Leipzig
-Halle
, Dresden
. The city has slightly fewer than 100,000 inhabitants but has a regional catchment area of over 480,000 people.
The city can be easily reached by car via the nearby Autobahns A4 and A72
. The city has a main railway station (Zwickau-Hbf) and is also reachable via a public airfield which takes light aircraft.
Zwickau, known as the city of Automobiles and Robert Schumann
, is the cradle of the Saxon automotive industry with an over one hundred year old tradition. The city has a long history of automotive development and automobile industry along with Auto Union
. Well known beyond Germany's borders are trademarks such as Horch
, Audi
, Trabant
and Volkswagen
. The "Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau" - University of Applied Sciences - has therefore always been an important centre for automotive development.
The valley of the 166 km long Zwickauer Mulde
river stretches from the Vogtland to the famous Colditz Castle
at the other extreme. The Silver Road, Saxony's longest scenic road, connects Dresden with Zwickau.
The German ADAC City Guide recently wrote, "The town of Zwickau has transformed itself over the years from a traditional mining town into an elegant Art-Nouveau town, which is well worth discovering.“
After Wittenberg, it became the first city in Europe to join the Lutheran Reformation. In the 19th century the city's economy was driven by industrial hard-coal mining. The old city of Zwickau, perched on a hill, is surrounded by gentle heights with extensive forests and a scenic municipal park. Its surroundings offer many opportunities for excursions - to the Hartenstein area, for example, with its castle "Stein", and the "Prinzenhöhle", with its castle "Wolfsbrunn" (nowadays a luxury 5-star Hotel), as well as the Auersberg (1019 meters) with the popular winter sport region of Johanngeorgenstadt and the Vogtland.
In the Old Town the Cathedral and the Gewandhaus (historic cloth merchants' hall) recall the flourishing ecclesiastical, trade and artistic life of the 16th century, which was based on Schneeberg silver. Zwickau was the main site of the Saxon coal miners, and at the same time one of the most important industrial towns of the country. It is also the cradle of the Saxon automobile industry.
When the noise of the shops subsides, one can hear the music of Robert Schumann
(1810–1856), which is a special cultural event of art and history for all visitors to the city.
The German
actor Gert Fröbe
, well known as the bad guy Auric Goldfinger
in the James Bond
film Goldfinger
, was born in Zwickau.
On April 17, 1945 the Second World War ended for Zwickau when the city was occupied by the US Army. After the withdrawal of the US Army on June 30, 1945 Zwickau was occupied by the Soviet Red Army. Between 1944 and 2003, the city had a population of more than 100,000 inhabitants.
Today, the most important employer in the region is Volkswagen-Saxony Ltd.
which assembles its models Golf, Passat and Phaeton in the Zwickau-Mosel vehicle plant.
Audi-AG
together with the city of Zwickau operates the August Horch Museum in the former Audi works. It is known far beyond Germany's borders and is very much worth seeing
, Reinsdorf
, Wilkau-Haßlau
, Hirschfeld
(Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Kirchberg), Lichtentanne
, Werdau
, Neukirchen, Crimmitschau
, Dennheritz
(Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Crimmitschau) and the city of Glauchau
.
¹ Census data
in the Schneeberg
in 1470.
Among the nine churches, the fine Gothic
church of St. Mary (1451–1536), with a spire 285 ft. high and a bell weighing 51 ton
s, stands out. The church contains an altar with wood-carving, eight paintings by Michael Wohlgemuth and a remarkable pietà
in carved and painted wood by Peter Breuer.
The late Gothic church of St. Catharine has an altar piece ascribed to Lucas Cranach the elder
, and is remembered because Thomas Müntzer was once pastor there (1520–22). Of the secular buildings the most noteworthy are the town hall, begun in 1404 and rebuilt many times since then. The municipal archives include documents dating back to the 13th century.
