Schönheide
Encyclopedia
Schönheide is a community in Saxony
’s district of Erzgebirgskreis
that lies in the western Ore Mountains, and was founded as an industrial village.
, in the east and southeast Eibenstock
, in the west Auerbach
and Rodewisch
, and in the northwest Steinberg
.
Schönheide has four subdistricts, namely: Schönheide, Schwarzwinkel, Neuheide and Wilzschhaus. Schönheide is further subdivided into Oberdorf, Heinzwinkel, Mitteldorf, Webersberg and Schönheiderhammer. Wilzschaus lies in the valley of the River Mulde.
The highest point is der Knock at 767m.
In 1563, the village was sold to the House of Wettin. In 1566, its ironworks
was founded, and is still in operation. In 1596, the first church was built, but its tower collapsed in 1764, and killed a man. In 1669, a craftsmen’s guild was founded.
The village was connected to the railway at Schönheiderhammer and Wilzschhaus when the Chemnitz-Aue-Adorf railway line was built. Between 1880 and 1900, a number of public buildings were erected, and are still standing, including the Town Hall (1882), Post Office (1891), Hauptschule
(1856–98), Flemmings Fabrik - factory (1896) and Lenks Villen - villas (ca 1900). In 1893, the construction of the Wilkau-Haßlau to Carlsfeld narrow-gauge railway led to the opening of three additional railway stations.
From 1914 to 1945 there was widespread joblessness and poverty
throughout the Ore Mountains and Schönheide was no exception, due to the impact of both World Wars and the intervening Great Depression
.
In 1974, construction of the Eibenstock Reservoir was commenced and flooded the railway line between Blauenthal and Schönheide Ost. The following year the narrow-gauge railway was abandoned, and only a short stretch has been retained as a museum piece.
Since German Reunification
in 1990, the infrastructure of the village has been renewed. However many businesses have also closed, and joblessness is high once more.
has had ten seats, the UWG (de) four, the PDS two and the SPD
one.
Schönheide maintains partnership agreements with Bad Rappenau
, Beerfelden
, Sulzbach (Taunus) and Nüdlingen
, of which the one with Sulzbach is probably the most active.
Sporting facilities include:
The local business association organizes a Spring Festival (Frühlingsfest) from 30 April to 1 May, and, since 2006, cooperates with the business associations of neighbouring communities to hold an annual exhibition of local businesses, which is shared among them.
283 highway in the Mulde Valley.
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....
’s district of Erzgebirgskreis
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...
that lies in the western Ore Mountains, and was founded as an industrial village.
Geography
Schönheide is five kilometres long, and lies in the west of the District of Aue-Schwarzenberg, mostly in a side valley of the River Mulde, which forms the community’s southern boundary. In the north lies StützengrünStützengrün
- Location :Stützengrün lies in the Ore Mountains right on the boundary with the Vogtland. In Stützengrün is found the Weißbach , which empties directly into the Eibenstock Reservoir.- Geology :...
, in the east and southeast Eibenstock
Eibenstock
Eibenstock is a town in the western Ore Mountains, in the Erzgebirgskreis, Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the river Mulde.- Geography :...
, in the west Auerbach
Auerbach
Auerbach, a German language generic toponym coming from Aue + Bach, meaning "floodmeadow brook", can refer to:-In Germany:*Auerbach, Erzgebirgskreis, in the Erzgebirgskreis district, Saxony...
and Rodewisch
Rodewisch
Rodewisch is a town in the Vogtlandkreis district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated 3 km north of Auerbach , and 20 km east of Plauen.-Famous people born in Rodewisch:...
, and in the northwest Steinberg
Steinberg
Steinberg GmbH is a German musical software and equipment company based in Hamburg. It mainly produces music recording, arranging and editing software as used in digital audio workstations and VSTi software synthesizers.- History :...
.
Schönheide has four subdistricts, namely: Schönheide, Schwarzwinkel, Neuheide and Wilzschhaus. Schönheide is further subdivided into Oberdorf, Heinzwinkel, Mitteldorf, Webersberg and Schönheiderhammer. Wilzschaus lies in the valley of the River Mulde.
The highest point is der Knock at 767m.
History
The first settler recorded in the Schönheide area was Urban Männel, who was mentioned during a regal visit of 1537. Five years later, twelve settlers were listed in the Fürstenverzeichnis directory of Schneeberg. Subsequently in 1549, the village of Schönheide was granted its charter with 20 homesteads.In 1563, the village was sold to the House of Wettin. In 1566, its ironworks
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
was founded, and is still in operation. In 1596, the first church was built, but its tower collapsed in 1764, and killed a man. In 1669, a craftsmen’s guild was founded.
