Wurzen
Encyclopedia
Wurzen (ˈvʊɐ̯tsən) is a town in the Leipzig
district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany
. It is situated on the river Mulde
, here crossed by two bridges, 25 km east of Leipzig
, by rail N.E. of Leipzig on the main line (via Riesa) to Dresden. It has a cathedral dating from the twelfth century, a castle, at one time a residence of the bishops of Meissen
and later utilized as law courts, several schools, an agricultural college and as a police station including a prison.
Founded after 600 by the Slavs
, Wurzen is first mentioned in the act of donation from Otto I in 961 as a "Burgward" civitas vurcine. Situated in the "anderen Gau Neletici", it was a town early in the twelfth century when Herwig, bishop of Meissen, founded a Collegiate church
here. In 1581 it passed to the elector of Saxony. During the Thirty Years' War
(1637) it was sacked by the Swedish
army and almost burned down completely.
In 1768 Goethe travelled from Leipzig
to Dresden
and back through Wurzen. The long waiting for the ferry inspired him later a passage in his first edition of Faust
.
On 31 July 1838 Wurzen was connected with the first German long distance railway (Leipzig-Dresden, opened 7 April 1839). Therefore the first German railway bridge was constructed to cross the Mulde
.
with: Barsinghausen
, Germany
Warstein
, Germany Tamási
, Hungary
Leipzig (district)
Leipzig is a district in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is named after the city Leipzig, which is surrounded by the district, but not part of it...
district, 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...
. It is situated on the river Mulde
Mulde
The Mulde is a river in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Elbe and 124 km in length.The river is formed by the confluence, near Colditz, of the Zwickauer Mulde and the Freiberger Mulde , both rising from the Ore Mountains...
, here crossed by two bridges, 25 km east of Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, by rail N.E. of Leipzig on the main line (via Riesa) to Dresden. It has a cathedral dating from the twelfth century, a castle, at one time a residence of the bishops of Meissen
Meissen
Meissen is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrechtsburg castle, the Gothic Meissen Cathedral and the Meissen Frauenkirche...
and later utilized as law courts, several schools, an agricultural college and as a police station including a prison.
Founded after 600 by the Slavs
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
, Wurzen is first mentioned in the act of donation from Otto I in 961 as a "Burgward" civitas vurcine. Situated in the "anderen Gau Neletici", it was a town early in the twelfth century when Herwig, bishop of Meissen, founded a Collegiate church
Collegiate church
In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
here. In 1581 it passed to the elector of Saxony. During 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....
(1637) it was sacked by the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
army and almost burned down completely.
In 1768 Goethe travelled from Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
to 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....
and back through Wurzen. The long waiting for the ferry inspired him later a passage in his first edition of Faust
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend; a highly successful scholar, but also dissatisfied with his life, and so makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical...
.
On 31 July 1838 Wurzen was connected with the first German long distance railway (Leipzig-Dresden, opened 7 April 1839). Therefore the first German railway bridge was constructed to cross the Mulde
Mulde
The Mulde is a river in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Elbe and 124 km in length.The river is formed by the confluence, near Colditz, of the Zwickauer Mulde and the Freiberger Mulde , both rising from the Ore Mountains...
.
International relations
Wurzen is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Barsinghausen
Barsinghausen
Barsinghausen is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated at the Deister chain of hills approx. 20 km west of Hanover...
, 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...
Warstein
Warstein
Warstein is a town in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located at the north end of the Sauerland.- Geography :...
, Germany Tamási
Tamási
Tamási is a town in Tolna County, Hungary. Spa and open-air bath of Tamási is one of the most beautiful spas of Hungary. The excellent natural environment, the health-providing quality of the water and the superb surrounding has made Tamási a well-known spa. The thermal water is 52 Celsius warm and...
, 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...
Economy
A commercial main focus is the production of pastries and candies. Furthermore there are several high-performance medium-sized businesses in mechanical engineering and some specialty companies in town (conveying machinery, lighting design, production of felt).Main sights
- Collegiate churchCollegiate churchIn Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
St. Marien (CathedralCathedralA cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
, sanctified 1114). RomanesqueRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
up to late Gothic architectureGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
(1508). Large ensemble of bronze sculptures from Georg Wrba (1932) - Lutheran ChurchEvangelical Church in GermanyThe Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
St. Wenceslai (16th/17th century) - Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
Herz-Jesu (sanctified 1902), in Neo-Romanesque style. - Castle of Wurzen (from 1497 to 1581 occasionally residence of the Bishop of Dresden-MeissenBishop of Dresden-MeissenThe Bishop of Dresden-Meissen is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dresden-Meissen in the Archdiocese of Berlin.The diocese covers an area of 16,934 km² and was erected as the Diocese of Meissen on 24 June 1921...