The carefully preserved treasures of art and literature (early printed books from the Middle Ages), documents, letters and books are kept in the Town Archives (e.g. Hans Sachs
(*1494 - 1576): Meister Singer volumes), and in the School Library founded by scholars and by the town clerk Stephan Roth during the Reformation.
In 1520 Martin Luther
dedicated his treatise "On the Freedom of the Christian Man" to his friend Hermann Muehlpfort, the Lord Mayor of Zwickau. The Anabaptist
movement of 1525 began at Zwickau under the inspiration of the "Zwickau prophets
". The late Gothic Gewandhaus (cloth merchants' hall), was built in 1522-24 and is now converted into a theatre. Confessional warfare devastated the city during the Thirty Years' War
.
In 1810, on June 8, the pianist and composer Robert Schumann
was born in Zwickau.
Hard-coal mining
is mentioned as early as 1348. However, mining on an industrial scale first started in the early 19th century. The hard-coal mines of Zwickau, and the neighbouring Oelsnitz-Lugau coalfield contributed significantly to the industrialisation of the region and the town.
Many industrial branches developed in the town in the wake of the hard-coal mining industry: mining equipment, iron and steel works, textile, machinery in addition to chemical, porcelain, paper, glass, dyestuffs, wire goods, tinware, stockings, and curtains. There were also steam saw-mills, diamond and glass polishing works, iron-foundries, and breweries.
In 1904 the Horch
automobile
plant was founded, followed by Audi
factory in 1909. In 1932 both brands were incorporated into the Auto Union
but retained their independent trademarks. The racing cars of the Auto Union, developed by Ferdinand Porsche
and Robert Eberan von Eberhorst, driven by Bernd Rosemeyer
, Hans Stuck
, Tazio Nuvolari
, Ernst von Delius
, became well known all over the world. During WWII, the NAZI government operated a satellite camp of the Flossenbürg-Nazi concentration camp in Zwickau, which was sited near the Auto Union plant HORCH. The NAZI administration installed at the Osterstein Castle
a hard labour punishment camp. Both camps were liberated by US Army in 1945. After WWII, from 1945, August 1, the military administration was taken over from the US by the Soviet Army. The Auto Union factories of HORCH and AUDI were disassembled by the Russians. In 1948 all large companies were expropriated by the East German administration.
With the founding of the German Democratic Republic in 1949 in East Germany, the difficult post-war reconstruction began. In 1958 the Horch and Audi factories were merged into the Sachsenring plant. At the "Sachsenring" automotive plant the compact "Trabant" cars were manufactured. These small cars had a two-cylinder, two-stroke engine. The car was the first vehicle in the world to be industrially manufactured with a plastic car body.
For a long period of its history, the Zwickau was the centre of hard-coal mining. In 1885 Carl Wolf invented an improved gas-detecting safety mining-lamp. He held the first world patent for it. Together with his business partner Friemann he founded the "Friemann & Wolf" factory. The plant was one of the first Germany global players in the 19th century. Coal mining was abandoned for economical reasons in 1978 after about 230 millions tonnes had been mined from the Carboniferous deposit to depths of over 1,000 metres. However, Zwickau remained a mining-related town until 1992 when the last coke oven plant operated in the town was closed. The closure of the plant marked the historical end of 700 years of hard-coal industry in Saxony.
Two major industrial facilities of the Soviet SDAG Wismut were situated in the city: the uranium mill in Zwickau-Crossen, producing uranium concentrate (so called "yellow cake") from ores of mines in the Erzgebirge and Thuringia, and the machine building plant in Zwickau-Cainsdorf producing various equipment for the uranium mines and mills of East Germany. Uranium milling ended in 1989, and after the reunification the Wismut machine building plant was sold to a private investor.
built a new factory, and Sachsenring is now a supplier for the automobile industry. Nowadays the headquarter of the Volkswagen-Saxony Ltd. (a VW subsidiary) is situated in the northern part of Zwickau.
