Johanngeorgenstadt (, ) is a mining town 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 ...

’s

Ore Mountains The Ore Mountains (, or ; ) lie along the Czech–German border, separating the historical regions of Bohemia in the Czech Republic and Saxony in Germany. The highest peaks are the Klínovec in the Czech Republic (German: ''Keilberg'') at ab ...

, 17 km south of Aue, and 27 km northwest of

Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary (; , formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is located at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá (river), Teplá ri ...

. It lies in the district of

Erzgebirgskreis Erzgebirgskreis is a district ('' Kreis'') in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is named after the Ore Mountains (German: ''Erzgebirge''), a mountain range in the southern part of the district which forms part of the Germany–Czech Republi ...

, on the

border Borders are generally defined as geography, geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by polity, political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other administrative divisio ...

with the

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 ...

, is a state-recognized health resort (''Erholungsort''), and calls itself ''Stadt des Schwibbogens'' (“ Schwibbogen Town”). Its population decline since the 1950s has been extremely severe, falling from 45,000 residents in 1953 to only about one twelfth of that now.

Geography

Location

The town stretches predominantly from the eastern ridge of the almost 900-m-high Fastenberg to where the Breitenbach, which forms part of the border with the Czech Republic, empties into the river Schwarzwasser. The nearest high mountains to the town are the 1019-m-high

Auersberg Auersberg is a mountain in the Ore Mountains in Saxony, southeastern Germany. Auersberg is above sea level. It is located in the district of Wildenthal not far from the Czech border southeast of Eibenstock and northwest of Johanngeorgensta ...

, the 1043-m-high Blatenský vrch (in the Czech Republic) and the 913-m-high Rabenberg.

Neighbouring communities

Communities in Aue-Schwarzenberg bordering on Johanngeorgenstadt are Breitenbrunn,

Eibenstock Eibenstock is a town in the Erzgebirgskreis, Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western Ore Mountains, near the river Mulde. Geography Eibenstock has the following constituent communities: Eibenstock, Blauenthal, Wolfsgrün, Neidhardtsthal, ...

and Sosa. The Czech community of Potůčky also borders on Johanngeorgenstadt.

Constituent communities

Johanngeorgenstadt consists of the centres of Altstadt (called locally ''Sockendorf''), Mittelstadt, Neustadt, Schwefelwerk, Jugel (Ober- and Unterjugel), Henneberg, Wittigsthal, Pachthaus, Heimberg (with Külliggut), Steigerdorf (with Haberlandmühle), Steinbach and Sauschwemme. The former centre of Neuoberhaus is nowadays abandoned and has been overgrown by woods.

Climate

Owing to the town's great elevation – the road to Neustadt reaches 892 m – the winter here, with its long-lasting snow cover, often lasts half the year, making Johanngeorgenstadt one of Saxony's snowiest areas. Wind strengths of four to seven at any time of year are not a rarity, leading to the town's already becoming a well-loved summer resort by the late 19th century. Ever since the area was once mentioned in some 18th-century publications as the ''Sächsisches Sibirien'' (“Saxon Siberia”), the town has been known by the affectionate nickname ''Johannsibirsk''.

History

Early history

On 23 February 1654 in

Annaburg Annaburg () is a town in Wittenberg district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It was the seat of the former ''Verwaltungsgemeinschaft'' Annaburg-Prettin. Constituent communities The town Annaburg consists of the following ''Ortschaften'' or municipa ...

, the founding of Johanngeorgenstadt at the Fastenberg right on the border in the ''Amt'' of Schwarzenberg by

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

Protestant 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 ...

refugee A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...

s driven from Horní Blatná was approved by Elector John George I of Saxony. By 1680, there were roughly 100 ore mines in the town and the surrounding area.

Silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

mining also branched into

tin Tin is a chemical element; it has symbol Sn () and atomic number 50. A silvery-colored metal, tin is soft enough to be cut with little force, and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, a bar of tin makes a sound, the ...

mining, reaching its high point about 1715 and declining during the 18th century. After the two free years were up in 1656, the Elector of Saxony gave up

excise file:Lincoln Beer Stamp 1871.JPG, upright=1.2, 1871 U.S. Revenue stamp for 1/6 barrel of beer. Brewers would receive the stamp sheets, cut them into individual stamps, cancel them, and paste them over the Bunghole, bung of the beer barrel so when ...

