Lichte
Encyclopedia
Lichte is a municipality in the district of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt
in Thuringia
, Germany
, close to the Thuringian Rennsteig
.
/ Ilmenau
(northwest) and Sonneberg
/ Coburg
(south) at an altitude of 600 m (NHN)
, in the centre of the Thuringian Highlands / Thuringian Forest Nature Park
. Distinctive sign of Lichte is the railway viaduct
established in 1909 (see picture right).
It is a typical Thuringian Forest
village, reaching far into the valleys of the Lichte River
and of its tributary the Piesau
. Both of these feed one of the biggest Thuringian drinking water reservoirs, Leibis-Lichte
, with the Deesbach Forebay
close to the northern end of the village (in Geiersthal). The Lichte River is also one of the sources of the Schwarza River.
The mountain rivers and streams in the area of the Lichte valley have been known for centuries for deposits of placer gold
and are considered the most significant sources of gold in Germany.
Around the steep-sided valleys of the Lichte and Piesau, the height difference between hilltops and valley bottoms is often as much as 200 m, which is large for hills of this size.
manufacturing in Lichte (Wallendorf). The Wallendorf porcelain manufacture is one of the oldest in Europe. It quickly achieved a growing customer base beyond the then borders of the country. Thus as early as 1822, Johann Heinrich Leder established in Lichte another porcelain company, today’s Lichte porcelain (GmbH)
. The new company competed with Wallendorf. However, it was able to rapidly find and keep markets of its own, although the two World Wars followed by East German trade restrictions caused setbacks.
Until 1920, the Lichte River was the dividing line between the district of Saalfeld in Sachsen-Meiningen in the east and the rural district of Königsee in Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
in the west. In 1952 the municipality was formed by combining several mountain villages: from south to north, Lichte, Wallendorf, Geiersthal and Bock and Teich. From 1922 to 1952, the municipality belonged to the rural district of Saalfeld, from 1952 to 1994 to the district of Neuhaus, and since then has been in the district of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt.
During World War II, Polish
forced labourers worked in Wallendorf; four graves in the cemetery there recall this time. A memorial tablet at the Lichte cemetery commemorates two victims of the death march of inmates from the Buchenwald concentration camp
in April 1945 who were found in the depths below the rail viaduct.
of Lichte, a silver candlestick with gold flame and beams of light between 4 silver maple leaves
on a field of green, was approved on July 15, 1995. The candlestick is taken from an ancient seal. It thus perpetuates a traditional symbol of the locality and also represents the centuries-long heritage of porcelain manufacturing that typifies Lichte and the region. The maple leaves symbolize the four sections of the municipality using a tree that is typical of the area. They and the green field also symbolize Lichte's location in the forested Thuringian Highland
, while the shape at the base of the shield represents its location in valleys.
of Lichtetal am Rennsteig
(Lichte Valley on the Rennsteig), which consists of the municipalities of Lichte, Piesau
, Reichmannsdorf
, and Schmiedefeld
, are located in the Wallendorf section.
of Lichte consists of 12 councillor
s including the mayor
, who serves in an honorary
capacity.
manufacturing, and woodworking. There has been porcelain manufacturing in Lichte since at least 1764; Wallendorfer Porzellan
(Wallendorf Porcelain) is one of the oldest such companies in Europe.
Saalfeld-Rudolstadt
Saalfeld-Rudolstadt is a Kreis in the south of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are the districts Weimarer Land, Saale-Holzland, Saale-Orla, the district Kronach in Bavaria, and the districts Sonneberg, Hildburghausen and Ilm-Kreis.-History:The district dates back to the Landratsamt...
in Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, 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...
, close to the Thuringian Rennsteig
Rennsteig
The Rennsteig is a ridge walk as well as an historical boundary path in the Thuringian Forest, Thuringian Highland and Franconian Forest in central Germany....
.
Geography
Lichte is located between the towns of Saalfeld (to the north), OberhofOberhof
Oberhof may refer to:*Oberhof, Austria*Oberhof, Germany, a village and resort in Thuringia.*Oberhof, Switzerland, a village in the canton of Aargau*Oberhof bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track, located in Oberhof, Germany...
/ Ilmenau
Ilmenau
Ilmenau is a town located in the district of Ilm-Kreis, Thuringia, Germany.Ilmenau is situated in the valley of the Ilm river, at an altitude of 431 metres above sea level, and is the biggest town in Ilm-Kreis district, with 6,200 students studying at the Technische Universität Ilmenau. The...
(northwest) and Sonneberg
Sonneberg
Sonneberg is a town in Thuringia, Germany, which is seat of the district Sonneberg.It has long been a centre of toy making and is still well known for this...
/ Coburg
Coburg
Coburg is a town located on the Itz River in Bavaria, Germany. Its 2005 population was 42,015. Long one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined with Bavaria by popular vote in 1920...