Zwickau Hauptbahnhof
is on the Dresden–Werdau line, part of the Saxon-Franconian trunk line
, connecting Nuremberg
and Dresden. There are further railway connections to Leipzig
as well as Karlovy Vary
and Cheb
in the Czech Republic
.
The closest airport is *Leipzig-Altenburg with a very limited number of flights by the low cost carrier Ryan Air. The next major airports are Leipzig-Halle and Dresden offering a large number of national and international flights.
Zwickau is also the birthplace of Robert Schumann
. The house where he was born in 1810 still stands in the marketplace. There is a museum dedicated to him.
The history of the Horch
automobile
factory
is presented at the August Horch
Museum, an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage
.
, Czech Republic
, since 1971 Zaanstad
, Netherlands
, since 1987 Dortmund
, North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
, since 1988
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, former seat of the government of the south-western region of the Free State of Saxony, belongs to an industrial and economical core region. Nowadays it is the capital city of the district of Zwickau. The city is situated in a valley at the foot of the Erzgebirge mountains and is also part of the so-called Saxon triangle metropolitan area
Saxon triangle
The Central German Metropolitan Region is a metropolitan region in Germany, consisting of the cities: Chemnitz, Dresden, Leipzig and Zwickau in Saxony; Dessau-Roßlau, Halle and Magdeburg in Saxony-Anhalt; Erfurt, Gera, Jena and Weimar in Thuringia. The population is about 2,400,000 in 11 cities...
, an economic network which includes Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
-Halle
Halle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
, Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
. The city has slightly fewer than 100,000 inhabitants but has a regional catchment area of over 480,000 people.
The city can be easily reached by car via the nearby Autobahns A4 and A72
Bundesautobahn 72
is an motorway in Germany. Construction of the autobahn started in the 1930s, but was halted by the outbreak of World War II. Due to the division of Germany, a part of the autobahn lay in ruins until after German reunification.- Exit list :...
. The city has a main railway station (Zwickau-Hbf) and is also reachable via a public airfield which takes light aircraft.
Zwickau, known as the city of Automobiles and Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
, is the cradle of the Saxon automotive industry with an over one hundred year old tradition. The city has a long history of automotive development and automobile industry along with Auto Union
Auto Union
Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony, during the Great Depression. The company has evolved into present day Audi, as a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group....
. Well known beyond Germany's borders are trademarks such as Horch
Horch
Horch was a car brand manufactured in Germany by August Horch & Cie, at the beginning of the 20th century.-History at a Glance:The company was established first by August Horch and his first business partner Salli Herz on November 14, 1899 at Ehrenfeld, Cologne. August Horch was a former production...
, Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
, Trabant
Trabant
The Trabant is a car that was produced by former East German auto maker VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau in Zwickau, Sachsen. It was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc...
and Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
. The "Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau" - University of Applied Sciences - has therefore always been an important centre for automotive development.
The valley of the 166 km long Zwickauer Mulde
Zwickauer Mulde
The Zwickauer Mulde is a river in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is the left tributary of the Mulde and 166 km in length.The source of the river is in the Ore Mountains, near Schöneck, in the Vogtlandkreis. It runs northeast to Aue, then northwest to Zwickau , and further north through...
river stretches from the Vogtland to the famous Colditz Castle
Colditz Castle
Colditz Castle is a Renaissance castle in the town of Colditz near Leipzig, Dresden, and Chemnitz in the state of Saxony in Germany. Used as a workhouse for the indigent and a mental institution for over 100 years, it gained international fame as a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II for...
at the other extreme. The Silver Road, Saxony's longest scenic road, connects Dresden with Zwickau.