, “Schock” (an old currency in Saxony) and drinking taxes until the beginning of the 18th century owing to the pervasive

poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...

in the town. The great

famine A famine is a widespread scarcity of food caused by several possible factors, including, but not limited to war, natural disasters, crop failure, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenom ...

in the Ore Mountains in 1771 and 1772 claimed roughly 650 lives in Johanngeorgenstadt. Already in 1651 in today's constituent community of Wittigsthal, an

ironworks An ironworks or iron works is an industrial plant where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e. the singular of ''ironworks'' is ''ironworks''. Ironworks succeeded bloome ...

had come into service, and by 1828, Carl Gotthilf Nestler (1789–1864) had set up Saxony's first fully functional iron plate

rolling mill In metalworking, rolling is a metal forming process in which metal stock is passed through one or more pairs of rolls to reduce the thickness, to make the thickness uniform, and/or to impart a desired mechanical property. The concept is simi ...

in the Haberlandmühle. In the 19th century also began the production of

lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is split into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...

bands and as of 1860, of

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...

gloves A glove is a garment covering the hand, with separate sheaths or openings for each finger including the thumb. Gloves protect and comfort hands against cold or heat, damage by friction, abrasion or chemicals, and disease; or in turn to provide a ...

. On 19 August 1867, a devastating great fire destroyed 287 of the town's 355 houses and claimed seven adults’ and five children's lives. Johanngeorgenstadt 1907

20th century

Germany's first

ski jump Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the fin ...

was built in 1929 near Johanngeorgenstadt. It bore the name “Hans-Heinz-Schanze”. In 1934, the formerly abandoned

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

industry was taken up again. In the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, with the seizure of owner Arthur Krautmann's “Deutsches Haus” hotel across from the

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

, the town became home to a

military hospital A military hospital is a hospital owned or operated by a military. They are often reserved for the use of military personnel and their dependents, but in some countries are made available to civilians as well. They may or may not be located on a m ...

. Furthermore, the town harboured a subcamp of the

Flossenbürg concentration camp Flossenbürg was a Nazi concentration camp built in May 1938 by the SS Main Economic and Administrative Office. Unlike other concentration camps, it was located in a remote area, in the Fichtel Mountains of Bavaria, adjacent to the town of Flos ...

in which countless inmates died. Its prisoners were used as

forced labour Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, or violence, including death or other forms of ...

and were deported mostly from German-occupied

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

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 ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. The Johanngeorgenstadt camp was emptied on 13 April 1945 and the inmates were sent on a

death march A death march is a forced march of prisoners of war, other captives, or deportees in which individuals are left to die along the way. It is distinct from simple prisoner transport via foot march. Article 19 of the Geneva Convention requires tha ...

towards Theresienstadt. Following World War II, the town was part of

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

until 1990. Beginning in 1945, through the founding of SAG Wismut and later SDAG Wismut (''Sowjetisch-Deutsche Aktiengesellschaft Wismut'' – Soviet-German Bismuth Corporation)

uranium Uranium is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Ura ...

mining underwent growth that was both rapid and without much regard to the effects on either human beings or on the environment. A great deal of the Old Town had to be torn down between 1953 and 1960 owing to mining damage, and new

residential area A residential area is a land used in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas. Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include single-family housing, multi-family residen ...

s were built. From 1952 to 1957, Johanngeorgenstadt was a district unto itself, but after this the town was integrated with the district of Schwarzenberg (now Aue-Schwarzenberg). The closure that began in 1990 of many businesses, such as the glove, textile and furniture industries as well as machine building led to a great fall in the town's population to levels below those before the war. This in turn led to the demolition of many empty factories and residential blocks (especially in Neuoberhaus, Pachthaus and the midtown). These measures even affected one of the town's few cultural monuments: The mining warehouse building, built between 1806 and 1812 and spared by the great fire of 1867, was, with town council's approval, torn down.

Amalgamations

* 1935: Jugel and Wittigsthal * 1952: Steinbach

Population development

Development of population figures ''(from 1955 31 December)'': : Source from 1946 to 1976 (except 1953): ''Statistische Jahrbücher der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik'' : Source from 1998: ''Statistisches Landesamt des Freistaates Sachsen'' 1 29 October
2 31 August Of the 5,748 inhabitants on 31 December 2003, 2,751 were male and 2,997 female.

