Wunsiedel
Encyclopedia
Wunsiedel is the county town
of the Upper Franconia
n district of Wunsiedel
in northeast Bavaria
, Germany
. The town became well known for its annual Luisenburg Festival and the Rudolf Hess Memorial March held by the Neo-Nazis here until 2005.
at the foot of the Kösseine
Plateau.
Wunsiedel was first mentioned in 1163 as the seat of a ministerialis, Adelbertus or Albert. The name probably originates from wunne = glades and sedel = noble seat. In 1285, Burgrave Frederick III
of Nuremberg received the fiefdom
of the town from King Rudolph I of Habsburg
. In 1326, Wunsiedel was given town rights by Burgrave Frederick IV
and this was confirmed in 1328 by Emperor Louis the Bavarian. In 1430 Hans of Kotzau
defeated the Hussites in the Battle
of Katharinenberg, a low mountain immediately south of Wunsiedel, and in 1652 Jobst of Schirnding
beat the Bohemians also on the Katharinenberg
.
In the Middle Ages
, Wunsiedel was a centre of tin
mining and achieved great economic importance through the manufacture of tin plate. In 1613, it became capital of the Sechsämterland – an area comparable in size to the modern district Wunsiedel im Fichtelgebirge
. The bailiffs (Amtmänner) in Hohenberg
, Weißenstadt
, Kirchenlamitz
, Selb
and Thierstein were all subordinated to the high bailiff (Amtshauptmann) in Wunsiedel.
Wunsiedel was a part of the Hohenzollern Principality of Bayreuth
until 1791/92 when the last margrave
, Charles Alexander, abdicated and the region was placed under Prussian
administration. It was occupied for four years by Napoleon
's troops and, in 1810, became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria
.
Fires in 1476, 1547, 1607, 1636, 1644, 1646, 1657 and 1731] destroyed various parts of the town. After the last major fire in 1834, which razed two-thirds of Wunsiedel, the town was rebuilt in a classicist style.
Birthplace of Karl Ludwig Sand (October 5, 1795) who later went on to assassinate Auguste Kotzebue-a famous German playwright. Kotenzubue's death was a direct result of his published ridicule of the student associations in general, however focusing harshest comments on the newly formed Burschenschaften. In addition, the affluent writer was appointed as Russia's "ambassador" (by Russia) making his death a certainty. In his role as ambassador, Kotzebue was accused as being a "spy" while his role as editor of a literature review magazine brought him accusation of outright plagiarism
. In 1817 at the Wartburg Castle gathering of students, the burning of his published works with those of other "enemies" bought him to the attention of the young Karl Sand. In retrospect, a case for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, as a complicating factor, could probably be made as Karl Sand witnessed, helplessly, the drowning of his good friend just months prior to the murder.
After World War II Wunsiedel was part of the American Zone and a Fluchtlingssuchstelle was installed at the Landratsamt at the Bezirksamtstrasse 8.
In the late 1980s, the cemetery of Wunsiedel became rather infamous after Adolf Hitler
's deputy Rudolf Hess
, who had died in a Berlin prison on 17 August 1987, was buried there. In the years that followed, Neo-Nazi groups organized memorial marches on each 17 August. The number of participants rose from 120 in 1988 to more than 1,100 in 1990. The gatherings faced protests from the anti-fascist movement. Neo-Nazi marches were banned in 1991.
Under the impression that the situation had "cooled down", the Bavarian Administrative Court permitted the gatherings again in 2001. The result was unexpected: Neo-nazi groups managed to amass more and more people, the peak being reached in 2004, when over 4,500 Nazi Skinheads from all over Europe assembled in Wunsiedel. The local initiative "Wunsiedel ist bunt, nicht braun" ("Wunsiedel is colourful
, not brown
") organised a counter-demonstration with about 800 participants, decorating the city with rainbow flag
s and spraying the neo-nazis with confetti. The initiative later received the Bündnispreis for commitment and bravery awarded by the German federal ministers Otto Schily
and Brigitte Zypries
.
