Bernsbach
Encyclopedia
Bernsbach is a community in the district of Erzgebirgskreis
in the Free State of Saxony
in Germany
that together with its constituent community of Oberpfannenstiel has roughly 4,700 inhabitants.
and Schwarzenberg
. This has led to Bernsbach’s nickname Balkon des Erzgebirges (“Ore Mountains
’ Balcony”).
It is believed that Bernsbach was founded about 1200 by Frankish
settlers. It had its first documentary mention in 1240 under the name Wernhardispach. About 1460, it was named in the gazetteer compiled by the Zwickau
Franciscans as Pernsbach. At this time, Bernsbach belonged to the Grünhain Monastery
, after whose dissolution in 1536 it passed to the Amt of Grünhain. In 1874, the community was assigned to the Amt court of Schwarzenberg, and since 1950 it has belonged to the court district of Aue.
From 1679 to 1681, a church was built in the middle of the community, thereby splitting Bernsbach from the neighbouring community of Beierfeld, to whose parish it had hitherto belonged.
During the community’s mining
heyday, the Ore Mountains yielded forth iron
, silver
and sulphur. The ore
s were processed at a smelter. About 1538, hammer millers and tinners settled in the upper village, thereby bringing their skills at crafting metal by hand to what was once purely a farming community. To supply the ovens with fuel, charburners
, among others, came to town.
Further skilled trades had also set up shop in town by the 17th century, among them cutlers and lace
tatters. In the years around 1800, there was also to be found in Bernsbach the craft of making official stamps and coats of arms. With the coming of the railway line from Zwönitz
to Scheibenberg
in 1900 also came another upswing in the resident economy.
The old traditions of making blackplate and tinplate as well as ironware manufacturing are still honoured in Bernsbach today.
In 1987, the community celebrated 750 years of existence, based on a mention from the year 1237.
"Ore Mountains’ Balcony": view from Bernsbach on Schwarzenberg
, Lauter
and Aue
(from left to right)
Erzgebirgskreis
Erzgebirgskreis is a district in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is named after the Erzgebirge , a mountain range in the southern part of the district which forms part of the Germany–Czech Republic border...
in the Free State of Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
in 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...
that together with its constituent community of Oberpfannenstiel has roughly 4,700 inhabitants.
Geography
The community stretches from the valley of the river Schwarzwasser up to the Spiegelwald (forest) at 728 m above sea level, thereby offering a good view over the Ore Mountain towns of AueAue
Aue is a small town in Germany at the outlet of the river Schwarzwasser into the river Mulde in the Ore Mountains, and has roughly 18,000 inhabitants. Aue was the administrative seat of the former district of Aue-Schwarzenberg in Saxony, and is part of the Erzgebirgskreis since August 2008...
and Schwarzenberg
Schwarzenberg
- People :* House of Schwarzenberg, Frankish and Bohemian aristocratic family which was first mentioned in 1172** Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg , Field Marshal in Austrian service during the Napoleonic Wars...
. This has led to Bernsbach’s nickname Balkon des Erzgebirges (“Ore Mountains
Ore Mountains
The Ore Mountains in Central Europe have formed a natural border between Saxony and Bohemia for many centuries. Today, the border between Germany and the Czech Republic runs just north of the main crest of the mountain range...
’ Balcony”).
History
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
settlers. It had its first documentary mention in 1240 under the name Wernhardispach. About 1460, it was named in the gazetteer compiled by the Zwickau
Zwickau
Zwickau 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...
Franciscans as Pernsbach. At this time, Bernsbach belonged to the Grünhain Monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, after whose dissolution in 1536 it passed to the Amt of Grünhain. In 1874, the community was assigned to the Amt court of Schwarzenberg, and since 1950 it has belonged to the court district of Aue.
From 1679 to 1681, a church was built in the middle of the community, thereby splitting Bernsbach from the neighbouring community of Beierfeld, to whose parish it had hitherto belonged.
During the community’s mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
heyday, the Ore Mountains yielded forth iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, silver
Silver
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...
and sulphur. The ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
s were processed at a smelter. About 1538, hammer millers and tinners settled in the upper village, thereby bringing their skills at crafting metal by hand to what was once purely a farming community. To supply the ovens with fuel, charburners
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
, among others, came to town.
Further skilled trades had also set up shop in town by the 17th century, among them cutlers and lace
Lace
Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was...
tatters. In the years around 1800, there was also to be found in Bernsbach the craft of making official stamps and coats of arms. With the coming of the railway line from Zwönitz
Zwönitz
Zwönitz is a town in the district Erzgebirgskreis, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated 9 km south of Stollberg, and 24 km southwest of Chemnitz.- References :...
to Scheibenberg
Scheibenberg
Scheibenberg is a town in the district of Erzgebirgskreis in Saxony in Germany. It is situated in the Ore Mountains, 8 km southwest of Annaberg-Buchholz, and 9 km east of Schwarzenberg....
in 1900 also came another upswing in the resident economy.
The old traditions of making blackplate and tinplate as well as ironware manufacturing are still honoured in Bernsbach today.
In 1987, the community celebrated 750 years of existence, based on a mention from the year 1237.
Population development
All following figures are for 31 December in the given year.1982 to 1988
|
1989 to 1995
|
1996 to 2002
|
2003 to 2006
|
- Source: Statistisches Landesamt des Freistaates Sachsen
Clubs
- SV Saxonia Bernsbach
- TV 1864 Bernsbach (gymnastic club)
- Bernsbacher Musikanten e. V. (wind instrument club)
Famous people
- Karl Wolf, German national football player for the East Germany national football teamEast Germany national football teamThe East Germany national football team was from 1952 to 1990 the football team of East Germany, playing as one of three post-war German teams, along with Saarland and West Germany....
- Siegfried Wolf, German national football player for the East Germany national football team
- Armin Härtel, first bishop of the United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist ChurchThe United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
in East Germany from 1970 to 1986.
Schwarzenberg
- People :* House of Schwarzenberg, Frankish and Bohemian aristocratic family which was first mentioned in 1172** Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg , Field Marshal in Austrian service during the Napoleonic Wars...
, Lauter
Lauter
Lauter may refer to:In towns:*Lauter, Saxony, town in the district of Aue-Schwarzenberg, Saxony, Germany*Lauter, Bavaria, village in the district of Bamberg, Bavaria, GermanyIn rivers:*Lauter , tributary to the Baunach, Germany...
and Aue
Aue
Aue is a small town in Germany at the outlet of the river Schwarzwasser into the river Mulde in the Ore Mountains, and has roughly 18,000 inhabitants. Aue was the administrative seat of the former district of Aue-Schwarzenberg in Saxony, and is part of the Erzgebirgskreis since August 2008...
(from left to right)