Bischofswerda
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Bischofswerda (; ) is a small town in eastern Germany at the western edge of
Upper Lusatia Upper Lusatia (, ; , ; ; or ''Milsko''; ) is a historical region in Germany and Poland. Along with Lower Lusatia to the north, it makes up the region of Lusatia, named after the Polabian Slavs, Slavic ''Lusici'' tribe. Both parts of Lusatia a ...
in
Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...
.


Geography

The town is located 33 km to the east of
Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
at the edge of the Upper Lusatian mountain country. The town is known as the "Gateway to Upper Lusatia" – "Tor zur Oberlausitz" in German. Located in the district of Bautzen, the town is 18 km west of
Bautzen Bautzen () or Budyšin (), until 1868 ''Budissin'' in German, is a town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the Bautzen (district), district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree (river), Spree river, is the eighth most ...
itself. Großdrebnitz is among its quarters. The river Wesenitz flows through the town.


History

The first documentary evidence of the existence of Bischofswerda dates from 1227.Unfug, von Regina, Hantzsch; Stadtbilder aus Bischofswerda, Leiziger Verlagsgesellschaft, Leipzig, 1994 Nominally the town was founded by the Bishops of
Meissen Meissen ( ), is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden and 75 km (46 mi) west of Bautzen on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, th ...
, though it may have existed before that point. In 1288 city walls were constructed. The first mention of Bischofswerda as a city is in a document dating from 1361. The town remained under the authority of the Bishops of Meissen until 1559 when power was transferred to
Augustus, Elector of Saxony Augustus (31 July 152611 February 1586) was Elector of Saxony from 1553 to 1586. First years Augustus was born in Freiberg, the youngest child and third (but second surviving) son of Henry IV, Duke of Saxony, and Catherine of Mecklenburg. He c ...
, who introduced
Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
. The city arms are based on a 14th-century seal and consist of two crossed bishop's
crozier A crozier or crosier (also known as a paterissa, pastoral staff, or bishop's staff) is a stylized staff that is a symbol of the governing office of a bishop or abbot and is carried by high-ranking prelates of Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholi ...
s and four stars. The significance of the stars is not known. One of two main routes connecting
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
and
Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
ran through the town in the 18th century and Kings
Augustus II the Strong Augustus II the Strong (12 May 1670 – 1 February 1733), was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1697 to 1706 and from 1709 until his death in 1733. He belonged to the Albertine branch of the H ...
and
Augustus III of Poland Augustus III (; – "the Saxon"; ; 17 October 1696 5 October 1763) was List of Polish monarchs, King of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1733 until 1763, as well as List of rulers of Saxony, Elector of Saxony i ...
often traveled that route. Like many late medieval towns, Bischofswerda suffered from periodic fires that damaged the town. Fires are recorded in 1429, 1469, 1528, 1583, 1596, 1641, 1671 and 1813. The last fire was the worst. During the
War of the Sixth Coalition In the War of the Sixth Coalition () (December 1812 – May 1814), sometimes known in Germany as the Wars of Liberation (), a coalition of Austrian Empire, Austria, Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia, Russian Empire, Russia, History of Spain (1808– ...
,
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
ic forces had occupied Bischofswerda when a fire broke out within the town walls on 12 May 1813, destroying most of the medieval town. However the town was rebuilt on an order of
Frederick Augustus I of Saxony Frederick Augustus I (; ; ; 23 December 1750 – 5 May 1827) was a member of the House of Wettin who reigned as the last Elector of Saxony from 1763 to 1806 (as Frederick Augustus III) and as the first King of Saxony from 1806 to 1827. He was al ...
in a manner closely following the earlier layout, and this remains to this day. During the increased tensions of the 1980s between the Western democracies and the Eastern Communist Bloc, Bischofswerda became a base for Soviet SS-12
nuclear missiles Nuclear weapons delivery is the technology and systems used to place a nuclear weapon at the position of detonation, on or near its target. All nine nuclear states have developed some form of medium- to long-range delivery system for their nuc ...
. A depot for the missiles and their launchers was built just outside town. The missiles were withdrawn in 1988. The following table indicates Bischofwerda's population at different times: : Source from 2000: Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen (Saxony Office of Statistics)