In 2005, the memorial march was banned for the first time on the basis of article 130 of the German criminal code, which outlaws incitement of the people. A complaint against the ban was rejected by the Federal Constitutional Court
. Nevertheless, more than 2,500 people met on August 20, 2005, to celebrate a Day of Democracy in Wunsiedel.
On 20 July 2011, the family of Rudolf Hess arranged with the cemetery to have Hess’s remains exhumed, cremated and scattered at sea to deter any further neo-Nazi pilgrimages to his grave.
Wunsiedel is governed by a mayor (Bürgermeister) and town council (Stadtrat) with 24 seats. Both are elected every four years. In the council, the CSU currently holds 13 seats, the SPD
holds 7 seats, and the Greens
1 seat. The remaining 3 seats went to a free voters' association. Recent results are:
Bernstein (1978), Breitenbrunn, Furthammer, Göpfersgrün, Göringsreuth, Hauenreuth, Hildenbach (1978), Hildenmühle, Holenbrunn
(1978), Johanneszeche, Juliushammer, Klause, Kösseinehaus, Krohenhammer, Luisenburg, Schneckenhammer, Schneckenmühle, Schönbrunn
(1975), Sinatengrün, Stemmasgrün, Stollenmühle, Valetsberg, Walkmühle, Wiesenmühle, Wintersberg, Wintersreuth.
is quarried locally.
, Turkey
, since 1980 Mende
, France
, since 1980 Schwarzenberg
, Germany
, since 1990 Volterra
, Italy
, since 2006 Ostrov
, Czech Republic
, since 2009
runs two kilometres to the south of Wunsiedel, which joins the A 9 motorway from Munich to Berlin near Bad Berneck
(the B 303 is the east-west link between the Czech Republic and the A 9). The new A 93
from Hof to Regensburg runs in a north-south direction, with exits at the Wunsiedel junction or state road S 2177 Hof–Wunsiedel
The nearest train station, Wunsiedel–Holenbrunn, is located in the nearby village of Holenbrunn (about three kilometres away). The nearest regional station is in Marktredwitz
(on the main line from Munich via Regensburg, Hof and Nuremberg to Prague). Bus connexions go from Wunsiedel Bus Station in all directions (Hof–Marktredwitz–Selb–Arzberg)
There is a regional airport at Hof-Plauen (ca. 40 km (25 mi) from Wunsiedel). There used to be branch lines from Holenbrunn via Wunsiedel and Tröstau to Leupoldsdorf
and from Holenbrunn to Selb. These lines have now been closed and the trackbeds used as cycle paths in places.
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of the Upper Franconia
Upper Franconia
Upper Franconia is a Regierungsbezirk of the state of Bavaria, southern Germany. It forms part of the historically significant region of Franconia , all now part of the German Federal State of Bayern .With more than 200 independent breweries which brew...
n district of Wunsiedel
Wunsiedel (district)
Wunsiedel is a Kreis in the northeastern part of Bavaria, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Tirschenreuth, Bayreuth, Hof, and to the west the Czech Karlovy Vary Region.-Geography:...
in northeast 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...
, 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...
. The town became well known for its annual Luisenburg Festival and the Rudolf Hess Memorial March held by the Neo-Nazis here until 2005.
Geography
Wunsiedel lies in the Fichtelgebirge Mountains in the valley of the RöslauRöslau (river)
The Röslau or Rösla is a right-hand tributary of the Eger River in northeast Bavaria in Germany.It is formed from several small veins that come together on the eastern slope of the Schneeberg west of the Vordorf Mill at Trostau in the Russel forest division.- Spring tapping :A spring, impounded...
at the foot of the Kösseine
Kösseine
The Kösseine is a massif in the High Fichtelgebirge mountains in Germany, lying in northeast Bavaria south of Wunsiedel. The highest elevation of this granite massif is the summit of the Große Kösseine, . The border between the Bavarian provinces of Upper Franconia and Upper Palatinate runs over...
Plateau.
