Döbeln is a town in the Free State of Saxony, 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...

, part of the Mittelsachsen

Mittelsachsen

Mittelsachsen is a district in the Free State of Saxony, Germany.- History :The district was established by merging the former districts of Döbeln, Freiberg and Mittweida as part of the district reform of August 2008.- Geography :...

 district, located at both banks of the river Freiberger Mulde

Freiberger Mulde

The Freiberger Mulde is a river in Saxony, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Mulde and 124 km in length.The source of the river is in the Ore Mountains, near Moldava, in the Czech Republic. It runs northwest, crossing the border with Germany after a few km, to Freiberg , and further...

.

History

It was founded in the 10th century, the first written proof of its existence dates back to the year 981.

• Around the year 1220 Döbeln got the official status of a city.
• 1293: the Nicolai church was first mentioned.
• 1296: castle and town are occupied by Adolf of Nassau.
• 1330: at 25.03. the monastery buildings completed.
• 1333: a serious fire incinerated the entire town.
• 1360: Knight Ulmann of Staupitz builds castle Reichenstein.
• 1429: looting of the town and destruction of the castle by the Hussites.
• 1450: Döbeln is raided by the Bohemians, severely damaging the castle. After that, the castle declined in its importance. In 1567 it was mentioned as "deserted palace" and afterwards only used as a quarry.
• 1637: plundered by the Swedes
• 1730: Another serious blaze hit the city. As a result, the remains of the castle were used as building material for rebuilding. In this fire, 266 homeowners and 400 renters lost their home.
• During the Seven Years War, there was a battle between the Prussians and the Austrians. On 12 May 1762 the troops of Prince Henry of Prussia defeated the Austrian troops and took prisoners including the commander General von Zedtwitz.
• 1754-1810 is Döbeln garrison of infantry regiment Lubomirsky.
• 1847 Döbeln was connected to the railway from Riesa. In 1857 the line extended to Chemnitz. In 1868 the Dresden-Döbeln-Leipzig line is opened.
• 1945 the city is occupied by the Soviet Army without a single shot being fired.

Traffic

Döbeln Hauptbahnhof

Döbeln Hauptbahnhof

is the largest station of Döbeln in the German state of Saxony. It was built as a wedge-shaped station connected the station and central Döbeln.- Long distance and regional transport:- External links :* * *...

 is on the Borsdorf–Coswig and Riesa–Chemnitz lines.

It has two connections to the A14 motorway (Autobahn).

Döbeln has the last remaining horse-drawn tram

Horsecar

A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...

 line in Germany, in the form of the Döbeln Tramway

Döbeln Tramway

The Döbeln Tramway or Döbelner Straßenbahn is a tramway in the German town of Döbeln. It is the only horse-drawn tram line to operate on its original urban route in Germany, and one of only a handful in the world....

. This line originally ran from 1892 to 1926, and was reopened in 2007.

International relations

Döbeln is twinned

Town twinning

Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

 with: Vyškov

Vyškov

Vyškov is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 22,300 inhabitants.- History :By the middle of the 14th century, pest epidemics and starvation had virtually depopulated the entire area. The Catholic Church, the owners of the lands, administrated their properties...

, 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....

 Givors

Givors

Givors is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It lies on the Rhône River about south of Lyon and on the main road between that city and Saint-Étienne. The city has long served as a crossroads between the communities of the Rhône River and those of the Loire River...

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 Unna

Unna

Unna is a town of around 67,000 people in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the seat of the Unna district.-Geography:Unna is situated on an ancient salt-trading route, the Hellweg road. Trade on this route and during the period of the Hansa Trade Route came from as far as London...

, 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...

 Heidenheim

Heidenheim

Heidenheim an der Brenz is a town in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located near the border with Bavaria, approximately 17 km south of Aalen and 33 km north of Ulm...

, 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...