Politics

Coat of arms

The town's

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

have their roots in the time when the town was founded. Johanngeorgenstadt's coat of arms might heraldically be described thus: Party per fess, above argent three buildings gules with towers, below gules an inescutcheon argent, therein a sledgehammer and a cross-peen hammer sable per saltire. The official German blazon, however (“Geteilt von Silber über Rot; oben drei rote Gebäude mit Türmen, unten ein kleiner Silberschild, darin schwarze Schlägel und Eisen”), does not mention the black roofs seen in the sample coat of arms in this article, nor does it say exactly how the

charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...

s are to be configured. It does not say, for instance, that the tools in the inescutcheon should be crossed (note, however, that this is implied if they are described as “ hammer and pick”, the historical symbol of mining).

Town partnerships

* Burglengenfeld in

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

, Germany * Nejdek in the

Culture and sightseeing

Museums

Not far from Schwefelwerkstraße lies the recreation, dedicated on 30 October 1993, of a horse gin and a hat house that may be visited. Right near the horse gin is a lapidarium featuring historic border stones and other boundary-marking stones. Likewise on Schwefelwerkstraße in the middle of town is a ''Heimat-Stube'', a museum of local lore. In the ''Bahnhofsgebäude'' (railway station building), built in 1898 and 1899 and remodelled after a fire in 1993, various exhibitions take place. There is also an “educational and entertaining” visitor mine in Wittigsthal called “Frisch Glück”

Music

Johanngeorgenstadt is where the Ore Mountain folk group De Randfichten comes from, although only one of the three musicians, Michael Rostig, actually still lives in town. Within the ''Erzgebirgszweigverein'', a singing group led by retired teacher Eberhard Müller is active.

Buildings

The Evangelical Lutheran ''Stadtkirche'' (“Town Church”) was built in

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

style using the old tower stonework after the town fire destroyed the ''Exulantenkirche'' from the 17th century, and it was consecrated on 27 August 1872. Inside are found, among other things, the monumental painting “Hausandacht” (“House Prayer”) – also known as “Betender Bergmann” (“Praying Miner”) and “Bergmannsglaube” (“Miner’s Belief”) – and “Exulantenschicksal” (“Exulants’ Fate”) by artist August Herrmann (1885–1962). At the

marketplace A marketplace, market place, or just market, is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a ''souk'' (from ...

stands the Statue of the Town's Founder, Elector Johann Georg I of Saxony (1585–1656). It was carved out of Postelwitz

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

in 1863 by sculptor Wilhelm Schwenk from

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 restored in 1984. Before it are some

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

steps and a water-spouting bear's head referring to the Electoral hunts in the town's environs. Also at the marketplace, the ''Schillerbrunnen'' (“Schiller Fountain”) is to be found. This was built in 1859, and dedicated on Friedrich von Schiller’s one hundredth birthday. Other memorials at the marketplace are the light grey granite pedestal of the Warriors’ Memorial (1870/71) and several memorial stones to the sons of the town. The two-metre-tall

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

figure formerly on the Warriors’ Memorial pedestal was melted down in the

. At the corner of the marketplace at Karlsbader Straße once stood, until the town fire in 1867, the ''Löbelhaus'' in which the town's first mayor Johann Löbel the Elder lived. Here, in August 1785

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...

spent the night on his way to Karlovy Vary. At Röderplatz is found the memorial dedicated on 8 September 1901 to the Ore Mountain poet and singer, school principal Christian Friedrich Röder (1827–1900); it includes a larger-than-life bust. Also worth seeing is the ''Platz des Bergmanns'' (“Miner’s Square”) with its music pavilion. In the New Town (Neustadt) stands a Saxony postal

milestone A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway, railway line, canal or border, boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks like Mileage sign, mileage signs; or they c ...

from 1728, which once stood at the market. In Wittigsthal, next to the border crossing and the visitor mine, is the mansion of the old Wittigsthal ironworks, from 1836. There is an old powder tower in the town known locally as the ''Pulverturm''.