History
Frederick III, Burgrave of Nuremberg
Frederick III of Nuremberg , Burgrave of Nuremberg from the House of Hohenzollern, was the eldest son of Conrad I of Nuremberg and Adelheid of Frontenhausen.-Life:...
of Nuremberg received the fiefdom
Fiefdom
A fee was the central element of feudalism and consisted of heritable lands granted under one of several varieties of feudal tenure by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the...
of the town from King Rudolph I of Habsburg
Rudolph I of Germany
Rudolph I was King of the Romans from 1273 until his death. He played a vital role in raising the Habsburg dynasty to a leading position among the Imperial feudal dynasties...
. In 1326, Wunsiedel was given town rights by Burgrave Frederick IV
Frederick IV, Burgrave of Nuremberg
Frederick IV of Nuremberg , Burgrave of Nuremberg from House of Hohenzollern. He was younger son of Frederick III of Nuremberg from his second marriage with Helene of Saxony.-Life:...
and this was confirmed in 1328 by Emperor Louis the Bavarian. In 1430 Hans of Kotzau
Kotzau
The House of Kotzau was a local noble family in Franconia.The House of Kotzau took its name from the village of Kotzau, today called Oberkotzau and it is located in the district Hof in Upper Franconia. Famous members of the family were abbess in the abbeys of Himmelkron and Hof. Hans von Kotzau...
defeated the Hussites in the Battle
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
of Katharinenberg, a low mountain immediately south of Wunsiedel, and in 1652 Jobst of Schirnding
Schirnding
Schirnding is a municipality in the district of Wunsiedel in Bavaria in Germany....
beat the Bohemians also on the Katharinenberg
Katharinenberg bei Wunsiedel
Katharinenberg bei Wunsiedel is a mountain close to the town of Wunsiedel in Bavaria, Germany....
.
In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Wunsiedel was a centre of tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
mining and achieved great economic importance through the manufacture of tin plate. In 1613, it became capital of the Sechsämterland – an area comparable in size to the modern district Wunsiedel im Fichtelgebirge
Wunsiedel (district)
Wunsiedel is a Kreis in the northeastern part of Bavaria, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Tirschenreuth, Bayreuth, Hof, and to the west the Czech Karlovy Vary Region.-Geography:...
. The bailiffs (Amtmänner) in Hohenberg
Hohenberg an der Eger
Hohenberg 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....
, Weißenstadt
Weißenstadt
Weißenstadt is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Fichtelgebirge Mountains, on the river Eger, 11 km northwest of Wunsiedel.- Geography :...
, Kirchenlamitz
Kirchenlamitz
Kirchenlamitz is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Fichtelgebirge, 13 km northwest of Wunsiedel and 19 km south of Hof....
, Selb
Selb
Selb is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Fichtelgebirge, on the border with the Czech Republic, 20 km northwest of Cheb and 23 km southeast of Hof.-Notable people:...
and Thierstein were all subordinated to the high bailiff (Amtshauptmann) in Wunsiedel.
Wunsiedel was a part of the Hohenzollern Principality of Bayreuth
Principality of Bayreuth
The Principality of Bayreuth or Brandenburg-Bayreuth was a reichsfrei principality in the Holy Roman Empire centered on the Bavarian city of Bayreuth. Until 1604 its capital city was Kulmbach; then the margraves used their palaces in Bayreuth as their residence...
until 1791/92 when the last margrave
Margrave
A margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...
, Charles Alexander, abdicated and the region was placed under Prussian
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
administration. It was occupied for four years by Napoleon
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
's troops and, in 1810, became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
.
Fires in 1476, 1547, 1607, 1636, 1644, 1646, 1657 and 1731] destroyed various parts of the town. After the last major fire in 1834, which razed two-thirds of Wunsiedel, the town was rebuilt in a classicist style.
