Wolkenstein (Ore Mountains)
| Wolkenstein | ||
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 Wolkenstein
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Location of Wolkenstein within Erzgebirgskreis district
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| Coordinates: 50°39′16″N 13°4′29″E / 50.65444°N 13.07472°ECoordinates: 50°39′16″N 13°4′29″E / 50.65444°N 13.07472°E | ||
| Country | Germany | |
| State | Saxony | |
| District | Erzgebirgskreis | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Guntram Petzold | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 30.51 km2 (11.78 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 553 m (1,814 ft) | |
| Population (2015-12-31) | ||
| • Total | 3,905 | |
| • Density | 130/km2 (330/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) | |
| Postal codes | 09429 | |
| Dialling codes | 037369 | |
| Vehicle registration | ERZ | |
| Website | www.stadt-wolkenstein.de | |
Wolkenstein is a town in the district Erzgebirgskreis, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the Ore Mountains, on the Zschopau River, 22 km southeast of Chemnitz.
The town is situated on a rocky spur near the confluence of Zschopau and Preßnitz. Its name is derived from the eponymous castle which is situated ca. 70 m above the river, and whose name signifies a rock that rises into the clouds. Aside from the town itself, Wolkenstein consists of the following subdivisions:
Of these, Warmbad is a spa town known for its hot spring with a variety of medicinal uses.
A Herrschaft Wolkenstein is mentioned in 1262. The town itself was first mentioned in 1293, and was first called an "oppidum" in 1323. A school was first recorded in 1385. From 1378, Wolkenstein was the seat of the noble family of Waldenburg. After they died out in 1473, it reverted to the House of Wettin. At the same time, mining started again in the area. The Protestant Reformation was introduced in 1536/1537, and Wolkenstein became a parish of its own.
A wooden covered bridge across the Zschopau river was built in 1573. Witch-hunts occurred between 1614 and 1680. 67 mines were in operation around 1622. A great fire occurred in 1687, necessitating the rebuilding of the church which was consecrated again in 1689. The wooden bridge was replaced in 1769 by a stone bridge according to plans by Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann.
A spinning mill was built in 1835 in Floßplatz, which was transformed into a paper mill in 1880. The Zschopay valley railway reached Wolkenstein in 1866. The local volunteer fire department formed in 1876. A new school was built in 1885. The sanitary sewers were completed in 1890, and a high pressure water supply in 1908.
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Wikipedia