Pulsnitz (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, ;

Upper Sorbian Upper Sorbian (), occasionally referred to as Wendish (), is a minority language spoken by Sorbs in the historical province of Upper Lusatia, today part of Saxony, Germany. It is a West Slavic language, along with Lower Sorbian, Czech, Poli ...

name: ''Połčnica'', ) is a town in the district of Bautzen, in the

Free State of 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 ...

, in eastern

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. It is situated on the small river Pulsnitz, 11 km southwest of

Kamenz Kamenz () or Kamjenc ( Sorbian, ) is a town (''Große Kreisstadt'') in the district of Bautzen in Saxony, Germany. Until 2008 it was the administrative seat of Kamenz District. The town is known as the birthplace of the philosopher and poet Gotth ...

, and 24 km northeast of the centre 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 ...

History

Initially a Sorbian stronghold and settlement, it was first mentioned in 1225. It was granted town rights in 1375. It was raided by the

Hussites upright=1.2, Battle between Hussites (left) and Crusades#Campaigns against heretics and schismatics, Catholic crusaders in the 15th century upright=1.2, The Lands of the Bohemian Crown during the Hussite Wars. The movement began during the Prag ...

in 1429. Pulsnitz became famous for its

Pfefferkuchen (), or () are honey-sweetened German cakes, moulded cookies or bar cookies that have become part of Germany's Christmas traditions. They are similar to gingerbread. Etymology The etymology of ''Leb-'' in the term is uncertain. Propose ...

, a type of Christmas cookie, when in 1558 the bakers of Pulsnitz received permission to bake them. Today there are still eight ''Pfefferküchlereien'' bakeries. In 1745 the ''Pfefferküchler'' Tobias Thomas was known to be practising his craft in Pulsnitz as well as in

Toruń Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...

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 ...

, where the famous Toruń gingerbread were made. Pulsnitz is informally known as ''Pfefferkuchenstadt'' meaning "Gingerbread Town". Other crafts also developed, with a linen weavers'

guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...

founded in 1597, and the first local potter mentioned in 1653. During the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

of 1618–1648 the town suffered four fires, and in 1633 and 1680 it was hit by epidemics. The first

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 ...

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

to arrive in India, Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg was born in Pulsnitz on July 10, 1682. During the final stages of

World War II 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 ...

, in April 1945, the Polish Second Army captured the town. The town Pulsnitz absorbed the former municipality Friedersdorf in 1994, and Oberlichtenau in 2009.

Gallery

File:Marktplatz Pulsnitz - mit altem Rathaus.jpg, Market square with old town hall File:Pfefferkuchen Museum Pulsnitz - Haus des Gastes - Marktplatz.jpg, Pepper Cake Museum Pulsnitz - House of the Guest - Market Square File:Pulsnitz Ernst Rietschel Denkmal.jpg, Town hall File:Rietschel denkmal pulsnitz.jpg, Memorial for Ernst Rietschel File:Pulsnitzer pfefferkuchen.jpg, ''Pulsnitzer Spitzen'' File:Pfefferkuchen.JPG, ''Pulsnitzer Pfefferkuchen'' File:Pulsnitz Postmeilensäule.jpg, Post milestone from 1731

Notable people

* Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg (1682-1719), first Protestant missionary and Indian linguist * Ernst Rietschel, one of the most important sculptors of his time * Julius Kühn, an important agricultural scientist, he founded the first agricultural institute to be taken seriously at a German university *

Curt Haase Curt Haase (15 December 1881 – 9 February 1943) was a German general (''Generaloberst'') in during World War II. He commanded the III Corps during the Invasion of Poland and France. He later commanded the 15th Army in German-occupied France ...

, politician (NSDAP) * Klaus Staeck, graphic artist * Linda Wenzel

References

External links

* {{Authority control Populated places in Bautzen (district) West Lusatia