Birthplace of Karl Ludwig Sand (October 5, 1795) who later went on to assassinate Auguste Kotzebue-a famous German playwright. Kotenzubue's death was a direct result of his published ridicule of the student associations in general, however focusing harshest comments on the newly formed Burschenschaften. In addition, the affluent writer was appointed as Russia's "ambassador" (by Russia) making his death a certainty. In his role as ambassador, Kotzebue was accused as being a "spy" while his role as editor of a literature review magazine brought him accusation of outright plagiarism
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
. In 1817 at the Wartburg Castle gathering of students, the burning of his published works with those of other "enemies" bought him to the attention of the young Karl Sand. In retrospect, a case for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, as a complicating factor, could probably be made as Karl Sand witnessed, helplessly, the drowning of his good friend just months prior to the murder.
After World War II Wunsiedel was part of the American Zone and a Fluchtlingssuchstelle was installed at the Landratsamt at the Bezirksamtstrasse 8.
Wunsiedel and Rudolf Hess
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's deputy Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Walter Richard Hess was a prominent Nazi politician who was Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi Party during the 1930s and early 1940s...
, who had died in a Berlin prison on 17 August 1987, was buried there. In the years that followed, Neo-Nazi groups organized memorial marches on each 17 August. The number of participants rose from 120 in 1988 to more than 1,100 in 1990. The gatherings faced protests from the anti-fascist movement. Neo-Nazi marches were banned in 1991.
Under the impression that the situation had "cooled down", the Bavarian Administrative Court permitted the gatherings again in 2001. The result was unexpected: Neo-nazi groups managed to amass more and more people, the peak being reached in 2004, when over 4,500 Nazi Skinheads from all over Europe assembled in Wunsiedel. The local initiative "Wunsiedel ist bunt, nicht braun" ("Wunsiedel is colourful
Color
Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
, not brown
Brown
Brown is a color term, denoting a range of composite colors produced by a mixture of orange, red, rose, or yellow with black or gray. The term is from Old English brún, in origin for any dusky or dark shade of color....
") organised a counter-demonstration with about 800 participants, decorating the city with rainbow flag
Rainbow flag
A rainbow flag is a multi-colored flag consisting of stripes in the colors of the rainbow. The actual colors shown differ, but many of the designs are based on the traditional scheme of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, or some more modern division of the rainbow spectrum .The...
s and spraying the neo-nazis with confetti. The initiative later received the Bündnispreis for commitment and bravery awarded by the German federal ministers Otto Schily
Otto Schily
Otto Georg Schily was Federal Minister of the Interior of Germany from 1998 to 2005, in the cabinet of former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany .-Biography:...
and Brigitte Zypries
Brigitte Zypries
Brigitte Zypries is a German politician. She was Federal Minister of Justice of Germany from 2002 to 2009. She is member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany .- Career :...
.
In 2005, the memorial march was banned for the first time on the basis of article 130 of the German criminal code, which outlaws incitement of the people. A complaint against the ban was rejected by the Federal Constitutional Court
Federal Constitutional Court of Germany
The Federal Constitutional Court is a special court established by the Grundgesetz, the German basic law...
. Nevertheless, more than 2,500 people met on August 20, 2005, to celebrate a Day of Democracy in Wunsiedel.
On 20 July 2011, the family of Rudolf Hess arranged with the cemetery to have Hess’s remains exhumed, cremated and scattered at sea to deter any further neo-Nazi pilgrimages to his grave.
Main sights
- Luisenburg Rock LabyrinthLuisenburg Rock LabyrinthThe Luisenburg Rock Labyrinth is a felsenmeer made of granite blocks several metres across and is part of the Großes Labyrinth Nature Reserve near Wunsiedel in Germany. For a long time its formation was believed to have been caused by natural disasters such as earthquakes...