Natural monuments

* Kleiner Kranichsee nature reserve (a raised bog with viewing platform) in Henneberg * Auersberg (1 019 m) with viewing tower and mountain hotel * ''Himmelswiese'' natural monument near Breitenbrunn-Halbemeile * ''Preißhausbuche'' on the old postal road to Breitenbrunn

Sport

A ''Naturbad'' (“natural” swimming pool), fed by the Schwefelbach, draws summertime visitors. The natural ice stadium not far from the pool at the ski jumps is open in the wintertime. The

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

centre in Schwefelwerk was completed in 2004 with a new building and recognized as a ''Nordic-Aktiv-Zentrum'' of the German Skiing Federation. Here begins the ridge ski run by way of Weitersglashütte and Mühlleithen to Schöneck, much loved in winter. Furthermore, in the Külliggut lands there are lifts at skiers’ disposal. The widely wooded surroundings offer

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

enthusiasts a broad area for their pastime. Many marked trails lead to local sightseeing spots, among them in particular the ''Anton-Günther-Weg'', which was dedicated in 1995 and which crosses the

. Also popular are outings to the Czech Republic, among these a trip to the 1043-m-high Plattenberg.

Regular events

* January: Grenzlauf (Border Walk) * Faschingszeit (

Shrovetide Shrovetide is the Christian liturgical period prior to the start of Lent that begins on Shrove Saturday and ends at the close of Shrove Tuesday. The season focuses on examination of conscience and repentance before the Lenten fast. It includes ...

): various events for townsfolk and visitors * 23 February: Town's founding day with mining parade and service at the town church * March: Auersberglauf (Auersberg Walk) * July: Gugler Fast * August: Old Town Festival in “Sockendorf” * Third weekend in

Advent Advent is a season observed in most Christian denominations as a time of waiting and preparation for both the celebration of Jesus's birth at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Chri ...

: Schwibbogenfest (Christmas market) * Hardcore band New Morality played a show here on February 28, 2009, it has since become an annual local holiday

Economy and infrastructure

Transport

Johanngeorgenstadt was included in the postal road system of the

Electorate of Saxony The Electorate of Saxony, also known as Electoral Saxony ( or ), was a territory of the Holy Roman Empire from 1356 to 1806 initially centred on Wittenberg that came to include areas around the cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz. It was a ...

as the town lay on a pass in the Ore Mountains. Hearkening back to this time are the postal

from 1728 before the

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

in the New Town (Neustadt), although originally it stood at the marketplace, and also a full milestone opposite the powder tower and a quarter-mile stone in Steinbach, both of which date from 1725. There are furthermore several

Kingdom of Saxony The Kingdom of Saxony () was a German monarchy in Central Europe between 1806 and 1918, the successor of the Electorate of Saxony. It joined the Confederation of the Rhine after the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, later joining the German ...

milestones near the town that were placed from 1858 onwards, for example on the old postal route from Auerbach by way of Carlsfeld and Wildenthal (today part of

) to Johanngeorgenstadt. In 1883, the

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

to Schwarzenberg began running, and from 1899 until its closure in 1945 the railway ran through to Neudek ( Nejdek) and Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary). There are

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...

connections to Schwarzenberg and by way of Eibenstock to Rodewisch. With the reopening of the railway on 30 June 1991 and the opening of a pedestrian border crossing, which may also be used by motorscooters, it became possible to reach the neighbouring Czech community of Potůčky.

Public institutions

The ''Rathaus'' (Town Hall) is housed in a former

barracks Barracks are buildings used to accommodate military personnel and quasi-military personnel such as police. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word 'soldier's tent', but today barracks ar ...

building on Eibenstocker Straße in the middle of town. The old town hall lay right on the marketplace, but it was destroyed in the great fire of 1867, and its successor was torn down in 1955. Right near the town administration is the ''Haus der Jugend'' (House of Youth) built in 2004. The ''Kulturhaus

Karl Marx Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...

'' built in the New Town (Neustadt) in 1956 has been shut down for many years. Since 1927, at Hospitalstraße 5, there has been a youth hostel with 60 beds at its disposal. In 1986, the title “Most Beautiful Youth Hostel” (''Schönste Jugendherberge'') was bestowed upon it. Until 1990, the hostel bore the name Ernst Schneller, after a prewar

Communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

member of the Reichstag who died at the

Sachsenhausen concentration camp Sachsenhausen () or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a German Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used from 1936 until April 1945, shortly before the defeat of Nazi Germany in May later that year. It mainly held political prisoners t ...

. The

gym A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...

nasium built in 1930 and 1931 on Eibenstocker Straße was opened once again in late October 2004 as the Franz Mehring Sport and Meeting Place after renovation and expansion.