Sights

Among the most impressive buildings are the town hall and the ''Christuskirche''. Both are examples of neo-classical architecture and were designed by Gottlob Friedrich Thormeyer. The town hall (Rathaus) was constructed in 1818, just off the Altmarkt, the centre of the town. The entrance to the Christuskirche is decorated by a mosaic by Josef Goller. In the interior one can find a painting by Osmar Schindler, who grew up in the town. The Catholic church is named after Saint Benno of Meissen, who is said to have founded Bischofswerda in the 11th century. File:BIW_Fronfeste_N_h.JPG, Historical ''Fronfeste'' (built 1286), entrance at the medieval town wall File:Bischofswerda_Christuskirche_Westseite_2010.jpg, ''Christuskirche'' by Gottlob Friedrich Thormeyer File:Goller-villeroy.jpg, Mosaic at the entrance of ''Christuskirche'' (by Josef Goller and
Villeroy & Boch Villeroy & Boch (, ) is a French-German manufacturer of ceramics, with the company headquarters located in Mettlach, Saarland. History The company began in the tiny Lorraine village of Audun le Tiche, where the iron master François Boch set ...
) File:BIW_kath._Kirche_St._Benno_h.JPG, Catholic church St. Benno


Economy and transport

Before the
reunification of Germany German reunification () was the process of re-establishing Germany as a single sovereign state, which began on 9 November 1989 and culminated on 3 October 1990 with the dissolution of the German Democratic Republic and the integration of i ...
in 1990, Bischofswerda was a significant industrial location. The company Fortschritt produced agricultural machines. This manufacture as well as the glass fabrication has closed. The textile industry had a centuries-long tradition in the town, but also ended in 2012. New industries began to settle in Bischofswerda in recent years. Roth Industries, a German enterprise from the
environmental technology Environmental technology (or envirotech) is the use of engineering and technological approaches to understand and address issues that affect the environment with the aim of fostering environmental improvement. It involves the application of scien ...
sector, has a subsidiary here. The Canadian producer of solar cells, ARISE Technologies, came to the town, but has closed. File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-M1020-022,_VEB_Herrenmode_Bischofswerda.jpg, Textile industry in the G.D.R. File:Haselmausbruecke.jpg, "
Hazel Dormouse The hazel dormouse or common dormouse (''Muscardinus avellanarius'') is a small dormouse species native to Europe and the only living species in the genus ''Muscardinus''. Distribution and habitat The hazel dormouse is native to northern Europe ...
" bridge over the bypass road in the south-west of the town
The town is situated on the ''
Bundesstraße 6 The Bundesstraße 6 (abbr. B6) is a German federal highway running from Bremerhaven on the North Sea coast in a southeasterly direction through the states of Lower Saxony, Bremen, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony to Görlitz on the Polish border. H ...
'', which connects
Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
and
Görlitz Görlitz (; ; ; ; ; Lusatian dialects, East Lusatian: , , ) is a town in the Germany, German state of Saxony. It is on the river Lusatian Neisse and is the largest town in Upper Lusatia, the second-largest town in the region of Lusatia after ...
at the Polish border. The
Bundesautobahn 4 is an autobahn in two discontinuous segments that crosses Germany in a west–east direction. The western segment has a length of , while the part in the east is long. Route The western A 4 starts north-west of Aachen, where the A ...
bypasses the town 6 km north, enabling easy access to Dresden Airport. The road traffic bypasses the town in the west. Via
Bischofswerda railway station Bischofswerda () is a railway station in the town of Bischofswerda, Saxony, Germany. The station lies on the Görlitz–Dresden railway, Görlitz–Dresden and Neukirch West–Bischofswerda railway, Neukirch West–Bischofswerda railway lines. T ...
, direct access by rail is possible to Dresden, Görlitz,
Zittau Zittau (; ; ; ; ; Lusatian dialects, Upper Lusatian dialect: ''Sitte''; ) is the southeasternmost city in the Germany, German state of Saxony, and belongs to the Görlitz (district), district of Görlitz, Germany's easternmost Districts of Germ ...
as well as to Czech
Liberec Liberec (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 108,000 inhabitants, making it the fifth largest city in the country. It lies on the Lusatian Neisse River, in a basin surrounded by mountains. The city centre is well preserved and is pr ...
.