), an example of late Gothic architectureGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture.... - House Lossow (historico-cultural museum with an exhibition Ringelnatz art). MannerismMannerismMannerism is a period of European art that emerged from the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520. It lasted until about 1580 in Italy, when a more Baroque style began to replace it, but Northern Mannerism continued into the early 17th century throughout much of Europe...
/ BaroqueBaroqueThe Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
(1668) - Birthplace of the fabulist Magnus Gottfried LichtwerMagnus Gottfried LichtwerMagnus Gottfried Lichtwer was a German fabulist.-Biography:His father of the same name was a jurist. The younger Lichtwer studied law at Leipzig and Wittenberg. His chief work is to be found in the Vier Bücher Aesopischer Fabeln...
at Cathedrals square (17th century) - Birthplace of Joachim RingelnatzJoachim RingelnatzJoachim Ringelnatz is the pen name of the German author and painter Hans Bötticher. His pen name Ringelnatz is usually explained as a dialect expression for an animal, possibly a variant of Ringelnatter, German for Grass Snake...
(17th/18th century). - Fountain at the marketplace in honour of Joachim RingelnatzJoachim RingelnatzJoachim Ringelnatz is the pen name of the German author and painter Hans Bötticher. His pen name Ringelnatz is usually explained as a dialect expression for an animal, possibly a variant of Ringelnatter, German for Grass Snake...
(1983), it shows Ringelnatz on a SeahorseSeahorseSeahorses compose the fish genus Hippocampus within the family Syngnathidae, in order Syngnathiformes. Syngnathidae also includes the pipefishes. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek hippos meaning "horse" and kampos meaning “sea monster”.There are nearly 50 species of seahorse...
. - Former post-office of the Electorate of SaxonyElectorate of SaxonyThe 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...
with emblem adorned gate (1734). - Postal column (miles distance column) (1724) (reerectet 1984).
- ClassicisticalClassicismClassicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
City hallCity hallIn local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
(after a fire 1803). Today library and galery of the town. - Former (royal) GymnasiumGymnasium (school)A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
(1883) with mural paintings from Max Seliger. - Memorial for the dead soldiers of World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in the former old cemetery (bronze sculpture from Georg Wrba 1930). - Pesthäuschen, memorial for the victims of the Bubonic plagueBubonic plaguePlague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
1607 (17th century) in the former old cemetery. - Memorial for the victims of Fascism and the deads of the long march 1945 in the new cemetery.
- Memorial place for the soldiers of the Red ArmyRed ArmyThe 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...
and Albert Kuntz in the municipal park (1974). - Commemorative plaque for the victims of StalinismStalinismStalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
in the castle courtyard (2005). - Millenniums stone (Badergraben) (2000).
- Cityscape dominating buildings of the mill (Mühlgraben) (1917–1925).
- Former North-station of the "Muldentalbahn" (1875), today Magistrates' CourtMagistrates' CourtA magistrates' court or court of petty sessions, formerly known as a police court, is the lowest level of court in England and Wales and many other common law jurisdictions...
. - Water towerWater towerA water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
of the former municipal waterworks (1893). - Imperial post officePost officeA post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
with telegraph station tower (1890/91). - Bismarck towerBismarck towerBismarck Towers are a unique genre of German monument, built to honour the ex-chancellor of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck. A total of 240 of these towers were built between German unification and the National Socialist takeover, i.e. between 1869 and 1934...
on the Wachtelberg hill (Dehnitz, 1911).
Notable residents
- Heinrich von Abendroth (1819–1880), army officer, lieutenant general in the Saxon army
- Max Baumbach (1859–1915), sculptor in Berlin
- Ruth Bodenstein-Hoyme (1924–2006), music lecturer, composer
- Gerhard Bosse (born 1921), concertmaster of the GewandhausGewandhausGewandhaus is a concert hall in Leipzig, Germany. Today's hall is the third to bear this name; like the second, it is noted for its fine acoustics. The first Gewandhaus was built in 1781 by architect Johann Carl Friedrich Dauthe. The second opened on 11 December 1884, and was destroyed in the...
and professor - Kristina DörferKristina DörferKristina Dörfer, also known by the stage name KR!S or Kris, is a German singer and television actress.-Biography:...
(born 1984), singer and actress - Wilhelm FischerWilhelm FischerWilhelm "Willi" Fischer boxer, Germany at the 1992 Summer Olympics Barcelona, Spain. Nicknamed The Ox Ahmed Sarir Jerry Nijman super heavyweight Bulgaria's Svilen Rusinov....
(1796–1884), Saxon mining official - Fritz GeißlerFritz GeißlerFritz Geißler was one of the most important composers of the German Democratic Republic....