The German ADAC City Guide recently wrote, "The town of Zwickau has transformed itself over the years from a traditional mining town into an elegant Art-Nouveau town, which is well worth discovering.“
History at a Glance
The city of Zwickau has an almost 900-year-old history. As early as the 14th century there was domestic hard-coal processing. Because of the silver ore deposits in the Erzgebirge, Zwickau developed in the 15th and 16th centuries and grew to be an important economic and cultural centre of Saxony.After Wittenberg, it became the first city in Europe to join the Lutheran Reformation. In the 19th century the city's economy was driven by industrial hard-coal mining. The old city of Zwickau, perched on a hill, is surrounded by gentle heights with extensive forests and a scenic municipal park. Its surroundings offer many opportunities for excursions - to the Hartenstein area, for example, with its castle "Stein", and the "Prinzenhöhle", with its castle "Wolfsbrunn" (nowadays a luxury 5-star Hotel), as well as the Auersberg (1019 meters) with the popular winter sport region of Johanngeorgenstadt and the Vogtland.
In the Old Town the Cathedral and the Gewandhaus (historic cloth merchants' hall) recall the flourishing ecclesiastical, trade and artistic life of the 16th century, which was based on Schneeberg silver. Zwickau was the main site of the Saxon coal miners, and at the same time one of the most important industrial towns of the country. It is also the cradle of the Saxon automobile industry.
When the noise of the shops subsides, one can hear the music of Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
(1810–1856), which is a special cultural event of art and history for all visitors to the city.
The German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
actor Gert Fröbe
Gert Fröbe
Karl Gerhart Fröbe, better known as Gert Fröbe was a German actor who starred in many films, including the James Bond film Goldfinger as Auric Goldfinger, The Threepenny Opera as Peachum, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as Baron Bomburst, and in Der Räuber Hotzenplotz as Hotzenplotz.-Life:Born in...
, well known as the bad guy Auric Goldfinger
Auric Goldfinger
Auric Goldfinger is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the James Bond film and novel Goldfinger. His first name, Auric, is an adjective meaning of gold...
in the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film Goldfinger
Goldfinger (film)
Goldfinger is the third spy film in the James Bond series and the third to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1964, it is based on the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. The film also stars Honor Blackman as Bond girl Pussy Galore and Gert Fröbe as the title...
, was born in Zwickau.
On April 17, 1945 the Second World War ended for Zwickau when the city was occupied by the US Army. After the withdrawal of the US Army on June 30, 1945 Zwickau was occupied by the Soviet Red Army. Between 1944 and 2003, the city had a population of more than 100,000 inhabitants.
Today, the most important employer in the region is Volkswagen-Saxony Ltd.
Volkswagen Phaeton
The Volkswagen Phaeton is a full-size luxury sedan/saloon manufactured by German automaker Volkswagen, and is described by Volkswagen as their "premium class" vehicle...
which assembles its models Golf, Passat and Phaeton in the Zwickau-Mosel vehicle plant.
Audi-AG
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
together with the city of Zwickau operates the August Horch Museum in the former Audi works. It is known far beyond Germany's borders and is very much worth seeing
Boundaries
Zwickau is bounded by MülsenMülsen
Mülsen is a municipality in Germany, Landkreis Zwickau in the administrative region of Chemnitz, the Free State of Saxony. It is situated 6 km northeast of Zwickau....
, Reinsdorf
Reinsdorf, Saxony
Reinsdorf is a municipality in the district Zwickau, in Saxony, Germany....
, Wilkau-Haßlau
Wilkau-Haßlau
Wilkau-Haßlau is a town in the Zwickau district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Zwickauer Mulde, about 6 km south of Zwickau....
, Hirschfeld
Hirschfeld, Saxony
Hirschfeld is a municipality in the district Zwickau, in Saxony, Germany....
(Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Kirchberg), Lichtentanne
Lichtentanne
Lichtentanne is a municipality in the district Zwickau, in Saxony, Germany.-Famous people:*Ludwig Greiner, identified Gerlachovský Peak as the summit of the Carpathians...
, Werdau
Werdau
Werdau is a town in Germany, part of the Landkreis Zwickau in the administrative region of Chemnitz, the Free State of Saxony. It is situated on the river Pleiße, 8 km from Zwickau....