(south) at an altitude of 600 m (NHN)
Normalhöhennull
Normalhöhennull or NHN is a standard reference level, the equivalent of sea level, used in Germany to measure height....
, in the centre of the Thuringian Highlands / Thuringian Forest Nature Park
Thuringian Forest Nature Park
The Thuringian Forest Nature Park is one of the two nature parks in Thuringia.The 1990 founded park has a size of 2082 km². It extents around the Rennsteig and comprises almost the entire Thuringian Forest and the Thuringian Highlands with Eisenach in northwest and Sonneberg in the south...
. Distinctive sign of Lichte is the railway viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
established in 1909 (see picture right).
It is a typical Thuringian Forest
Thuringian Forest
The Thuringian Forest running northwest to southeast, forms a continuous stretch of ancient rounded mountains posing ample difficulties in transit routing save through a few navigable passes in the southern reaches of the German state of Thuringia. It is about long and wide...
village, reaching far into the valleys of the Lichte River
Lichte (river)
The Lichte River is a right tributary of the Schwarza in Thuringia, Germany, and is 17 km long.- Source :The Lichte rises as the Little Lichte in Neuhaus am Rennweg in the Thuringian Highlands.- Course :...
and of its tributary the Piesau
Piesau (river)
The Piesau River is a right tributary of the Lichte River in Thuringia, Germany, and is approximately 7 km long. The name is derived from the municipality of Piesau.- Source :...
. Both of these feed one of the biggest Thuringian drinking water reservoirs, Leibis-Lichte
Leibis-Lichte Dam
The Leibis-Lichte Dam is a dam in the German state of Thuringia in the Thuringian Highland. It impounds the River Lichte and lies between Lichte municipality section Geiersthal and Unterweissbach. To that particular Storage reservoir belongs the Deesbach Forebay...
, with the Deesbach Forebay
Deesbach Forebay
The Deesbach Forebay is a dam in the German state of Thuringia in the Thuringian Highland. It impounds the river Lichte and lies between the municipalities Lichte and Unterweissbach...
close to the northern end of the village (in Geiersthal). The Lichte River is also one of the sources of the Schwarza River.
The mountain rivers and streams in the area of the Lichte valley have been known for centuries for deposits of placer gold
Placer deposit
In geology, a placer deposit or placer is an accumulation of valuable minerals formed by gravity separation during sedimentary processes. The name is from the Spanish word placer, meaning "alluvial sand". Placer mining is an important source of gold, and was the main technique used in the early...
and are considered the most significant sources of gold in Germany.
Around the steep-sided valleys of the Lichte and Piesau, the height difference between hilltops and valley bottoms is often as much as 200 m, which is large for hills of this size.
| Description | Height above sea level Sea level Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation... |
Direction | Particularity |
| Spitzer Berg Spitzer Berg (Thuringian Highland) The Spitzer Berg is a 790.3 m high mountain located in the Thuringian Highland, Thuringia .It is located close to the municipality of Lichte and the Leibis-Lichte Dam in the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district in the Thuringian Forest Nature Park within walking distance of the Rennsteig.-See also:* List... |
790.3 m | N NE | Coniferous forest |
| Rauhhügel Rauhhügel The Rauhhügel is a 812.9 m high mountain located in the Thuringian Highland, Thuringia .It is located close to the municipalities of Schmiedefeld and Lichte and the Leibis-Lichte Dam in the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district in the Thuringian Forest Nature Park within walking distance of the... |
801.9 m | NE | Observation tower, radio mast |
| Mutzenberg | 770.0 m | NE | Coniferous forest |
| Petersberg | 646.0 m | NE | with refuge |
| Spitzberg | 691.2 m | E | with Schönheitsruhe outlook |
| Kirchberg | 685.6 m | SE | Ascent from Wallendorf, Kirchsteig |
| Mittelberg Mittelberg (Thuringian Highland) The Mittelberg is a 803.6 m high mountain located in the Thuringian Highland, Thuringia .It is located close to the municipalities of Piesau and Lichte and the Leibis-Lichte Dam in the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district in the Thuringian Forest Nature Park.The section of the Rennsteig walkway between... |
803.6 m | S SE | with Kirchberg (688 m) |
| Apelsberg Apelsberg The Apelsberg is a 785.3 m high mountain located in the Thuringian Highland, Thuringia .It is located close to the municipality of Lichte and the Leibis-Lichte Dam in the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district in the Thuringian Forest Nature Park.The section of the Rennsteig walkway between Neuhaus am... |
785.3 m | SW | |
| Rückertsbiel | 755.6 m | W | |
| Hahnberg Hahnberg (Thuringian Highland) The Hahnberg is a 685.3 m high slightly undulatory tableland located in the Thuringian Highland, Thuringia .It is located close to the municipality of Lichte and the Leibis-Lichte Dam in the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district in the Thuringian Forest Nature Park... |
685.3 m | W | Pastureland |
| Sauhügel Sauhügel (Thuringian Highland) The Sauhügel is a 721.7 m high mountain located in the Thuringian Highland, Thuringia .It is located close to the municipality of Lichte and the Leibis-Lichte Dam in the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district in the Thuringian Forest Nature Park within walking distance of the Rennsteig.-See also:* List of... |
