Plauen
Encyclopedia
Plauen is a town
in the Free State of Saxony
, east-central Germany
.
It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis
. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria
and the Czech Republic
.
Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.
The town was founded by Polabian Slavs
in the 12th century and was passed to the Kingdom of Bohemia
in 1327. Captured from the Archbishop of Magdeburg in 1384 by Lippold von Bredow. It passed to Albertine Saxony
in 1466 and to the Electorate of Saxony
in 1569. It became part of the Kingdom of Saxony
in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars
.
In the late 19th century, Plauen became a textile
manufacturing center, specializing in lace
. Around 1910 Plauen, as a kind of industrial 'boomtown', reached its population peak (1910 census: 121,000, 1912: 128,000).
In the 1930s Plauen earned the distinction of hosting the first chapter of the Nazi Party outside of Bavaria
. Plauen's population has shrunk dramatically since World War II
(1939: 111,000 inhabitants).
From 1945 on, Plauen belonged to the Soviet occupation zone of Germany, from 1949 to 1990 to the German Democratic Republic
. During that time it hosted a large Red Army
occupation garrison and in the last years of the East German state the officer school of the border guards ("Grenztruppen der DDR"). The first mass demonstration against the socialistic regime in the GDR began in Plauen at the 7th October 1989 and it was the beginning of a series of mass demonstrations in the whole GDR which ultimately led to the unification of Germany in 1990.
The exposé Fast Food Nation
gives special mention to Plauen as the first town in East Germany following the collapse of the Berlin Wall
to have a McDonald's restaurant.
In the district reform of July 1, 2008, Plauen lost its urban district
status and was included into the district of Vogtlandkreis
.
is on the Leipzig–Hof line. The section of this line through Plauen is part of the Saxon-Franconian trunk line
, connecting Nuremberg
, Hof, Plauen, Zwickau
, Chemnitz
and Dresden
. The town also has a station, Plauen (Vogtland) Unterer (lower) station, on the Elster Valley Railway
.
, with about 300 students and a DIPLOMA Fachhochschule.
, Czech Republik, since 1962 Steyr
, Austria
, since 1970 Hof, Germany
, since 1987 Siegen
, Germany, since 1990 Cegléd
, Hungary
, since 2005 Pabianice
, Poland
, since 2006 Šiauliai
, Lithuania
, since 2010
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
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....
, east-central 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...
.
It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis
Vogtlandkreis
The Vogtlandkreis is a Landkreis in the southwest of the Free State of Saxony, Germany, at the borders to Thuringia, Bavaria, and the Czech Republic. Neighboring districts are Hof, Saale-Orla, Greiz, Zwickau and Erzgebirgskreis...
. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
and 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....
.
Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.
History
Polabian Slavs
Polabian Slavs - is a collective term applied to a number of Lechites tribes who lived along the Elbe river, between the Baltic Sea to the north, the Saale and the Limes Saxoniae to the west, the Ore Mountains and the Western Sudetes to the south, and Poland to the east. They have also been known...
in the 12th century and was passed to the Kingdom of Bohemia
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
in 1327. Captured from the Archbishop of Magdeburg in 1384 by Lippold von Bredow. It passed to Albertine Saxony
Albert, Duke of Saxony
Albert III was a Duke of Saxony. He was nicknamed Albert the Bold or Albert the Courageous and founded the Albertine line of the House of Wettin....
in 1466 and to the Electorate of Saxony
Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony , sometimes referred to as Upper Saxony, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was established when Emperor Charles IV raised the Ascanian duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg to the status of an Electorate by the Golden Bull of 1356...
in 1569. It became part of the Kingdom of Saxony
Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony , lasting between 1806 and 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. From 1871 it was part of the German Empire. It became a Free state in the era of Weimar Republic in 1918 after the end of World War...
in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
.
In the late 19th century, Plauen became a textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
manufacturing center, specializing in 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...
. Around 1910 Plauen, as a kind of industrial 'boomtown', reached its population peak (1910 census: 121,000, 1912: 128,000).
In the 1930s Plauen earned the distinction of hosting the first chapter of the Nazi Party outside of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. Plauen's population has shrunk dramatically since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(1939: 111,000 inhabitants).
From 1945 on, Plauen belonged to the Soviet occupation zone of Germany, from 1949 to 1990 to the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
. During that time it hosted a large Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
occupation garrison and in the last years of the East German state the officer school of the border guards ("Grenztruppen der DDR"). The first mass demonstration against the socialistic regime in the GDR began in Plauen at the 7th October 1989 and it was the beginning of a series of mass demonstrations in the whole GDR which ultimately led to the unification of Germany in 1990.
The exposé Fast Food Nation
Fast Food Nation
Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal is a book by investigative journalist Eric Schlosser that examines the local and global influence of the United States fast food industry....
gives special mention to Plauen as the first town in East Germany following the collapse of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
to have a McDonald's restaurant.