, Neukirchen, Crimmitschau
Crimmitschau
Crimmitschau is a town in the district of Zwickau in the Free State of Saxony.-Geography:Crimmitschau lies on the River Pleiße in the northern foothills of the Erzgebirge.-Neighboring municipalities:...
, Dennheritz
Dennheritz
Dennheritz is a municipality in the district Zwickau, in Saxony, Germany....
(Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Crimmitschau) and the city of Glauchau
Glauchau
Glauchau is a town in Germany, in Saxony, on the right bank of the Mulde, 7 miles north of Zwickau and 17 miles west of Chemnitz by rail. It is part of the Zwickau district....
.
Incorporations
- 1895: Pölbitz
- 1902: Marienthal
- 1905: Eckersbach
- 1922: Weißenborn
- January 1, 1923: Schedewitz
- 1939: Brand and Bockwa
- January 1, 1944: Oberhohndorf and Planitz (with Oberplanitz, Neuplanitz und Niederplanitz)
- February 1, 1953: Auerbach, Pöhlau and Niederhohndorf
- July 1, 1993: Hartmannsdorf
- April 1, 1996: Rottmannsdorfs
- October 1, 1996: Crossen (with 4 municipalities on Janutary 1, 1994 Schneppendorf)
- January 1, 1999: Cainsdorf, Mosel, Oberrothenbach and Schlunzig along with Hüttelsgrün (Lichtentanne) and Freiheitssiedlung
Districts
- City centre (11–15):
Inner city (11), Centre-North (12), Centre-West (13), Centre-South (14), Suburb North (15) - Urban district East (21–28):
Region Äußere Dresdner Straße/Pöhlauer Straße (21), Eckersbach Housing estate (22), Pöhlau (23), Auerbach (24), Eckersbacher Höhe (E 5/1) (25), Eckersbacher Höhe (E 5/2 und E 5/3) (26), Eckersbacher Höhe (E 1 bis E 4) (27), Region Talstraße/Trillerberg (28) - Urban district Nord (31–39):
Pölbitz (31),Weissenborn (32), Niederhohndorf (33), Hartmannsdorf (34), Oberrothenbach¹ (35), Mosel¹ (36), Crossen¹ (37), Schneppendorf (38), Schlunzig¹ (39) - Urban district West (41–44):
Region Reichenbacher Straße und Freiheitssiedlung (41), Marienthal East (42), Marienthal West (43), Brand (44) - Urban district South (51–59):
Bockwa (51), Oberhohndorf (52), Schedewitz (53), Niederplanitz (54), Neuplanitz (55), Hüttelsgrün (56), Oberplanitz (57), Rottmannsdorf¹ (58), Cainsdorf¹ (59)
Population
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1462 | ca. 3,900 |
| 1530 | ca. 7,677 |
| 1640 | 2,693 |
| 1723 | 3,753 |
| 1800 | 4,189 |
| 1840 | 9,740 |
| 1861 | 20,492 |
| 1871 | 27,322 |
| December 1, 1875 ¹ | 31,491 |
| December 1, 1890 ¹ | 44,198 |
| December 1, 1900 ¹ | 55,825 |
| December 1, 1905 ¹ | 68,502 |
| December 1, 1910 ¹ | 73,542 |
| June 16, 1925 ¹ | 80,358 |
| June 16, 1933 ¹ | 84,701 |
| May 17, 1939 ¹ | 85,198 |
| October 29, 1946 | 122,862 |
| August 31, 1950 | 138,844 |
| December 1, 1960 | 129,138 |
| December 31, 1972 | 124,796 |
| June 30, 1981 | 121,800 |
| 1986 | 120,900 |
| June 30, 1997 | 102,100 |
| December 31, 2002 | 100,892 |
| June 30, 2006 | 97,232 |
¹ Census data
History
The region around Zwickau was settled by Slavs as early as the 7th century. In the 10th century, German settlers began arriving and the native Slavs were Christianized. A trading place known as terretorio Zcwickaw was mentioned in 1118. The settlement received a town charter in 1212 and hosted Franciscans and Cistercians during the 13th century. Zwickau was a free imperial city from 1290–1323, but was subsequently granted to the margraves of Meissen. Although regional mining began in 1316, extensive mining increased with the discovery of silverSilver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
in the Schneeberg
Schneeberg, Saxony
Schneeberg is a town in Saxony’s district of Erzgebirgskreis. It has roughly 16,400 inhabitants and belongs to the Town League of Silberberg . It lies 4 km west of Aue, and southeast of Zwickau.- Location :...