, municipal landscape garden and national geotopeGeotopeGeotope is the geological component of the abiotic matrix present in an ecotope. Example geotopes might be: an exposed outcrop of rocks, an erratic boulder, a grotto or ravine, a cave, an old stone wall marking a property boundary, and so forth.... - Luisenburg Festival stage on the Luisenburg (oldest natural stage in Germany)
- Katharinenberg Municipal Park
- The now empty grave of Rudolf Heß in the cemetery, major Nazi war criminal, sentenced in the NurembergNuremberg TrialsThe Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
- In the same cemetery are the individual and multiple graves of 30 Jewish concentration camp victims, who lost their lives during a death marchDeath marchA death march is a forced march of prisoners of war or other captives or deportees. Those marching must walk over long distances for an extremely long period of time and are not supplied with food or water...
in the last days of the Second World War in 1945 - Wunsiedel Birds of Prey Park and falconry at the Katharinenberg Municipal Park
- Lernort Natur Deer Park
- Historic town walk through the classicist old town (Altstadt)
- Jean-Paul circular walk in North Wunsiedel
- The Markus-Zahn-Allee and St. Joseph's Chapel
- Fichtelgebirge MuseumFichtelgebirge MuseumThe Fichtelgebirge Museum is a regional museum in Wunsiedel, formerly the 'capital' of the Sechsämterland and the county town in the Fichtelgebirge mountains of central Germany....
, the largest Bavarian regional museum with an extensive stone and mineral collection - German Natural Stone Archive, the largest collection of its kind in the world with 5,500 templates (Musterplatten) of natural stones from across the world
- St. Veit's Parish Church
- St. Maria Spitalkirche
- Parish Church of the Twelve Apostles
- Peace Church of the Holy Trinity
- Ruined church of St. Katharine'sKatharinenberg bei WunsiedelKatharinenberg bei Wunsiedel is a mountain close to the town of Wunsiedel in Bavaria, Germany....
on the Katharinenberg, the oldest building in the town - The Town Hall of 1835/1837
- The Koppete Gate (Koppetentor), the only surviving gate of the old town defences (erected in 1471)
- Jean PaulJean PaulJean Paul , born Johann Paul Friedrich Richter, was a German Romantic writer, best known for his humorous novels and stories.-Life and work:...
's birthplace (a former schoolhouse) with a bust of Jean Paul by Ludwig Schwanthaler - Bernstein CastleBernstein CastleBernstein Castle is a historical building in Bernstein im Burgenland, Austria, first mentioned in the 13th century.-History:In 860 the whole region was part of the archbishopric of Salzburg. Erimbert, a liege of the archbishopric, handed over the Pinka to one Jacobus...
Town council
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
holds 7 seats, and the Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
1 seat. The remaining 3 seats went to a free voters' association. Recent results are:
| 2002 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|
| CSU | 13 | 11 |
| SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
7 | 5 |
| Greens Alliance '90/The Greens Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir... |
1 | 1 |
| Free Voters Free Voters Free Voters is a German concept in which an association of persons participates in an election without having the status of a registered political party. Usually it is a locally organized group of voters in the form of a registered association . In most cases, Free Voters are active only at the... |
– | 3 |
| Active Citizens | – | 3 |
| Coloured List | – | 1 |
| Voters Union/Free Citizens | 3 | – |
| Total | 24 | 24 |
Incorporated villages
The town's borough includes the following villages (year of incorporation in brackets):Bernstein (1978), Breitenbrunn, Furthammer, Göpfersgrün, Göringsreuth, Hauenreuth, Hildenbach (1978), Hildenmühle, Holenbrunn
Holenbrunn
Holenbrunn is a village in the Fichtelgebirge mountains. It is part of the town Wunsiedel in the north-east of the German state Bavaria. It has approximately 1000 inhabitants and an area of 10,09 km2.- History :* first mentioned around 1500...
(1978), Johanneszeche, Juliushammer, Klause, Kösseinehaus, Krohenhammer, Luisenburg, Schneckenhammer, Schneckenmühle, Schönbrunn
Schönbrunn (Fichtelgebirge)
Schönbrunn is a village in the heart of the Fichtelgebirge mountains in Bavaria, Germany. It is not far from Wunsiedel and has about 1,400 inhabitants along including Furthammer. It was founded around 1200 as a small settlement within the castle. The oldest building is the church built around...
(1975), Sinatengrün, Stemmasgrün, Stollenmühle, Valetsberg, Walkmühle, Wiesenmühle, Wintersberg, Wintersreuth.
