Thum
Encyclopedia
Thum is a small town in the district of Erzgebirgskreis
, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany
. Thum has a population of about 5800.
, and 19 km south of Chemnitz
. The Jahnsbach, a tributary to the Zschopau River
runs through the town. To the north is Gelenau
, east is Drebach
, south of Thum is the town of Ehrenfriedersdorf
. The Greifensteine
area lies to the south west, and Hormersdorf
and Auerbach are to the west.
of Prague
. From the 14th century, mining
in the once densely forested Erzgebirge steadily increased, and a history book of 1445 describes Thum as a small mining
town. Several placer deposit
s, two stamp mill
s and 27 mines
were in the area of Thum. Considerable amounts of Axinite
were found, which initially was given the name Thumit. In 1469 the citizens of Thum acquired township
.
The last battle of the Thirty Years' War
in Saxony
was fought on January 15, 1648 near Thum. The destruction caused by the war resulted in mining no longer being sustainable. With the run-down of ore-mining in the area, Thum (like many other towns and villages in the Erzgebirge) turned to wooden toy manufacture - such as Schwibbogen
and Christmas pyramid
s - as well as "klöppeln"
as a matter of economic survival. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the textile industry
was the main source of income for Thum.
In 1886, a narrow gauge railway connected Thum to Wilischthal
. This Thumer Netz was part of the narrow gauge railways in Saxony and was expanded throughout the early 20th century.
The Rittergut (manor
) of Dorfthum was incorporated into Thum in 1879. With the zoning reforms in the 1990s, the neighbouring Reihendorf
villages of Jahnsbach and Herold were incorporated into Thum.
was formed. This cooperative dissolved in 1882, and brewer
William Böttger bought the buildings and inventory. He built new brewery buildings in 1898 and increased production to 15,000 hecto litres. After the death of Böttger, in 1926 his widow sold the brewery back to the town of Thum, which was unable to find a buyer. This ended the long brewing tradition in Thum. In 2000 the brand was revived under the name of Thumer Lager. It is now being brewed using the original recipe by a brewery in Chemnitz
.
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, 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...
. Thum has a population of about 5800.
Geography
Thum is situated in the Erzgebirge, 10 km northwest of Annaberg-BuchholzAnnaberg-Buchholz
Annaberg-Buchholz is a town in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, in the Erzgebirge, capital of the district Erzgebirgskreis.The town is located in the Ore Mountains, at the side of the Pöhlberg . It has three Protestant churches, among them that of St...
, and 19 km south of 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...
. The Jahnsbach, a tributary to the Zschopau River
Zschopau River
The Zschopau is a river in Saxony, Germany, left tributary of the Freiberger Mulde. Its source is in the Erzgebirge, on the slopes of the Fichtelberg, near the border with the Czech Republic. It flows north through the towns Schlettau, Wolkenstein, Zschopau, Flöha, Frankenberg, Mittweida and...
runs through the town. To the north is Gelenau
Gelenau
Gelenau is a municipality in the district of Erzgebirgskreis, in Saxony, Germany....
, east is Drebach
Drebach
Drebach is a municipality in the district of Erzgebirgskreis, in Saxony, Germany....
, south of Thum is the town of Ehrenfriedersdorf
Ehrenfriedersdorf
Ehrenfriedersdorf is a town in the district of Erzgebirgskreis, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated 8 km northwest of Annaberg-Buchholz, and 21 km south of Chemnitz.- Theatre :...
. The Greifensteine
Greifensteine
The Greifensteine is a rock formation in the Ore Mountains, Germany, between the towns of Geyer, Ehrenfriedersdorf and Jahnsbach. The highest of the seven granite rocks reaches 731 m.- Geology :...
area lies to the south west, and Hormersdorf
Hormersdorf
Hormersdorf is a municipality in the district Erzgebirgskreis, inSaxony, Germany.-Dialect clock:In Hormersdorf a "" was installed that displays the time of day in the local Erzgebirgisch dialect which uses the word "Ziffer" for units of five minute intervals.The image of the clock at the left...
and Auerbach are to the west.
History
Thum was first mentioned 1389 in historic records of the archdioceseDiocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. From the 14th century, 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...
in the once densely forested Erzgebirge steadily increased, and a history book of 1445 describes Thum as a small 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...
town. Several placer deposit
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...
s, two stamp mill
Stamp mill
A stamp mill is a type of mill machine that crushes material by pounding rather than grinding, either for further processing or for extraction of metallic ores. Breaking material down is a type of unit operation....
s and 27 mines
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...
were in the area of Thum. Considerable amounts of Axinite
Axinite
Axinite is a brown to violet-brown, or reddish-brown bladed group of minerals composed of calcium aluminium boro-silicate, 3Al2BO3Si4O12OH...
were found, which initially was given the name Thumit. In 1469 the citizens of Thum acquired township
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
.