in 1470.
Among the nine churches, the fine Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
church of St. Mary (1451–1536), with a spire 285 ft. high and a bell weighing 51 ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s, stands out. The church contains an altar with wood-carving, eight paintings by Michael Wohlgemuth and a remarkable pietà
Pietà
The Pietà is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus, most often found in sculpture. As such, it is a particular form of the Lamentation of Christ, a scene from the Passion of Christ found in cycles of the Life of Christ...
in carved and painted wood by Peter Breuer.
The late Gothic church of St. Catharine has an altar piece ascribed to Lucas Cranach the elder
Lucas Cranach the Elder
Lucas Cranach the Elder , was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving...
, and is remembered because Thomas Müntzer was once pastor there (1520–22). Of the secular buildings the most noteworthy are the town hall, begun in 1404 and rebuilt many times since then. The municipal archives include documents dating back to the 13th century.
The carefully preserved treasures of art and literature (early printed books from the Middle Ages), documents, letters and books are kept in the Town Archives (e.g. Hans Sachs
Hans Sachs
Hans Sachs was a German meistersinger , poet, playwright and shoemaker.-Biography:Hans Sachs was born in Nuremberg . His father was a tailor. He attended Latin school in Nuremberg...
(*1494 - 1576): Meister Singer volumes), and in the School Library founded by scholars and by the town clerk Stephan Roth during the Reformation.
In 1520 Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
dedicated his treatise "On the Freedom of the Christian Man" to his friend Hermann Muehlpfort, the Lord Mayor of Zwickau. The Anabaptist
Anabaptist
Anabaptists are Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, and their direct descendants, particularly the Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites....
movement of 1525 began at Zwickau under the inspiration of the "Zwickau prophets
Zwickau prophets
The Zwickau Prophets were three men from Zwickau of the Radical Reformation who were possibly involved in a disturbance in nearby Wittenberg and its reformation in early 1522....
". The late Gothic Gewandhaus (cloth merchants' hall), was built in 1522-24 and is now converted into a theatre. Confessional warfare devastated the city during the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
.
In 1810, on June 8, the pianist and composer Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
was born in Zwickau.
Economic history
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
is mentioned as early as 1348. However, mining on an industrial scale first started in the early 19th century. The hard-coal mines of Zwickau, and the neighbouring Oelsnitz-Lugau coalfield contributed significantly to the industrialisation of the region and the town.
Many industrial branches developed in the town in the wake of the hard-coal mining industry: mining equipment, iron and steel works, textile, machinery in addition to chemical, porcelain, paper, glass, dyestuffs, wire goods, tinware, stockings, and curtains. There were also steam saw-mills, diamond and glass polishing works, iron-foundries, and breweries.
In 1904 the Horch
Horch
Horch was a car brand manufactured in Germany by August Horch & Cie, at the beginning of the 20th century.-History at a Glance:The company was established first by August Horch and his first business partner Salli Herz on November 14, 1899 at Ehrenfeld, Cologne. August Horch was a former production...
automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
plant was founded, followed by Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
factory in 1909. In 1932 both brands were incorporated into the Auto Union
Auto Union
Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony, during the Great Depression. The company has evolved into present day Audi, as a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group....
but retained their independent trademarks. The racing cars of the Auto Union, developed by Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche was an Austrian automotive engineer and honorary Doctor of Engineering. He is best known for creating the first hybrid vehicle , the Volkswagen Beetle, and the Mercedes-Benz SS/SSK, as well as the first of many Porsche automobiles...
and Robert Eberan von Eberhorst, driven by Bernd Rosemeyer
Bernd Rosemeyer
Bernd Rosemeyer was a German racing driver.- Career :...