Economy
The economy of the town of Wunsiedel is dominated by the chemical (paint works, Dronco), clothing, porcelain, glass, stonemasonry and construction industries. In addition several car dealerships have their headquarters in the town, of which Autowelt König has the most employees. Two breweries and various craft enterprises are based in Wunsiedel. One popular export product is the herb-flavoured spirit Sechsämtertropfen. Unemployment at 7.6 % is well above the Bavarian average. Wunsiedel MarbleWunsiedel Marble
Wunsiedel Marble is a group of metamorphic carbonate rocks, which were, and are, mainly extracted in the German town Wunsiedel at several quarries. This Upper Franconian calcite marble occurs both in this region and beyond, particularly in Bavaria...
is quarried locally.
Public institutions
State institutions
The state institutions in Wunsiedel are the district administrative office (Landratsamt), the finance office (Finanzamt), the survey office (Vermessungsamt), the magistrate's court (Amtsgericht), the office of agriculture and forests (Amt für Landwirtschaft und Forsten), the health insurance office (AOK-Direktion), the education office (Schulamt) and a police station.Educational establishments
- Town singing and music school
- Jean Paul School (primary and secondary modern school)
- Luisenburg Grammar School
- Sigmund Wann Middle School
- State School of Economics
- State Technical College for Stonemasonry and German Natural Stone Archive
- European Training Centre for Masonry and Stone Sculpture
- Marktredwitz-Wunsiedel State Vocational College
- State Hunting School of the Bavarian Hunting Conservation and Hunters' Association (BJV)
- Town Archive
- Town Library
- Hous of the Fichtelgebirge Club
- Wunsiedel i. Fichtelgebirge District Adult Education Centre
Leisure and sports facilities
In addition to the Fichtelgebirge Hall and Fichtelgebirge Stadium there is the town open-air swimming pool and sauna and the indoor pool. On the Katharinenberg there is a youth hostel and are youth centre, recently renovated by the town. For recreation there is the area around the Wunsiedler Eisweiher (mini-golf. ninepins, rowing boats, tennis). As well as the sports facilities belonging to clubs there are also various children's play parks. On 21 December 2009 the largest climbing wall in North Bavaria was opened in the premises of thd old sugar factory (Zuckerhut).Twinnings
TorbalıTorbali
Torbalı is a district of İzmir Province of Turkey.An ancient Ionian city, famous for its wines and religious sites, it has three sancuaries in marble dedicated to the Roman Emperor Augustus and his foster child Germanicus, in an ancient theatre which dominates the valley. Pieces of art found during...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, since 1980 Mende
Mende, Lozère
Mende is a commune of France in the Lozère department of which it is the capital.It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mende.-Sights:* Mende Cathedral -External links:* * ,...
, 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...
, since 1980 Schwarzenberg
Schwarzenberg, Saxony
Schwarzenberg is a town in the district of Erzgebirgskreis in Saxony’s Ore Mountains, near the German–Czech border. The town lies roughly 15 km southeast of Aue, and 35 km southwest of Chemnitz....
, 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 1990 Volterra
Volterra
Volterra, known to the ancient Etruscans as Velathri, to the Romans as Volaterrae, is a town and comune in the Tuscany region of Italy.-History:...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, since 2006 Ostrov
Ostrov (Karlovy Vary District)
Ostrov , is a town in the Carlsbad Region, Czech Republic. It is located at a foothill of the Ore Mountains about 10 km northeast of Karlovy Vary and has a population of 16,999 ....
, 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....