Education

Primary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

, Schulstr. 15 * Kurfürst-Johann-Georg-Schule, Käthe-Kollwitz-Str. 16

Famous people

Honorary citizens

* 1665: Johann Löbel the Elder (1592–1666), first mayor, granted exemption from duty for his house by the Saxon Elector * 1680: Matthäus Allius (1632–1701), town judge, granted Electoral house privilege throughout the town for merit * 1865: Wilhelm Fischer (1796–1884), 1827–1835 mining master in Johanngeorgenstadt, made an endowment of 300

Thaler A thaler or taler ( ; , previously spelled ) is one of the large silver coins minted in the states and territories of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg monarchy during the Early Modern period. A ''thaler'' size silver coin has a diameter o ...

s for the ''Haldensluster Gestift'' * 1868: Bernhard von Uhde, district director in

Zwickau Zwickau (; ) is the fourth-largest city of Saxony, Germany, after Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz, with around 88,000 inhabitants,. The West Saxon city is situated in the valley of the Zwickau Mulde (German: ''Zwickauer Mulde''; progression: ), ...

, took it upon himself to quickly remove the 1867 fire damage * 1869: Friedrich August Weidauer (d. 1897), Mayor of Schwarzenberg, helped with the rebuilding of Town Hall * 1869: Heinrich Moritz Reichelt (d. 1886) mine surveyor in Schwarzenberg, endowed the town church's baptismal font and ''Bergglocke'' (“Mountain Bell”) * 1870: Ernst Adolph Theodor Degen (1782–1854),

apothecary ''Apothecary'' () is an Early Modern English, archaic English term for a medicine, medical professional who formulates and dispenses ''materia medica'' (medicine) to physicians, surgeons and patients. The modern terms ''pharmacist'' and, in Brit ...

and mayor, helped with the town's reconstruction * 1874: Konrad ''Eduard'' Löhr (d. 1890), Mayor 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 ...

Landtag A ''Landtag'' (State Diet) is generally the legislative assembly or parliament of a federated state or other subnational self-governing entity in German-speaking nations. It is usually a unicameral assembly exercising legislative competence ...

secretary, worked to have the railway built * 1874: Heinrich ''Otto'' von Erdmannsdorff (1815–1888), Lord of Schönfeld, Member of the Landtag, supported the building of the railway * 1874: F. O. Starke, Member of the Second ''Ständekammer'', furthered railway building from Schwarzenberg to Johanngeorgenstadt * 1874: Mehnert, Commissar and Member of the Landtag, worked to have the railway built to Johanngeorgenstadt * 1874: Karl Eduard Mannsfeld, court director in Schwarzenberg, Member of the Second ''Ständekammer'', furthered railway building * 1874: Friedrich Wilhelm Pfotenhauer (1812–1877), ''Oberbürgermeister'' of the City of Dresden, furthered railway building * 1878: Christian Adolf Lenk (1801–1879),

cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. Cantor as a profession generally refers to those leading a Jewish congregation, although it also applies to the lead singer or choir director in Christian contexts. ...

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...

and minister, saved the church books from the town fire * 1880: Léonce Robert Freiherr von Könneritz (1835–1890), Saxon Finance Minister, furthered railway building * 1880: Gustav Adolf Vodel, Secret Government Councillor and District Captain in Zwickau, supported the railway connection * 1889: Karl August Seifert, town councillor and schooling supporter * 1895: Prince

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 ...

(1815–1898), Imperial Chancellor, supported reconstruction after the fire of 1867 * 1901: Karl ''Anton'' Unger (1831–1909), factory owner in

, donated much money for the town and the women's club * 1911: Otto Robert Georgi (1831–1918), ''Oberbürgermeister'' of the City of Leipzig, endower of the Miners’ Widows’ Fund * 1913: Dr. Walter Glaß (1874–1914), ''Amt'' judge,

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

captain, founder and chairman of the Winter Sport Club * 1918: Hermann Gerber, pensioner, donated money to support the poor in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

* 1919: Carl Hugo Schönherr (d. 1925), factory owner in Leipzig, donated 1000 Marks to care for the poor * 1933:

Martin Mutschmann Martin Mutschmann (9 March 1879 – 14 February 1947) was a German factory owner who was a financial supporter of the Nazi Party and became the ''Gauleiter'' (Party leader) and ''Reichsstatthalter'' (Reich Governor) of the state of Saxony during ...