, Hans Stuck
Hans Stuck
Hans Stuck was a German motor racing driver...
, Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari was an Italian motorcycle and racecar driver, known as Il Mantovano Volante or Nivola. He was the 1932 European Champion in Grand Prix motor racing...
, Ernst von Delius
Ernst von Delius
Ernst von Delius was a racing driver from Germany.Von Delius died at the age of 25 years old at the Nürburgring Circuit during the 1937 German Grand Prix, having suffered a fatal collision with Richard Seaman....
, became well known all over the world. During WWII, the NAZI government operated a satellite camp of the Flossenbürg-Nazi concentration camp in Zwickau, which was sited near the Auto Union plant HORCH. The NAZI administration installed at the Osterstein Castle
Osterstein Castle
Osterstein Castle is the former castle of the town of Zwickau, Germany, in Saxony . Now it houses the nursing home.- History :...
a hard labour punishment camp. Both camps were liberated by US Army in 1945. After WWII, from 1945, August 1, the military administration was taken over from the US by the Soviet Army. The Auto Union factories of HORCH and AUDI were disassembled by the Russians. In 1948 all large companies were expropriated by the East German administration.
With the founding of the German Democratic Republic in 1949 in East Germany, the difficult post-war reconstruction began. In 1958 the Horch and Audi factories were merged into the Sachsenring plant. At the "Sachsenring" automotive plant the compact "Trabant" cars were manufactured. These small cars had a two-cylinder, two-stroke engine. The car was the first vehicle in the world to be industrially manufactured with a plastic car body.
For a long period of its history, the Zwickau was the centre of hard-coal mining. In 1885 Carl Wolf invented an improved gas-detecting safety mining-lamp. He held the first world patent for it. Together with his business partner Friemann he founded the "Friemann & Wolf" factory. The plant was one of the first Germany global players in the 19th century. Coal mining was abandoned for economical reasons in 1978 after about 230 millions tonnes had been mined from the Carboniferous deposit to depths of over 1,000 metres. However, Zwickau remained a mining-related town until 1992 when the last coke oven plant operated in the town was closed. The closure of the plant marked the historical end of 700 years of hard-coal industry in Saxony.
Two major industrial facilities of the Soviet SDAG Wismut were situated in the city: the uranium mill in Zwickau-Crossen, producing uranium concentrate (so called "yellow cake") from ores of mines in the Erzgebirge and Thuringia, and the machine building plant in Zwickau-Cainsdorf producing various equipment for the uranium mines and mills of East Germany. Uranium milling ended in 1989, and after the reunification the Wismut machine building plant was sold to a private investor.
Economy
The production of the Trabant was discontinued after German reunification, but VolkswagenVolkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
built a new factory, and Sachsenring is now a supplier for the automobile industry. Nowadays the headquarter of the Volkswagen-Saxony Ltd. (a VW subsidiary) is situated in the northern part of Zwickau.
Education
Zwickau is home to the West Saxon University of Applied Sciences with about 5200 students and two campuses in the area of Zwickau.Transport
Zwickau is connected to the Autobahn A72 (Chemnitz-Hof) south of the town and to the A4 (Dresden-Erfurt) 15 km north of the town.Zwickau Hauptbahnhof
Zwickau Hauptbahnhof
is the main railway station of Zwickau in the German state of Saxony.-History :On 18 September 1845 Zwickau was connected by a branch line to the Leipzig–Reichenbach railway line...
is on the Dresden–Werdau line, part of the Saxon-Franconian trunk line
Saxon-Franconian trunk line
Saxon-Franconian trunk line is a modern term for a double-track railway between the German cities of Dresden to Nuremberg. The line is 390 kilometres long and is currently electrified from Dresden to Reichenbach im Vogtland...
