Pulsnitz () or Połčnica (

Upper Sorbian Upper Sorbian (), occasionally referred to as "Wendish", is a minority language spoken by Sorbs in Germany in the historical province of Upper Lusatia, which is today part of Saxony. It is grouped in the West Slavic language branch, together ...

) is a town in the district of Bautzen, in the Free State of Saxony,

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

. 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 Gotthol ...

, and 24 km northeast of the centre of

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...

. Pulsnitz became famous for its Pfefferkuchen, 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 Tobias is the transliteration of the Greek which is a translation of the Hebrew biblical name he, טוֹבִיה, Toviyah, JahGod is good, label=none. With the biblical Book of Tobias being present in the Deuterocanon/Apocrypha of the Bible, To ...

was known to be practising his craft in Pulsnitz as well as in Thorn, Prussia now

Toruń )'' , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_flag = POL Toruń flag.svg , image_shield = POL Toruń COA.svg , nickname = City of Angels, Gingerbread city, Copernicus Town , pushpin_map = Kuyavian-Pom ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

, where the famous Thorner Kathrinchen were made. Pulsnitz is informally known as ''Pfefferkuchenstadt'' meaning "Gingerbread Town". The first

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which 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.Tho ...

to arrive in India, Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg was born in Pulsnitz on July 10, 1682. The town Pulsnitz absorbed the former municipality Friedersdorf in 1994, and Oberlichtenau in 2009.

Gallery

File:Marktplatz Pulsnitz - mit altem Rathaus.jpg, Market square Pulsnitz - 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 the Wehrmacht during World War II. He commanded the III Corps during the Invasion of Poland and France. He later commanded the 15th Army in German-occ ...

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

References

External links

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