The last battle of the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
in 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...
was fought on January 15, 1648 near Thum. The destruction caused by the war resulted in mining no longer being sustainable. With the run-down of ore-mining in the area, Thum (like many other towns and villages in the Erzgebirge) turned to wooden toy manufacture - such as Schwibbogen
Schwibbogen
A Schwibbogen is a decorative candle-holder from the Ore Mountains region of Saxony, Germany.The first metal Schwibbogen was made in 1740 in Johanngeorgenstadt. The early candle arches always consisted of black ore. They were made out of one single forged piece and could be painted. The number of...
and Christmas pyramid
Christmas pyramid
A Christmas Pyramid is a Christmas decoration that has its roots in the Erzgebirge of Germany but has become popular throughout the country. It is suggested that the Christmas pyramid is a predecessor of the Christmas tree; These pyramids themselves are not limited to Christmas: in the Erzgebirge...
s - as well as "klöppeln"
Bobbin lace
Bobbin lace is a lace textile made by braiding and twisting lengths of thread, which are wound on bobbins to manage them. As the work progresses, the weaving is held in place with pins set in a lace pillow, the placement of the pins usually determined by a pattern or pricking pinned on the...
as a matter of economic survival. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the textile industry
Textile industry
The textile industry is primarily concerned with the production of yarn, and cloth and the subsequent design or manufacture of clothing and their distribution. The raw material may be natural, or synthetic using products of the chemical industry....
was the main source of income for Thum.
In 1886, a narrow gauge railway connected Thum to Wilischthal
Zschopau
Zschopau , a town in the German state Saxony, is located on both banks of the river Zschopau, south-east from Chemnitz. It is part of the Erzgebirgskreis district. Its population is 11,584...
. This Thumer Netz was part of the narrow gauge railways in Saxony and was expanded throughout the early 20th century.
The Rittergut (manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
) of Dorfthum was incorporated into Thum in 1879. With the zoning reforms in the 1990s, the neighbouring Reihendorf
Reihendorf
The Reihendorf is a particular form of German settlement characterized by rows of houses situated along a street, riverbank, valley, or creek. The Reihendorf generally does not feature common lands, and can be one-rowed or two-rowed....
villages of Jahnsbach and Herold were incorporated into Thum.
Historical Brewery ("Dampfbrauerei")
The original brewery, founded in the 14th century, was the property of the church until 1546 when it was acquired by the town, and a brewing cooperativeCooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
was formed. This cooperative dissolved in 1882, and brewer
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
William Böttger bought the buildings and inventory. He built new brewery buildings in 1898 and increased production to 15,000 hecto litres. After the death of Böttger, in 1926 his widow sold the brewery back to the town of Thum, which was unable to find a buyer. This ended the long brewing tradition in Thum. In 2000 the brand was revived under the name of Thumer Lager. It is now being brewed using the original recipe by a brewery in 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...
.
Coat of arms
 |
The town council approved the current coat of arms after the incorporation of Jahnsbach and Herold. The coat of arms displays:
|
Notable persons
- Tobias Clausnitzer ( February 5, 1619 in Thum – May 7, 1684 in Weiden in der OberpfalzWeiden in der OberpfalzWeiden in der Oberpfalz is a district-free city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located 100 km east of Nuremberg and 35 km west of the Czech border. A branch of the German Army's NCO Academy is located here...
) - Edgar BarthEdgar BarthEdgar Barth was a German Formula One and sports car racing driver....
(January 26, 1917 Herold (Thum)– May 20, 1965, LudwigsburgLudwigsburgLudwigsburg is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about north of Stuttgart city centre, near the river Neckar. It is the largest and primary city of the Ludwigsburg urban district with about 87,000 inhabitants...
), Formula OneFormula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
and sports car racingSports car racingSports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
driver. - Jürgen BarthJürgen BarthJürgen Barth is a German engineer and a former racecar driver. He is the son of Formula One driver and sports car racer Edgar Barth....
(born December 10, 1947 in Thum), a German engineer, sports car racerSports car racingSports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
and 24 Hours of Le Mans24 Hours of Le MansThe 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
winner. The son of Edgar Barth.