, since 2009
Culture
Regular events held in Wunsiedel include:- Luisenburg Festival from June to August on the oldest open-air and natural stage in Germany
- Well festival (Wunsiedler Brunnenfest) on Saturday before the 24 June (St. John's)
- Funfair on the municipal festival square from Friday to Tuesday in the first week of July
- Wunsiedel Culture Evening on the second Saturday in May
- Museum Festival in the Fichtelgebirge Museum on the second Sunday in September
- Wunsiedel Pub Night (Kneipennacht) beginning of November
- Wunsiedel Wood Days (Holztage) (biannual) in September 2011
- Toyota Meet on the Luisenburg car park. Every first weekend in September
Transport
The B 303 federal roadBundesstraße 303
The Bundesstraße 303 is a German federal highway that runs from west to east, beginning at the A 7 autobahn west of Schweinfurt and ending at the border with the Czech Republic east of Schirnding...
runs two kilometres to the south of Wunsiedel, which joins the A 9 motorway from Munich to Berlin near Bad Berneck
Bad Berneck
Bad Berneck is a spa town in the district of Bayreuth, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the White Main river, in the Fichtelgebirge mountains, 13 km northeast of Bayreuth. Its official title is Bad Berneck im Fichtelgebirge. It lies in the northern part of the Bavarian province of Upper...
(the B 303 is the east-west link between the Czech Republic and the A 9). The new A 93
Bundesautobahn 93
The Bundesautobahn 93 is an autobahn in Bavaria with a length of 276 km. It consists of two parts one is a short track, from the A 8, near the Austrian border, to the Inntal Autobahn in Tyrol, Austria, the other from Hof A 72 in the north of Bavaria to Holledau A 9. A...
from Hof to Regensburg runs in a north-south direction, with exits at the Wunsiedel junction or state road S 2177 Hof–Wunsiedel
The nearest train station, Wunsiedel–Holenbrunn, is located in the nearby village of Holenbrunn (about three kilometres away). The nearest regional station is in Marktredwitz
Marktredwitz
Marktredwitz is a municipality in the district of Wunsiedel, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 22 km west of Cheb, 50 km east of Bayreuth and 50 km south of Hof/Saale.The town celebrated the Horticultural Show 2006 in cooperation with Cheb....
(on the main line from Munich via Regensburg, Hof and Nuremberg to Prague). Bus connexions go from Wunsiedel Bus Station in all directions (Hof–Marktredwitz–Selb–Arzberg)
There is a regional airport at Hof-Plauen (ca. 40 km (25 mi) from Wunsiedel). There used to be branch lines from Holenbrunn via Wunsiedel and Tröstau to Leupoldsdorf
Holenbrunn–Leupoldsdorf railway
The Holenbrunn–Leupoldsdorf railway was built in two stages. First the Royal Bavarian State Railways decided on 15 August 1877 to link the town of Wunsiedel by a Lokalbahn to the main line from Hof to Holenbrunn being opened at the same time, and which was extended in 1878 from Holenbrunn to...
and from Holenbrunn to Selb. These lines have now been closed and the trackbeds used as cycle paths in places.
Notable residents
- Jean PaulJean PaulJean Paul , born Johann Paul Friedrich Richter, was a German Romantic writer, best known for his humorous novels and stories.-Life and work:...
(1763–1825), author - Dr. August Tuppert, (1883)
- Friedrich Meinel (1894)
- Hannsheinz Bauer (1909–2005), one of the "fathers" of the Basic LawBasic Law for the Federal Republic of GermanyThe Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany is the constitution of Germany. It was formally approved on 8 May 1949, and, with the signature of the Allies of World War II on 12 May, came into effect on 23 May, as the constitution of those states of West Germany that were initially included...
, born on March 28, 1909 in Wunsiedel - Dr. Heinrich Hohenner, professor of geodesyGeodesyGeodesy , also named geodetics, a branch of earth sciences, is the scientific discipline that deals with the measurement and representation of the Earth, including its gravitational field, in a three-dimensional time-varying space. Geodesists also study geodynamical phenomena such as crustal...
(1946) - Wilhelm WirthWilhelm WirthWilhelm Wirth was a German psychologist.He was taught by Wilhelm Wundt.- External links :* http://www.uni-leipzig.de/~psycho/hist2.html...
Sources
- Die Kunstdenkmäler von Oberfranken, Bd. 1: Landkreis Wunsiedel und Stadtkreis Marktredwitz. 1954. ISBN 978-3-486-41941-2