721.7 m | W | |
| Geiersbachkopf | 717.6 m | W | Headwaters of the Geiersbach, tributary of the Lichte |
| Bock-und-Teich | Geiersthal | Lichte with - Waschdorf and - Ascherbach |
Wallendorf with - Lamprecht |
History
Already in 1764 there was porcelainPorcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
manufacturing in Lichte (Wallendorf). The Wallendorf porcelain manufacture is one of the oldest in Europe. It quickly achieved a growing customer base beyond the then borders of the country. Thus as early as 1822, Johann Heinrich Leder established in Lichte another porcelain company, today’s Lichte porcelain (GmbH)
Lichte Porzellan
- History :On the northern hillside of the Thuringian Highland, close to the Rennsteig, where the early settlements of the Thuringian porcelain manufacturing took its rise, Johann Heinrich Leder established in 1822 a new porcelain manufacturer, today’s Lichte porcelain .- Early work :Although the...
. The new company competed with Wallendorf. However, it was able to rapidly find and keep markets of its own, although the two World Wars followed by East German trade restrictions caused setbacks.
Until 1920, the Lichte River was the dividing line between the district of Saalfeld in Sachsen-Meiningen in the east and the rural district of Königsee in Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was a small historic state in present-day Thuringia, Germany with its capital at Rudolstadt.-History:Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was established in 1599 in the course of a resettlement of Schwarzburg dynasty lands...
in the west. In 1952 the municipality was formed by combining several mountain villages: from south to north, Lichte, Wallendorf, Geiersthal and Bock and Teich. From 1922 to 1952, the municipality belonged to the rural district of Saalfeld, from 1952 to 1994 to the district of Neuhaus, and since then has been in the district of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt.
During World War II, Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
forced labourers worked in Wallendorf; four graves in the cemetery there recall this time. A memorial tablet at the Lichte cemetery commemorates two victims of the death march of inmates from the Buchenwald concentration camp
Buchenwald concentration camp
Buchenwald concentration camp was a German Nazi concentration camp established on the Ettersberg near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937, one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps on German soil.Camp prisoners from all over Europe and Russia—Jews, non-Jewish Poles and Slovenes,...
in April 1945 who were found in the depths below the rail viaduct.
Heraldry
The coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of Lichte, a silver candlestick with gold flame and beams of light between 4 silver maple leaves
Maple leaf
The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree, and is the most widely recognized national symbol of Canada.-Use in Canada:At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the settlements of New France had attained a population of about 18,000...
on a field of green, was approved on July 15, 1995. The candlestick is taken from an ancient seal. It thus perpetuates a traditional symbol of the locality and also represents the centuries-long heritage of porcelain manufacturing that typifies Lichte and the region. The maple leaves symbolize the four sections of the municipality using a tree that is typical of the area. They and the green field also symbolize Lichte's location in the forested Thuringian Highland
Thuringian Highland
The Thuringian Highland or Thuringian Highlands is a low range of mountains in the German state of Thuringia.- Geography :The Thuringian Highland borders on the Thuringian Forest to the southwest...
, while the shape at the base of the shield represents its location in valleys.
Politics
The local government of Lichte and of the municipal associationMunicipal association
Municipal associations are statutory corporations or public bodies created by statute in the German federal states of Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia. In Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein the term stipulated municipal association is used....
of Lichtetal am Rennsteig
Lichtetal am Rennsteig
Lichtetal am Rennsteig is a municipal association in the district of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of government is in Lichte...
(Lichte Valley on the Rennsteig), which consists of the municipalities of Lichte, Piesau
Piesau
Piesau is a municipality in the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, in Thuringia, Germany close to the Thuringian Rennsteig.It has a glass-factory and is known as glass-maker-village. The first time glass was made in Piesau was in 1622. Up until today glass is the main reason of existence in Piesau. Carl...
, Reichmannsdorf
Reichmannsdorf
Reichmannsdorf is a municipality in the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, in Thuringia, Germany.It belongs to the municipal association Lichtetal am Rennsteig, which consists of the municipalities Lichte, Piesau, Reichmannsdorf, and Schmiedefeld.-References:...
, and Schmiedefeld
Schmiedefeld
Schmiedefeld is a municipality in the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, in Thuringia, Germany close to the Thuringian Rennsteig....