In the district reform of July 1, 2008, Plauen lost its urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
status and was included into the district of Vogtlandkreis
Vogtlandkreis
The Vogtlandkreis is a Landkreis in the southwest of the Free State of Saxony, Germany, at the borders to Thuringia, Bavaria, and the Czech Republic. Neighboring districts are Hof, Saale-Orla, Greiz, Zwickau and Erzgebirgskreis...
.
Industry and infrastructure
Plauen (Vogtland) Oberer stationPlauen (Vogtland) Oberer station
Plauen Oberer station is the main station of Plauen in the German state of Saxony on the Leipzig–Hof line. It is the main hub of rail traffic in Vogtland. This station is maintained and operated by Deutsche Bahn.-History :...
is on the Leipzig–Hof line. The section of this line through Plauen is 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...
, Hof, Plauen, 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...
, Chemnitz
Chemnitz
Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
and 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 town also has a station, Plauen (Vogtland) Unterer (lower) station, on the Elster Valley Railway
Elster Valley Railway
The Elster Valley Railway is a main railway line in the German federal states of Thuringia and Saxony that runs along the valley of the White Elster from Gera via Greiz and Plauen to Weischlitz.- History :...
.
Main sights
- Museum Plauener Spitze
- Galerie e.O. plauen
- Old Town Hall
- Elster ViaductElster ViaductThe Elster Viaduct is a railway bridge in the German state of Saxony. It carries the Leipzig–Hof line near Jocketa over the valley of the Weiße Elster. After the Göltzsch Viaduct it is the second largest brick bridge in the world...
- second largest brick bridge in the world - Friedensbrücke - largest stone arch bridgeArch bridgeAn arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
in the world - Johanniskirche
- Old Elster Viaduct - oldest bridge in Saxony
- Malzhaus
Education and science
Plauen is home to a University of Applied SciencesFachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
, with about 300 students and a DIPLOMA Fachhochschule.
Notable residents
- Heinrich von Plauen (1370–1429), Grand Master of the Teutonic KnightsTeutonic KnightsThe Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
- Eduard Friedrich PoeppigEduard Friedrich PoeppigEduard Friedrich Poeppig was a German botanist, zoologist and explorer.-Biography:He was born in Plauen, Saxony. He studied medicine and natural history at the University of Leipzig, graduating with a medical degree. On graduation, the rector of the university gave him a botanical mission to North...
(1798–1868), botanist, zoologist and explorer - Hermann VogelHermann Vogel (German illustrator)Hermann Vogel was a German illustrator.Vogel was born in Plauen, Kingdom of Saxony, as the son of a master builder...
(1854–1921), illustrator - E.O. PlauenE.O. PlauenE. O. Plauen was the pseudonym of Erich Ohser , a German cartoonist best known for his strip Vater und Sohn .-Life and work:...
(1903–1944), cartoonist - Werner HartensteinWerner HartensteinGustav Julius Werner Hartenstein was a Korvettenkapitän with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and commander of . He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military...
(1908–1943), war time commander of U-156, notable for the Laconia incident - Karl RichterKarl RichterKarl Richter was a German conductor, organist, and harpsichordist. He was born in Plauen and studied first in Dresden, where he was a member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor and later in Leipzig, where he received his degree in 1949. He studied with Günther Ramin, Carl Straube and Rudolf Mauersberger. In...
(1926–1981), conductor, organist, and harpsichordist - Hans OtteHans OtteHans Otte born Hans Günther Franz Otte in Plauen, Germany was a German composer, pianist, radio promoter, and author of many pieces of musical theatre, sound installations, poems, drawings, and art videos. From 1959 to 1984 he served as music director for Radio Bremen...
(1926–2007), composer and pianist
Twin cities
AšAš
Aš is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic.-History:Previously uninhabited hills and swamps, the town of Asch was founded in the early 11th century by German colonists. Slavic settlements in the area are not known. The dialect spoken in the town was that of the Upper Palatinate,...
, Czech Republik, since 1962 Steyr
Steyr
Steyr is a town, located in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. The town is situated at the confluence of the rivers Steyr and Enns. Steyr is Austria's 12th most populated town and simultaneously the 3rd largest town in Upper Austria....
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, since 1970 Hof, 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 1987 Siegen
Siegen
Siegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region...
, Germany, since 1990 Cegléd
Cegléd
Cegléd is a city in Pest county, Hungary, approximately southeast of the Hungarian capital, Budapest.-Name:There are discussions going on about the origin of the name of the town...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, since 2005 Pabianice
Pabianice
Pabianice is a town in central Poland with 69 648 inhabitants . Situated in the Łódź Voivodeship, it is the capital of Pabianice County...
, Poland
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...
, since 2006 Šiauliai
Šiauliai
Šiauliai , is the fourth largest city in Lithuania, with a population of 133,900. It is the capital of Šiauliai County. Unofficially, the city is the capital of Northern Lithuania.-Names:...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, since 2010