Culture and sports

The little town became known nationally when the local football club BSG Fortschritt Bischofswerda, sponsored by Fortschritt, twice reached the
DDR-Oberliga The DDR-Oberliga (English: ''East German Premier League'' or ''GDR Premier League'') was the top-level association football league in East Germany. Overview Following World War II, separate sports competitions emerged in the Allied-occupied G ...
, the highest football league in East Germany. Today, a modern open air bath and Saxony's littlest
zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...
can be noted. Regularly, the local festival ''Schiebocker Tage'' and a Karl May festival are organized. File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-1986-0728-021,_Mannschaftsfoto_Fortschritt_Bischofswerda.jpg,
DDR-Oberliga The DDR-Oberliga (English: ''East German Premier League'' or ''GDR Premier League'') was the top-level association football league in East Germany. Overview Following World War II, separate sports competitions emerged in the Allied-occupied G ...
team of Bischofswerda File:BIW_Freibad.JPG, Open air bath File:Karl-May-Spiele-Bischofswerda.Blutsbr%C3%BCder.jpg, Karl May Festival


Partnership

Bischofswerda is twin town of: *
Geislingen an der Steige Geislingen an der Steige () is surrounded by the heights of the Swabian Jura, Swabian Alb and embedded in 5 valleys. It is a town in the Göppingen (district), district of Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The name relates ...
, Germany * Gryfów Śląski,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
* Raspenava,
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
Moreover, a long-term partnership exists between organizations for the disabled in Bischofswerda and Eggenfelden.


Personality


Freemen

* 1891:
Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (; born ''Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck''; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as ...
* 1911: Heinrich Grafe (1857–1917), wine wholesalers, City Council Chairman and antisemitic Member of Reichstag 1893-1917


Sons and daughters of the town

* Christian Heckel (1676–1744), teacher, organist, musician, poet and publisher * Christian Adolph Klotz (1738–1771), philologist. * Karl Friedrich Bahrdt (1741–1792), theologian and enlightener. * Robert Heller (1812–1871), writer * Walther Hesse (1846–1911), microbiologist * Max Neumeister (1849–1929), born in Kleindrebnitz, director of the Tharandt Forestry Academy * Johannes Pache (1857–1897), composer * Oskar Ernst Bernhardt (1875–1941), German founder of the Grail, writer *
Arthur Biram Arthur Yitzhak Biram (Hebrew: ארתור בירם; August 13, 1878 – June 5, 1967) was a German-born Israeli philosopher, philologist, and educator. He was the founder of the Reali School in Haifa. Biography Arthur Biram was born in Bis ...
(1878–1967), philologist and philosopher * Günther Wyschofsky (born 1929), politician (SED), Minister for chemical industry in the GDR * Adeltraut Thienel, (born 1943), actress, dressmaker, designer,


Personalities who are associated with the city

* Benno (1010–1106), bishop of
Meissen Meissen ( ), is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden and 75 km (46 mi) west of Bautzen on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, th ...
* Hanns Georgi (1901–1989), painter, director of a teacher training institute


Notes


External links


Bischofswerda Official Website (German)

Statistics of Bischofswerda, Germany (German)
* Karl Wilhelm Mittag. ''Chronik der königlich sächsischen Stadt Bischofswerda''. Verl. Friedrich May Bischofswerda, 186
Chronicle of the town, digitized


at
Europeana Europeana is a web portal created by the European Union containing digitised cultural heritage collections of more than 3,000 institutions across Europe. It includes records of over 50 million cultural and scientific artefacts, brought togethe ...
{{Authority control Towns in Saxony Populated places in Bautzen (district) West Lusatia