, are located in the Wallendorf section.
Municipal council
The municipal councilMunicipal council
A municipal council is the local government of a municipality. Specifically the term can refer to the institutions of various countries that can be translated by this term...
of Lichte consists of 12 councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s including the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, who serves in an honorary
Honorary
An honorary position is an unpaid position. Other uses include:* honorary title — awarded as a mark of distinction** honorary citizenship — awarded to aliens who have rendered service to the state...
capacity.
| Year of elections | CDU | Citizens' Initiative |
Total |
| 2009 | 5 | 7 | 12 mandates |
|---|---|---|---|
Places of interest
- Museum of Local History and Culture in Geiersthal
- Lichte-Geiersthal School of Design (founded 1862), in the holiday centre of Lichte-Geiersthal, close to the Feldbachtal Forest Hotel
- Wallendorf Protestant church, built in 1733 in country baroqueBaroque architectureBaroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
style - Piesau viaduct (length 258 m, height 34 m, 10 arches), crossing the Piesau and federal highwayBundesstraßeBundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
281
Annual events
- Porcelain Market with coronation of the Porcelain Princess, last weekend in July
- Porcelain Christmas, first day of AdventAdventAdvent is a season observed in many Western Christian churches, a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. It is the beginning of the Western liturgical year and commences on Advent Sunday, called Levavi...
- Kermesse – the Lichte Kermesse is the oldest event in Lichte. It is based on a permission granted by the sovereign in 1825 to hold an annual fair on MichaelmasMichaelmasMichaelmas, the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel is a day in the Western Christian calendar which occurs on 29 September...
(September 29).
Economy and infrastructure
The local economy, typically for the Thuringian Highland, is based on tourism, glass and porcelainPorcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
manufacturing, and woodworking. There has been porcelain manufacturing in Lichte since at least 1764; Wallendorfer Porzellan
Wallendorfer Porzellan
Wallendorfer Porzellan or Wallendorf Porcelain is a porcelain manufacturing company which has been in operation since 1764 in Lichte in the Thuringian Highlands...
(Wallendorf Porcelain) is one of the oldest such companies in Europe.
Local enterprises
- Wallendorfer PorzellanWallendorfer PorzellanWallendorfer Porzellan or Wallendorf Porcelain is a porcelain manufacturing company which has been in operation since 1764 in Lichte in the Thuringian Highlands...
, founded in 1764 - Lichte PorzellanLichte Porzellan- History :On the northern hillside of the Thuringian Highland, close to the Rennsteig, where the early settlements of the Thuringian porcelain manufacturing took its rise, Johann Heinrich Leder established in 1822 a new porcelain manufacturer, today’s Lichte porcelain .- Early work :Although the...
(GmbH), founded in 1822
Notable people associated with Lichte
- Gotthelf GreinerGotthelf GreinerJohann Gotthelf Greiner was a German glassmaker. He is acknowledge as co-inventor of the porcelain.-Biography:Greiner was born in an old-established glassmaker’s family in Scheibe-Alsbach, Thuringia....
(1737–1797) co-inventor of "Thuringian porcelain" and founder of the Wallendorf porcelain company
- Carolus Magnus HutschenreutherCarolus Magnus HutschenreutherCarolus Magnus Hutschenreuther was a German industrialist and the founder of the C.M. Hutschenreuther Porcelain Factory in Hohenberg an der Eger, Bavaria.- Early years :...
(1794–1845), founder of the C.M. HutschenreutherHutschenreutherHutschenreuther is the name of the family that established the production of porcelain in Northern Bavaria, in 1814. Hutschenreuther was a trend-setter and enabled Germany to gain an excellent reputation in the European porcelain industry...
porcelain company in Hohenberg an der EgerHohenberg an der EgerHohenberg an der Eger is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Eger, on the border with the Czech Republic, 11 km west of Cheb, and 14 km northeast of Marktredwitz. It was home to Hutschenreuther ceramic....
, Bavaria (1814)
- Johann Wolfgang Hammann, co-founder of Wallendorfer Porzellan
- Johann Heinrich Leder, founder of Lichte Porzellan
- Scherf brothers, Louis (1870-1955) and Albert (1876-1953): porcelain painters, silver medal at the World's FairExposition Universelle (1900)The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from April 15 to November 12, 1900, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next...
in Paris in 1900, gold medal at the Louisiana Purchase ExpositionLouisiana Purchase ExpositionThe Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the Saint Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States in 1904.- Background :...
in St. Louis (1904)
- Wilhelm Ulbrich, (1848–1922) regional poet and journalist
- Heinz Schaubach (1886–1970), owner of the Wallendorf porcelain company and Schaubachkunst Unterweissbach
External links
- Homepage of the Municipal Association (Verwaltungsgemeinschaft)