, connecting Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
and Dresden. There are further railway connections to Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
as well as Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
and Cheb
Cheb
Cheb is a city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic, with about 33,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Ohře , at the foot of one of the spurs of the Smrčiny and near the border with Germany...
in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
The closest airport is *Leipzig-Altenburg with a very limited number of flights by the low cost carrier Ryan Air. The next major airports are Leipzig-Halle and Dresden offering a large number of national and international flights.
Museums
In the town centre there are three museums: an art museum from the 19th century and the houses of priests from 13th century, both located next to St. Mary's church. Just around the corner there is the Robert-Schumann museum. The museums offer different collections dedicated to the history of the town, as well as art and a mineralogical, palaeontological and geological collection with many specimens from the town and the nearby Erzgebirge Mts. and the music of the romantic school.Zwickau is also the birthplace of Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
. The house where he was born in 1810 still stands in the marketplace. There is a museum dedicated to him.
The history of the Horch
Horch
Horch was a car brand manufactured in Germany by August Horch & Cie, at the beginning of the 20th century.-History at a Glance:The company was established first by August Horch and his first business partner Salli Herz on November 14, 1899 at Ehrenfeld, Cologne. August Horch was a former production...
automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
is presented at the August Horch
August Horch
August Horch was a German engineer and automobile pioneer, the founder of the manufacturing giant which would eventually become Audi.-Beginnings:...
Museum, an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage
European Route of Industrial Heritage
The European Route of Industrial Heritage is a network of the most important industrial heritage sites in Europe. The aim of the project is to create interest for the common European Heritage of the Industrialisation and its remains...
.
Historical mayors of Zwickau
- 1501 - 1518: Erasmus Stella
- 1518 - 1530: Hermann Mühlpfort
- Carl Wilhelm Ferber: 1800, 1802, 1804, 1806, 1808, 1810, 1812, 1814
- Tobias Hempel: 1801, 1803, 1805, 1807, 1809, 1811, 1813, 1815, 1817, 1819
- Christian Gottlieb Haugk: 1816, 1818, 1820, 1822
- Carl Heinrich Rappius: 1821, 1823, 1825, 1826
- 1824: Christian Heinrich Pinther
- 1827 - 1830: Christian Heinrich Mühlmann, Stadtvogt
- 1830 - 1832: Franz Adolf Marbach
- 1832 - 1860: Friedrich Wilhelm Meyer
- 1860 - 1898: Lothar Streit, from 1874 Lord Mayor
- 1898 - 1919: Karl Keil
- 1919 - 1934: Richard Holz
- 1934–1945: Ewald Dost
- 1945: Fritz Weber, (acting Lord Mayor)
- 1945: Georg Ulrich Handke, (acting Lord Mayor)
- 1945 - 1949: Paul Müller
- 1949 - 1954: Otto Aßmann
- 1954 - 1958: Otto Schneider
- 1958 - 1969: Gustav Seifried
- 1969 - 1973: Liesbeth Windisch
- 1973 - 1977: Helmut Repmann
- 1977 - 1990: Heiner Fischer
- 1990 - 2001: Rainer Eichhorn
- 2001 - 2008: Dietmar Vettermann
- 2008 : Dr. Pia Findeiß
Twinnings
Jablonec nad NisouJablonec nad Nisou
Jablonec nad Nisou is a town in northern Bohemia, the second largest town of the Liberec Region. It is known as a mountain resort in the Jizera Mountains, an education centre, and a centre of world-production of glass and jewellery...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, since 1971 Zaanstad
Zaanstad
Zaanstad is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Its main town is Zaandam. It is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam.-Population centres:...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, since 1987 Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
, North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, since 1988