, Nazi ''Reichsstatthalter'' in Saxony * 2004: Christian Teller, ''Erzgebirgszweigverein’s'' first chairman (until 2005) and ''Heimatforscher'' (“homeland researcher”) * 2004: Heiner Georgi, teacher and engaged churchworker * 2006: De Randfichten

Sons and daughters of the town

* Johann Gabriel Löbel (1635–1696), glassworks and dyeworks owner in Jugel, ironworks master in Wittigsthal and Breitenbach * Carl Gottlob Beck (1733–1802), moved to

Nördlingen Nördlingen (; Swabian: ''Nearle'' or ''Nearleng'') is a town in the Donau-Ries district, in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, with a population of approximately 20,674. It is located approximately east of Stuttgart, and northwest of Munich. It was ...

in 1763 and founded a

publishing Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...

house (nowadays: Verlag C. H. Beck) * August Heinrich Gruner (1761–1848), postmaster, Goethe's acquaintance, saved the town from pillage in 1813 * Christian Gottlob Wild (1785–1839) church minister, said to have been an Ore Mountain dialect poet * Dr. phil. Gotthelf Gustav Gündel (1794–1860), Goethe's friend, educator in the House of Frizzoni in

Bergamo Bergamo ( , ; ) is a city in the Alps, alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from the alpine lakes Lake Como, Como and Lake Iseo, Iseo and 70 km (43 mi) from Lake Garda, Garda and Lake ...

(Italy) * Oswald Lorenz (1806–1889), music teacher and composer,

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...

’s friend and editor of his music magazine * Ludwig Edelmann (1835–1925), manufacturer, founder of the

Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

parish in Bergstadt Platten (Horní Blatná) * Ernst Georg August Baumgarten (1837–1884), chief forester, inventor of the dirigible, rigid

airship An airship, dirigible balloon or dirigible is a type of aerostat (lighter-than-air) aircraft that can navigate through the air flying powered aircraft, under its own power. Aerostats use buoyancy from a lifting gas that is less dense than the ...

* Amatus Otto Unger (1838–1914), on the board of the “Vereinigten Strohstoff-Fabriken”

, factory owner in Jonasmühle * Eugen Kircheisen (d. 1913), sculptor in

Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( ; from Low German , local dialect: ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the ...

, created the warrior memorial in 1895 and in 1901 the Röder Memorial * August ''Max'' Schreyer (1845–1922), chief forest councillor in Pulsnitz, poet of the song “Dr Vugelbeerbaam” * Prof. Dr. phil. et med. vet. Oskar Röder (1862–1952), Secret Medical Councillor, clinic leader of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

* Emil Teubner (1877–1958),

woodcarver Wood carving (or woodcarving) is a form of woodworking by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculpture, ...

and

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

, honorary citizen of Aue * Hans C. Otto (1879–1929), glove factory owner, eventually in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, prepared, for example, the Emperor's daughter's bridal gloves * Max F. Schmidt, musical director in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

in the 1920s; in 1928 a “Max-Schmidt-Bank” was dedicated on Höhenweg * Dr. phil. Richard Truckenbrodt (1887–1961), teacher, earned a doctorate in 1926 about Western Ore Mountain folklore * Hans Pfeiffer (1895–1968), Communist politician, Member of the Reichstag * Gustav Schäfer (1906–1991), Olympic

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...

medallist in 1936 * Kurt Magritz (1909–1992), architect and graphic artist in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

* Günter Schmidt (b. 1929), major general in the MfS * Prof. Dr. Heinz Eger (b. 1932), medic (radiologist) and professor at the Technische Universität Ilmenau * Wolfgang Möhrig-Marothi (b. 1947), writer * André Hennicke (b. 1959),

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

, described as the “face of new German film”

People with connections to the town

(1749–1832), visited the town in 1785, among other times, as witnessed by a plaque * Björn Kircheisen (b. 1983), sportsman (Nordic Combination), vice-world champion 2005, grew up here * Sven Hannawald born Pöhler (b. 1974), sportsman (skijumping), grew up here * Toni Englert (b. 1988), sportsman (Nordic Combination), junior world champion 2006, grew up here

References and sources

External links

*Cette ville est évoquée dans le roman de Philipe Kerr vert-de-gris à l'occasion de la course à la production d'uranium par l'URSS en vue de l'acquisition de l'arme nucléaire. {{Authority control Populated places established in 1654 Erzgebirgskreis 1654 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire Czech Republic–Germany border