(1921–1984), composer, most famous symphony musician of the GDR - Paul Göhre (1864–1928), theologian and political economist, SPDSocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
-politician - Justus Friedrich Güntz (1801–1875), lawyer, editor and owner of the newspaper Dresdner Anzeiger
- Herwig (died 1119), Bishop of Dresden-MeissenBishop of Dresden-MeissenThe Bishop of Dresden-Meissen is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dresden-Meissen in the Archdiocese of Berlin.The diocese covers an area of 16,934 km² and was erected as the Diocese of Meissen on 24 June 1921...
, founder of the Collegiate churchCollegiate churchIn Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
in Wurzen - Hans-Peter Hund (born 1940), painter and graphic artist
- Hermann IlgenHermann IlgenFriedrich Hermann Ilgen was a German pharmacist, businessman and patron of art and sport....
(1856–1940), apothecary, enterpriser, patron of the arts - Ekkehart Jesse (born 1948), historian and sociologist, researcher of ExtremismExtremismExtremism is any ideology or political act far outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards...
- Detlev Kästner, boxer, bronze medallist Olympic GamesOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Boxing at the 1980 Summer OlympicsBoxing at the 1980 Summer OlympicsBoxing at the 1980 Summer Olympics took place in the Indoor Stadium of the Olympiski Sports Complex in Moscow. The boxing schedule began on 20 July and ended on 2 August... - Karl Ludwig Langbein (1811–1873), jurist and Member of Frankfurt ParliamentFrankfurt ParliamentThe Frankfurt Assembly was the first freely elected parliament for all of Germany. Session was held from May 18, 1848 to May 31, 1849 in the Paulskirche at Frankfurt am Main...
- Magnus Gottfried LichtwerMagnus Gottfried LichtwerMagnus Gottfried Lichtwer was a German fabulist.-Biography:His father of the same name was a jurist. The younger Lichtwer studied law at Leipzig and Wittenberg. His chief work is to be found in the Vier Bücher Aesopischer Fabeln...
(1719–1783), jurist and one of the most important German fabulists - Magdalene Mahrholz-Patzschke (1889–1944), painter
- Dietrich Manicke (born 1923), composer and music theoretician
- Jakob Martini (1829–1909), dermatologist and urologist
- Herbert Meißner (1888–1954), music educationist and singer
- Hans-Georg Mühe (born 1929), composer, music scientist and educationist
- Herbert Petzold (1910–1997), expert in PomologyPomologyPomology is a branch of botany that studies and cultivates pome fruit, particularly from the genera Malus, Prunus and Pyrus belonging to the Rosaceae. The term is sometimes applied more broadly, to the cultivation of any type of fruit...
(„apple-Petzold“) - Werner Radig (1903–1985), archaeologist and folklorist
- Joachim RingelnatzJoachim RingelnatzJoachim Ringelnatz is the pen name of the German author and painter Hans Bötticher. His pen name Ringelnatz is usually explained as a dialect expression for an animal, possibly a variant of Ringelnatter, German for Grass Snake...
(1883–1934), author and painter - Paul Röber, (1587–1651), Lutheran theologian
- Johann Christian Schoettgen (1687–1751), historian and educationist, rector of the school "Kreuzschule in DresdenDresdenDresden 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....
- Clemens Seeber (1851–1905), photo and cinema technician, photo reporter
- Bernhard Moritz von Süßmilch-Hörnig (1823–1892), army officer and cartographer
- Abraham Teller (1609–1658), theologian, songwriter of HymnHymnA hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s, rector of Thomasschule zu LeipzigThomasschule zu LeipzigSt. Thomas School, Leipzig is a co-educational and public boarding school in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany. It was founded by the Augustinians in 1212 and is one of the oldest schools in the world.St. Thomas is known for its art, language and music education... - Otto Georg ThierackOtto Georg ThierackOtto Georg Thierack was a Nazi jurist and politician.-Early life and career:Thierack was born in Wurzen in Saxony. He took part in the First World War from 1914 to 1918 as a volunteer, reaching the rank of lieutenant. He suffered a face injury and was decorated with the Iron Cross, second class...
(1889–1946), 1936 to 1942 president of the People's Court (German) and last minister of justice in Third Reich - Theodor UhligTheodor UhligTheodor Uhlig was a German viola-player, composer and music critic.-Uhlig and Wagner:...
, musician (1822–1853), songwriter, composer - Siegfried H. Horn, archaeologist (1908–1993)
- Bernd Wagner (born 1948), author
- Manfred Walter (born 1937), football player (national team GDR)
- Rainer Zieger, graphic artist and illustrator
- Julian Riedel, (born 1990), German TV host