The village was connected to the railway at Schönheiderhammer and Wilzschhaus when the Chemnitz-Aue-Adorf railway line was built. Between 1880 and 1900, a number of public buildings were erected, and are still standing, including the Town Hall (1882), Post Office (1891), Hauptschule
Hauptschule
A Hauptschule is a secondary school in Germany and Austria, starting after 4 years of elementary schooling, which offers Lower Secondary Education according to the International Standard Classification of Education...
(1856–98), Flemmings Fabrik - factory (1896) and Lenks Villen - villas (ca 1900). In 1893, the construction of the Wilkau-Haßlau to Carlsfeld narrow-gauge railway led to the opening of three additional railway stations.
From 1914 to 1945 there was widespread joblessness and poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
throughout the Ore Mountains and Schönheide was no exception, due to the impact of both World Wars and the intervening Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
In 1974, construction of the Eibenstock Reservoir was commenced and flooded the railway line between Blauenthal and Schönheide Ost. The following year the narrow-gauge railway was abandoned, and only a short stretch has been retained as a museum piece.
Since German Reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
in 1990, the infrastructure of the village has been renewed. However many businesses have also closed, and joblessness is high once more.
Population
Estimated population (31 December, source: Statistisches Landesamt des Freistaates Sachsen):Politics
Since the 1994 municipal elections, the CDUChristian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
has had ten seats, the UWG (de) four, the PDS two and the SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
one.
Schönheide maintains partnership agreements with Bad Rappenau
Bad Rappenau
Bad Rappenau is a town in the district of Heilbronn in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is situated about 15 km northwest of Heilbronn.- Neighbouring municipalities :...
, Beerfelden
Beerfelden
Beerfelden is a town in the Odenwald in the Odenwaldkreis in Hesse, Germany, 28 km northeast of Heidelberg. The region around Beerfelden has for touristic reasons been dubbed the Beerfelder Land.-Location:...
, Sulzbach (Taunus) and Nüdlingen
Nüdlingen
Nüdlingen is a municipality in the district of Bad Kissingen in Bavaria in Germany.-Divisions of the municipality:The municipality is divided into the following towns:*Haard*Nüdlingen-History:...
, of which the one with Sulzbach is probably the most active.
Entertainments
Notable places to visit include:- Bürsten- und Heimatmuseum.
- Railway Museum.
- Am Knock.
Sporting facilities include:
- “Waldstadion” artificial turfArtificial turfArtificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...
stadium. - Multifunctional clubhouse at the “Waldstadion”.
- Schönheide ice stadium.
- “Wolfsbau” ice sport venue.
Festivals
Every year in early September, the Bürstenfest (“Brush Festival”) is held, and in July there is a street festival in the Hauptstraße, which is closed for the occasion. Every year on the second weekend in October, there is also a Kermis (“Church Festival or Fete”), and in mid-August there is a Firefighters’ Family Festival held by the Schönheide volunteer fire brigade. The Heimatmuseum also regularly stages its own festivals.The local business association organizes a Spring Festival (Frühlingsfest) from 30 April to 1 May, and, since 2006, cooperates with the business associations of neighbouring communities to hold an annual exhibition of local businesses, which is shared among them.
Transport
Until 1975, the community was connected by rail through the Chemnitz-Aue-Adorf railway and the Wilkau-Haßlau–Carlsfeld narrow-gauge railway. Today the most important connecting route is the BundesstraßeBundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
283 highway in the Mulde Valley.
Famous inhabitants
These include:- Karl Emanuel KlitzschKarl Emanuel KlitzschKarl Emanuel Klitzsch, or often just Emanuel Klitzsch, was a German composer, organist and music critic. He was a friend of Robert Schumann and promoted his works. He was for many years director of music in Zwickau, teacher at the Zwickau Gymnasium and writer for the Neue Zeitschrift für...
(1812–1889) - Organist and composer (de). - Louis Tuchscherer (1847–1922) - Pioneer aviator (de).
- Ottomar von Mayenburg (1865–1932) - Inventor of "Chlorodont", the first commercial brand of toothpasteToothpasteToothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice used with a toothbrush as an accessory to clean and maintain the aesthetics and health of teeth. Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene: it serves as an abrasive that aids in removing the dental plaque and food from the teeth, assists in suppressing...
(de). - Hanno DrechslerHanno DrechslerDr. Hanno Drechsler was the legendary Lord Mayor of the City of Marburg, Germany, between 1970 and 1992, and the instigator of its restoration after urban renewal; he was also an important Social Democratic politician and political scientist.- Education :Hanno Drechsler went to school in Saxony,...
(1931–2003) - Chief mayor and honorary citizen of MarburgMarburgMarburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :...
.